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Restaurant: Flash

By Max Woodworth
STAFF REPORTER
Friday, May 20, 2005, Page 15

The grilled chicken sandwich at Flash will blow you away. PHOTO: MAX WOODWORTH, TAIPEI TIMES

There can never be enough retro-style lounge bars it seems. All it takes is a stroll down an alley off Zhongxiao East Road and you're likely to find a new one. The most recent one in the neighborhood to hang a new beaded curtain at its doors is called Flash -- and if the decor doesn't set it apart from the other hangout spots in this crowded lifestyle niche, the items on the menu certainly will.

Flash aspires to be a hip joint and at night it becomes just that, but it's also striving to establish itself as a new place to tuck into some exceptional Western and fusion foods. During two recent visits this reviewer was especially smitten by the sandwiches. Good burgers can be had at a number of places around town, but for freshness of beef, quality of bread and a surprising new sauce, Flash is hard to beat. It's a juicy, succulent offering that tastes as though it were made on the barbecue in the backyard. The burger is supersized, so diners who don't have nor wish to have an XXXL waistline might want to find a partner to tackle this doosie. There is also a grilled chicken burger topped with the same delicious, mildly sweet sauce and served in the same portions.

For more sophisticated dining, the menu contains a decently broad range of a la carte meat options, curry dishes and pasta. We tried the clam spaghetti and tandoori chicken to find whether drastically divergent cuisine coming from the same kitchen could maintain a consistent level of quality. The results were generally positive. The tandoori chicken stood out, served as a large fillet smothered in its slightly sour and spicy sauce and brought to life with fragrant jasmine rice. There seemed to be too few vegetables served with the large fillet, though, making it a meaty meal if ordered alone. The clam spaghetti satisfied by not skimping on the clams and mixing them in with a sharp, tangy sauce and getting the texture of the noodles just right.

Diners out for lighter fare are limited to three salad options -- the chicken Caesar salad being the only meal-sized salad -- or snacks selected from the pub grub section of the menu. The latter should not be overlooked, however, as the fries are several cuts above the average and the prawn cakes and calamari are divine.

As a restaurant-cum-bar, Flash has all the libations one could possibly want, and diners are encouraged to linger in the plush, outrageously upholstered (leopard print is in) chairs and sofas well past meal time.
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