taiwanfun
From our archives, Compass Magazine, Mar. 2002:
By Victoria Augustine Translated by Sharon Yang
While Taichung may not be the first city that pops into your head when you’re in the mood for seafood, you may change your mind after a meal at the Kreutzer Restaurant. With the seafood delights that owner Chang Yi-ming has to offer customers, you might just find yourself humming that little ditty, “Under the sea, under the sea, darling it’s better, down where it’s wetter. Take it from me.”
Walking into Kreutzer, you will notice deep sea-blue walls and seaside memorabilia mixed with French decor. The European accents don’t stop there. Owner Chang speaks French and, as a wine connoisseur, is a great resource for customers interested in trying a glass of French wine with their meal.
The menu features everything from king crab to spaghetti, with prices ranging from moderate to high. For seafood fans, Chang suggests either the crab or lobster. Crab meat tends to be on the softer, more tender side, while lobster has more consistency.
Both are priced according to weight, with crab costing NT$60/liang (a Chinese measure equivalent to about 1.3 ounces), and lobster NT$75/liang. Chang gets seafood imported fresh from Canada every week. Since he imports live seafood (instead of the frozen alternative), he prefers to either steam or bake it in order to retain the original flavors. This results in a fresh and juicy entree. Some items, such as oysters–are even available raw (not ‘live’ as the English menu would have us believe) for the true seafood lover.
Fixed-price items are also plentiful. From Italian-style pasta dishes, such as seafood linguine with basil and tomato sauce or spaghetti alla carbonara, to Thai specialties, such as fried beef with red curry sauce or steamed fish with lemon sauce, Kreutzer has something for everyone. Every main course comes with salad, soup, garlic bread, a drink and dessert. Dinners range in price from NT$320 to NT$500. Thai specialties (which should be ordered in advance) are from NT$220 to NT$400.
Kreutzer also has set business lunches that are quite a bargain, running from NT$180 to NT$380. Since the menu is in English and Chinese, both locals and foreigners will find it easy to understand. Chang claims that, although the menu is not in Japanese, a loyal group of Japanese customers has also been coming to Kreutzer for fresh seafood for many years and through the restaurant’s many location changes.
As for drink choices, standard juices, coffees and teas are available. The true delights, however, come from Chang’s large wine selection. While everyone has his/her own taste preferences, white wine is a must if you are eating seafood. The house wine is Genestet Bordeauz, a delicate and fruity French wine made from grape blends. There are also non-European wine choices, such as a Canadian ice wine, which is a bit on the sweet side and would go perfectly with desserts. It’s almost guaranteed that you’ll find something that suits you from the fine wine list at Kreutzer. If not, have no fear, as there’s also Taiwan beer!
When it comes to choosing between surf and turf, it seems surf is the way to go with Kreutzer. Unfortunately, as the crustaceans sang in The Little Mermaid, ‘We’re what the land folks love to cook. Though under the sea, we’re off the hook.’ They are safe for a while, since Chang keeps all seafood alive in large glass aquariums. Seafood that fresh won’t be able to swim around forever, though.
Lunch is served daily from 12 noon to 2 pm, and dinner from 5:30 to 9:30 pm. Kreutzer is closed Mondays. Reservations are preferred so that the cooks can prepare all necessary materials ahead of time. Seating on the first floor can accommodate approximately 25 people, while the second floor (doubling as a meeting room) can seat another 12 to 16. Holiday specials and other promotion information are available at the restaurant as well as in the United Daily News. (Lien He Bao).
168, Hua Mei W. Street, section 1
Tel: (04) 2314-5384
Hours: 12 noon-2 pm, 5:30-9:30 pm (closed Mondays)
Comments
0 comments