A restaurant with no menu, no advertising, no walk-ins. And a success.
A restaurant with no menu, no advertising, is only known by word-of-mouth and requires advance booking. We came by this interesting restaurant serving innovative fruit cuisine tucked away in idyllic Kinmen.
Quan Min started in a village 6 years ago serving innovative meals made with the season’s best fruits (hence no fixed menu and the need for advance reservation to ascertain adequate supply). They have never done any advertising and only depended on word-of-mouth. It may have been a sure-recipe for failure, but the restaurant has done so well that they have moved to new and bigger premises 2 years ago, and become a dining spot recommended by locals to visitors visiting Kinmen.
Even the fishes seem friendlier here, hi there! :)
Jolly bees at the lotus pond
All of Quan Min’s dishes are cooked with a variety of fruits. While fruits add a sweet touch to savoury dishes and desserts, it takes a bit of effort to get the correct pairing as well as choose the best way to cook them so as not to destroy the nutritional value of the fruits.
The day’s menu is decided by the season’s best fruits that the restaurant gets. 8 items are included in the set meal and costs TWD550 per person/TWD250 per child. Vegetarian meals are also available upon request. While this price is on the mid-high range in Kinmen, for me it was super value for money – I can probably get only 1 main course in Singapore for that price!
The restaurant grows their own vegetables apart from importing fresh produce for their innovative dishes. Look at the amount of land they have!
A husband-and-wife team
Originally running a minsu and selling fruits, the couple decided to open a restaurant to get a more stable income (they made the right choice!). The missus helms the kitchen while the hubby fronts the restaurant.
Curvy brinjals
Green peppers
Hello birdy, don’t run away I am not gonna eat you (although you look kinda exotic-tasting muahaha)! :p
This little orange chilli belies its petite appearance – it is so spicy a teeny-weeny portion was enough to give me lips to rival that of Angelina Jolie’s. Even a chilli queen like me conceded defeat.
Here’s the restaurant owner Mr Weng and our every-ready ‘model’ Kai.
I discovered they made really nice earrings too…gotta be careful not to burst them, or end up with swollen ears lol
Am officially hungry after a walk amongst the farm…and sneaked a peek into the kitchen
That’s the missus Mrs Weng in pink. All dishes are lovingly prepared by her, and have to undergo her scrutiny before being brought out for guests. So meticulous is she, that she personally oversees the dish washing.
Mr Weng explaining the dishes to guests
Fruit Salad 水果沙拉
We couldn’t stop the ooh-ing and ahh-ing over the pristine presentation when the first dish arrived. I almost couldn’t bear to eat it. Lucky the glutton genes got better of me, delish! :)
番茄藏薯泥 Tomato with mashed potato topped with smoked salmon and roe
This was one of the highlights for me – it was so good I am still reminiscing about it. And I don’t even eat starch-rich potatoes to begin with. The texture was so smooth, tasted so sweet…and paired so well with the juicy tomato. So enjoyable, I might consider flying back just for this.
蘋果烤雞腿 Roasted chicken with apple and roselle
I happily tucked into the juicy chicken prepared with a special sauce. It wasn’t oily at all, and eating it with the apple strips gave a refreshing aftertaste.
鳳梨櫻花蝦炒飯 Fried Rice with Sakura Prawns and Pineapple
One of the restaurant’s signature dishes, this is also from Mrs Weng’s hometown. I love it when nostalgia is blended into cooking.
凤梨焗海鮮 Baked prawns with Cheese in Pineapple
2 fresh giant prawns were baked with a variety of condiments in the pineapple itself. I was suppoused to take a side view of this dish, but cutting opening this dish was like opening Pandora’s box – I forgot all about it and the prawns dived straight into my mouth. So erm, burp! :p
Kai loves his prawns too!
水梨排骨湯 Chinese Pear with Pork Ribs Soup
It was nice to clear the palate with a wholesome soup just before dessert. There was nothing pretentious about it, just simple and nutritious, something I can have everyday.
芒果牛奶布丁 Milk Pudding with Mango
This was the finale to a very enjoyable meal. Usually, we would be too stuffed by now to eat dessert, but I managed to clean up the cup. I doubt there would be much dish-washing to do, since we ate up all our food :)
Bring back a bottle of fiery chilli or locally-harvested honey home
Happy diners, two thumbs up! :)
Overall, I enjoyed the dining experience at Quan Min. It was healthy cuisine which tasted as good as it looked, and the fruit pairings were well-executed. You may find another restaurant serving fruit cuisine, but it would be difficult to replicate the dedication this couple has to perfecting their innovative fruit cuisine, as well as the pride Mr Weng has for his wife. Now that’s what I call cooking with love. :)
Quan Min Creative Fruit Meals 湶民水果創意料理
Address：金門縣金寧鄉伯玉路2段224巷8號
Map Coordinates: 24°26’29.2″N 118°20’29.8″E
Tel：(082) 324 489 (reservations required)
Opening Hours：11:30AM to 2:00PM; 5:30PM to 8:30PM (Closed on Mondays)
Facebook Page
Cost: TWD550/pax, Vegetarian/Kids meals available upon request
Cash Only
