HOME CENTRAL TAIWAN DINING

COMPASS MAGAZINE January 2014
　

Dining in the beautiful spring scenery of Xinshe District--Yiding Fresh Prawns, Crazy shrimp restaurant, Prawns, Happy Prawns By Niang Chen Translated by Angel Pu

Yiding Fresh Prawns 100, GanSu Rd, Sec 2, Xitun Dist. (04) 2311-3202 Hours: 5 pm-2 am; holidays 11 am-2 am English menu available. Credit cards accepted. No service charge. Parking lot available. After two decades preparing a wide range of fresh, tasty prawn dishes, Yiding now also offers other non-prawn entrees. It thoughtfully also provides free, unlimited rice and congee with yam, plus various take-out containers. A: The spacious, Balinese-style setting is relaxing and comfortable. B:Steamed Canadian Lobster with Garlic (NT$1,100), Roast Goose (NT$390-1,350) and White Water Snowflakes (NT$120) are top picks. The imported Boston lobsters average 1.5 pounds and are steamed with pepper or garlic to accent sumptuous flavors and texture. With three decades of experience, the Hong Kong chef uses a complex marinating, smoking, drying and baking process to transform Yunlin geese--about 3.5 kilograms--into a crispy, tender, delicious dish. C: Pepper Shrimp (NT$380/690) and Butter Crab with Garlic & Ciabatta (NT$480) are popular. The former signature entree's premium Indonesian pepper and top-grade herbs provide multiple layers of spiciness. Butter, pepper, mushrooms, onions and garlic are lavishly used to accent fresh-crab flavors in the latter dish. A.　B. 　C.

Lavender Cottage 105-1, WuQuan W 3rd St, West Dist. (04) 2373-1100 Hours: 12-2:30 pm, 5-11 pm Credit cards accepted. 10% service charge. Offering an all-you-can-eat prawn buffet for NT$599/person, Crazy Shrimp now has another Art Museum Parkway branch. An extensive variety of unique recipes highlight various flavors in dishes like Fried Shrimp Omelet, Curry Cheese Shrimp, and Three Cups Shrimp, and the restaurant focuses on quality in all its offerings. Rice, drinks, beer, ice cream and french fries are also provided. A: Garlic Steamed Shrimp, Fried Shrimp Omelet, and Salted Grilled Shrimp are all distinctively delicious. B: Besides shrimp dishes, chicken and pork broths are offered with healthy hot pot selections. A wide range of ingredients is available, including snowflake beef, pork, fresh shrimp, special shrimp paste, mushrooms and many vegetables. For something a bit stronger, there is also a special, instantly-warming, numbingly-spicy Sichuan shrimp broth. C: The Art Museum Parkway branch offers a larger dining area and greener surrounding than the original Dadun 18th Street restaurant. A.　B.　C.

Prawns 466-1, ZhongMei St, West Dist. (04) 2328-4788 Hours: 11:30 am-3 pm, 5-10:40 pm Credit cards accepted. 10% service charge. Parking lot available. This prawn-lover paradise was Taichung's first all-you-can-eat prawn restaurant. A kilo-sized order has 55-60 prawns that can be prepared in 20-30 ways--fried, grilled, steamed, boiled, deep-fried--for a wide range of sweet, sour, salty and spicy flavors. Hot noodle/rice dishes, a salad bar, ice cream and coffee are included in the buffet, all for NT$579/person. Business set meals and many other entrees are also available, and all customers get access to food in the self-serve area. A: Located behind SOGO Department Store, this eatery has a stylish ambiance. B: Golden Egg and Prawn Fried Rice, featuring a whole salted egg and peeled prawns, has a mouthwatering fragrance and pleasing texture. Devil Spicy Prawn Fried Rice mixes prawns and fresh chilies, added to one's liking. C: Three Cups Prawns exudes a fragrant sesame aroma while Pepper Prawns warms you up with its spiciness. A wide broth selection is paired with beef, lamb, pork, seafood or vegetables. A.　B.　C.

Happy Prawns 23, HeNan Rd, Sec 2, Xitun Dist. (FengDa Rd intersection) (04) 2452-2211 Hours: 4:30 pm-2 am Cash only. No service charge. Parking lot available. Prawns here are all Thai red-headed female prawns with eggs--grilled, roasted, boiled or prepared in other ways by request. Reasonably-priced dishes include southern Taiwan entrees like fresh-water turtle and squid fried with snails, deep-fried items (from NT$99), teppanyaki, fresh catch from the restaurant pond, chicken soup and lamb hot pot. A: Happy Prawns was founded by four families whose children are all classmates--a heartwarming story that has been the subject of some popular micro-films. B: Bifengtang Thai Prawns (NT$480) are deep-fried with a mix of crispy garlic and chilis; Rice Wine Thai Prawns (NT$550) are simmered in the broth of rice wine, Chinese herbs and pork slices. C: The freshly-baked Signature Tong Zi (Barrel) Chicken (NT$550) takes 40 minutes to make and has crisply skin and wonderfully-tender meat. The Fermented Tofu Prawns (NT$480) are cooked at low heat with black bean sauce, fermented glutinous rice and garlic, allowing them to soak up all the sumptuous flavors. Ａ.　B. 　C