Address: No. 9-2, Sec. 2, Jianguo N. Rd, Jhongshan District, Taipei. 台北市建國北路二段9-2號1樓
Telephone: (02)2515-5855
Hours:
Outside of Chinese and Japanese cuisine, I think that Italian food might come next in line in terms of popularity. I don't know why this is. Don't get me wrong, I love me some Italian food, but I just can't pinpoint the reason why it has reached the level of popularity that it has here in Taiwan. Maybe all pasta reminds us of the noodles that the Taiwanese love so much? Whatever the reason may be, there is a large population of Italian eateries throughout the city, and it was on a Sunday afternoon that I found myself in such a restaurant.
Went with the prix fixe meal from both sides of the menu. Variety is the spice of life right?
Mullet roe over capellini in tomato sauce. Just getting warmed up. (classical prix fixe menu)
Make no mistake, Canoviano Ristorante is most certainly a classy restaurant, and if you choose to dine here, be prepared to shell upwards of 3000NT per person. We were a party of 6 adults and 4 children, so fortunately I was able to sample both of the items on the prix fixe menu. The Classical, which is 1880NT and the Special which is 2980NT. They also of course have a separate a la carte menu, but I would definitely suggest ordering one of the prix fixe menus as it is both abundant in food, and fantastic in quality and selection.
Pan seared black tuna in balsamic sauce. Two types of tuna, really enjoyed the texture of the tuna, and the sauce goes perfectly with the tartar and seared tuna. Only wish there was more.
White asparagus, parma ham, and truffled poached egg.
Duck confit, figs and shampignon. All three items from the Special Prix Fixe.
Canoviano inhabits a rather large luxurious space that possesses high ceilings and comfortable looking chairs. The staff is very attentive to a glass that is about to be emptied, a plate that needs cleaning, or whatever other needs that you may have. Like most prix fixe menus of restaurants of this caliber, the food is prepared and ordered to follow a specific palette.
Grilled scallop with handmade pumpkin flavored pasta. One of my favorites.. lord knows I love pumpkin, scallops and pasta.. but when they combine forces? Game over. (classical prix fixe)
Liver pate ravioli in chicken broth with gold flakes. Pretty. The raviolis were very delicious, but I wasn't a big fan of the bland nature of the chicken broth. (classical)
Spicy cuttlefish pasta, garlic flavored. Basically its squid ink. I loved the bite to the noodles, and the kick that the spiciness gives to it. Cooked al dente, and it was fantastic to look at. (Special)
I don't know about you, but I've been trained by a lifetime of eating to think of Italian cuisine as basically just a big ol' bowl of pasta, with possibly some calamari and some bread. In my mind, I just imagine the scene from the Godfather where everyone is sitting around the table with the checkered table top, and everyone is scooping out giant meatballs. Obviously Canoviano is not that type of place, but there is of course a market for fine dining of any sort, and I have learned to appreciate when something is done right and done well.
The food was delicious. But a friend of mine told me once, that once you reach a certain level of food, when everything is expected to taste good, it really just comes down to appearance, and I think Canoviano scored on that as well.
Grilled fresh fish, spinach, and job's tears which is basically just barley. (classical)
Grilled scallop and pan seared fresh fish. Enjoyed the scallop much more than the actual fish. Felt it was a little on the dry side and lacked a little bit of seasoning. The texture of the scallop was magnificent.
Caviar over sea urchin risotto. It was as delicious as it sounds.
To be more specific, the style of Canoviano should be classified as more of a Japanese-Italian fusion (what a combo). Just looking at some of the ingredients used so far (like the uni risotto) should have given you some inking of that. The restaurant was opened by a Japanese chef who had similar success with a Canoviano in Japan. The daily menu sets change based on the season.
One of my favorites anywhere. Lobster bisque. The lobster is sneakily hiding under that foam. (Special)
Some lemon ice to cleanse the palette before the main dishes.
One of the two choices on the special prix fixe menu for the main course. Grilled AUS wagyu over an assortment of vegetables. I've had better steak, but this was still very good. Vegetables were grilled well and complemented the wagyu well. Not a large portion of meat, but that can be forgiven when so much came before it.
The other main dish option: Grilled lamp chop. I enjoyed this more than the wagyu. The more generous portion had something to do with it, but the lamb was just extremely tender.
The food really was almost as good to look at as it was to eat, and that's saying quite a lot. The restaurant was relatively empty on a cloudy Sunday afternoon, but if it ever gets busy they have addition seating upstairs with a private dining room.
Okay.. i'm really running out of things to say here. All you need to know is that sometimes you get what you pay for, and Canoviano is one of those places. The food in my opinion was exquisitely prepared and that was well reflected in both appearance and in the flavor of the dishes.
It is a great place for a romantic evening, or simply just a great place to enjoy a fine meal. But again, the prices can get a bit high if one isn't careful, so let that factor into your decision before you give Canoviano a try.
Overall Canoviano receives:
-Til Next Time-
Truffled poached egg with shampignon Risotto. The other risotto was much better. This was amazing to look at, but the flavor was a little lacking,
Good god. We had to order seconds of this dessert. Under the creamy sauce was a caramel ice cream and bananas. With little flakes of sugar. Sometimes it just never is enough.
Earl grey pudding with gold flakes.
Financier cakes to top it off. I accidentally referred to them as corn bread upon first laying my eyes on them. Believe when I say I was severely reprimanded by the sister for my mistake.
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