I can wax poetic all day about how beautiful the Yang Ming Mountains are, a landscape so picturesque a local Taiwanese architect moved himself from the city to the country in search of a more spiritual purpose in life. There, he found himself, his greater calling, and his higher purpose to mix and master both cuisine and contemplation, alas Shiyang Culture Restaurant was born.
The Vibe
I mean you could literally FEEL the energy of personal growth and achievement once you stepped onto the grounds of the restaurant enveloped by natural forest all around you. I swear I half gasped when we turned the corner from the parking lot and was met with a modern monolith (above) signaling the entry to our final destination. Perched high within the Yangming Mountains in the outskirts of Taipei city sits a Zen-like oasis, part residential compound, part commercial restaurant, part spiritual center for residents and tourists alike. It’s amazing to see how skilled artisan hands and minds conceptualized a space so apropos for its surroundings. Maybe it’s the designer in me or the emotionally introspective girl who really REALLY took to heart what Shiyang had in store…
Taking off our shoes with a no-indoor shoe policy. They offer in-house slippers to explore the grounds from your private dining room. Modern luxury.
You almost forget you’re here to dine, the surroundings just render you speechless…
Our own private dining room (behind me) with 180deg open air perimeter deck. You can access the deck by sliding back the glass partitions from either side of the room. Told ya it was impressive…
On The Menu
Shiyang only offers 2 types of seasonally changing meals: vegetarian or non-vegetarian. Our prix fixe lunch cost approximately $45USD for over a dozen non-vegetarian dishes, unheard of for an experience so transcendental I’d have paid them triple and been satisfied picking fruit off the trees to eat.
But here goes the food hunnies, your favorite part ;D
Sauteed Scallops served with bean thread noodles, mushrooms, edamame, and pine nutsUni on bean curd
Seafood and Vegetable AssortmentVeggie rice roll | Veggie wrapped roe
Glutinous rice cube with cauliflowerKanpachi? I don’t remember what type of sashimi this was…sorry, bad blogger!
House-made aperitif…vinegary and very acidic. Not for the faint of heart!
Prawns with pumpkin
Rice, chicken, and veggie stir fry
Blossoming herbal lotus soup
Fresh fruit and house made grass gelatin dessert
The Verdict
I felt completely satiated and more enlightened by this meal than ANY other meal I’ve consumed in the last decade. Can that be right? Am I seriously overselling this gem of a find?
We spent all afternoon dining and exploring the grounds, getting lost in thought and stopping to shoot where I felt inspired…
Experiences like these are precisely why I LOVE to travel guys. Experiences that change you, that move you to want to do and BE better… Isn’t that the very meaning of life??
A web of moments, all intertwined and aimed at personal growth and achievement.
One FINAL Taiwan Travel Diary post then we’re off to Bangkok and Koh Samui, Thailand y’all!
7 Comments
Thanks for stopping by ?And I am getting hungry just looking at your post ?
Thank you for your sweet comment!
Looks like you had a great time 🙂 It all looks so lovely and delicious! I also love your outfit 🙂
The food looks so yummy and appealing.
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So basically everything (even the bugs!) is beautiful!! Sure looks like it to me!!! And I love your hair color.
Those food make me hungry! I wanna go to Taiwan some days!
OMG! What a beautiful place. It looks so relaxing there and the foods look really yummyyy! Nice outfit 🙂
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Have a nice day!
xoxo,
SHAIRA
http://www.missdream-girl.blogspot.com
Beautiful photos 🙂
Florals&Smiles