Top 10 Restaurants 2003

The Bistro

Address: 9, Alley 18, Ln 222, Dunhua N Rd, Taipei (台北市敦化北路222巷18弄9號)

Telephone: (02) 2546 3525

Open: Lunch 12pm to 2pm Dinner 6pm to 9:30pm

Average meal: NT$1,000

Details: Major credit cards accepted. English menu

With a track record that boasts some of Taipei's most popular and successful Californian-style Italian restaurants under his belt, executive chef, Caleb Jackson, has repeated this achievement once again with his latest innovation, Muma: The Bistro. Opened last November, The Bistro sees the celebrated chef veering away from his tried and tested bar/restaurant format, and instead has cooked up a recipe for success with what he describes as "Californian with a French accent."

Sate House

Address: 15 Leli Rd, Taipei (台北市樂利街15號)

Telephone: (02) 2732 5048

Open: Lunch 11:30am to 2pm, dinner 5pm to 9pm

Average meal: NT$750 for two

Details: No English menu. Credit cards not accepted

Opened 11 years ago by Yang Man-yun (楊曼雲), Taipei's Sate House has built a reputation as one of the city's most authentic Indonesian eateries. Yang is a native of Malang and says the town is the home of Indonesian cooking. The food that comes out of the Sate House's kitchen is so highly regarded it's a favorite spot for many of the better-connected Indonesian expats.

Sui Shin (醉心)

Address: B1, 171 Yanji St, Taipei (台北市延吉街171號B1)

Telephone: (02) 2741 1100

Open: 2pm to 2:30pm, 6pm to 10pm

Average meal: NT$900

Details: English menu, credit cards accepted

The restaurant has an authentic Japanese flavor: meticulously designed dishes, zen-style decor, simple but elegant pottery tableware and quality service. This is one of the few places in Taipei to cook up authentic Kansai style Japanese cuisine. The chef creates nine dishes a month, most of which emphasize the original tastes of the food.

La Terrasse

Address: 1-2, Ln 222, Dunhua N Rd, Taipei

(台北市敦化北路222巷1-2號)

Telephone: (02) 2717 2525

Open: 12pm to 2:30pm, 6pm to 10:30pm

Average meal: lunch NT$500, dinner NT$1,000

Details: English and French menu, credit cards accepted

One of a few restaurants in Taipei specializing in southwestern French delicacies. Duck leg confit with sauteed potatoes and duck breast with green pepper sauce are the items not to pass up. At this cozy restaurant, graced with a pleasant terrace filled with flowers and herbs, diners enjoy authentic French fare in a decor of Chinese antique furniture.

Yishang Garden

Address: 41, Tianmu E Rd, Taipei (台北市天母東路41號)

Telephone: (02) 2871 7755

Open: 11am to midnight

Average meal: NT$300

Details: English menu available. Credit cards accepted.

Yishang Garden has 22 years of history behind it and in its new Tianmu location it has taken on a new and sophisticated look. Fortunately this has not been done at the expense of the food, which, if anything, is better than ever. The addition of a number of dishes that are now hard to come by makes a visit even more of an adventure. The menu at Yishang Garden is very extensive, incorporating Shanghai-style dim sum, banquet dishes, delicacies such as pickled crab, stir-fries and traditional Chinese sweets.

ORME Gallery (惑我會館)

Address: 45 Shuangcheng St, Taipei (台北市雙城街45號)

Telephone: (02) 2597 3838

Open: 11:30am to 2:30pm, 5:30pm to 10pm

Average meal: NT$600

Details: Credit cards accepted. Chinese menu

Chang Huei-min (張慧敏), the owner of ORME Gallery refers to herself as a gallery director rather than a restaurant proprietress. Hidden away in Shuangcheng Street, ORME may be the only restaurant in Taipei that decorates its walls with original pictures by established Taiwanese artists. The view outside ORME's floor window, framed by bamboo and other plants, is mostly of a small park across the street.