元紀 • 台灣菜

Lazy summary: Yuanji's experience menu is really great, and it definitely needs to be paired with wine. For a Michelin one-star restaurant, the prices are really reasonable (Yuanji has the Michelin Best Sommelier, and this time, pairing them was super awesome! Not pairing would be a pity~).

This time, everyone opted for the experience set menu, and the server explained that Yuanji's concept is "home-cooked meals," so the dishes are served family-style (after inquiry, they mentioned that the set menu can be mixed and matched; there's no need for everyone at the table to choose the same one).

The experience menu has six major categories: flavorful appetizers, where you can choose five for the table; soups, where each person can choose one; Yuanji's signature dishes, where two can be selected for the table; hometown comfort cuisine, where two can be chosen for the week; and sweet dishes, where each person selects one. At the same time, everyone can also experience Yuanji's accompanying teas, including a pre-meal awakening tea, a palate-cleansing tea during the meal, and a post-meal relaxing tea.

Now, let me highlight a few of the most impressive dishes from this meal:
Flavorful appetizer - Yuanji's century egg tofu: Completely different from what I imagined, it tasted like deep-fried stinky tofu, delicious and unique!

Signature dish - Smoked cod cheeks with kumquat: A must-try!! As soon as it comes to the table, there is a strong smoky aroma. The cod is tender yet retains its bounce, with the smoke flavor perfectly locked in, juicy and delicious; the whole table was like starving ghosts fighting for food, but the portions were also quite ample!

Hometown comfort cuisine - Stir-fried pork with cauliflower: Super fragrant and pairs perfectly with rice! The sommelier also specially prepared a wine pairing for this dish, which went incredibly well with the stir-fried pork, pure joy.

Rice, noodles, and pancakes - Mixed seafood congee: If you love oysters, you're going to fall in love with this; it's packed with fresh and abundant ingredients, and it comes with seasoning condiments to add according to your preference (I'm not too fond of oysters, but my friends said it was amazing).

Overall, the experience was excellent. Yuanji's experience menu offers a variety of flavors, making it perfect for first-time visitors. Additionally, every dish can actually be ordered a la carte; as long as you can see it, you can order it. So, when faced with choice paralysis, it might be better to just order a bit of everything!

Yuanji is also very suitable for a small company year-end party, family gatherings, and reunions!!