'Genuine' American cuisine showcased at a Taipei hotel

American society has often been described as a melting-pot and so it also seems for the American kitchen. "American cuisine is a blend between the people that came to America with local ingredients and local Native American Indians," said David Ansted, the executive chef for Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel.

Signature dishes from three different regions are showcased on 24-hour rotations beginning with dinner and ending with lunch on the next day.

The Northeast set offers Maryland crabcakes fried to golden brown, New York style pizzas with thin and chewy crust and a rich Oreo cookie cheesecake.

Cajun flavor leads the South with a flavorful seafood gumbo and jambalaya — a colorful and vibrant combination of seafood and rice.

The key lime pie, chocolaty Mississippi mud cake and peach cobbler are all great finishes to follow the barbeque pork ribs made especially from the chef's private recipe.

The Western menu includes a hearty chunky Texas chili, Mom's meatloaf, the Mexican-influenced beef and rice burrito, as well as the deluxe version of the drive-through classic, mini cheeseburger.

According to the chef, the secret of mouth-watering creations is the ingredients, "good, fresh ingredients are more important than the cooking."

Besides some must-have specialties from U.S., like USDA Angus beef, turkey, giant oysters, and berries that are in season right now, local ingredients are preferred over imported products, "...what I can buy local, I buy local, for Maryland crab cakes we use local crabs," said the chef.

To enliven pallets with products in season, chefs from the hotel go to food markets and farms once a week. Chef Ansted especially likes to serve organic produce from local farms at the salad bar.

Currently, there is a selection of three kinds of sprouts grown without artificial pesticides or fertilizers.

He said that organic food has more flavor and that the public will appreciate the taste of organic food after becoming exposed to them. "Taiwan is a great market for this, because you have a lot of boutique farmers ... so passionate about what they do," said the chef.

For more information, please refer to www.shangri-la.com.tw.

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