Tranquil Dining @ 鈺善閣 (Yu Shan Ge)

Being a vegetarian in Taiwan is... near impossible. Places like Yu Shan Ge, however, make it all worthwhile. (Not that I would really know what it feels like to be veg, since I change my -etarian title depending on mood.) Yu Shan Ge specializes in vegetarian cuisine, with a side of spectacular service. From the moment you walk in, you are treated like royalty. The restaurant itself is so pretty and puts you right at ease.

My uncle and an artsy wall. Wooden bowls, I believe.


Indoor/outdoor water sculpture thing. So peaceful.


Stairs leading up to the main dining area.


You pick from a variety of individual multi-course meals, and for lunch they range from ~$25 to much more. We went with the most "basic" lunch meal, which came with 9 courses. First, a pretty bowl of water to wash your hands.

All the dishes were sooo gorgeous, and I eventually 'stole' a tea cup. More on that later.

The soup:

w/ fresh sponge gourd, lily, and wolfberry. Simple and lovely.

Vegetarian 'sashimi'

Taro, sweet potato, tomato, asparagus, all in soy + wasabi sauce.

Vegetable + mushroom dumpling

A cutie-pie of a dumpling. And delicious. The wrapping was a great balance of chewy + tender.

Fried bean curd with organic peanuts and carrots.

The crispy skin was delectable.

Wild rice (I think) with diced mushrooms, and a side of greens.

The mushrooms tasted like diced pork! Ymmmm.

Bok choy, and some type of vegetable wrapped in tofu skin.

Like my very own present. Wonderful.

Plum tea:

Notice the uber cute tea cups. I stole one, with the manager's permission. He said, "We're not allowed to give them to you, but if you take one when I'm not looking, I won't know about it." Done and done. Thank you, Mr. Nice Manager!

Dessert: something sweet made from tofu + fruit. Grapes in taiwan >>> grapes in the states.

Perfect end to a perfect meal.

Ladies and gentlemen, put aside your need to eat an animal for one meal, and enjoy this fantastic restaurant. I can't explain it, but you will feel cleaner, fresher, and totally revived after your meal!

鈺善閣 (Yu Shan Ge)
intersection of Bei Ping East Road and Lin Sen North Road
take Shàndǎosì station via Metro
Taipei City, Taiwan
http://www.yu-shan-ge.com.tw/