COMPASS MAGAZINE July 2001

Papa Mio Italian 24 Tswen Chung St.

By Victoria Augustine
Translated by Rita Lin

When it comes to Italian eateries in Taichung these days, they're a dime a dozen. It seems as if there are new Italian offerings popping up every day. But if you're in the market for a restaurant that was serving up Italian delectables well before it was chic, you should venture over to Papa Mio. Located in the Wuchuan Parkway area, Papa Mio offers just the right balance between great food and great atmosphere.

Executive Chef Tanya Li runs the show. From ordering food and cooking to hiring and scheduling workers, she seems to do a little bit of everything. After sixteen years in the food preparation business, she knows what she's doing. 'I've worked in five-star hotels like the Hyatt in Taipei and Evergreen in Taichung, 'Li says. 'And I've traveled and lived overseas too.' Of course she's been to Italy, which shows in her choice of ingredients used in the kitchen. Li explains that everything from the cheese and romaine lettuce to various sauces and flavorings is procured from abroad especially for Papa Mio. In addition to the imports, there is an entire herb garden outside the restaurant that the cooks pick from, to offer customers organically-grown fresh seasonings.

Inside, customers can choose first or second floor seating. If you can score a window seat on the second floor, there's the added benefit of the great view outside: the aforementioned herb garden as well as flowers, trees, and a long strip of lawn that runs the length of the mostly-residential street out front. The wait-staff inside is just as lovely as the view outside. Li explains, 'They enjoy working here. We're like a family.' She tries to keep their schedules relatively light. 'I don't like my staff to work long hours. It's not good for them or for the customers.' As a result, the staff are all smiles as they greet incoming patrons. Since many of Papa Mio's customers are foreign, most of the staff members can speak some English. The bilingual menu is also a big help, giving detailed explanations of all dishes in both English and Chinese. (Not that that makes ordering any easier. There are so many mouth-watering items to choose from!)

The menu is divided into four main sections. There are the chef's recommendations (NT$580-720), such as the chicken breast with wild mushroom and pepper cream sauce in a fillo pastry or grilled US beef tenderloin with herbs, butter and gravy. They all come with bread, an appetizer, soup of the day, dessert and coffee or tea. Pastas (NT$150-520) such as the gratin potato gnocchi baked in a cheese sauce are available with or without meat for those of you who are vegetarians. Appetizers (NT$80-480) such as the seasonal salad or the grilled chicken breast with fresh spinach and bacon in warm balsamico sauce could sometimes be ordered as your entire meal. Pizzas (NT$150-430), which have original thin crusts and baked in a stone oven, come in all sorts of salty or sweet varieties such as the seafood deluxe, veggie deluxe, sundried tomato and gorgonzola, or brandied raisin and almond.

In addition to these four sections, there is an impressive list of desserts and drinks to choose from. As with all of Papa Mio's pastas, breads, and pizzas, all desserts are made in-house from scratch. You can choose from all kinds of ice cream, tiramisu, cheesecake, caramel custard, or the papa of them all: The Godfather--a huge homemade brownie topped with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream. As for drinks, the usual soft drinks, juices, bottled water, coffee, tea and beer are available, as are an assortment of Snapple drinks.

If you're in the area around noon, stop by for Papa Mio's lunch special. They offer a set meal, which includes an appetizer, pasta, soup, and coffee or tea for just NT$180. Otherwise, head over in the evening to enjoy a very-impressive Italian dinner. Reservations are recommended for weekends and holidays. So there you have it-- great food (homemade gnocchi), great drinks (Snapple), great desserts (although that entails another hour on the treadmill), great staff, great atmosphere, and plenty of parking. Why haven't you been to Papa Mio?