HOME
> CENTRAL TAIWAN
> TAICHUNG CITY >
DINING >
COMPASS
MAGAZINE, October 2002
George of the
Sea
By Donovan Smith
| It is
a rainy, blustering Tuesday night and Uncle George is packed
to the gills. Over six years in business, this restaurant still
fills up with customers. Clearly, owner Zion "Charles"
Hsieh has found the key to long-term restaurant success--good
service and great food. |
  |
Patrons are not at Uncle George's for the
decor, the ambiance, or to be seen sporting the latest fashions.
While the service is prompt and friendly, there is no mistaking
Uncle George's main draw--the North Atlantic lobster, Alaska Dungeness
crab and other fruits of the sea, imported live every 10 days from
Maine, Alaska and Nova Scotia.
My meal started with salad and a soup. The
salad was good, the clam chowder excellent. I was impatient for
the real show: a lobster and a crab to be shared with my girlfriend,
chosen from the tanks of live and swimming meals-to-be. When they
arrived, we dug in. No sauces, spices or garnishes are necessary
(or welcome). Bits of flesh and shell sprayed out all over the table
and our clothes as we greedily extracted the tender flesh from the
hidden crevices of these crustaceans. This is not food for the fashion-conscious.
The near ritualistic, hedonistic ripping apart and devouring of
the meat of clawed creatures is a rare and special joy.
Charles chooses cold-water seafood popular
with Westerners for the firmer, sweeter meat yielded. The larger
size of this seafood also allows for bigger morsels. To ensure quality,
he pays high duties to import the seafood himself and frequently
goes abroad to check on his suppliers.
 |
This kind of quality comes at a price,
which normally runs over NT$2,000 a head. If you aren't a
seafood fan, don't even think of coming to Uncle George's--this
isn't the place for you. For true seafood aficionados, however,
this isn't a place you can afford to miss.
Because of all the regular devotees
coming to worship at this temple of fine seafood, a reservation
is recommended. If you are visiting from out of town, be sure
to note that Uncle George is closed Sundays. |
|
