HOME CENTRAL TAIWAN DINING

COMPASS MAGAZINE October 2011
　

	Gamma Cafe: Exquisite Western fare for unbeatable prices By Niang Chen Translated by Angel Pu (04) 2226-2323 17, GongYuan Rd (Park Rd), Central District Hours: 6:30-10 am, 11:30 am-2 pm, 5:30-9 pm No service charge. Credit cards accepted. Parking lot available. Facing the beautiful, landmark Taichung Park with its verdant trees and small lake, Forte Orange Business Hotel has a good location near the Ziyou Road commercial area. Located on the hotel's first floor, the Gamma Cafe offers a spacious dining area, simple decorations and--most important--delicious, high-quality, reasonably-priced meals. The food is handiwork of Chef Jiang Nian-jie, who studied at the Le Cordon Bleu culinary arts school in Paris for years. Although he is not even 40 yet, he has over two decades of Western culinary experience. Being the true professional that he is, he's very focused in the kitchen and his signature dishes include pasta and risotto entrees, lamb shanks, and pig knuckles. While French cuisine is known for its complicated cooking procedures, the dishes available here turn out just fine, offering a delicious flavors that complement each other. Gamma's breakfast buffet is NT$200 per person. For lunch and dinner, diners can order an entree (NT$249-699) and enjoy all-you-can-eat buffet with salad, cold dishes, soup, fruit, coffee, bread and ice cream, making it one of the better dining deals in town.
	Grilled U.S. Angus Sirloin Steak with Red Wine Sauce (NT$699/12 oz.) The restaurant only uses high-quality sirloin from Australia. After a bit of aging in the refrigerator, the beef is ready to be cooked to medium-well. The end result is so tender that it gives you that melt-in-your-mouth sensation, and tastes even better with a sauce made of porcini mushrooms.
	Roasted Duck Breast and Walnut Butter with Blueberry Sauce (NT$499) The duck breast is roasted at 170 Degrees Celsius to slowly release oils, up until the skin is crispy. When it's served, diners can enjoy the meat with a special blueberry sauce made of fresh blueberries and beef stock. A side dish, Fried Eggs with Lupine Beans, is also very delicious. The beans are cooked for four hours and pan-fried with stock and eggs. You can savor the creamy texture of the beans and sweetness of the natural ingredients in the runny-egg mixture.
	Steamed Fish and Spring Onion with Cafe Sauce (NT$399) Yellow peppers, red peppers, onions and bacon are simmered until they are caramelized. These ingredients are then rolled up with dory fish slices and pan-fried with butter until they turn golden. The fish's sweet flavor is highlighted by the savory onions and bacon. You can enjoy this dish with either a Southeast Asian Bak Kut Teh soup, or a creamy potato soup with abundant vegetables.
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