Silks Palace

Chinese gourmet fare for everyday people

Written and translated by Diva Photos by Andy Lin

(02) 2882-9393
221, ChiShan Rd, Sec 2, ShihLin District
Hours: weekdays 11:30 am-9:30 pm; weekends 11 am-9:30 pm
Credit cards accepted. 10% service charge
http://www.silkspalace.com.tw

Whether you've lived in Taiwan your entire life or moved here recently, it is inevitable that you already have, or one day will, visit the National Palace Museum. Though the trip to the museum is an amazing experience in itself, there is usually a little problem around lunch time. There are no real restaurants within walking distance of the museum, and the in-house cafe and teahouse is always too crowded to find a seat. Thankfully, Silks Palace came along in June and is helping to solve this problem.

Silks Palace is a pleasant place to get a nice Cantonese meal on any trip to Taipei and especially on a trip to the museum. There is no lack of interesting ambiance at Silks Palace, as the building's exterior resembles a glass palace and the inside looks like an ancient Chinese tavern. The first floor seats about 200 people, so there should be plenty of room when you're ready to eat.

The decor is grand indeed, down to the smallest details, as evidenced by the fact that I asked my server if I could take home one of their ivory-colored menus as a souvenir because it was just so elegant. Once I got over the beauty of the menu itself, I started to take a look at what was on the menu.

Silks Palace offers authentic dim sum as well as exquisite Cantonese cuisine. My server recommended four dishes that are sure to please about anyone. The first, Simmered Spare Ribs with X.O. Sauce (NT$320) is deep-fried and then pan-fried, in order to keep the meat tender. The chefs mix some citrus flavors with the X.O. sauce for a refreshing flavor. The second dish, Stewed Sliced Grouper in Casserole (NT$450), is served in a clay pot and made with grouper, egg tofu, shredded green onions and fresh red chili peppers.

Next is the Silks Palace Fried Rice (NT$320). Though fried rice seems like a simple dish, it still requires talent if you want to make it delicious. Here, chefs use egg whites instead of whole eggs to make their light fried rice, which is topped with dry shredded scallops. And, finally, a meal is not complete without dessert. Try the Chinese Curio Box (NT$480). This popular dessert resembles the emperor's curio collection, and includes seven types of sweets, served in an antique display box. The sweet variety varies, so you never know what you're going to get.

It's worth noting that the night view from Silks Palace is exceptionally beautiful. For those who often worry about parking, keep in mind that after National Palace Museum closes at 5 p.m. daily, the parking lot is reserved for guests at Silks Palace. In addition, the restaurant has eight rooms that can be booked in advance for private meetings and gatherings, as well as a third floor multi-purpose banquet room.