Located in the alley behind the Dunhua Eslite, on the corner of Renai Rd., Patara doesn't seem distinguished from the outside, its lighted sign faded just a bit. But behind the hedges is a quiet pool with stepping stones leading you into the restaurant, which is surprisingly large. The menu and business card proclaims locations around the world, and the atmosphere reflects the international flavor. The room is decorated like a typical middle-upscale Western restaurant, with framed fabric squares hanging on the walls and halogen lamps focused on each table. The room lighting perhaps a tad brighter to accommodate Chinese tastes. Almost every table in the full house had at least one non-Chinese person. Many seemed like they were there on the company expense account. Looking at the prices, that's probably the best way to go.
The menu was a non-threatening internationalized Thai/SEAsia mix. The mixed satay were marinated with an Indian-type curry, accompanied by a yogurt-based dipping sauce and toast points. The roasted vegetable salad was basically an antipasto drizzled with a Thai herb marinade instead of Italian dressing. The seafood curry went well with the rice, and the seafood was fresh and attractive in the white coconut-milk broth, but I would've liked the additional herbage of a green curry, I think. The lemongrass lamb chops was definitely the best thing. The chops sat on a bed of green papaya salad and accompanied by glutinous rice spring rolls, making it a meal all by itself. Meat was a pleasant medium and the lemongrass definitely gave it some zest.
Other tables had steamed whole fish which looked good, too bad we couldn't really order it with only two people. The desserts were in a self-serve bar as an all-you-can-eat thing, which I felt didn't really mesh with the atmosphere, and the desserts didn't look all that special anyway. The service was professional, by nice older ladies who spoke Chinese and Thai. No work-study students, thank god.
So perhaps not a place for the casual get-together, but a useful place to have in the back pocket for an occasional special dinner. Or to impress an outside visitor on the sophisticated international food scene in Taipei. Although that might be construed as a deceptive presentation.
PATARA 泰軒精緻泰式美食
106台北市大安區敦化南路1段247巷12號
02-27315288