Taiwan Travels - TK Seafood & Steak @ Hotel Proverbs Taipei

Exquisite Italian Farm to Table Dining

In sequel to my stay at Hotel ProverbsTaipei in Taiwan, we dined at the exclusive TK Seafood & Steak restaurant housed in the hotel that evening.

Helmed by Culinary Director and Chef Fudy Chen, TK Seafood & Steak is inspired from his childhood memory of what a perfect barbeque would be. The pride and joy of the restaurant is a result from Chef Chen’s effort in having his own organic farm located at the foot of Yangmingshan, where he pays tribute to his organically grown ingredients nurtured by Mother Nature. He aged his own premium quality beef and duck while utilizing sustainable fresh seafood, caught barely hours from the local fishing wharfs.

Going back to his roots, Chef Chen returns to Taiwan after his experience at a three Michelin star restaurant in New York. The passionate chef decided to fulfill his dreams of farm to table dining concept to city dwellers and foodies and thus TK Seafood & Steak was born.

TK Seafood & Steak’s gorgeous interior is also designed by renowned architect and designer Ray Chen. In theme throughout the hotel, the swanky restaurant oozes with glitz and glam through its high ceiling architecture flanked by elaborate crystal chandeliers, mirror panels for kaleidoscope reflections, subdue dark table setting and earthy tones of surrounding ambiance.

TK Seafood & Steak commands a sense of class in modern day luxury dining and yet it pretty hip to be seen here, dining like you are on top of the world.

Open kitchen concept, there’s nothing to escape the glance of the diners. Chefs are meticulously at work in the kitchen, focusing on the highlight flagship of the restaurant, a Spanish Josper oven for the grill. Nothing but the very best for Chef Chen as he goes all out in churning meat and seafood cooked in the best grill cum oven before finishing it with an aroma of an oak wood smoke from 1866 JACK DANIEL’s barrels. TK’s steaks will leave diners in satiable senses with its signature whiskey aroma lingering on the premium beef.

While one can opt for lunch on ala carte menu, the dinner Tasting menu is more value-for-money. It also offers flexibility for diners who can then select how many courses they wish to enjoy. Tasting menu is listed in Italian courses – Antipasti, Zuppa, Primi, Secondi, Contorni, Dolci

Amuse Bouche of Terrine of Cured Meat with Pickles and Seeded Mustard and Radish

House bread from L’idiot Bakery served with Balsamic Vinegar and EVOO

An Antipasti (+NTD280) course featuring Zucchini Burrata Cheese Cannoli, Arugula, Cherry Tomato Salad with Truffle Dressing. Sheer simplicity highlighting some of the best fresh Italian ingredients in this dish. The burrata cheese was a sinful bite of creamy lush with sweet vegetables and heady scent of truffles.

The next course of Zuppa (+NTD1800) was Sicilia Style Fishermen’s Soup. King prawn and fish in a tomato based broth pumped with robust seafood essence, soothes the tummy warmly after a day’s travel. The subtle sweetness of the seafood broth whets the appetite along with the fresh seafood.

The Italians love their primi course of pasta. There are several choices of pasta but the two we had came highly recommended as signatures of TK. For Primi (+NTD1800), we tucked into Shrimp and Truffle Ravioli with Foie Gras Veloute and Grilled Spicy Octopus with Squid Ink Capellini.

The Shrimp and Truffle Ravioli with Foie Gras Veloute looked deceptively simple with a minimalist presentation. However, the ravioli is simply marvelous. Beautiful thin pasta filled with sweet prawn and truffle filling and blanketed with a luscious thick goose liver veloute. Each bite of the ravioli was exquisite on the palate, heady with truffle aroma and flavours of buttery richness follows upon contact with the veloute.

The moreish flavours of the next dish was a complete opposite to the ravioli. The Grilled Spicy Octopus with Squid Ink Capellini was a delightful dish. Smoky with hints of heat and bold salty notes from chargrilled octopus, chilies, capers and sundried tomatoes elevated the squid ink capellini well. Pasta cooked well and the octopus was tender, rendering a nearly perfect plate of pasta.

For the Secondi course, this is where all the barbeque comes into play. The Grilled Market Fish, Grapefruit, Pickled Chili, Pine Nut Salad (NTD1380) uses the freshest catch of the day. That evening, it was a fish named ‘Wu Zai’, similar to a mullet of sort. Chargrilled to lovely doneness and topped with lots of citrusy flavours and pine nuts, the fish has a fine and silky-smooth flesh. The grapefruit and chili worked so well with the fish, enchancing its sweetness.

Chef Chen uses a wet-aging process for his beef and the Texas: A Bar N Ranch Wagyu Strip Loin (NTD2780) looked might fine at sight. A marbling grade of A8, this wagyu is brashly well-marbled with superb beefy flavours. The charred smoky notes coupled with juicy meat is a revelation piece of wagyu steak. Served simply with slow roasted garlic cloves, fresh watercress, wholegrain mustard and a tiny dollop herb sauce sealed the deal for this majestic plate of wagyu.

