fathomTAIWAN

Top picture: Cantonese ducks await diners

Centre pictures: Spiral staircase to 2nd floor;  Other Brother Hotel restaurants; Unique design – the division wall between Cantonese and Taiwanese restaurants on the same floor.

Bottom picture: Entrance to Cantonese room.

Top pictures. Crisp skin chicken and the “pizza”

Bottom. Oysters in black bean sauce.  Logos for both 2nd floor restaurants.

Two pictures shown – double-click either to enlarge

Take your overseas visitors to this charming old hotel for the best feed in Taipei.   Opened about 1980 the Brother Hotel in …….I think it was near East Nanjing Rd. MRT.

I was halfway through dining before these pictures were made.

The Taiwanese cuisine included Crisp skin Chicken in a way not known by me in Australian Chinese restaurants.  Fabulous in all respects.

Normally oysters are a bit of a risk to eat.  They are filter feeders which means any pollution in the surrounding water stays in the oyster until the next high tide allows the oyster to flush it out.  However in Taiwan I’ve eaten oyster several times without a problem.  Although smaller than in Australia the Taiwan oysters are a fraction of the price I refuse to pay in Oz.

The dish we sampled featured oysters in black bean sauce.  Fantastic.  I could have licked the plate clean.

The “pizza” was not too bad either.

The bill came to about US $12 each.

Staff was attentive beyond my imagination.  A lady with a dust pan kept the tiled floor spotless throughout the restaurant.  It was fussing to the hilt.

After leaving the room it dawned on me that the first floor  (which is called the 2nd floor in Taiwan) is circular with a division separating Cantonese cuisine from the Taiwanese room I’d just left.

The hotel has other international restaurants within its structure.  What an incredibly good idea?

A return is definitely planned.  I’d be happy to try the same dishes again, then consider something on the other levels.

I wonder what the Italian food is like? If they get that right this would be a good test.