A joint collaboration between music promoter Brown Sugar Live and Bagayalo Creative Workshop, Dozo Izakaya’s (Dozo創作和食居酒屋) cavernous space on Guangfu South Road (光復南路) near Civil Boulevard (市民大道) resembles an upscale nightclub, with dramatic lighting and sleek wooden walkways that will make you feel like a supermodel — unless your strut ends with a tumble into the sunken dining area or one of the surrounding booths.
You have to be extra careful if you order one of Dozo signature 4-liter Taiwan or Orion draft beers, which are served in tall glass dispensers. Other drinks from Dozo’s prodigious selection of alcoholic beverages include house cocktails like the surprisingly strong Mitsuwari peach (whisky, peach syrup, honey and soda, NT$200), or the sweet and sour samurai (shochu, whisky, triple sec and lemon juice, NT$200), Dewards, Macallan, Glenfiddich and Aberfeldy whiskies, champagne, and, of course, sake.
Dozo’s large menu is divided into 13 sections (with a table of contents in the front) and includes izakaya staples like sushi and grilled meats. The food, though not particularly innovative, is tasty and attractively presented.
PHOTOS: CATHERINE SHU, TAIPEI TIMES
To prepare yourself for that 4-liter draft beer, try Japanese fried chicken with tartar sauce (NT$180) or the skewered grilled beef (NT$190), which is wrapped around a large bundle of sliced scallions. Lighter treats include steamed mussels in sake broth (NT$260). Our portion included a paltry six mussels, but the shellfish were tender and juicy. Dozo’s signature Caesar salad with a hot spring egg (NT$200) has an interesting melange of textures, including jelly cubes made from soy sauce, a poached egg and croutons.
Presented like a work of art in a shallow wooden box, the seven-spices tuna tartar (NT$180, listed as “pate” in English on the menu) is one of Dozo’s most interesting looking dishes, but after the ingredients were mixed up and served on crispy romaine lettuce leaves, the tartar’s flavor proved to be disappointingly bland. Dozo’s sashimi plates and sushi rolls are basic but good. The grilled beef sushi roll (NT$220) is topped with fresh tender meat and peppercorns, giving it an unexpected kick.
Dozo’s dessert menu is tiny, but most of the treats are priced under NT$100 and as fun to look at as they are to eat. The creme brulee (NT$60), for example, is served in an eggshell on top of strips of crispy fried burdock. An ice cream dish for the same price is plated alongside a slice of sweet yam and ball of spun sugar. For parties, you can reserve a Black as Chocolate cake to be served after your meal. Revelers who want their sweet to come with a bite can order the Black Forest milk shake, which is made with blueberry liqueur, Kahlua and topped with chocolate ice cream (NT$280).
PHOTOS: CATHERINE SHU, TAIPEI TIMES
PHOTOS: CATHERINE SHU, TAIPEI TIMES
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