For more primal indulgence, the USDA Prime Sirloin 15oz (NTD2180) fared well too. Cooked medium rare, the sirloin had a solid charred on the outside. Chef Chen likes to leave the fatty bits to the sirloin to give it an extra ommph of flavours as well as juiciness. Generously seasoned with just sea salt and served with slow roasted garlic bulbs and watercress, the sirloin is another great choice of steak.

The 14 Day-Aged Yilan Duck Breast with Braised Endive, Roasted Tangerine and Watercress (NTD1680) highlight Taiwan’s local produce of Yilan Sakura duck. The aging process enhances the duck meat texture and flavour. Its then cooked till medium pink and served with a citrusy sweet and savory sauce before finished with caramelized endive, juicy roasted tangerine segments and watercress. Tender and juicy duck meat is ravishingly addictive, each bite seemed to taste better than before…

With all the main courses of meat and seafood, we also savored some Contorni. From creamy Mashed Potato to delicious cheese Truffled Mac&Cheese, Sweet Potato Leaves with pine nuts and sweet Purple Carrots.

Dinner ended with Dolci (+NTD120), a classic one of Tiramisu. Decadent, smooth and good hit of coffee, the tiramisu completed our lovely Italian journey at TK.

Every little detail is meticulously thought through by Chef Chen from the moment one steps into the restaurant to the finale of the dining experience. Food and service is excellent. Quality is an obvious focus from the culinary team as all the meat, seafood and vegetables are prepared with minimalist and paired with much thoughts of flavours and textures. If you’re ever hankering for an awesome piece of beef, TK Seafood & Steak would be the place to go for in Taipei!

TK SEAFOOD & STEAK

Hotel Proverbs Taipei

56, Sec.1, Da'an Road, Da'an Dist.,

Taipei City 106, Taiwan

TEL： +886 903 393 008

Website: www.fudychen.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/fudychen/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/tkseafoodsteak/

Business Hours:

Breakfast     6,30am to 10am

Lunch          12noon to 3pm

Dinner         5.30pm to 10pm

*This trip was made possible by Taiwan Tourism together with First Class Magazine and Eva Air. However, all stories and comments in my posts are purely derived from my own experiences through the trip.

Taiwan Travel Series

Hotel Proverbs Taipei

TK Seafood & Steak Restaurant

Atomo Arifowang CanglahRestaurant

The Silence Manor

Shang Palace, Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza Hotel

Lucky Bo @ Jalan Bangkung

A Tomahawk Meat Up!

While there are plenty of steak places in our city, there’s only a few that takes steak to a whole new level of deliciousness. And so they say that everyone can cook a steak but we all know that it takes a serious steak connoisseur to zone in on how the perfect steak should be with every single detail being scrutinized from the beef to the cooking and serving.

The folks are Lucky Bo are one of them. Two owners, “Leng Chais” Ed and Peter, was dreaming of owning their own hot pot restaurant. One thing led to another, Lucky Bo was born. Named after Ed’s dog, Lucky Bo serves local comfort food during lunch and goes Wagyu in the evening for steak lovers.

Lucky me, I had the honours of visiting Lucky Bo one evening to see why this place is the best value wagyu steak in town. Located along the quiet neighborhood of Jalan Bangkung area, Lucky Bo has been opened for more than 3 years. Foodies know how to hunt down this place for local comfort food during lunch and best value wagyu steaks in the evenings.

Elegant interior with warm low lights ease diners for a place to relax for the evening with awesome steaks and good wines. The menu is kept rather neat and tight, featuring enough on what they do best at Lucky Bo. While some may have thought it’s rather odd to see hot pot together with some local dishes and a list of steaks, pasta, and other Western dishes in the same menu, I find it rather interesting. After all, we are Malaysians and we have always been accustomed to our melting pot of cultures and cuisines.

Lucky Bo’s steaks are listed on a signboard to showcase their list of premium beef cuts and weights available that day. Ed and Peter prized themselves on their signature Australian Margaret River Wagyu cooked in Spanish Josper charcoal oven. Diners are treated to premium cuts from Striploin, Ribeye, Brisket to the whopper of beef - The Tomahawk. Now all you need is a good choice of wine or beer to go with your steak.

Before we get to the showstopper, we gladly tucked into Chef Ong’s Wasabi Prawns (RM28). These little golden prawn bombs are delightfully crispy with a bouncy prawn paste texture. Natural crustacean sweetness prevails and the wasabi sauce added a subtle note of zingy sensation.

Our next appetizer of Black Pepper Smoked Duck with Garlic Crisps (RM34) is light and enjoyable. The duck breast has a subtle smoky and savory note, elevated further with a drizzle of creamy sauce and garlicky its. Decent dish for those who especially enjoys duck.

