With a track record that boasts some of Taipei's most popular and successful Californian-style Italian restaurants under his belt, executive chef, Caleb Jackson, looks set to repeat this achievement once again with his latest innovation, Abu's Brasserie.
Opened last November, Abu's sees the celebrated chef veering away from his tried and tested bar/restaurant format, and instead has cooked up a recipe for success with what he describes as "Californian with a French accent."
French grub it may be, but conventional creamy sauces are nowhere in sight. Avoiding the fattening sauces, Jackson has managed to create a menu filled with healthy and thoroughly lip-smacking and highly original cuisine.
PHOTO: GAVIN PHIPPS, TAIPEI TIMES
Abu's extensive list of appetizers includes an interesting variation on the standard Italian mozzarella and tomato starter. Renamed "fresh mozzarella shards Jamie Oliver" (NT$350), the dish is made up of paper-thin sliced tomatoes covered in a layer of mozzarella, topped off with red bell pepper and basil olive oil. Other popular appetizers include the seared rare Ahi tuna (NT$350) -- fresh sushi quality tuna served in a mild curry-carrot broth with sauteed spinach, bacon and onion -- and the California crabcake (NT$380), a dish that exudes a profusion of contrasting flavors and looks almost too good to eat.
For vegetarians, Jackson offers baked wild mushroom pie (NT$180), a selection of mushroom topped with roasted garlic cream and mashed potato as well as roast carrot terrine (NT$230), which sees Jackson being creative with shitake mushroom salad, a yogurt sauce and balsamic vinegar.
Although the contents of Abu's new spring menu, which is set to begin sometime in the coming weeks, has yet to be finalized, many of Jackson's signature dishes will still be available. These include roasted pork shank served with sauerkraut, German grain mustard and mashed potato (NT$550), pan fried John Dory with sweet pea sauce and shitake mushrooms (NT$580) as well as rack of spring lamb with roasted mashed potatoes and minted mushroom compote (NT$650).
Dessert is a must for any diner. Try one of Jackson's celebrated souffles (NT$180). Taking eight minutes to prepare, the creation is the perfect finale to any meal. It's light, fluffy, doesn't look or taste like scrambled egg and is arguably the most mouth-watering dessert to be found in Taipei, if not Taiwan, at present.
Along with the fantastic food, an added bonus of Abu's is that it is a brasserie in the proper sense of the word. Customers wishing to sample a bottle of wine from the impressive wine list and chat while nibbling on an appetizer or two are as welcome as those with a four course feast in mind.
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