Courgette

Dinner at dusk...gorgeous, green surroundings...crisp, white tablecloths...elegant table setting.

Appetisers - Caramelised onion tartlets with goat’s cheese

Complimentary canapés - perfect combination of sweet and savoury in the one mouthful.

The Grand Hotel

Description from Wikipedia about The Grand Hotel:

The Grand Hotel retains the elements of classic Chinese architecture in its building. It is not only the most splendid landmark of Taipei, but representative of contemporary palatial architecture.

I went to the Grand Hotel this year in March for the Farewell Banquet of a work conference. It was every bit as palatial as it looks in the pictures*. It's not surprising at all that this magnificent establishment has played host to many foreign dignitaries. What was surprising - the quality of food matched the majestic architecture. I wondered if this was the kind of place that relied on the beauty of the interior design and didn't worry too much about putting effort into the food.

I needn't have worried. The pork pies (top left) melted in my mouth when I bit into the pastry, and the selection of cold entrees explored different textures (crispy duck skin, creamy salad, the unique flavour of the fish roe and the crunchiness of the jellyfish). The other dishes were delicious in their own right, but the standout dish for me was the unagi (Japanese eel) with Chinese-style sticky rice. What a perfect fusion dish!

*Pictures of the Grand Hotel were not taken by me, they were sourced from Google images.

Coming soon - my next post will feature a review of Courgette!