Only in Taipei ... dinner at Modern Toilet

This post is mostly going to be photos, because words just don't do the experience justice.

There are a number of theme restaurants in Taipei, and the one that is probably the most famous is Modern Toilet. As you can imagine, the theme is ... bathrooms and toilets. A small group of us decided to go check it out. We caught the MRT to Ximen, and then realized that none of us had written down the restaurant address or directions. We were fumbling through a Lonely Planet book when a woman stopped and asked if we needed directions. When we told her where we wanted to go, she thought for a moment and then said "It's too hard. I will take you there." It's true what they say, people in Taipei are really friendly and helpful.

Emma and her parents from Holland, Cidric from France, Raz from Israel, and Roshana from Australia

Our arrival at the restaurant was a bit chaotic. The greeter misunderstood me or was just being difficult, and seated us at two separate tables. Roshana sorted it out, though, and we were finally shown to a table where we could all sit together. The table, as you can see, is a bathtub with glass over top.

Oh, my! The rye bread is artfully baked into a turd shape

Ordering was also chaotic. They give everyone a menu, then they give one person a menu with the table number written on it. That person has to then write down what everyone at the table wants to eat. If that isn't hard enough, you also have to pay before you are served. We did the mental math and then scratched around in our wallets for exact change. Most of the table could do it, but Raz and I had to go downstairs to get change and settle up for the rest of the table.

My spicy Sichuan hot pot (in a toilet bowl) with chillis and rice

The "dish" of choice was hot pot. For those unfamiliar with hot pot, it's a boiling pot of broth in which you cook a selection of veggies, meat, or fish. I had the spicy Sichuan beef hot pot, which came with exactly four strips of thinly-sliced beef. The rest of my hot pot contained cabbage, enoki mushrooms, fish dumplings, tofu, "crab" stick, and a spotted prawn donated by Roshana.

Green tea in a toilet-shaped mug, fruit juice in a urinal-shaped glass

The restaurant reviews aren't terribly good for Modern Toilet. Most people say that the restaurant is overpriced - natch! - and that the food is mediocre to bad. Our experience was pretty good. My spicy Sichuan hot pot had a lovely rich broth, and everyone said that portion sizes were generous.

Raz's penne au gratin came in a bathtub-shaped bowl

My one disappointment with the meal was the service. The servers seemed quite grumpy, which was odd considering that all they had to do was show you to your table, explain the menu system, and serve the food. Oh, well. The other thing I didn't like was that the servers' shirts were stained with food. This was obviously because the hot pots were so heavy and there was bound to be some broth sloshing over. But, still - you could tell that some of the stains were not fresh. Ick.

Dessert was turd-shaped "ice cream" which was really just flavored ice shavings

All in all it was a fun night out. I probably won't go to Modern Toilet again - not because I didn't like the experience, but rather because there are so many good restaurants to experience in Taiwan.