The Grilled Spanish Octopus (RM45) was my favorite dish of the three appetizers. Octopus, when cooked right, is amazingly delicious. These were perfection in my books as the octopus was gorgeously tender, smoky and a soft hit of paprika note. Served on a bed of crisp greens, radish, cherry tomatoes and red pepper sauce, the dish was simply irresistible in flavours and textures.

Moving to mains, we tucked into large pieces of Chef’s Beef Ribs with Emperor Sauce (RM75). Generously coated with the rich sauce, the meat was tender with a nice bite. The sauce resembles a spiced up garlicky bbq sauce with a harmony of sweet, savory, sourness and a little spice heat. The portion alone is substantial so one may want to share this unless you have an appetite of a caveman that hasn’t eaten a few meals.

We had to restrained ourselves from immediately diving into the Kyushu Wagyu Rib Loin (200g RM268 & 300g RM378) at sight. Drool-worthy at first glance, this Japanese premium wagyu screamed flavour. In fact, the meat tasted buttery and much umami notes of pleasure. So tender from all the marbling, this piece of wagyu is lusciousness in every bite. Price is on the premium side but once you’ve had a taste of this wagyu, you actually might find this worth indulging for…

We came to our showstopper of the evening. Making its grand entrance is the mammoth Wagyu Tomahawk. A Tomahawk is a bone-in ribeye. This primal cut never fails to impress at the serving table because of its gargantuan size. Ours that evening was graded MB5 and weighed 1.6kg (RM728), enough to be shared by at least five meat eaters.

Fear not if you don’t have a party of five, the restaurant has smaller tomahawks for small parties but this cut is basically a sharing one. Well,, unless you could be starving and have a fetish for taking on your meat intake for a week in just one meal…

Cooked in charcoal Josper oven, the tomahawk is a masterpiece at sight with its rich hue of colour, golden roasted potatoes, colourful steamed veggies and a pot of au jus. If I was sitting in the kitchen of my home, I would have chuck out all my manners and attack this tomahawk by gnawing my way through the rib bone. At last, I wasn’t and so I waited patiently for this beautiful meat to be sliced up at our tableside…

It is recommended to enjoy the tomahawk at medium rare doneness and so we oblige to this recommendation. Our tomahawk was cooked to a gorgeous pink doneness. One can even see how juicy this mega hunk of wagyu is. The meat is sublime with moreish notes of pleasure. Not only does the wagyu taste that good, there is still a good bite of texture that I enjoyed very much when it comes to my meat.

Savor this with the au jus or a little mustard or even horseradish for extra scrumptious note!

Lucky Bo’s Tomahawks starts from MB3 to MB5, price from RM468 onwards depending on grade and weight.

Ed graciously told us how it all started with Lucky Bo’s Wagyu and Char Kway Teow. A friend had brought in a steak to ask him to cook one day. With the meat, there was a piece of fat attached. Now knowing hardcore foodies, nothing should go to waste. And so the fat was rendered down as requested. Instead of the usual fried rice, Ed loves Char Kway Teow. And so he asked for his Char Kway Teow to be fried in the rendered beef fat… the rest is, as we all say, history…

Lucky Bo’s Wagyu Beef Fat Char Kway Teow comes with your order of a tomahawk. This precious plate of CKT is said to be so darn yummy that many are now said to order the tomahawk just to savor this CKT. This version is only available with the tomahawk’s fatty bits and comes with just one serving. No more, no less.

Full of ‘wok hei’, this was a darn good plate of CKT! Every strand of the rice noodle is a joy to eat. Plenty of beansprouts and chives along with a lovely note of soya sauce gave this CKT its winning score. And now I fully understand why many have raved for this plate of CKT. Perhaps it is also the moment that I was fully ignited to the same club of this CKT as the rest of the foodies…

Sides of Japanese Fried Rice (RM8) and Lucky Onion Fries (RM8) are always a treat.

By now, our tummies were fully satiated with much wagyu pleasures. Then we were told of Lucky Bo’s dessert menu. Cakes by the fame FatBoyBakes, known as Cheng Yi to many, was not something one can no too. And so… we said yes to a Pandan Gula Melaka Cake and a Macadamia Cheesecake. Both delightfully good in their own flavours with much sweet richness to end our meaty meal.

We also couldn’t resist Forty Licks Ice Cream among us. With flavours like Bailey’s & Coffee, Coconut Salted Gula Melaka and Guinness, ice creams have gone beyond the norm. For those who have yet to try spiked up ice creams, be warn as you might just end up doing what its name says… forty licks of yum!

LUCKY BO

65, Jalan Bangkung,

Bukit Bandaraya, Bangsar

59100 Kuala Lumpur,

Tel: 03-2092 1222

Facebook: www.facebook.com/LuckyBoKL

Instagram: www.instagram.com/luckybokl

Business Hours:

Daily 11am to 11pm