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2010-07-09
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The secluded location of 龍門樓 - 志蓮素齋 inside 南蓮園池 may not have prompted a lot of visitors, but those who know to come here usually know what they want – a calm and “real” vegetarian meal that has nothing to do with quasi or faux meat (非仿肉) . Here you won’t find those vegetarian char siu, roast duck, or satay (沒有素叉燒, 素燒鵝, 素串燒). The key focus here is to enjoy vegetarian food in its real and natural identity (原味齋菜). Light, simple, subtle, are attributes of their food, which was exactly what my
The restaurant was full on the first floor for walk-in customers. On the second floor where we dined, however, tables were only half-filled and the atmosphere was quiet and relaxed.
We didn’t have to wait long until the first dish,柚子醋粉皮 (Pasta Sheet with Yuzu Vinegar, $55), arrived after ordering. The 粉皮was adequately cooked and dried so that they were not too mushy or damp with just enough “coating” of the dressing. The yuzu flavor in the dressing was indiscernible, but overall it was a refreshing starter.
松露芙蓉札蹄 (Deep Fried Beancurd Rolled with Truffle, $80) had a lovely mille-feuille texture, not as firm as the ones at 陳意齋. The beancurd sheets were infused lightly with Yunnam black truffle paste, not too much to overpower the “bean” flavor (豆味). We enjoyed this dish very much.
Fried food also scored high among my companions. 酥炸釀南瓜併春卷 (Deep Fried Stuffed Pumpkins & Spring Rolls, $80) might not be super exciting but they were fried fresh, piping hot, and most importantly, not greasy. I only wish the portions were a bit more. It’s always good to have a beer with fried food, and while alcoholic drinks are not offered here, you could get a Karamaltz (原味黑麥汁. $15) a non–alcoholic beverage made with barley, wheat malt, hops, caramelised sugar and pure brew water*. To me it tasted a bit like a toned-down German lager sweetened with grape juice…
Two dim sums, 香煎蘿蔔糕 & 蒸素菜包 (Pan-Fried Turnip Cakes $20 and Steamed Vegetable-Filled Buns $20/3pcs), were served at lukewarm temperature. The pan-fried turnip cakes were heavy in flour with only taste and texture of shitake mushroom “bits”. The 蒸素包 were better with the fluffy “bao” filled with delicious chopped veggie and fungus medley. It would have been perfect if they were hot and steamy!
醬燒菌 (Roasted Marinated Mushrooms, $80) featured thick-cut fungus stripes which were actually “meaty” in mouthfeel, and the brown sauce was not too strong as no MSG was used. Personally I enjoyed 銀棯醬茄子(Braised Eggplants with Yan-Nim Sauce, $65) more because of its softer texture. The 銀棯醬 stimulated the tastebuds with both sourness and subtle spiciness simultaneously, a nice change in flavor profile compared to previous dishes we had.
I thought 金沙醬炒年糕 (Stir-fried Sliced Rice Cakes with Salty Egg Yolk Sauce, $75) would be strong in seasoning, but I was wrong as the sauce was very dilute without much salty egg yolk flavor. The rice cakes were also very “flour-y” like a heavily processed product.
We switched our focus quickly to the last dish, 龍門傳統扣燉大齋 (Traditional Braised Vegetarian Medley, $128/sm). The classic vegetarian dish came in a molded “bowl” shape comprised of shitake mushroom, “fai choi” (發菜), cloud ear (雲耳), bamboo fungus,竹笙, fried beancurd puff (豆卜), red dates, lotus seeds, gingko nuts, Chinese cabbage, etc. The version I tried in other vegetarian restaurants tend to be very heavy, but this one was light and fulfilling without being drowned in sauce. It’s a classic done right, and a great ending to the lunch meal.
Service was overall courteous and attentive. The staff did not rush you and allowed you to enjoy the meal in a relaxing pace, which was important for us who wanted to get some calm moments for the day. A stroll at the Nan Lian Garden 南蓮園池 was the perfect activity after the meal, as we were able to capture some peaceful and quiet times in this otherwise hectic, never-stop city.
You really don’t have to be a Buddhist or even believe in Buddhism to come to Chi Lin Vegetarian. As long as you want some simple vegetarian food made from seasonal, fresh, and natural ingredients that won’t weigh you down, or simply good vegetarian food in a serene environment, Chi Lin Vegetarian is the place for you.
* If you want to learn more, Karamalz’s website is http://www.karamalz.de/ . I have no association with this company…
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