舊時光新鮮事

Item: 舊時光新鮮事
Rating: 3
Author: 一刻又一嗑

嘉義市 • Japanese curry

over 1 year ago

Lunch1 pplNT$335

A small tourist shop not far from Chiayi Train Station,
a curry-themed restaurant housed in a renovated old building,
preserving some characteristics of the old house with its curry dishes 🍛.

Let’s start with the conclusion:
The prices are a bit high, and I personally feel that the variety of dishes is rather low.
As for the service… my experience wasn't very good 🙂‍↔️,
but I'm not sure if it was just a specific case,
the curry was delicious 👌

I wouldn’t go back specifically, nor do I feel it’s worth recommending in particular,
but it can still be included in a dining list.

Here comes the experience details 👀

I went for lunch on a weekday,
specifically choosing a weekday,
hoping to avoid lines and crowds 😌,
so I could dine comfortably, without urgency or rush, taking my time.

Upon entering the store, the staff led me to a corner table for two,
informing me that all other seats were fully booked,
leaving only this one,
and told me there was a 90-minute limit for dining,
then left the menu on the table and stood beside it
(with his back facing me).
I was left with a face like: ?? 🙂 ? ?

Carrying my heavy luggage,
his position made it impossible for me to set it down,
let alone sit or listen to his explanation of the menu.
(Even if I weren't carrying luggage, I still wouldn’t know what he was doing.)

Then it was just ordering, paying, and dining, quite ordinary.

Throughout my meal, I was most concerned about what the staff mentioned: “all other tables are fully booked.”
After all, I wasn’t at a popular restaurant,
nor was it a busy holiday time,
and it’s not a place where everyone could linger for a while.
I couldn’t help but wonder, “Who would book all the seats?” 🤔

However, I leisurely enjoyed my meal, filling the entire 90-minute limit,
and I had never seen this restaurant fully occupied,
even other later customers indicated they hadn’t made reservations,
and were seated normally.

🙂… I personally feel there’s no need to lie about these things,
instead, it feels like they’re trying to rush customers to leave,
which is quite unpleasant.

So, I think the curry is worth trying 💁‍♀️,
but regarding service and environment… don’t expect too much.

Golden Ali Mountain Curry Chicken $285 This is the most popular item on the menu. Compared to regular curry, there are more vegetables and a greater variety. The fried chicken isn’t heavily battered, allowing you to taste the juices. The curry sauce is mildly spicy, but this shop only offers one type of curry sauce, with no other options available.

The miso soup that comes with the meal contains tofu and radish, and has a slightly sweet flavor.

The meal came with a grinding of nuts, which was just black sesame and peanuts. Guests can grind it themselves and sprinkle it on the curry once they are done. To be honest, I don't quite understand this part. After grinding, the curry doesn't seem to have a stronger aroma. I think the curry sauce itself is already quite rich and flavorful. Additionally, the grinding bowl doesn’t have any stripes, and the pattern on the pestle is quite odd, making it difficult to grind. Plus, after grinding, most of it gets stuck in the crevices of the pestle. In the end, it just crushes the nuts a bit.

I ordered a cup of Sleepy Moon Glazed Milk Tea for an additional $50. It doesn't have a strong milky fragrance and tastes somewhat watery. However, according to the menu description, it seems to be brewed with a certain herbal tea, so it has an extra subtle aroma, different from regular milk tea.

The total package price is $285 + $50 = $335. The water is self-service lemonade, served at room temperature without ice.

Here’s a photo after I've diligently ground the nuts. It looks almost the same as before... but I really did grind them hard for a long time. (Spreading it on the mountaintop is just a boring habit 🤣)

The staple food for curry is certainly very important! As for the fried chicken, the skin is thin and crispy. However, I'm not sure if it's because it's placed on the sauce? The skin is a bit sticky, but the chicken is quite juicy.👌 Although it’s not my favorite fried chicken, it still tastes pretty good.

Inside the store, the TV is broadcasting an episode of an interview program, which also introduces some cultures and shops in Chiayi.

The scene for the program introduction seemed to be on the second floor, but since I didn't see any clear signs or directions... I decided to give up on the idea of visiting (not sure if it was open).