< Visited in Aug 2018 >
Tainan continues to captivate me, with its uncountable gems, old and new. Eirakucho Drum Teahouse 永乐町鼓茶楼 was one of the new establishments, opened in mid 2018, and conceived by the same team behind Ten Drum Ren De Creative Park 十鼓仁糖文创园区 (which has been on my to-visit list).
Located at Gong Hou Street 宫后街 - the shortest "old street" in Tainan which existed since the Qing Dynasty - an old building tucked away in an alley gets a new lease of life, marrying drum and storytelling performance with local cuisine, in an extremely comfortable setting. Within a 10-minute stroll from the vibrant Zheng Xing Street and Yong Le Market, make good use of Google Maps or you may end up missing the narrow lane (like I did).
Related reads:
[Tainan 台南] Zheng Xing+Guo Hua+You Ai Street+Hai An Road 正兴+国华+友爱街+海安路
[Tainan 台南] Yong Le Market 永乐市场
[Tainan 台南] ◈Stay宿◈ My Way House 民宿x展演
Having made a reservation for dinner and performance, I took longer than planned to find my way here, no thanks to a wrong turn which steered me off-course and farther from my destination. Fortunately, I had set off rather early for a leisurely walk, and managed to still arrive punctually for my reservation.
▼ The reception cum dessert display cum cashier upon entering the premises.
Purchased an "admission ticket" for NT$800, which included a (fixed menu) dinner set and cultural performance. Looking at their FB, the menu has since changed. There is also an afternoon tea menu and ala carte items off the dessert counter.
As I was early for the dinner and performance, the friendly service personnel encouraged me to explore the premises, covering three storeys opened to the public.
Right at the end of ground floor was the performance hall, where I would be seated later. There was also an option for seating upstairs, if I recall right, at a slightly lower price.
A stairway beside the reception provides access upstairs.
Admiring deliberate raw and unfinished touches through the building's industrial-themed decor. I like how many Taiwan operators weave this element into old buildings converted to new use, often using the simplest way to narrate history and culture.
More seats and displays on the second floor.
▼ Walking up narrow steps to the third floor, and passing by a window reminiscent of those I saw at Hayashi Department Store 林百货.
Related read:
[Tainan 台南] Hayashi Department Store 林百货
Traditional window grilles and frosted panes - one of my many loves in Taiwan.
Back at the performance hall on ground floor, I got seated and was served my sumptuous set dinner. Presenting very local (Taiwanese and Tainan-ese) flavours, the highlights were the traditional dan zai noodles 担仔面, milkfish soup 虱目鱼汤 and traditional puff pastry 椪饼.
▼ Traditional dan zai noodle 担仔面, with minced pork, braised egg and springy noodles that I love.
▼ Braised beancurd 滷豆干 on the side, another common side when enjoying noodles in Taiwan.
▼ Milkfish soup 虱目鱼汤
▼ Tainan-ese puff pastry 椪饼, a local speciality found in many traditional bakeries (found this interesting Youtube clip on the tradition behind the puff pastry #民視新聞網). The "shell" is slightly hard, and breaks to expose an empty core, with a little brown sugar paste. While this is the traditional presentation, you may actually find other fillings sold in bakeries.
As I enjoyed my leisurely dinner, two performers came onstage for the show.
The ground floor seats were about 70% filled when I was there, and I was seated quite upfront, with just one patron in front of me. The performers came close, and interacted with the audience by throwing out questions about history, the famous Ming Dynasty explorer Admiral Cheng Ho 郑和, and his affiliation with milkfish 虱目鱼 in Taiwan. The narration was primarily in Minnan-ese, which I do not speak but can make some sense of. Overall, I was still able to enjoy the performance and historical fun facts.
I must applaud the very engaging and enthusiastic performers. As often said, ten years worth of hard work is put into a minute's performance onstage. Even if there is only one audience, professional performers will do their best to entertain. If you are looking for alternative activities to do in Tainan, this is one destination I highly recommend - and definitely worth my revisit.
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Eirakucho Drum Teahouse 永乐町鼓茶楼
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Address --- No. 15 Hou Gong Street, West Central District, Tainan City 台南市, 中西区, 宮后街15号
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