In my September 2017 trip to Taiwan, I managed to make reservation for RAW, Le Mout and MUME. However, I had to cancel our reservation at MUME due to unforeseen circumstance. Sob. So when I was planning for my January 2018 trip, I knew it was time to make (it) up to myself. Keke

Currently ranked 43 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2017 by S. Pellegrino, reservation was made on MUME’s website. It’s a straightforward process. After choosing the party size and date, one would be informed of the offered menu (which is normally a-la carte) before going on to select the seating slots of either 6pm or 8.30pm. For the former, one would need to return the table at 8pm. And to secure the reservation, one would need to input one’s credit card details.

I made reservation for a weekday dinner 3 weeks in advanced, and decided to go with the earlier slot of 6pm.

Unlike the reservation process which was a breeze, identifying the restaurant’s shopfront was a little difficult. The name of the restaurant was craved faintly on the marble. So one can’t see the engravement from far. But thankfully I googled up the place prior to our dinner, so my Mom and I didn’t end up walking past the unit instead since I knew how the shopfront looked. And to enter, press the (black) button on one’s right.

And from the menu (pages 1, 2, 3), my Mom and I ordered:-

  

1) Seasonal tartlets (2 pcs), NT$220 (above)

2) Country sourdough, NT$180 (above) – Smoked beef fat butter was stated on the menu. However, as we don’t take beef, we were given cultured butter and sea salt instead. And my Mom and I seriously loved the bread. Well-browned crispy and crackling crust with the inside being soft with attractive big air pockets. We finished the loaf easily.

  

3) Liver brulee, NT$350 (above) – Chicken liver parfait, seasonal herbs. This was really good. The chicken liver parfait was creamy, thick and smooth. I enjoyed this with the sourdough. Keke. We were told Shaoxing wine was also used for the brulee layer. A must order.

4) MUME salad, NT$480 (above) – 20+ types seasonal vegetables, fermented black beans. We were told the vegetables were all locally grown. Now… When a restaurant pegged their (restaurant) name to a dish, I would interpret it as the restaurant’s signature dish. However, I felt this was just passable. Wasn’t impressed.

5) Burnt cabbage, NT$580 (above) – Smoked salmon roe, pine nuts, oyster emulsion. Cooked with direct heat for 1 hour, the staff told us not to eat the outermost charred layer. And the texture of this ‘burnt cabbage’ was intriguing. It’s like a cross between pickled and fermented.

6) Crispy amadai, NT$1080 (above) – Aromatic broth, engawa, parsley and lemon thyme.

7) Pork neck, NT$980 (above) – Clam sauce, baby cabbage, dill. Didn’t really like this.

8) Custard apple, NT$330 (above) – Caramelized puff pastry, creme fraiche ice cream. My mom and I really enjoyed this bold combination of (cold) passionfruit ice cream and warm apple.

9) Frost lemon pie, NT$330 (above) – Gordon’s gin, suze, lemon.

It was a pleasant dining experience at MUME. The set-up of the restaurant was suitable for friends to catch-up over food (small and big groups alike) and for couples to go on romantic dates. Food was not too bad, although I wasn’t blown away.

But it’s the service that I must mention. Service was top notch! Our cups of water was never once left empty by the friendly staff. Although we didn’t finish 1 or 2 of the dishes (because our stomachs were bursting nearing to the end of our meal), the staff could pick up from our body language that we were done with our dishes and cleared our dishes without us requesting them to. So it was nice because my Mom and I didn’t have to wait very long for our next dish noting that they served the dishes in sequence. Ie, appetisers followed by mains, etc.

Unfortunately, MUME wouldn’t be at the top of my ‘restaurants I would recommend checking out in Taiwan’. So if one is thinking of checking out MUME, I would say… “Why not?” instead of “Please do!”

UPDATE: Restaurant was awarded 1 Michelin star by Michelin Guide Taipei 2018.

Related posts:

Dinner @ Tairroir 態芮 (Taipei, Taiwan) Dinner @ Longtail (Taipei, Taiwan) Dinner @ RAW (Taipei, Taiwan) Dinner @ Sushi Ryu 鮨 隆 (Taipei, Taiwan) Dinner @ Kitcho 吉兆割烹壽司 (Taipei, Taiwan)