Pumpkin House 108, Wuchuan West 4th Street (04) 2372-8456, 2375-2395 Hours: 11 am-12 pm (kitchen closes 11 pm)

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Savoring a new, improved Pumpkin House

By Douglas Habecker

      It is an accomplishment for a Taichung restaurant to survive more than five years, but even more impressive when a veteran establishment makes the investment to improve itself with a complete makeover. Pumpkin House, open since 1997, has been a landmark eatery along the colorful strip of restaurants and teahouses opposite the Taiwan Museum of Art. Not content with that status, however, it recently re-opened after a significant revamp.

      Before you even sample the food, this two-floor, brick cottage will draw you in with its charming d?or. This includes an extensive collection of pumpkins and pigs and all manner of knick-knacks and signs hanging from the walls and ceiling. The tables are arranged in booths and sectioned-off corners around the cozy interior.

Pumpkin House touts itself as a New Orleans and Italian bistro, with the menu gravitating towards the latter cuisine. Don? expect to find Cajun cooking here, but there is a broad selection of other filling dishes. Specialties include the eight cheese baked potato meals, which use big, American potatoes served with the crunchy outer skins. Varieties include India Curried Chicken (NT$290), Napolia Chicken (NT$350), and Asparagus Broccoli (NT$320). There are also pasta/paella courses with similar toppings, plus seafood/steak and other international selections like New Orleans Style Chicken Steak with Cheese Prawn Gratin (NT$680), Tuscan Roasted Sirloin Ribeye Steak (NT$480), New Orleans Style Chicken Steak (NT$400), Mexico Spicy Chicken (NT$280), and Hungarian Beef Goulash (NT$280). Main courses come with vegetable-stick salads, soup, drink and other extras.

    Brisk, day-long business also continues with the many coffees, herbal teas, milk teas, juices and alcoholic beverages, all averaging in the NT$150 range. Non-holiday, weekday afternoon (2-5 p.m.) and evening (9 p.m.-12 midnight) tea times offer a drink and dessert for NT$200.

      This is a place to linger, and not just because the food is filling. I enjoyed it and, evidently, so do many people as dinner reservations are recommended. When you get the time, stop in and discover the joys of a new, improved Pumpkin House.