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COMPASS MAGAZINE, March 2007

Getting there:
From National Freeway 1, take the Sanyi exit. Take the main woodcarving street (JhongJheng Rd.) into older downtown Sanyi and turn right onto GuangFu Rd. at the OK convenience store. Cross under the freeway and continue on County Highway 130 about 1 km, bear right at the Y intersection and it's on the left.

Mimi's Palm Spring: A 5-star oasis in the countryside

By Douglas Habecker Translated by Ann Lee

205, Shuang Lien Tan, Shuang Tou tsun (village), Sanyi xiang (township), Miaoli County; (037) 879-769
Hours:11 am-9 pm
Credit cards accepted.
10% service charge. Parking lot.
http://www.mimis.com.tw

Both North America and Europe are home to a number of famed five-star restaurants which are extraordinary by virtue of their remote locations, typically in some place of great scenic beauty. Mimi's Palm Spring introduces the same concept to Taiwan.
A drive on a small winding road through the pretty Miaoli County countryside just outside the woodcarving town of Sanyi brings you to a beautiful white Spanish mission-style building. Inside, you are greeted with an exquisite setting, complete with chandeliers, dark rattan chairs, red-tiled floors, classy dishware and utensils, white tablecloths and napkins, formally-attired wait staff, subdued classical and jazz music, and French-style windows and doors that open onto an palm-shaded wooden deck overlooking a small lake.

The Western cuisine here matches the ambiance, thanks to Chef Nick Chen. Chen, who came to Mimi's after previous stints in San Francisco and Kaohsiung, has a varied background in vegetarian, Japanese, Taiwanese, Italian and Western cooking. In his words, the result is a "cuisine without boundaries", with his versions of traditional dishes. He notes that his menu covers a broad range to please everyone, including steaks, pastas and a kids' set meal (NT$360).

"Sanyi is an artistic town and the cuisine reflects that. Because we're in a scenic area, my goal is to have a relaxed, comfortable ambiance with a formal setting and high-quality food, mixed with city-class service," says the chef.
The menu starts with an eight-course NT$490 Luncheon Special with main-course options like a six-ounce New Zealand Fillet Steak or White Wine with Salmon. For something bigger, there are several full-course (including red/white wine) USDA Prime Beef Steak sets, from the U.S. Rib Eye (12 oz., NT$1,480) to the Pan-Fired Goose Liver with Fillet (NT$1,680) or Abalone with Fillet (NT$1,880). Reasonably-priced pasta entrees start as low as the NT$250 Bolognese Sauce with Spaghetti or NT$280 Smoked Salmon and Cream Sauce with Spaghetti; just add NT$150 for a set meal.

Weather permitting, guests typically dine inside before taking their dessert and coffee on the outside deck. A NT$320 English-style teatime special--complete with three-tiered cake/biscuit stand--is also offered with teas from Taylors of Harrogate or Bristot coffee.
Whether it's a romantic getaway, a family outing or a relaxing personal retreat from the city, Mimi's Palm Spring is an exceptional, almost-hidden jewel that should not be missed.

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