Ibu Kitchen: Delectable Cuisine with Mountain Flavors

　Located in Meinong Hakka village（美濃客家庄）, Ibu Kitchen （阿香的廚房）was featured in the 2023 Michelin Guide. It serves creative indigenous Taiwanese cuisine. The spacious interior is adorned with white tables and chairs, complemented by green plants hanging along the walls and a small outdoor garden. A Siang（阿香）, a chef from the Bunun tribe, previously ran a restaurant and guesthouse in Tengjhih（藤枝）. Due to the devastating Typhoon Morakot, she relocated with her family to Meinong, where she started afresh. A Siang skillfully serves up refreshing and innovative indigenous cuisine.  

　Growing up in an indigenous tribe, A Siang jokingly mentioned that she had previously only known how to grill meats and make soup. When she became concerned about her family's health, they returned to the tribe to cultivate organic vegetables. It was then that she began to explore healthier cooking methods. She began by attending culinary classes, gained insight into cooking, and even won the national championship in a culinary competition. She then went to China to learn about the Eight Great Cuisines and skillfully incorporated the techniques into indigenous dishes.

　One of the must-try signature dishes at Ibu Kitchen is the popular Plum-Apple Chicken. It features tender free-range chicken stir-fried with Baolai's（寶來）perilla plums to create gelatinous collagen. Each piece of chicken is coated with a delightful blend of sweet and sour plum flavors. Just before serving, pineapple and apple are added to the wok and then stir-fried, creating a rich, sweet, sour, and crispy culinary experience. Another notable dish is the Plum Sauce Tofu, which utilizes three-year-old perilla plums. The plums are minced and simmered with plum juice for an hour before adding green plum essence, creating the perfect egg and tofu combination.

　A Siang says, "To make the dishes even more delicious and to highlight the mountain flavors, she incorporates ingredients such as ailanthus prickly ash, Mountain Litsea, and sweet potatoes." Pork is grilled and pickled using Mountain Litsea, cumin, and pepper, and traditional small rice dumplings are transformed into sushi-sized portions. They are served with sergestid shrimp sauce to enhance the fragrant aroma of the rice. The fried river prawn dish is fresh, sweet, and crispy, making it an irresistible delectable treat.

　Ibu Kitchen incorporates wild vegetables, herbs, and mountain tea grown on the mountainside, transforming them into delectable dishes. The kitchen embraces the natural and rustic ambiance while featuring aboriginal cultural cuisines.

來自大地的豐富盛宴 阿香的廚房

　　入選2023年《米其林指南》的「阿香的廚房」，位在美濃客家庄，賣的卻是原住民創意台菜，敞亮的店內以白色桌椅搭配綠植牆，還有一座戶外小花園。布農族主廚阿香過去在藤枝經營餐廳與民宿，由於八八風災重創家園，與家人搬移至美濃重起爐灶，她精緻演繹原住民料理，帶來耳目一新的味覺創意。

　　在原民部落長大，阿香笑說過去只會烤和煮湯，為了家人的健康，一家人搬回部落種植有機蔬菜，她開始摸索怎樣煮比較健康。從參加廚藝教室開始，阿香料理做出心得，還拿到餐飲比賽全國冠軍，赴中國學習八大名菜，並融會貫通到原民菜色中。

　　每桌必點的人氣招牌「梅子蘋果雞」，使用肉質有彈性的跑山雞，煸炒後與寶來的紫蘇梅燉出膠質，讓每塊雞肉都包覆酸甜梅香，起鍋前加入鳳梨和蘋果甩鍋爆炒，創造油潤濃郁、酸甜爽脆的風味；「梅汁豆腐」使用3年陳釀紫蘇梅，剁碎後加入梅汁熬煮1小時，加入青梅精，和香濃雞蛋豆腐搭配恰到好處。阿香說：「我想要把山上的味道突顯出來，用刺蔥、馬告、地瓜等做出好吃料理」，特製香料醃烤豬肉使用馬告、孜然、胡椒，把傳統小米粽製成壽司大小般的尺寸，搭配櫻花蝦醬，用鮮味讓小米的清香更突出。炸溪蝦料理格外鮮甜、酥脆，讓人一口接一口，停不下來。

　　山上種植的野菜、香料、山茶等轉化盤中佳餚，阿香的廚房融入自然野氣，也在食物中傳遞部落的深厚文化與滋味。