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RESTAURANTS : Diary

Diary Address: 53 Dongfeng St, Taipei City (台北市東豐街53號) Telephone:: (02) 2706-3553 Open: 3:30pm to 1am Average meal: NT$1,000 Details: Chinese and English menu, credit cards accepted

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The capital’s bistro and

tapas-style dining dernier

cri reaches a new apogee

|in the form of Diary, a stylish four-month-old bar-cum-restaurant whose fusion menu focuses on bold combinations and striking presentation.

Burnished aluminum Emeco chairs and exposed cement walls and roof beams lend the place an industrial feel, but what could easily have been a cold sterile environment is ingeniously augmented by the warmth of antique wooden tables from Java, pleasant lounge music and subdued lighting.

Diary’s menu exhibits the same level of thoughtfulness: The chicken meat balls (炸雞肉球, NT$180) are served disguised as a plate of Ferrero Rocher chocolates, while the fried rocks (炸岩石, NT$300) are wow-inducing chunks of seafood coated in batter colored by cuttlefish ink and deep-fried to look like — yes, you’ve guessed it — small stones.

Made from a recipe given to the proprietor by one of his friends, the Nicolas duck tortilla (網路鴨餅, NT$250) is a gourmet adventure of spring onion, succulent duck and unleavened bread, while the tenderloin with Parmesan’s (帕瑪森牛肉, NT$380) robust notes of sharp cheese and sauteed beef form a synergy of savoriness.

Popular creations include the baked chicken leg stuffed with risotto (胖小腿, NT$320), a titillating dish that owes much of its lively flavor to the addition of black truffle, and the open face sandwich (鮭魚塔, NT$180), which consists of layers of shrimp, poached egg, ham, smoked salmon and mayonnaise.

Populated by tattooed young wait staff, including experienced trendsetters from popular nightspots Mono Mono and Binchotan (備長炭), Diary offers a drink list that’s as exciting as its food menu. The cellar includes reasonably priced white wine from Italy, Chile and France (NT$200 to NT$250 per glass and NT$1,200 to NT$1,600 per bottle) and the bar serves a selection of cocktails priced between NT$200 and NT$300.

The mustached manager doubles as a sommelier. During a recent weekend visit, he took extra care explaining where the wine we ordered came from, how it tasted and with which food our cocktails would go well with.

Each cocktail is served on a paper coaster with the drink’s recipe handwritten on it for patrons to take home and experiment with.

Service is a mix of professionalism and neighborliness, which left me feeling pampered.

Diary’s menu changes with the seasons and according to the creations of guest chefs. The restaurant’s blog (www.wretch.cc/blog/diary53) says upcoming offerings will be Taiwanese-inspired.

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