The Taipei Times has twice reviewed VVG (Very Very Good) Bistro, of which VVG Table is a down-the-street offshoot. It was good then, and it remains good now. The original's cozy chaos contracts strongly with the design-conscious good-looks of the new joint.
The staff members, many of whom have studied in Europe, eschews a practice common to European-style restaurants in Taipei, which might generously be called "fusion." This is to say, instead of castrating their food to make it "conform to local taste," they spend considerable time and energy to do each dish properly.
In fact, be prepared to wait a bit for your food, because chances are that most of your order is going to be made from scratch. Past the semi-open porch and the rusticlassy wooden interior full of heavy wooden tables and an entire wall of wine, there is a beautiful open kitchen where you can see the chefs' heads bobbing over piles of fresh ingredients.
PHOTO: CHRIS PECHSTEDT, TAIPEI TIMES
The same thoughtfulness that goes into preparation and decoration goes into the menu. As I indiscreetly cast longing glances at my pumpkin soup (NT$180) and rocket salad with prosciutto, capsicum, and parmesan (NT$340), chef Vicky Huang (
The long prep-time for the main dishes makes it the sort of place where couples or larger groups with time to kill and money to burn can easily spend a long and comfortable summer evening.
Another big draw is the elaborate weekend brunch (NT$560, 11am to 4pm). This includes, but is not limited to, homemade bread, roast smoked salmon, chicken and zucchini skewers, and a dish described as "egg cups of crab and shrimp with quail egg and caviar." Cool drinks are served at strategic points through the meal, which ends with desert and cafe au lait or peppermint tea.
VVG Table is in a quiet maze of alleyways off the Zhongxiao-Dunhua intersection. It's not easy to find, but since it's made somewhat of a name for itself, most shopkeepers in the area should be able to provide directions.
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If China attacks, will Taiwanese be willing to fight? Analysts of certain types obsess over questions like this, especially military analysts and those with an ax to grind as to whether Taiwan is worth defending, or should be cut loose to appease Beijing. Fellow columnist Michael Turton in “Notes from Central Taiwan: Willing to fight for the homeland” (Nov. 6, page 12) provides a superb analysis of this topic, how it is used and manipulated to political ends and what the underlying data shows. The problem is that most analysis is centered around polling data, which as Turton observes, “many of these
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