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By
Leslie Tseng Translated by Cara Steenstra
In
the aboriginal Amis tribal language, "Da
Lu An" means a place of rest in a work area.
Nowadays, however, it has been reinterpreted as
a rest area for the heart and soul within the
city's concrete jungle.
A group of Amis Aborigines from Taitung spent
a year building their dream restaurant brick by
brick, tile by tile, and opened it on October
24 this year. The exterior fully reflects Amis
tribal customs, the focal point being the aboriginal
patterns on the front door and entrance. The building
has three levels, with a view of the Tamsui River
from the second floor.
Almost all the decorations and utensils on the
three floors were brought to Bali township from
Taitung. The original wooden tables and chairs,
bamboo water containers, colorful shells and stones
used as wall decorations, hanging knitted bamboo
lanterns, the big red boat suspended from the
ceiling, and the aboriginal costumes are all the
creative effort of this Amis group and not the
work of a professional designer. Thus, they bring
their artistic culture, as well as their positive
spirit and enthusiasm for life to the busy city.
This Chinese-style restaurant makes use of Amis
tribal wild game fare, creating a unique type
of Taiwanese cuisine not easily found in most
restaurants. Especially worth mentioning among
the authentic Amis-style cuisine is the exquisite
NT$8,000 14-course set menu, including the Amis
Antipasto (seaweed, coolie hat shellfish, fresh
oyster, small octopus), Original Flavor Abai (Ami
steamed rice dumpling), Eupatorium Yogurt, Triple
Fried Dish (sugar cane bee, cricket and ant rolls),
and the Stuffed Chicken Roasted in a Pail. All
these exciting dishes are sure to give your taste
buds some new sensations.
There are also daily live Amis band performances
of popular songs and aboriginal folk tunes, allowing
you to enjoy some great Aborigine vocals while
indulging in some tasty treats. This pleasing
combination makes Da Lu An an ideal, relaxing
place to experience the passion of the Amis people
on more than one level.
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