Taiwan Today

One of Taipei's best-known Shanghai cuisine restaurants is run by an alcohol-free Mormon who seldom eats meat. However, the restaurant does offer alcohol and all sorts of meats to its customers like any other eatery. The special assistant to the general manager, Chris Kelsey, an American who previously spent two years in Taiwan as a missionary for the Mormon Church, is extremely polite, bowing constantly to customers as they complete their meals and leave the restaurant. He says that one of the most frequent questions he encounters is whether he has multiple wives. Established in 1987, Tau Tau Shanghai Restaurant was originally located on Zhongshan North Road, and was favored by political and business figures, as well as by Japanese customers years ago. The restaurant closed its doors in 1993, but was brought back to business in August of 2008 by its original maitre d'hotel, Jian Jing, on Jilin Road with the same name. Interestingly enough, Jian Jing, the general manager and proprietor of the restaurant, and about one fourth of her employees are Mormons, including the 27-year-old Arizonan Kelsey, who fell in love with Taiwan when he first came here. He switched his major from architecture to Chinese, and in the beginning of last year flew back to Taiwan on a one-way plane ticket to show his determination to settle down and work here. Kelsey understands food well, and so he was asked by Jian Jing, a fellow Mormon, to work at the restaurant. Fluent in Japanese, the 48-year-old Jian Jing adopted the Mormon faith at 18, saying that she does not smoke or drink alcohol, tea or coffee, and abides by the religious precepts of the church. Jian says she does not eat much meat or seafood either. Nonetheless, in order to meet the needs of the restaurant's customers, she took a class to learn about the different types of wine and liquor, as well as gathering knowledge about which type of wine or liquor is most appropriate with certain foods. While she will taste the wines, she never swallows them. "Customers who store bottles of wine or liquor in the restaurant can rest assured that the alcohol is safe and it will not be drunk by the staff!" jokes Kelsey. He says that foreigners are constantly approached with various questions by locals, saying that when some customers toast him or invite him to a glass of alcohol, he will take advantage of the opportunity to promote Mormonism, helping everyone to understand that Mormons do not drink alcohol. He also works to dispel the perception among many that Mormons engage in polygamy, in which men take many wives. "I will not go out of my way to preach while in the restaurant. However, I will encourage other employees to follow the dietary rules of the Mormon faith," he says. Kelsey adds that sometimes he will caution patrons not to drink too much liquor. Having worked in the food and beverage industry for many years, Jian Jing says she puts a heavy emphasis on the use of vegetables in season. She also uses a large amount of organic foods that she transports in from her home in Yilan in northeastern Taiwan. Jian does not encourage customers to order shark fins or bird's nests. "After all, you cannot just think about making money. You can’t run a restaurant at the expense of the damaging the ecosystem," Jian says.