Location: Taoyuan - Shimen Live Fish Multi-Dish (Shiyuan Restaurant)
Travel Notes: On a drive from Taipei, we saw the sign for Shimen Reservoir and decided to go eat live fish. A friend from Taoyuan recommended Shiyuan Restaurant on Provincial Highway 3. Even at 1:30 PM, it was packed. We chose live fish from the pond—the method is: for every 2 catties, they prepare one dish. Our fish weighed 12 catties, so we shared with another table. Six catties made three dishes: spicy bean paste fish, fried fish pieces, and fresh fish soup. The fish meat was firm and fresh, with no fishy smell. The fried pieces with sweet and sour sauce were as good as McDonald's nuggets! We overordered a bit, so it cost around NT$1,500 for three. If you have 7-8 people, it's more suitable. On the way back, we bought some famous Daxi dried tofu. A fun experience in Taoyuan! :) By Morgan, evening of March 29, 2004.