Type of Cuisine: Chinese, Cantonese/Taiwanese
Food: 
Service:
Ambiance:
Spent: TWD 1,600 per person
Will I go back again? Maybe.
Address:
221 Chishan Road Section 2
Shilin
Taipei
Taiwan
台北市士林區至善路二段221號
Phone: +886 2 2882 9393
http://www.silkspalace.com.tw
Located just beside the National Palace Museum, the restaurant serves cantonese cuisine with a twist. The twist being some of the dishes that you may order will probably look like the monumental pieces in the museum itself. Silk Palace Restaurant has five stories of Chinese and Taiwanese food, including a food court in the basement and a banquet hall on the third floor. The first and second floors feature Cantonese cuisine in an elegant setting that, as would be expected, makes liberal use of decorative motifs from the museum’s collection of Chinese art and antiques. The dining area is partitioned with delicate wooden lattice screens and reproductions of Tang Dynasty paintings of buxom maidens at banquets adorn the walls. Warm, bright spotlights hang over the tables, illuminating each dish like a priceless curio (or delicious piece of masterfully carved agate pork).
We ordered from the Dim Sum Menu and the main Menu. There were some hits, some misses and some neither here nor there.
Deep Fried Taro Ball 峰窝芋头酥
This is the one neither here nor there. It was not a horrible dish, but it was not a superb one either. It was just a well executed fried taro ball.
Deep Fried Shrimp Roll with Almond Slices 杏片鲜虾卷
Now this was a hit! It was sweet and savoury at the same time. And there were many layers of flavours. One would have to savour this slowly as you might just swallow all in an instant.
Pan Fried Turnip Cake 腊味萝卜糕
This was also a neither here nor there dish. Just that coming from a restaurant, you would expect a lot more.
Baked Chinese Cabbage with Crab Meat 蟹肉焗白菜
This we liked. But with a qualm, the cabbage needed to be much softer. But the creamy texture and the caramelised cheese was just divine.
Double Flavored Beef Noodle Soup 晶华鼎食鸳鸯牛肉面
Double Flavored Beef Noodle Soup 晶华鼎食鸳鸯牛肉面
This was good too. It was a yin and yang beef noodles. One side was the thick gravy type and the other was the clear broth type. Surprisingly we both liked the clear broth one.
Jadeite Cabbage with Insects 翠玉白菜
This was suppose to be the highlight of the restaurant. The presentation was very beautiful and it mimicked the museum piece well. However the flavour was lacking.
Meat-shaped Stone 肉形石
This was good. But the meat to fat ratio was 2:3. That’s just way too fatty for my liking.
Steamed Scallop Dumplings with Chicken Consomme 干贝灌汤包
The best of all the dishes. The chicken consommé was perfectly executed, bursting with essence of the chicken and the dumpling was moist and meaty on in insides.
Steamed Custard Bun 爵士奶皇包
This was again a neither here no there dish. It was nice if it was not in a dingy dim sum joint. But in a up-market restaurant….nah.
Classic Desserts in Chinese Curio Box 多寶閣甜點集
Another nice from far, but far from nice. Assorted chinese desserts. either it was too starchy, or it was too sweet.
The Greedy Squirrel 