Nonzero is as much about lifestyle as it is about food. This is evident the moment you walk into its spacious premises with its chunky wooden communal tables and mismatched antique furnishings. The shelves glitter with bottles of artisan oils, balsamic vinegar, vegetable pastes and spices, while a Parma ham sits stage center on a special stand waiting to be sliced. On the sunny afternoon I visited, the interior was bathed in dappled light, and small fans hidden discreetly in the corners kept the space cool. This was designer rustic of a very appealing variety.
Nonzero is owned by Chu Ping (朱平), who also runs the Aveda cosmetics franchise in Taiwan. It embraces many similar ideas, focusing on high quality natural ingredients, bold combinations and striking presentation. One of the first joys I discovered on entering Nonzero was the tasting bar of olive oils, which are treated in much the same manner as fine wines. A sip of a Dandaragan Estate olive oil from Australia with lovely floral overtones was followed by a limited-edition oil made from Italian picholine olives that totally threw my taste buds for a loop as I tried to comprehend its unusually pungent layers of flavor. Quality balsamics are also on offer, some imported exclusively by Nonzero.
Many of these imported ingredients are available as part of Nonzero’s tapas menu, which ranges from the simplicity of bread with roasted tomato (NT$120) to more unusual but equally simple dishes such as blanched market-fresh squid (NT$350). There is also a truly exciting assortment of salads, including a grilled seasonal warm vegetable salad (NT$450) and an elaborate rack of lamb caparccio with tomato and arugula (NT$1,000). A la carte entrees are priced from NT$600 to NT$1,000, and there is a daily set menu for NT$750, with a lunch including soup, salad, main, dessert and coffee or tea.
With the exception of a few standards on the a la carte menu, the offerings at Nonzero change constantly depending on product availability and the innovation of the chef. This being peach season, the main course of the set menu on the day I visited was a delightful roast pork steak with mustard sauce served with a baked half peach. It was a surprising and utterly delicious combination. The dish — which also included French beans blanched to perfection, perfectly crisp without being undercooked, and blueberries — was not large, but the flavors were layered and intense. It was the sort of food you’d want to talk about with fellow diners.
A terrine of pork trotter served with preserved sweet peppers (homemade at Nonzero) was another adventure, the terrine soft in the mouth from the incorporation of the pig skin, but without any of the cloying fattiness that I have always associated with trotter.
Although Nonzero stocks a wide selection of wines, there is no wine list. Choices depend on what the management chooses to make available. “We are constantly on the lookout for good things to offer our patrons,” said Ivy Hung (洪曼紋), a manager at the restaurant.
A good quality house wine is available for NT$250 per glass, and bottles go for as little as NT$900.
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