Marshal Zen Garden Hot Springs Spa and Gourmet Fine Dining: Taipei, TAIWAN

Date:  25 juillet 2011
Address: Taipei Beitou Elegant Road 34
Telephone:  +886 2 2893 5336
http://sgarden.lifeing.com.tw/front/bin/ptlist.phtml?Category=100479


In short - Classic.  Refined.  Sophisticated.  Zen.  Historic.  Innovative.  Quiet.  For the gourmand.

It has taken me awhile to get this blog posted.  The reason for delay is not due to lack of prioritization.  Rather, it is a matter of being able to transport myself back into that moment and environment and channeling all that into my writing.


Taiwan is a special place.  For a young country (since 1945/1950), there is a great deal of cultural history here.  Despite its nascent existence, Taiwan is unique in that its rapid growth after World War II quickly transformed it into an industrialized country.  Taiwan manufactures a large portion of the world's consumer electronics, although most of that has been off-shored to their factories in China.  And yet, despite the industrialization, still there is an authentic character about Taiwan's culture.  A blend of old and modern - most of Asia's bustling "Four Asian Tigers" (Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan) boast this unique trait (though maybe not so much Singapore).  These are bustling, efficient, Asian societies that hold onto its cultural heritage (food included) amongst a backdrop of perhaps daunting skyscrapers.  At a recent week of wine tasting at the New York Wine Experience, a rather wealthy American private wine collector told me, "Ah you come from Taiwan, home to some of the best food in the world."  I was honored that he felt this way.  It is true.  Taiwanese cuisine is not "Chinese" food from parts of China nor Hong Kong.  It is an entirely different and very intimately special experience.


I was on a recent trip to Taiwan on pleasure as part of my three week world gastronomy tour of Europe (old world cooking and old world wines) and Asia (authentic Cantonese and Taiwanese cooking, plus new world food exploration, and posh wines).  I reached out to my dear friend Henry of Henry's Gourmet Guide (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Henrys-Gourmet-Guide/176072308343?ref=ts) - who is another "self-proclaimed oenophile and food connoisseur" much like myself.  With just 4 days confirmed on my Taiwan itinerary, Henry booked me out for 3 nights of sensational best-of-the-best food and wine pairing dinners.  A very good friend indeed - who lives and breathes food and wine just as the rest of us in the industry alike.  First planned dinner on this trip was at Henry's very own Master Zen Garden.  A true honor for me, and just the kind of pampering I love replete with wine pairings!  Absolutely elated, I was.


The reason I prefaced this blog entry with a brief history of Taiwan is because when visiting Master Zen Garden, you will be in awe at how well preserved ("re$tored") this historic location is - in addition to how well Henry has designed every minute detail into the architecture, interior, and of course very importantly - each and every individual tasting dish that is paired with a perfect drink or palate cleanser.  These are classic Taiwanese traditional ingredients, prepared with a nouveau sophisticated, artistic approach.  All execution details overseen by Henry himself.  Talk about eats East meets West.  Simply beautiful and a real eye candy treat and obviously a gift to the palate.


Marshall Zen Garden is a quick 45 minutes drive from the downtown hustle and bustle of metropolitan Taipei.  Nestled in the prestigious and tranquille Beitou Yan Ming Shan mountain area, Marshall Zen Garden boasts a unique gourmet dining experience in addition to luxurious hot springs baths, each with individual rooms.


The hot springs bath facilities here are all individual, private suites.  Each with breathtaking large pane glass window views into Taipei city below (you may draw the blinds if you are not into voyeurism allowance).  So while you luxuriate in the nerve and tension-soothing, calm, natural mineral hot spring bath, you can also have a view of the distant Taipei city.  This reminds you that while the city below is busy working away in its neon-sign-clad atmosphere, you are meanwhile bathing in soothing calm, distantly away from your other busy life existence (just 45 minutes away).  There is a stone hot spring mineral bath (not recycled mineral water mind you!), and an adjoined regular stone bath for tepid water when the hot spring bath gets a bit too hot for you.

You will be very hungry after a good dip in the hot springs - and the best way to replenish your body and soul is with pure, healthy and soul satisfying ingredients.  In a calm and sophisticated, slow paced, zen atmosphere.

We were seated in one of the private dining rooms.  We started with a bottle of champagne, so fitting to start the  evening of friends reuniting.  Also perfect after a relaxing soak in the hot springs.  A chilled, crisp bottle of Taittinger.  Just lovely.  I love my friends!!  :-)

Each of the delicately prepared tasting dishes that followed consisted of carefully selected natural ingredients that also boosted health and vitality.  Each dish was visually presented in a refined and balanced approach - with fine attention to pairing of flavors, textures and again, balance.  Some broths and soups had been slow simmering for hours, the taste was obvious. There is no cheating or shortcuts taking place in this kitchen, there is no fooling this Soledad fine palate.  Our seafood soup was so delicious and satisfying that I likened it to "the perfect soup for curing hangovers the morning after."  You know, chock full of good-for-you ingredients that have depleted from your body after a hard night of drinking and all night partying.  The soup here comes from masterful cooking and quality ingredients... each and every sip's vitamins and nutrients are quickly absorbed into every atom in your body.  You will feel your body thank you with every sip of the soup.  I still remember this feeling well (not that I had been partying the night before, a-hem!) and saying "Henry, thank you."

Henry also paired our dinner with a very nice bottle of 2008 Domaine Leroy Bourgogne Aligote.  Henry is a fellow burgundy lover - it is a given that we get along great.  ^_^  White burgundies pare wonderfully with seafood and shell fish and vegetables, all of which us healthy conscious diets were being fed this night.

Whether you are a local inhabitant or a traveling foreigner - be sure to confirm this place into your plans.  Lunch or dinner.  And try, if you have time, to spend some time in the hot spring baths.  Or, just dip your feet in the foot baths if that is all you have time for.  You will regret it if you do not visit this place.

It has now been nearly 3 months since I visited Marshall Zen Garden as I write this blog from Tel Aviv.  I have kept up with all the recent new seasonal dishes Henry's Chef creates.  From the photographic eye without tasting the dishes, I can see with precision that each month the already quality dishes are striving to compete against its previous month's successes.  Not easy to do.  It is this kind of constant re-invention around the pairing of old and new seasonal ingredients, food presentation creativity, artistic design and attention to precise detail around taste, texture, colors, balance, that keeps true foodies returning to a place like this.  It is top on my list to visit upon my next return to Taipei - along with the classic Shanghai dumplings at Din Tai Feng, of course!  


Bravo Henry.  I look forward to returning to Master Zen Garden many times.  Hot Springs in the winter and a luxurious dinner after that sounds just splendid right now.  Many thanks my friend, for helping Soledad experience new dimensions in this very small world we live in.