Experiencing a city on a weekend or over a lifetime inevitably spells great differences. For long-time residents of Taipei, life doesn’t only involve going to Taipei 101 or dining at Din Tai Fung (鼎泰豐). At first glance, Merlot Cafe & Bistro is one of such places that can simply fall off the radar — or never appear in the first place. Ranked No. 1 on TripAdvisor among 8,865 restaurants in Taipei, the intimate bistro is a well-guarded secret among foreign visitors to the city, with relatively little coverage from local food bloggers and journalists. But a closer look reveals something that we all look for in a place to eat, drink and be merry: quality food and a friendly host who knows his customers by their first-names.
Small, homey and hidden away in a back alley off the bustling Linsen North Road (林森北路), the establishment appears modest compared to its reputation. The interior is neat, clean and, with a capacity of merely 20 dinners, can get crowded when the restaurant is full. Often, the smell of food being prepared wafts up from the open kitchen, while Bob Chau, the gracious host and an ABT (American-born Taiwanese) from California, glides between tightly packed tables, chatting with patrons about everything from food to life.
Much like the cordial service, Chau’s cooking is also a hearty fare. For appetizers, choices include the baked mozzarella (NT$280) and Merlot’s special salsa and tuna (NT$250) which is composed of salsa, creamy tuna fish and parmesan cheese with extra virgin olive oil drizzled on top. Both are served with toasted Ciabatta bread. The popular Italian style antipasto salad (NT$490) appeals to lighter appetites with a medley of salami, fresh tomatoes, basil, cucumbers, alfalfa sprouts and Parmesan cheese.
Photo: Ho Yi, Taipei Times
Featuring handmade pastas, Merlot’s kitchen offers a satisfying selection of the Italian staple. The shrimp and vegetable spaghetti (NT$300) I tried impressed with the substantial texture of the pasta cooked al dente and paired well with shrimps sauteed in white wine and with garlic, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms and basil. For a richer taste, old-school spaghetti Bolognese (NT$290) and spaghetti carbonara (NT$260) are on offer.
Another Merlot specialty is risotto, which is cooked to a creamy consistency. Chau’s rendition of the rice dish is comfortingly soft and smooth. The chicken and zucchini risotto (NT$350), for example, tasted like a piece of creamy heaven with small chunks of chicken melting instantly on the tongue. It was a soul-comforting stodge made for big appetites.
Equally filling choices are the chargrilled lamb chops (NT$590) with creamy three cheese and mushroom risotto, the grilled steak and vegetable risotto (NT$410) and the seared scallop and shrimp risotto (NT$570).
Photo: Ho Yi, Taipei Times
Determined to try out the bistro’s much lauded steak, my dining partner and I ran the risk of committing the sin of gluttony and ordered the chargrilled steak (8oz, NT$490) with sauteed seasonal vegetables. Cooked medium-rare to medium and sliced thin, the simply seasoned beef was as tender and juicy as a good piece of meat should be. And it also went well with my glass of Merlot (NT$240).
Speaking of wine, Merlot’s wine cellar contains a decent, wallet-friendly selection of whites and reds from Chile, Argentina, Germany, France, Italy, New Zealand and the US (NT$850 to NT$1,600 per bottle). There are also a few choices of sparkling wine from Germany (NT$180 per glass and NT$990 per bottle) as well as a variety of cocktails (NT$220 and NT$280) and beers (NT$100 to NT$150). For the wine illiterate, Chau doubles as the dependable sommelier, making food pairing recommendations for guests.
Offering good, hearty food, intimate service and a lovable host, Merlot Cafe & Bistro definitely draws people back, whether locals or travelers, again and again.
Photo: Ho Yi, Taipei Times
May 6 to May 12 Those who follow the Chinese-language news may have noticed the usage of the term zhuge (豬哥, literally ‘pig brother,’ a male pig raised for breeding purposes) in reports concerning the ongoing #Metoo scandal in the entertainment industry. The term’s modern connotations can range from womanizer or lecher to sexual predator, but it once referred to an important rural trade. Until the 1970s, it was a common sight to see a breeder herding a single “zhuge” down a rustic path with a bamboo whip, often traveling large distances over rugged terrain to service local families. Not only
Ahead of incoming president William Lai’s (賴清德) inauguration on May 20 there appear to be signs that he is signaling to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and that the Chinese side is also signaling to the Taiwan side. This raises a lot of questions, including what is the CCP up to, who are they signaling to, what are they signaling, how with the various actors in Taiwan respond and where this could ultimately go. In the last column, published on May 2, we examined the curious case of Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) heavyweight Tseng Wen-tsan (鄭文燦) — currently vice premier
The last time Mrs Hsieh came to Cihu Park in Taoyuan was almost 50 years ago, on a school trip to the grave of Taiwan’s recently deceased dictator. Busloads of children were brought in to pay their respects to Chiang Kai-shek (蔣中正), known as Generalissimo, who had died at 87, after decades ruling Taiwan under brutal martial law. “There were a lot of buses, and there was a long queue,” Hsieh recalled. “It was a school rule. We had to bow, and then we went home.” Chiang’s body is still there, under guard in a mausoleum at the end of a path
Last week the Directorate-General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics (DGBAS) released a set of very strange numbers on Taiwan’s wealth distribution. Duly quoted in the Taipei Times, the report said that “The Gini coefficient for Taiwanese households… was 0.606 at the end of 2021, lower than Australia’s 0.611, the UK’s 0.620, Japan’s 0.678, France’s 0.676 and Germany’s 0.727, the agency said in a report.” The Gini coefficient is a measure of relative inequality, usually of wealth or income, though it can be used to evaluate other forms of inequality. However, for most nations it is a number from .25 to .50