Tuesday, September 1, 2015

[Taipei] MUME

I am truly flattered by all the recent "follows" on my Taiwan collection... your appreciation is my fuel and I will try to write as much as I can of what I have seen, tasted, and experienced in the treasure island (寶島) aka Taiwan.  (In fact, I just came back from a 3-week business trip from Taipei so I got lots to share, just not enough time...)

In the past, when I go to Taiwan, food that immediately comes to mind are local snacks, cheap food, and beef noodles!  Rarely does the word "fine dining" comes to mind.  Recently, it has been changed as a wave of modern western restaurants opened in Taipei.  The good news - most of them are quite affordable - thanks to the lower cost of living in Taiwan compared to its neighbors such as Hong Kong, Japan, etc.  I have been wanting to try MUME ever since it has opened.  The chefs' CV alone is impressive enough and there were a lot of raving reviews.  Needless to say, my expectation is high.  Verdict:  I was NOT disappointed!


I must not be very artistic but I can't decode the message...


What I liked:  Presentation!  The food is very tasty as well, especially the sauce.  I think Chef Lin and his team really put a lot of focus on the sauce.  Everything we ordered was perfectly cooked and all the sauces have a complex and rich flavor which complimented the main ingredient very well without stealing the spot light.  What I didn't like:  Water is not free, just like the rest of the fine dining world -.-|||  Why are the cocktails served in a tea cup?  Give me more smoked beef fat for my bread and bring back the set menu, please?

I get the point the restaurant want to stick to the "mume" theme but...
cocktails in a Japanese tea cup? 
Sourdough w/ beef fat butter, smoked stout butter, salt

Bread is a la carte, very good bread, crisp and moist.
my friend thinks it could me more sour.
I was blown away by the beef fat butter so I could forgive almost anything
Kanpachi Crudo

Lovely presentation, perfect for summer, love the citrus sauce.
Fish is very fresh.  Great starter.
Can you believe my iPhone takes better pictures than my camera?
well, I didn't have time to edit any of my camera photo (direct export) but still...
Amadai with Roasted Bell Peppers

Personally, I love the roast bell peppers more but
I also love the fact the amadai is fried scale ON!
bold attempt and very well executed.

Chicken with cauliflower puree and pickled onion (?)

Believe it or not, I didn't want to order this at first but turned out to be my favorite of the night
Crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
Full of flavor and again, love the cauliflower puree
Also love how the pickled onion cleanse my palate in the end.

Beef short ribs

Great marbelizaion and flavor on the short ribs
but my friend complained her ribs lacked flavor.
Love the caramelized onion sauce but didn't it enhance the flavor of the beef.
There is room for improvement on this one.

Peaches, osmanthus, basil, and pistachios

Can't you tell I am having so much fun playing with this one?
Beautiful presentation but unfortunately not my favorite.
Yes, this desserts should be clean and refreshing but it lacks "saturation". 



Most of the dedicated foodies would also have heard of RAW (Andre Chang's restaurant) but the restaurant is so exclusive I have long given up trying to reserve a table.  Honestly, I think it sort of defeats the point of introducing world cuisine to the mass in Taiwan - as the people who actually got a reservation are recognized individuals who can afford to fine dine anywhere in the world.

MUME
No. 28, Siwei Rd, Da’an District, Taipei, Taiwan
Tel: +886 2 2700 0901
Hours: (Tuesday to Sunday) 6:00 PM to 12:00 AM
Email: info@mume.tw
Reservations recommended

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