A Matter of Taiwanese Tastes at Taiwan Courtyard

It is rare to find Taiwanese restaurants around here; let alone a good one, and I am fortunate that most of the ones that I have come across have more than meets the eye.
While I was on my 'blogging break' during the peak season of my work(and also due to the inaccessibility to my blogs due to the malicious threats) a year ago, I stumbled upon this new restaurant in the hip and trendy Queensbay Mall.

In the place of the previous Xian Ding Wei on the 3rd Floor in the Centre Court of the Mall (right beside Sakae Sushi), Taiwan Courtyard opened its doors back then to the regular mall hoppers and family crowds on the prowl in one of the most happening shopping malls on the island.


While the predecessor opted for an Oriental touch to their interior, Taiwan Courtyard revamped slightly with a simple touch of contemporary chic design and a hint of home style decor; at the same time maintaining some of the existing furniture from the previous business.







If Xian Ding Wei portrayed the image of a classy luxe environment, its successor, Taiwan Courtyard made it into a homey ambiance with the concept of comfort and relaxation in mind; incorporating the minimalistic design and the emphasis of wood in the restaurant. One can enjoy a peace of mind, and also browse through the magazines on the open rack while waiting for the food to be served.

Start off with a mix of fruity flavors in this Mixed Fruit Tea (MYR7.90); a flavorful combination of the varied tastes from the likes of green apple, watermelon which can be found in generous chunks at the bottom of the drink, giving it that exotic yet enjoyable kick of a sweet and sour ride with a light scent of the tea.
It is one of the recommended drinks on the menu, and I can easily see why.



Taiwanese Style Wanton Noodles Soup (MYR12.90) is a simple and comforting bowl of thick rice noodles cooked in plain soup, alongside the well-sized hand wrapped wantons (dumplings) filled with minced pork meat.








For the seafood lovers, the Seafood Noodles Soup (MYR16.90) would probably be a delectable option.
Generous with the thick slices of grouper fillets, fresh juicy succulent prawns, clams, squids, mushrooms and vegetables, this is a light option to please the seafood-appeasing buds.





For those with a taste for dry noodles and with a twist of flavors, an interesting option would be the Minced Pork Noodles in Preserved beans sauce (Dry) (MYR12.90)







Taiwan-style Deep Fried Prawn Roll (MYR11.90), meant to be an appetizer, resembling our local version of Lor Bak, only this is filled with a mix of finely chopped prawns along with mixed vegetables wrapped in fried bean curd sheets.



For a taste of the comforts of home, this Homemade Village Fish Pot (MYR19.90), packed with the simple tastes of bean curd, enoki mushroom, napa cabbage in a light sweet broth enhanced by the fresh and tender deep fried fish fillets and tomato cubes.
While the name suggested the home connection, the taste and presentation of this dish did more than just connect the dots to remind one of mum's homestyle cooking.


Taiwanese Supreme Prawns in 3 Variety of Sauce (MYR16.90) is an interesting presentation of the prawns ala the Three Cup Chicken (三杯鸡) style.
Albeit a little saltish in taste, the luscious tastes of the juicy prawns made up for it and it would go very well with a bowl of white rice in that typical Asian meal style, no?






Another interesting flavor to enjoy the prawns, and one of my personal favorite is this slightly localized and probably fusion-styled Fried Prawns with Ginger Flower Asam Sauce (MYR14.90)


Taking a turn away from the heavier tastes of the earlier three varieties of sauce, this is a pleasantly aromatic and appetizing dish where the succulent prawns are enhanced with that extra kick from the sourish with a light sweetness asam sauce and is definitely tailored for the local taste buds. Yums!



Sweet Braised Squid (MYR12.90) is another favorite to crunch on; with its lightly crispy fried outer concealing the chewy and bursting with freshness squid rings.





Complete a Taiwanese meal with one of the favorite snowy desserts and there are just so many to choose from in the menu; but my always go-to is this Green Tea Snow Ice (MYR4.90 for S, and MYR8.90 for L)


Enjoy the soft lightly shaved ice in that cottony texture packed with the antioxidant properties of Green tea, and polished deliciously with the sweet and well-cooked red beans complemented by the mild tasting but extremely chewy black tapioca pearls. This is the perfect way to end a fulfilling Taiwanese meal, and definitely my favorite way to (if there is space, but it is worth saving that space to sample their variety of mouth-watering desserts!)



I am a fan of Taiwanese food, yet I would say that I prefer the local Taiwanese food here in my own backyard compared to the actual offerings in the original country.
Perhaps it is a matter of taste; and also our taste buds suited to the localized versions modeled to fit the local palates?
I am not sure, but I personally will be seeing more of myself in this Taiwanese joint whenever I need that Taiwanese food fix. After all, good food, ambiance and service definitely is a an attracting factor for one to return, and return as regulars here at this restaurant, now comfortably settling in their place with their growing popularity to rival that of the other eateries in the mall.

It is simply a matter of my personal preference of the Taiwanese tastes here at Taiwan Courtyard~



(This is not a sponsored post, and the post combines several visits and purely based on my personal opinions and experiences and may differ from one individual to another).