Waterfront, Tamsui: A Bali-Style Dinner and a Nightcap at Bar Salix

Having lived in Tamsui for over 2 years, I’ve walked Tamsui Old Street and along the riverside many times. As you walk, you'll see an iconic-looking Starbucks called the Riverside shop. Then, as you walk around a tiny inlet, you pass a restaurant with huge trees out front, hanging over the walkway and hedging right up against the building. This is Waterfront Restaurant, and I thought Misty and I were long overdue to try it.

I knew very little about this restaurant, other than that it's huge and always has people dining and sitting outside on the patio. We made our way there on a Sunday night around 7 pm; it was busy but not packed, and we didn’t need a reservation to be seated right away. I can’t say how busy it generally is, but this was the weekend of October 10th, or National Day, so it was the conclusion of a long weekend. As you walk down the long hallway to the front counter, you get a sense of how much effort went into the 2021 renovation.

Photo by Kalen Johnson

The hostess told us they offer set meals. That’s relatively common at the mid- to high-end restaurants. We agreed and took a 4-seater table, so we both sat facing the river. Since it was already dark, there wasn’t much to see over the dark Tamsui River, but it was still a nice view nonetheless. Misty asked if it was an Indonesian restaurant, since all the servers wore long wrap skirts. After looking around at the decor, a quick Google search confirmed the restaurant is indeed Bali-inspired.

I ordered the grilled lamb chops, and Misty got the Jimbaran Chicken Leg and vegetable skewers. Both came with an appetizer of soup, bread, and a drink. We were excited; it’s been a long time since we had been out on a date at a fancier restaurant.

The soup came out first, followed right behind by our drinks. The soup was pumpkin soup, one of Misty’s favourites. I enjoyed it too, even though I'm not a huge fan of pumpkin. The drinks were quite fancy. They offered two beer cocktails, or a red or white bottle of wine, but the alcohol selection was quite sparse. That’s okay; we figured we could go somewhere else for a drink afterward. Both our drinks were carbonated with fruit added; mine was Pomelo and Passion Fruit, Misty’s was Black Currant. Hers needed a stir to mix in the fruit, but after that, both were very fruity, sweetened only by the fruit, and quite tasty. The bread also came out, still hot from the oven, with a soft chew and yeasty, bready flavour. It was perfect for dunking in the pumpkin soup.

We were both really hungry, so we ate the soup and bread quickly. Then we had to wait for our entrees. The wait wasn't bad, though; as we looked around the restaurant, it was clear the remodel hadn't been cheap. Large clusters of bamboo lamps hang from the super-high ceiling, with beach vibes and tons of seating. To get to the bathrooms, you actually have to walk through a couple of sections of the restaurant, past private rooms and huge chairs that remind you what a Bali-style resort and cafe might be like.

Misty’s skewers came first. Surprisingly large and impressive, the skewers hung from a tall metal rack. After taking a few too many pictures, she took two skewers off the rack, set them on a plate, and dug in. The chicken was nice and juicy, tender thigh meat with a hint of char. The vegetables equally had that flame-kissed flavour. The rice had peanuts and fried onion on top,  which was nice, but it wasn't seasoned. Not uncommon, but with the rice's yellow turmeric colour, it seemed like it might have more seasoning. The barbecue sauce was thick and a little sweet, which paired well with the chicken. The salsa was fresh and a welcome addition to both the chicken and the vegetable skewer.

The lamb chops came out next, and again, they were larger than I was expecting. When meals at restaurants like this are NT$800-1100 (US$24.90-34.23), you hope it’s filling, but sometimes it's not that much food. The lamb chops were NT$1120 (US$34.52), and the chicken skewers meal NT$880 (US$27.11). Thankfully, the three lamb chops were a good size, with a decently sized side of vegetables. They brought out a hot plate with the lamb chops. I’d never used one like this before. The server told me to put the lamb chops on it. I figured it wouldn’t do much, but it’s hot! I put one on and immediately heard sizzling. The lamb chops were cooked perfectly, a nice medium, not red and mushy, but a nice light pink, juicy and tender. I rarely get to enjoy chimichurri sauce here in Taiwan, except for the few times we’ve made it at home. This one was great, with tons of herb and vinegar flavour. It paired perfectly with the lamb. The vegetables were nicely seasoned, lightly browned, and made a great accompaniment.

Dinner was filling. We both sat back, very relaxed and satisfied. But then Misty had also ordered the Tiramisu. It was a very small Tiramisu, a perfect size after dinner. The server who brought it over warned us about the cocoa powder. I took the first bite and immediately had the Michael Scott reaction as the cocoa powder hit the back of my throat. Misty had no such issue, proclaiming she is a tiramisu-eating expert. I risked one more bite, and Misty finished the last few bites.

As we wrapped up, Misty went to the restroom; I paid the bill, and then when Misty came back, she told me to follow her back to the bathrooms. Walking through the restaurant, we passed a few private rooms I assume can be booked, then entered another area with even more open-air seating, then another large outdoor seating area, and finally a walkway to the bathrooms. This is definitely one of the larger restaurants I’ve patronized; it’s quite impressive.

We headed out for an adult drink and walked north on the boardwalk, since I knew a few spots up the way served beer and cocktails. We made our way up to the fishing port, where a few small boats were moored, even with the tide out quite low. Misty asked where I wanted to go, and I said I had wanted to go to Bar Salix for a long time but hadn’t been able to. So we made our way up to the 3rd floor, past a barber shop, and into an open-air, dimly lit bar with a pretty exceptional view of the Tamsui River. This is an order via QR code and website spot. I ordered an Asahi, and Misty got the Tiramisu martini. I love Asahi; it’s dry, crisp, with a hint of rice flavour. The Tiramisu martini wasn't very sweet, with notes of chocolate and espresso. We reminisced about how we live in a pretty awesome little town in Taiwan. Nights like these make us happy that we moved our family to the other side of the world, get to enjoy amazing views and wonderful food, and can now share it with you.