Herban Kitchen & Bar
No. 27, Lane 101, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei
台北市大安區忠孝東路四段101巷27號
Monday - Friday: 12:00 - 23:00
Saturday - Sunday: 11:00 - 23:00
MRT: Zhongxiao Dunhua (exit 8)
Herban is a vegetarian restaurant in the East district of Taipei. It is quite hard to find it, since it is hidden in a very small alley, with no signs whatsoever. My friend had to come out and get me, because apparently I have walked by it a few times without seeing it!
Once inside the restaurant, you enter a whole different world. The space is not big and quite cozy. The atmosphere is relaxed and makes you feel very comfortable, due to the natural colors (such as green) used in their interior design. The staff told us that they just renovated the place and it was their first day back in business after the renovation.
They state that they don't use any MSG or other questionable flavor enhancers, cheeses cultured with rennet, meat, and there is no microwave in their kitchen. And that they use mostly local produce in season. Organic eggs, grass-fed butter, non-GMO soy, mostly fresh herbs, good oil, himalayan salt and natural wines. The menu shows very clearly which dishes are vegan or containing garlic and onion. Furthermore, most of their meals can be customized to meet specific dietary preferences.
We ordered the Warm Mushroom Salad with Grilled Tofu (NT$ 290) and I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious (and how BIG the portion!) was. The combination of garlic, onions, diced tomatoes, mixed greens and roasted peppers with the Balsamic vinaigrette seasoning went very well with the grilled tofu and sauteed mushrooms. This dish is highly recommended and it's a must order item for me on every visit!
The Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Grilled Eggplant (NT$ 320) was recommended by the staff. It came with fries and a cup of home-made tomato soup. The soup was luke-warm, so that was a bit disappointing. The sandwich was good, but I think I was still overwhelmed by how good the previous dish tasted, so it couldn't top the flavors of the salad.
The Linguine Pasta with Creamy Pink Sauce with Mushrooms (NT$ 310) was served with a slice of foccacia bread. The pasta was prepared with sun-dried tomatoes, basil, mushrooms, cream, garlic and onions, topped with some cheese. The texture of the pasta was just right and the flavors were spot on. We didn't eat the foccacia bread, because it was a bit too soggy. Too bad, because some just-out-of-the-oven warm foccacia would have totally completed the dish.
The Moussaka (NT$ 340) came in a small pan with some salad on the side. The moussaka consists of eggplant, zucchini, cauliflower, onion and cheese, and is topped with béchamel sauce. The flavors were good, but a bit blend and didn't stood out among the other dishes.
The Spicy Garlic Mushrooms Tapas (NT$ 200) were served with two slices of foccacia. Personally I thought this dish was soso, probably will try some of the other small dishes next time. The trumpet mushrooms were quite spicy, so it's not recommended if you cannot handle spicy food!
Jalapeno Hummus (NT$ 280)
We also ordered the Jalapeno Hummus (NT$ 280). The hummus is made of chickpeas, sesame paste, garlic, cilantro and jalapeno, and is served with pita bread, decorated with some some diced tomatoes. The pita bread dipped in the spicy hummus was delicious. You can taste the layers of different flavors in the hummus, and for jalapeno lovers, it comes with some fresh chopped jalapenos.
We were very content after the meal and too full for any drinks or desserts, so we will save that for next time! Everyone can use a meat-free meal every now and then, and this is definitely the place to go to!
