[Taichung 台中] Miyahara ♦ 宮原眼科－Lynda's Taiwan-logue

< Visited in Jul 2019 | Nov 2018 | Dec 2016 | Sep 2015 >

The original estate which sat here was the Miyahara eye hospital, constructed in the 1900s near Taichung Railway Station and right beside the scenic "green stream" (绿川) and Zhongshan Green Bridge (中山绿桥). The founding father of the eye hospital, Master Miyahara Takekuma made meaningful contributions to Taichung, such as uniting the natives with Japanese, bringing about radio and police reforms, and encouraging Taiwanese self-government. The defunct icon in Taichung was later left to deteriorate over the years and was severely damaged by natural catastrophes.

In this modern age, like-minded people including architectural experts and artisans came together to breathe new life into the old building, now operating as a retail shop for lavishly packaged local products, a specialty ice cream and milk tea parlour, and Taiwanese restaurant. Miyahara 宮原眼科 is highly recommended for first time visitors to Taichung and for spending a good couple of hours for dining, shopping (mid-range pricing, but definitely presentable as gifts for important people) and checking out their signature ice cream or pearl milk tea.

The red-brick building is hard to miss, sitting at a cross junction and with a facade deliberately raw-looking, as structural reinforcements and enhancements incorporated the original framework. But don't let its facade fool you!

↓ Christmas galore in Dec 2016

A counter greets you as you enter, and this is where you can make orders for home/overseas delivery, request for (very nice) carton packaging or make reservation for dining at Moon Pavilion 醉月楼 on 2F.

Peeking into the ice cream parlour, accessible from another entrance.

↓ The wide array of local products ranging from pastries, cookies, teas, beverages, honey, specialty chocolate and more. While they are in the mid to high price tier, I still take pleasure in enjoying their quality products. I am a fan of their cookies (the chocolate ones are really good), and almond and ginger tea (powdered and in sachets). Look out for promotions giving products free with minimum spend, or their coupon booklet (mentioned later).
Reminder: If you plan to have the items delivered to your accommodation, remember to let the personnel serving you know upfront.

You can also purchase a set of discount coupons which you can use at both Moon Pavilion 醉月楼 and the retail shop, giving about 20% discount. The coupons have no expiry date and are transferable.

↓ Walk right in to the back of the shop where a flight of stairs lead up to Moon Pavilion 醉月楼. Try to make a prior reservation especially during weekends.

Restaurant interior with exposed pillars and beams, demonstrating the creativity put into re-construction.

Enjoy tea while you pore through the menu. The service crew will also recommend chef's specials that are not on the menu.

↓ Lunch for two in Sep 2015

Sweet potato porridge and braised pork rice (滷肉饭)... Taiwanese staples!

Sweet and sour fish 糖醋鱼 - the fish was very fresh, but would have preferred the sauce to be a little less salty (though expected of sweet and sour dishes).

Fried choko shoots with shredded ginger (薑丝龙须菜) - one of my favourite greens.

Clam soup with garlic (蚬仔蒜汤) - the soup base may look clear but it was definitely flavourful, not forgetting a very generous portion of clams.

Fried prawn yam ball, an off the menu item recommended by the service personnel.

An add-on after the hearty meal...
My gal pal and I are fans of old ginger tea (薑母茶) and this was particularly strong (which we like) - it was good enough for us not to complain about the price and we even bought sachets from the shop! The accompanying chocolate biscuit is also very good, true to their skill in making chocolate.

↓ Dinner for four in Dec 2016, in a very Christmas-sy setting (forgot to snap the bill but it came up to about NTD650 per pax, for four dishes, one very good fish head soup, rice and a really fanciful ice-cream).

(Right) Spicy pickled cucumber 凉拌小黄瓜.

Seasonal vegetable topped with poached organic egg (台湾味温沙拉), a cold dish Chinese salad - interesting combi with layered flavours, recommended by the server.

Fried choko shoots with shredded ginger (薑丝龙须菜) (yes, again).

Tofu skin with pickled vegetable (雪菜百页).

Three-cup chicken (三杯鸡).

Fish head soup, chef's special not on the menu. Tastes very different from the version I know but won me over with its thick broth and deep seafood flavours.

Complimentary cheesecake - light and smooth, with enough flavour for a cheesecake fan.

A very festive ice cream tower, which unfortunately even four of us couldn‘t finish. Came with 8 scoops of ice cream and plenty of toppings!

↓ Lunch for three in Nov 2018

Free appetizer.

Braised pork rice (滷肉饭).

Three-cup pork cheek (三杯松阪猪).

Omelette with radish (菜圃烘蛋), another very Chinese staple, no matter the region.

Bittergourd with salted egg (咸蛋苦瓜).

Three-item appetizer platter - salty crispy chicken (咸酥鸡), deep fried burdock (炸牛蒡) & roasted asparagus (烤芦筍).

The accompanying sauce dish was labelled with interesting chinese characters for each sauce (mustard, chilli, soy sauce & citrus).

I personally enjoyed each meal at Moon Pavilion 醉月楼 and highly recommend this for (surprisingly) affordable dining, suitable for families (they are kids-friendly - ask for a kiddie chair) and absolutely presentable if you have elders in tow. Both ambience and service are great. The food tastes good, and be sure to make room in your tummy for their good tea.

↓ View from top down

↓ The washroom one floor above Moon Pavilion 醉月楼 looks lavish just like the rest of the building.

↓ The ice cream parlour and pearl milk tea shop are at separate units on ground floor, though you can also enjoy their ice cream (limited flavours) and pearl milk tea at Moon Pavilion 醉月楼.

Besides the signature chocolate which comes in a stunning variety, the seasonal fruity ones are also just as good. Toppings come free, but I was prudent with these as the portions turned out huge.

↓ Mango 爱文芒果 + dragonfruit 火龙果 ice cream, with choice of 3 toppings (enjoyed by 2).

↓ Chocolate + grape yogurt 巨峰葡萄优格 ice cream, with choice of 2 toppings (enjoyed solo).

↓ Finally getting a taste of the milk tea in Jul 2019. Taiwan is the motherland of pearl milk tea, and for the less informed, Taichung is apparently where it originated. The menu here is actually quite extensive, other than pearl milk tea, there are also traditional Taiwanese tea (world class, really), fruity blends, smoothies and even coffee.

For first tries at shops new to me, I typically go for the most basic (e.g regular milk tea) or the shop's signature and request for regular ice and sweetness. Looking through their menu, I opted for a large iced Miyahara Bubble Tea (#13 on the menu). Bringing it back to my hotel and enjoying it only after a shower, the milk tea was smooth and the tea sufficiently fragrant, not overwhelmed by milk - this is something I look for in my pearl milk tea, as a tea lover. I have to admit though that for this price (very pricey, by Taiwanese standards), and compared to Miyahara's other F&B offerings, I was not as wowed. Nevertheless, I will still like to try other flavours next time.