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Creative
fusion Japanese cooking at Show Restaurant
1049, JianXing Road, 11F (Splendor
Hotel); (04) 2329-8899
Hours:11:30 am-2 pm,
6-9:30 pm
Credit cards accepted. 10% service charge. Parking available.
--Written and translated
by Sho Huang
Show Restaurant, boasting a Japanese
spirit of creativity in its cooking, serves up trendy
Japanese fusion cuisine that is a combination of, and
inspired by, various world-famous cuisines. The result
is its own unique brand of "Borderless Food",
according to Japanese Chef Kenji Shindo, who has broad
experience cooking around the world.
Situated on the 11th floor of The Splendor
Taichung Hotel, Show Restaurant certainly presents a
view of the city from a different angle, as diners enjoy
the perspective from the glass windows. And where did
the restaurant name come from? "To 'show' our best
to our guests," explains the deputy chef.
Chef Shindo started his cooking career
early in life. Upon turning 18, he began working for
one of Japan's top three hotels, Hotel New Otani, which
has ties with the five-star Fairplay Golf Hotel in Spain.
After working for Hotel Otani for eight years, he was
invited over to work at the Spanish resort hotel as
a head chef with Philippe Jego, who won M.O.F. award
(Best Crafts Worker of France) in 2000. Jego's French
cooking influence, together with a variety of Asian
cuisine such as Thai and Indonesian food served at the
hotel, gave birth to Shindo's European yet Southeast
Asian flavored Japanese food creations.
Among all Show's dishes, there are
three that best represent the chef's ideas. Thai Style
Sashimi Salad (NT$480), a traditional Japanese dish,
is served with a Thai salad dressing--a mixture of lemon,
fish sauce, soy sauce, ginger and garlic--instead of
wasabi. The second dish, Japanese French Medal of Lobster
with Steam Vegetables (NT$1,280), is an inspiration
that combines French, Vietnamese and Japanese cooking.
The lobster meat is steamed and cut out in medallion
shapes, a French way of preparing lobster. Along with
assorted vegetables, it is covered with sticky rice
paper, a clearly Vietnamese influence. Two private-recipe
sauces, Green Tea Sauce and Sauce American, made with
a whole lobster, are available. Finally, there's the
Wa-Gyu Steak and "Ma-Tu-Ta-Ke" Mushroom with
Two Kinds of Show Special Sauce (NT$1,280), with the
sauce helping to bring out the steak's flavors.
This 90-seat place is fairly big. Upon
entering, you'll first notice the beaded curtains separating
the private rooms, which have a view into the main seating
area and each seat either 16 or 10 people. A variety
of business lunches and dinner sets are offered and
include vegetarian and low fat/calorie meals. For those
who have their hearts set on traditional Japanese food,
the restaurant also has three set menus which change
seasonally for the freshest flavors.
Whether you're a traditional diner
or a more adventurous Japanese food lover, there's certainly
something at Show Restaurant to please your taste buds. |
