Delicious new, and old, reasons to visit
Country Goose Kitchen
By Douglas Habecker
Translated by S. Ying
(04) 2373-1558
19, CunZhong St, West Dist.
(See logo on Art Musuem Parkway Map, p. 17)
Hours: 11 am-2 pm, 5:30-9:30 pm (closed Tue); weekends/hoidays 11 am-2:30 pm, 5-9:30 pm
English menu.
NT$100 minimum bill per person.
Credit cards accepted (except AE).
10% service charge.
Like most businesses, restaurants that stay dynamic and keep moving forward are those that survive and remain strong. A positive example is Country Goose Kitchen, which is marking its 15th year in business by introducing an interesting range of tasty new dishes to complement old menu favorites.
Chef Sun You-hui, who runs this cozy, villa-like eatery with wife Joanne Chuang, also notes that keys to business success and longevity include quality, wholesome ingredients and--in recent years--special attention to presentation, due to the proliferation of diner food photos shared online and via smartphones.
  
Left: Chef Sun, Joanne and Lulu
the dog, who often roams
the premises.
Medium: Pasta with Shrimps, Dried Chili,
Romaine and Olive Oil
Right: Oysters Rockefeller
Among seven mouthwatering main entrees unveiled by Chef Sun is the Pan-Grilled Pork T-Bone with Ratatouille (NT$400), a juicy 300-gram slab of tender pork that is marinated with a mix of orange juice, garlic powder and olive oil before grilling. Another is Baked Spice Breadcrumbs Seabass with Marinated Red Peppers (NT$400), presented with veggies on a crisscrossed grid of green sauce made from sesame leaves, honey and olive oil.
 
Left: Risotto with Smoked Salmon and Zucchini
Unchanged are the restaurant's excellent steaks (Chef Sun and Joanne met as colleagues at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse), like the Chef's Special Prime Rib Eye (8 oz. NT$650, 16 oz. NT$1,350), with one new option--the massive 40-ounce US Porterhouse (NT$1,800 for 2 diners).
Another Country Goose strength, pasta and risotto, is now boosted by the addition of Risotto with Smoked Salmon and Zucchini (NT$300) and Pasta with Shrimps, Dried Chili, Romaine and Olive Oil (NT$300), a spicier Chef Sun invention that uses Taiwanese-style tiny dried shrimp and "gong-bao" style dried chili skins. The spiciness can be adjusted, including the inclusion of chili seeds for some real fire-breathing. These join old favorites like Pasta with Clams in Pesto or White Wine Sauce (NT$250), and all pasta entrees offer spaghetti, penne or fettuccine noodle choices.
  
Left: Baked Spice Breadcrumbs Seabass with Marinated Red Peppers
Right: Pan-Grilled Pork T-Bone with Ratatouille
Appetizers have also been expanded with chicken, shrimp and vegetable Mexican Quesadillas (NT$130-170) and an all-American invention, Oysters Rockefeller (5 for NT$200). In one more change, all menu items are now a la carte, with NT$100 and NT$200 added for set meals. As usual, there is a long list of alcoholic/non-alcoholic beverages, from wines and beers to coffees and milkshakes. |
January 2016
