Imagine yourself in an outdoor cafe in the south of France sipping a chilled pastis, dipping your bread in olive oil and munching on tasty kebabs. If you can't fit this particular vacation into your schedule this summer why not opt for the mini version? -- a visit to Auberge de France off Heping East Road.
The restaurant, founded 10 years ago by Charles Huang (黃昭光), is like a small escape to southern France nestled in Taipei's Da-an district. Huang, after working in Paris as an importer for 30 years, returned to Taiwan only to discover an unfortunate lack of authentic French cuisine. So he decided to import some.
Auberge's French chefs "stay on for half a year to a year and then move on to other places," said Jason Huang (黃昭光), Charles' nephew who took over the restaurant two years ago. The present chef, Cedric Rolland, hails from Montelimar, in southeastern France's Drome region, and has worked for restaurants in Washington and St Bartholomew, in the Caribbean.
"Wherever the wind takes me, there I go," Rolland said.
With the approach of summer Rolland said he started to miss French barbecue. Huang, meanwhile, was eager to promote a dish that had already proven popular in Taiwan.
"Other restaurants take a dish that was sour and make it not sour, or a dish that was salty becomes bland. What I do is look for the dish that will appeal to Taiwanese tastes in it's authentic form," Huang said. Barbecued kebabs (called brochette in France), which can be bought from stalls on every corner in Taiwan, were the perfect thing.
Auberge's brochette are marinated in lemon and basil and then simultaneously smoked and barbecued, leaving the inside of the meat rare and juicy. Diners can select from shrimp, beef, ostrich, salmon and sweet, juicy mushrooms (NT$200 to NT$300 per order) -- or get an order of each. The kebabs are served with garlic butter, pesto and salsa.
The tender meat and light flavor are a satisfying yet delicate meal for hot summer weather. Matched by a cool pastis, a chilled ratatouille made of eggplant, squash, tomato soaked in olive oil and sprinkled in basil, dinner may just transport you to Provence.
If it doesn't, any item on Auberge's mouthwatering dessert menu is sure to. French desserts, according to Rolland, must have been what made Mona Lisa smile so elegantly. He likes to make desserts with fruit and chocolate. The lavender creme brulee is not to be missed and the tiramisu, containing cranberries marinated in brandy, is a favorite among the Auberge staff.
For a complete menu visit Auberge de France's Web site, www.french.com.tw.
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