Address: No. 8, Alley 15, Lane 345, Section 4, Rén'ài Rd, Daan District. 台北市仁愛路4段345巷15弄8號
Telephone: (02)2777-1479
Hours: 5:30PM-1:00AM Daily
Don't get me wrong, I'm a believer in strong traditional values and consider myself prideful in both countries I can call home (Taiwan & the U.S). But that's the point isn't it? In this world where a person (such as myself) can have dual nationality, doesn't it make sense that our food moves along in that same direction? I love my food simple at times. On occasion all we need is that piece of cooked meat with all those familiar spices, or that one homegrown dish that we've loved and longed for our entire lives.
At other times? Some flair, some panache, a new take on old food is what will get us to say wow. This is all the say that we want different things at different intervals in our lives, and these new breed of fusion restaurants do a good job of offering that curve ball in our dietary habits.
花彘醺 is fundamentally a Japanese restaurant, but they offer up dishes not in the traditional vein that one would expect. They infuse their food with flavors and style from other regions of the world and the end product is both a visually appealing brand of food as well as one that is full and rich in flavor.
Get the meal started off right. Some beer and salad... not sure what kind of message I'm trying to send here. Tofu mixed salad was very delicious, and the dressing was spot on. Although like many of the dishes here, some people may find the flavors too strong, but something like that plays directly into my wheelhouse.
Raw beef slices on a bed of sauteed onions. No raw taste at all. The beef was oh so tender and paired with the garnishes magnificently. (280NT)
If you are looking for a traditional take on Japanese food... then for the love of God, avoid 花彘醺 at all costs, because you'll only be staring disappointment in the face. What little I know of true Japanese food is that the balance of flavors lies towards using the natural oils and such of each ingredient instead of infusing it with your own concoction of sauces.
I realize that that is a rather wide generalization, but it is something I feel that has some merit. Much of my favorite dishes from Japan are about the delicacy and texture and not necessarily the actual flavoring.
Their take on tuna tartar. Definitely on the spicy side. Enjoyed the dish although possibly on the salty side. One of the signature dishes of the restaurant. (260NT)
Some of the favorites of the night. Lovely to look at.. even better to eat. (Halibut, salmon, uni) Good enough to order seconds.
花彘醺 is about the flavors in my opinion. When the food is as colorful and as vibrant as what is presented here, I expect the flavor to almost literally jump out of the dishes. To this point, 花彘醺 does not let you down in the slightest.
Everything is punctuated with its own garnish and sauce, and like I said, I love my food to be flavorful and I love sauces even more... so I was basically in ecstasy for the duration of the meal. This clearly is not for everyone however, and someone like my cranky old school mother would find the flavors too be almost too taxing and a chore to get through. (love you mother)
Breaded oyster and mushroom combo. (280NT)
Beef cooked on a heated stone and leaves? I'm sorry, the best description I could come up with. Again, this was another visually stunning dish that wasn't lacking in the flavor profile either. The spoon of salt on the side for those that needed a little extra something something.(420NT)
We had trouble deciding what to order, so we asked our waitress to mix and match some of the restaurants best dishes for us into a dinner that was fitting of our palettes. They were very accommodating in this, and put together a meal in which offered a bit of everything that 花彘醺 does impeccably well.
I'm not precisely sure whether it was just the pacing of the restaurant or their desire to bring out a dish at a time, but at times I felt that there was too much of a lull in between the dishes and that somewhat slowed the momentum of the dining experience as a whole. But that is a small gripe in what I thought to be an overall very pleasurable meal.
The prices are not cheap, but I would say they are very reasonable and someone can expect to pay about 1000NT+ for a complete experience of 花彘醺. The atmosphere is hip and modern but the restaurant definitely isn't large and sometimes it's a burden to avoid bumping into the waitstaff, furniture or other hungry people (you skinny ones won't understand this pain).
The selection of alcohol is diverse and many of the sakes will go wonderfully with the food. I was surprised to find that although we came here on a Friday night and made a reservation, the restaurant wasn't that packed. Perhaps this has something to do with the difficult location (located in a tight alley), but perhaps it was just mere happenstance, as I'm sure the food wasn't the culprit.
Simple Finisher
Fried Mochi Dessert. Not too chewy.. just right.
The damage... tip included.
As always the question is: did said restaurant make enough of an impression to warrant a return trip? And for 花彘醺, the answer is a resounding yes. For me, this place hit a solid triple and is rounding its way home. But I will repeat again that all the strengths of 花彘醺 play directly into my sweet spots of dining, so heed my warnings, but if you are even remotely interested, please search this place out and give it a try.
There is much and more on the menu that I have yet to try and I eagerly anticipate my next food sabbatical back home so I can pick apart the rest of the delicacies here.
Overall 花彘醺 Receives:
-Til Next Time-
