SEASON CUISINE PATISSIARTISM
No. 22, Lane 397, Alley 2, MingShui Rd. 台北市明水路397巷2弄22號
(02) 2533-2377
MRT: Dazhi Station
website: Season Cuisine Patissiartism FB page
hours: Lunch 11:30AM - 2:30PM (last order 1:30PM)
Afternoon Tea 3PM - 6PM (last order 5PM)
Dinners- only Friday and Saturday until 9PM
$$-$$$
Kid friendliness: no high chairs spotted, limited savory dishes available though lots of sweets to please.
Visit reviewed: 10/17/2011
If you've ever been the kind of person to plan your meal around dessert, then Season Cuisine Pâtissiartism should be next on your to-do eat list. Like its name implies, the restaurant aims to be part patisserie and part art, lead by the vision of Chef Season Hong.
The space is a simple backdrop to the food, one open room with a shared table in the center, all with a view of the window into the kitchen or to the dessert area where the daily specials are listed on the wall.
Eeny, meeny, miny, moe... so many luscious desserts to choose from...
When I went late last year, Season Cuisine Patissiartism, had been open only for a few months and only had a printed menu in Chinese. There were only three dishes available for lunch sets when I went- a truffle risotto, a duck and a pork chop. On Season Cuisine's Facebook page, the 2012 menus now have English, as well as more options like oxtail stew, truffle fries, and shrimp and lobster risotto.
Fresh and bright flavors started the meal with a lightly dressed salad with balsamic vinaigrette, grilled onions and marinated salmon. Even the starters had notes of tang and sweetness.
The rustic bread made in-house that was served had me and my friends gushing- the firm crust, the chewy center- we wanted to buy some to take home, but unfortunately, that wasn't available.
The grilled natural pork (NT$980) was served with a mashed potato topped with figs and bits of brown sugar.
I love figs so the sweet and savory combination was a pleasant surprise to me. Some people would find it off putting, but it's no stranger than candied yams with marshmallows, or peanut butter and jelly. Salty sweet, sweet and salty.
The pork was especially tender on the inside and carmelized on the outside, and served intentionally pink as the server had told us that the chef prepared it medium well done. Not everyone at my table was willing to try a bite, but I devoured it without any problems afterwards.
A few of my friends ordered the truffle hazelnut risotto (NT$780).
My least favorite of the three was the duck with cherries and brownies. I thought the portion was too small for the price, especially in contrast to my plate filling pork chop.
Along with the lychee sorbets that came with our set, we had to try some of the desserts.
My favorite was the chocolate cheesecake, which had a citrus touch to it.
Pour chocolate over something and you can't lose.
Our least favorites were the grapefruit jelly as it was a bit too acerbic, perhaps the pomelo was too ripe.
One of Season Cuisine's signature desserts which we regrettably did not get that day was Plant which is a mint ice cream hidden under a layer of chocolate cookie crumbs, served in a pot to look like a plant. Did I mention the mint ice cream has pop rocks in it? I think I'll have to go back.
On a nice day, I can imagine the patio filled with afternoon tea diners wielding camera phones in this little alley hidden somewhere in Dazhi.
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