My paternal grandfather recently had surgery on his left knee. As he stays in the hospital, my paternal grandmother, who suffers from dementia, is at home all day long with a live-in caretaker. All morning and afternoon long, between meals, she does the same puzzles over and over again, reads the same newspaper over and over again, but after about 5-10 minutes, she has no recollection of doing it, so when she does it over again, she says, "It'll take me a while because I've never done this before." And even as I type this, all I hear her say is, "Does this fit? It doesn't fit. Does this fit? It doesn't fit? Can this fit? This part fits but not this part. How about this piece? Nope, it doesn't work. Does this fit? No matter how I push, it won't fit. If it doesn't fit, it doesn't fit. Does this fit? It doesn't fit." Over and over again, with each and every puzzle she does, she repeats these lines over and over again. So, I'm taking this time to blog about a GRAND meal I just had!!
In a building close to the mall, on the 4th floor, there is a lovely Taiwanese steak house to be experienced by the meat lovers of this world!! (HERE is a slideshow of the photos I took!) From the floor to the ceiling, there are careful decorations that put into the more modern scope of what we can expect from this location's meal.
First comes the salad, garden or fruit, and then comes the beverages of your choice. No free refills, but that's why they also have barley tea that is quite endless. Then comes the snack, I recommend the mushrooms, then the soups, all of which are delicious, and last the appetizer. I got the chicken skewer, but there are other options that truly whet the appetite for the main course. What would a steakhouse be without steak, right? Cooked to a good medium well done, a gentle blush deep in the center, and crisp garlic chips to go with it. There are sauces you can try, one more with tomato taste, the other a black peppered saltiness Americans like. I also got to see a barbecue chicken option that was quite pleasing to the eye and taste, tender and a sweet saltiness that comes from well cued chicken and veggies.
Last came the dessert, four options we all got, check it out in the slideshow above. Mine was the chocolate cake around the mint cream and it was delightful to the max. Nothing beats a heavy meat lunch than the minty goodness of cake and cream. Along with my caramel latte, it was delightful and wonderfully light. I heard the others were sweet as well, but as for me, what caught my attention the most wasn't the food, as delightful as it was, but the service. #OMG
From the moment I entered, with my limited Chinese and troublesome dining party, to the moment we left, we were fully satisfied and cared for the entire time. The server not only waited, but recommended accordingly. Someone brought me a basket to place my belongings in, because I had a bag and a camera. My teacup never ran dry, my empty plates never lingered long, and most of all, because my grandmother couldn't eat and kept spitting things out, they cleaned it away with a smile and quickly. Instead of being disgusted and letting it linger there until the end of the meal, they worked quickly, quietly, and all with a smile. We had four full six-course meals and everyone was kind to us.
It's rare for me to find Chinese people hospitable because of their rough and pressed nature of doing things, but Tokiya is somewhere I would want to take my American friends who don't have much understanding of the Taiwanese culture. From ordering to navigating the restroom, there were more than enough helpful people and clearly marked signs. I liked the cleanliness of the restroom and the squattie and toilet option for the Eastern and Western cultured patrons. They had toilet paper in the stalls (yes, it's noteworthy), and soap at the motion-sensored sinks! The meal is reasonably priced and the menus are easy to understand. The photos of the food in the menu were quite clear and precise, to my great thanks.
If you have a chance to stop by PingTung in Taiwan, I highly recommend stopping by Tokiya!! I don't know if the other restaurants in this chain are as gracious and kind, but I know that if I have a chance to come back and eat at this specific restaurant, I would bring my posse in a heartbeat! Of all the places I've dined, I truly rate this place 5 of 5 Stars!! YES -- IT IS THAT MEMORABLY GOOD!! I would expect to find it in LA... I have to write more reviews of places I eat! Because go place to eat a lot, I do!!
