Japanese/Taiwanese Grill - Yes, another blog about food!

What can I say; I LOVE food and Taiwan is an amazing place to be if you like to eat. I know many people here who are not fans of the local cuisine but I have to disagree with them. I have had some incredible food here and last night was no exception.

I was invited by a local family (I teach their son) to have dinner with them last night. I wasn't expected to be treated so generously. They took me to a restaurant called Tan Zuo Ma Li, which is a Japanese Grill here in Kaohsiung. What a meal! First, when you walk up to the restaurant, it is surrounded by wooden walkways that contains a fishpond filled with colorful koi. The place is beautifully decorated in rich, warm colors and it's massive. From what I was told, it's almost impossible to make reservations and I'm sure we were lucky to get in last night.

We were seated in a booth and had no less than 6 people serve us during the evening. I'm so glad I didn't have to navigate the menu on my own since it has a vast selection that is quite daunting. Once you order, they place a bucket of hot coals in the center of the table and you get to cook your own food to enjoy with different spices and sauces. YUM!

 These were the hot coals placed in the deep cutout set in the table.

 They changed the grill surface twice during the course of the meal to make sure it was clean and they also had a cube of pork fat next to it so you could rub it on the grill so food didn't stick. Brilliant!

 These were some type of candied/pickled carrots that were chewy and delicious.

 The meats and fish are raw, of course, and you take time to grill each on the hot coals. My host, Sophia, was kind enough to do all of the cooking.

 The sushi and sashimi of local fish was extraordinary.

We had bowls of crisp cabbage that we could dip in a spicy sauce to enjoy or wrap around the grilled meat.

 This fish is a type of local mackerel that was so lush and rich. 

 We had different fish, beef (including beef tongue), pork  and shrimp. All of the plates, bowls, serving dishes and food were artful and beautifully made.

 The white item was thickly sliced bamboo that was different than anything I've had here. It's a specific type that has to be grown under certain conditions. Loved it!

For dessert we had a sweet potato and cheese mixture that was somewhat glutinous and very lightly sweetened. It was unlike anything I've ever had for dessert. We also had this green tea shaved ice topped with glutinous rice cubes (which I've had before and plan on bringing back with me to the states) and sweetened red beans. Red beans are such a part of Taiwanese desserts. It was refreshing, slightly sweet, chewy and delicious.  What an incredible night!