Gingko [銀杏台菜]

Visit: Jan. 29, 2012
Address: 台北市士林區忠誠路二段55號12樓
Number: (02) 2741-5365
Website: http://www.ir-gingko.com.tw/dayeh/products.php

Despite a week of full out eating for Chinese New Year, I guess my relatives still felt like the tons of food we gorged on just wasn't enough. So on that particular Sunday, I found myself sitting at gingko, awaiting the yummy food from the 10 people ($10000 NT) set we ordered. I have to apologize first though, that I did not take any of these pictures, but rather looked for the best representation of the set online. The set I had had bigger portions, but other than that, the rest was about the same.

Pig’s Liver and Boiled Chicken Combination (粉肝、去骨油雞雙拼)

Pig’s Liver and Boiled Chicken Combination http://a4.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/383079_256310087760755_160256540699444_749246_478999389_n.jpg

 When I first found out that we would be having pig liver, I think my face might have scrunched up in disgust. In my mind, pig liver just meant a nasty texture with a nasty taste, but the pig liver here was actually pretty yummy. It didn't have the usual strong flavor that I usually taste, but it still took myself some brainwashing of denying that it was pig liver before i actually liked it. The chicken on the same platter was also pretty good. It tasted a little bit like 醉雞 in terms of its texture, except without the alcoholic flavor.

Steamed Boiled Pork Belly with Brown Sauce  (古早梅干扣肉)

Steamed Boiled Pork Belly with Brown Sauce http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/379827_256311231093974_160256540699444_749251_519303790_n.jpg

Every time I read anything about Gingko, this dish always comes up as a "must order" dish; therefore it goes without saying that I especially switched out another dish for this one when we were making the final decisions on the set menu and had high hopes. I'm not saying it was bad, but it was definitely a disappointment when I finally tried it. The pork belly was just a little bit too dry, although the sauce had a nice flavor to it. The vegetable on the bottom just didn't have enough flavor to it and only tasted like the sauce. It's a little ironic, but so far, the best 梅干 I've ever had was actually made from a vegetarian kitchen. 

Crispy Pig’s Trotters with Cayenne Pepper 銀杏小豬手

Crispy Pig’s Trotters with Cayenne Pepper http://pic.pimg.tw/imwhats/1326898417-3877803077_n.jpg

For some reason, I've been having an obsession with fatty chewy meat lately. The pork knuckle here although was deep fried, did not feel oily when I bit into the skin. the skin was extremely crispy and the fat underneath chewy, but it wasn't just the texture that made it awesome. This dish was seasoned with chili, garlic, green onion, and other spices that gave it a rich flavor and had me reaching back for a lot more.

 Stewed Chicken with Pumpkin 南瓜燜雞柳

Stewed Chicken with Pumpkin http://a6.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/s720x720/390801_256311011093996_160256540699444_749247_1136672255_n.jpg

The chicken was just so tender! Usually, when restaurants serve this dish, it's always way too chewy and annoying to eat, but the chicken here had just an amazing texture. It tasted good with the pumpkin although I would've liked the pumpkin to be a lot softer. Definitely order this when you're there.

Buddha Jumps over the Wall (古早味佛跳牆)

Buddha Jumps over the Wall http://www.ir-gingko.com.tw/dayeh/templates/images/imagecache/120x79_11171710291839.jpg

Normally, 佛跳牆 has awesome filling in a pot of super oily soup. Unlike the usual ones though, the soup here was much clearer (probably due to the lack of overcooked taro) and therefore made the soup just as enjoyable as the things inside the soup. Other than that though, the other parts of the dish was good, but not overly amazing.

Steamed Seasonal Fish (醃冬瓜蒸時魚)

Steamed Seasonal Fish http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/379952_256312331093864_160256540699444_749256_1927672834_n.jpg

The fish just tasted like good fresh steamed fish in soy sauce. What else is there to say?

Stewed Sea Slugs with Brown Sauce (海參蹄筋煲)

Stewed Sea Slugs with Brown Sauce http://album.udn.com/community/img/PSN_PHOTO/ungumi4daddy/f_6519616_1.jpg

The sea cucumbers were soft and yummy. The sauce had a hint of mushrooms in it, which brought out the flavor for the entire dish. It's definitely a dish worth ordering.

Steamed Shrimps (圓籠蒸沙蝦)

Steamed Shrimps http://pic.pimg.tw/stellahsh/4166744dc6c145754bd3b96a40bc91ed.jpg

I'm really lazy and hate peeling shrimp, so I didn't have any of this dish. Everyone was going back for seconds though, so guess it's good?
Asparagus with Salted Duck Egg Sauce 鹹蛋蘆筍
I wasn't a big fan of this. The duck egg sauce was so oily, I felt a little grossed out. The asparagus was just asparagus. Nothing special.

Shrimp Fried Rice (櫻花蝦炒飯)

Shrimp Fried Rice http://7.blog.xuite.net/7/b/6/1/13880337/blog_289445/txt/47548057/0.jpg

 I'm not a huge fan of fried rice, but this is arguably the most amazing fried rice I've ever had. It had the right balance of salt and pepper, which made everything taste so good! Even though I hate dried shrimp, the dried shrimp was able to bring out an awesome flavor in the fried rice. Contrary to normal fried rice, there was also enough green onion in the dish for my liking.

Shoots Chicken Soup (半天筍雞湯)

Shoots Chicken Soup http://8.blog.xuite.net/8/c/9/d/18600862/blog_980605/txt/46808526/15.jpg

The chicken soup was just so refreshing after such a large meal. I'm not a person who actually enjoys soup very much, but this chicken broth was so flavorful with the garlic flavor as well as the rich taste of chicken. Yet, even with the variety of tastes, it was light and provided a nice finish.

Sweet Black Rice Porridge (黑米粥)
The sweet black rice porridge wasn't extremely sweet, which was good. Other than that though, this dish had nothing special in particular. 

Fruits (合時水果)

Fruits http://iphoto.ipeen.com.tw/photo/comment/201002/cm20100224a61a1e439d9eb35e8f37dfbe94d903e9432.jpg

Overall, Gingko is a good choice for Taiwanese food. While many traditional Taiwanese restaurants only serve super oily and salty food, Gingko found the right balance. I would take visiting friends to Gingko because while it's authentic, it thank goodness lacks the normal horrible surroundings traditional restaurants often have.