[Foodholic Niko @ Taipei]
To start with the conclusion: "Sung" is my favorite bistro I’ve eaten at in the past two years, and it’s perfect for celebrating birthdays. The restaurant generously gives out tiramisu cake from the menu as a gift and helps take four-frame photos which they print out.
"Sung Taipei Da’an" is located near the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall station. The restaurant’s main visual is a stylish orange that extends from the exterior wall into the interior, creating a trendy and fancy atmosphere.
Since it has won the 500 Plates award, it’s always full even on weekdays, so if you want to dine here, you have to make a reservation in advance. Online bookings are available for 15 days ahead, which is quite convenient.
Spicy Century Egg Tofu with Pepper and Sesame Sauce $320
This dish is a new addition that came out at the end of last year, with the concept of "the gift of land". The presentation is beautiful, featuring tofu mousse placed on crushed roasted chili century egg sauce and sesame sauce, which customers mix themselves. After mixing the century egg tofu, it can be placed on the soft European bread to eat. The dish offers the fragrance of pepper and sesame, but it isn't spicy, making it suitable for those who don’t like spice.
P.S. The standard portion for this dish is 3 pieces of bread, which can be upgraded to 6 pieces for an extra charge. I thought 3 pieces would be enough, but when it arrived, I realized those 3 pieces were quite small. There was a lot of century egg tofu sauce, resulting in slightly insufficient bread, but the sauce was so delicious that we took the leftovers home, mixed it with noodles, and made it another meal—what a clever use of resources!
Crispy Fried Chicken with French Guava Lemon Sauce $290
This dish is considered a signature item at Sung; almost every table orders it. The chicken is super crispy while still juicy. Eating it alone is delicious, but paired with the sauce, it’s even better. The staff introduced the sauce as being made from guava, and it has a mild spiciness. The sauce is thick yet not greasy. Personally, I find the guava flavor is not very pronounced, but it does not diminish my love for this sauce. I personally love this fried chicken and highly recommend it!
Fresh Fried Scallops with Spanish Dry Cured Ham $399
There are 3 scallops, which may be a bit pricey, but the dish is well complemented. Both the scallops and the accompanying sauce are quite good! The seaweed wrapped around the scallops is more impressive than the ham inside them, giving a delightful fragrance. The outer layer of the scallop is fried to a crisp, but care is needed as they can be juicy and hot; dipped in mango tartar sauce adds a refreshing sweet and sour taste. Personally, I find the tartar sauce to have a stronger flavor than the mango, and I also enjoyed it with the fried chicken—it paired quite well!
French Black Truffle Duck Leg Risotto $720
This risotto is one of the recommended dishes in the "Taiwan 500 Plates" list. The rice is cooked to a perfect firmness, retaining a bit of rice core while still matching the Taiwanese habit of eating rice without being too hard; the seasoning with black truffle is fantastic, offering an enticing aroma that makes you want to keep eating, even when it cools down. The outer layer of the confit duck leg has a delightful crispiness and a super rich flavor—the texture of the duck skin is lovely! The duck meat inside is not dry at all and can be cut easily with a knife, plus the portion is generous; even when we shared it, we didn’t feel like we lacked food. Although the price is slightly higher compared to other dishes, I personally think it’s still worth it!
Piedmont Fumet Yuzu Crab Pasta $520
This pasta is on the refreshing side, with a faint yuzu fragrance that blends well with the salty flavor. The staff mentioned they use crab meat from three different parts to create the dish, and there’s a generous amount of crab meat—you can really taste the meat and it’s not just minced hiding in the sauce. Between the two main courses, I personally prefer the French Black Truffle Duck Leg Risotto.
Mr. Red Li 9% Cocktail $450
This cocktail is a collaboration with a traditional Chinese medicine store and comes with a piece of Chinese-style pastry that is not small. However, I cannot comment on the pastry since I didn’t try it. The cocktail itself is a mix of vodka, red jade black tea, starfruit soup, and peach strips. The alcohol is lighter than expected, offering a sweet and tangy refreshing taste that even women would enjoy.
Ma Gao Gui Fei Oolong Tea $180
The staff first lights wood chips in the highball glass to infuse the aroma, then guests pour in the Gui Fei Oolong tea themselves. The tea has a strong woody flavor and the aroma of Ma Gao, being unsweetened at first. Honey water can be added for a hint of sweetness, making it suitable for pairing with richer dishes and offering a palate cleansing effect.
Overall, the dishes we enjoyed today performed exceptionally well; each one was delicious, and the décor and ambiance were very stylish. The staff was also courteous (the short-haired waitress who served us was very friendly, whether introducing the dishes or helping us take photos). "Sung" is definitely a bistro I would love to revisit!
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