Taipei City - MiaCucina

Vegetarian food is something that I haven't had a great amount of exposure to living in the UK, however, I have had more than my fair share of exposure to such food in Taiwan. There are over 8 million Buddhists currently living in Taiwan (statistics taken from the Taiwan government). With some branches of Buddhism practicing vegetarianism, there is a large demand for vegetarian food on the island.

MiaCucina  is a chain vegetarian restaurant in Taipei, with stores near ZhongXiao FuXing MRT, ShiLin and TianMu. 

We went to the branch near ZhongXiao Fuxing MRT, it's based in a really convenient location, and just 5mins walk from the MRT station. 

The restaurant is kept neat and tidy inside, however, a gripe of mine is that the chairs are fairly uncomfortable.

The vegetables and fresh food on display looks amazing. It is a fantastic array of bold, bright colours and is very pleasing on the eyes! 

 

Fortunately, the menu is in English as well as Chinese. The menu is vast and presented well, however, I chose not to add the pictures here because it is around 14 pages long. If you would like me to email the menu to you, then let me know via Email, Facebook or Twitter. 

The cake selection looks great, but we were already booked in for afternoon tea, so decided to check out the main courses this time, but we will be back! 

What we ordered:

1. The Cowboy salad (small)

2. The Caprese panini

3. Roast tomato and cheese bread with toasted flatbreads

4. 5th Chakra tea

The salad has just about everything: avocado, carrot, iceberg lettuce, raisins, red beans, chickpeas, roasted yellow and red peppers, plum tomatoes, salted potato chips, red onion, cheese and also a tangy ranch dressing. 

The combination of flavours is great, the ingredients are wonderfully fresh and it certainly counts as your 5-a-day, all in one bowl. The pepper has been roasted then the skin has been peeled off, it is a lot sweeter because of this and a pleasure to eat. The lettuce has a good crunch and helps compliment the saltiness of the chips. 

2. The Caprese panini

Mozzarella, tomato and pesto make up the inside of this toasted sandwich. The mozzarella cheese is quite rich, but the balsamic dressing on the outside cuts through the heavy taste and makes brings the panini together really well. It is served with 3 potato wedges which are also seasoned very well. 

3. Roast tomato and cheese bread with toasted flatbreads

 We over-estimated the amount of bread being consumed on this trip, but this dish was also great. There is a raisin and cranberry bread on the outside, with a hot cheese and tomato dip in the center and also a crunchy pita flatbread on the right side of the plate. The raisin and cranberry bread was great and had little flecks of sweetness interspersed within the bread. 

The cheese dip is rich and smooth, and combines wonderfully with the crunchy pita flatbreads. Sharing with friends - this plate is brilliant. However, as an order as well as the panini, it was perhaps a bit too much bread. 

4. 5th Chakra tea

The Chakra tea is a brilliant end to a meal, feeling instantly settling and light. Within the tea, there is: licorice root, marshmallow root, echinacea purpurea root, orange peel, cinnamon, ginger root, fennel seed and cloves. It's calming, settling and delicious. It is not at all bitter, has a sweet after-taste and a slight spice. 

Overall, I was very impressed by MiaCucina. The service was good, the food was fresh and delicious and it is very varied. Gone are the nut roasts of the past, in are the fresh salads and paninis. I will certainly be coming back, probably for more of the tea and and cake idea next time. 

Best dish: 1. The Cowboy salad (small) - The salad dressing was sharp and complimented the sweet vegetables very well. I love raisins for the sweetness in a salad and the pulses added a good earthy flavour. 

Dish I wouldn't order again: 3. Roast tomato and cheese bread with toasted flatbreads - It was quite expensive compared to the other dishes and we should've really ordered something different as it was a bit of a bread overload. This is not a reflection on the dish in any way whatsoever. The dish itself was great, but if I have to choose a dish not to order again, it would be this one. 

   

台北市大安區復興南路一段107巷11號

No. 11, Lane 107, FuXing South road, Section 1, DaAn District, Taipei City

https://www.facebook.com/Miacucinafx

Happy Eating!