CLOSED/FRENCH: i strongly recommended ABU AUTHENTIC

ABU AUTHENTIC 阿布法國料理)

No. 28, Siwei Rd, Da’an District

(02) 2707- 0699

CLOSED a/o April 2014

$$$-$$$$

Visit reviewed: 3/2011 & 7/2012

Of all the restaurant closings of the past year, Abu is the one I'm most distraught over. It was my special occasion restaurant, the place that housed many of my favorite meals, and like any love lost, I wish I had spent more time there so I could have tasted more of the spectacular food there.  Abu Authentic was a repeat winner for several years, voted by my readers in the hungryintaipei readers' choice awards, before I gave it a try. 

The first time I went to Abu, I thought the chef was a mind reader. The dinner set had all my favorite things- lobster, foie gras, mussels. It was amazing, my mind was blown, it was one of my favorite meals that year. Maybe in my life. Unlike other fine dining restaurants, where you leave remembering only a dish or two, or feeling like you overpaid for the restaurant having a Michelin starred chef in name, I always was wowed by every dish and savored each bite. When you spend US$100 on a meal, you want it to be one of the best meals you've ever had right? 

The last time I ate there was this past March for lunch, and when a friend wanted to eat there a few weeks later, she said went by the restaurant and it had closed indefinitely from a kitchen fire. Apparently costs to rebuild were too expensive. 

Abu wasn't a large space, so while there was room to book a large dinner party in the main dining space or in the private area downstairs, smaller parties felt a tad cramped if the restaurant was busy.

Abu's bread basket included an assortment of choices, including a deliciously chewy sesame bread (that must have some mochi in it) as well as a tuna spread, French butter and olive oil.

Truffle scallops

Pan fried duck foie gras, longan sauce 

My date's quail starter

Warm lobster with cauliflower sauce - this was so amazing. I will never forget this dish. Creamy, sweet, perfectly cooked.

Provence tomato soup, mixed seafood 

Sauteed mussels, tomatoes, lemon sauce

Organic rose granita palate cleanser

Pan Roasted Rib Eye Steak

Special occasion souffle with ice cream 

These photos from another meal aren't as clear since they were taken with an iPhone in a romantically dim setting, but you get the gist of how delicious the food is.

Pan seared foie gras, longan sauce and roasted baby quail

Warm Lobster Salad - I could eat this everyday.

Wild mushroom, truffle egg

Cream of pumpkin crab meat soup

Wild cod fish, spicy seafood tomato sauce

Potato confit, duck confit with its own jus

Desserts du chef

Wild mushroom truffled egg mixed salad 

Corn soup with crab - looks like any corn soup, but was velvety, creamy and like drinking the essence of the sweetest corn.

Duck confit with its own jus, potato confit - crispy skin, tender meat.

Scrolling through these pictures make me sad. Is there another restaurant in Taipei that has the same level of consistently fantastic food? I know Chef Abu has a vegetarian restaurant in Beitou, but hoping he'll open another restaurant or bistro in Taipei soon. Let me know if you guys hear that he does.

new in town/exploreTaipei: i recommend ATT4FUN 4TH FLOOR CAFES

ATT4FUN 4TH FLOOR
12 Song Shou Rd
XinYi District, Taipei

MRT: Taipei 101 or Taipei City Hall

website: ATT4Fun's FB page

hours: 11AM - 10PM

$$

Kid friendliness: lots to eat and see, surprisingly roomy walkways for strollers and families

Visit reviewed:

It's exciting to that a retail space in Taipei can redesign and innovate its space into an entire floor of eateries and Instagram worthy corners. Note to other malls- Why not have a little fun with it? Instead of just plopping a bunch of restaurants on one floor, they created a whimsical walk into a wonderland full of cafes and dessert shops.

I've seen hints of the Alice In Wonderland theme before, at Love Lovely, but here it's in full scale with rabbits guarding entrances marked Midnight and Afternoon, white Roman numerals marching along the tops of the hallways near the ceiling and even a projection of a blond haired, blue dress wearing Alice upon a misty steam, creating a hologram effect usually seen after hours at Disneyland.

This is the entrance to Midnight-

After each entrance with a black or white rabbit, there's a centerpiece display. On the Midnight section, it's a cascade of champagne glasses under a ceiling full of bubble glass lights, with a slightly creepy dressed in black mannequin in a canoe that you might see at Venetian or some new hotel in Las Vegas. The first time I walked through the fourth floor, I just looked and looked, in awe of all the details and so many things to take photos of.

New cafes and restaurants in the midnight section include- Opa! Greek Cafe, Movenpick, Cupid On, Carousel, La Mere Poulad . In the afternoon section, NOLA Kitchen, Cutty Sark, Love One and more... Here's a little peek.

Tommy's waffles

OPA Greek Tavern 

Carousel Cafe 

La Mere Poulard

Movenpick Cafe

Afternoon entrance with the white rabbit

NOLA Kitchen

Cutty Sark

Love One

Cool little layout map I spotted on a different floor.

With so many cafes and restaurants on one floor, it's a good destination for when you can't decide on what to eat, so if one places is crowded, you just wander to the next one until you find one that looks good or has seats, if you are in a hurry.

On the 6th floor, Belgian Beer Cafe closed before I had a chance to write it up (some good dishes, but uneven service and expensive for the portions, especially the ridiculously small appetizers), and was replaced by Fat Angelos (which moved over from Bellavita and looks like Belgian Beer Cafe except with a new sign and red checkered table cloths).

The 5F also went through a revamp, with the closure of BANNCHAN and San Yuan (so sad. no more chocolate xiao long boas with the 101 view) to make room for a Mr. Onion, Dubu House and Bite 2 Eat. A lot to shop and eat at ATT4Fun, with Gap and Zara Home to browse downstairs and the new Quiznos and Pizza Denise to grab a quick bite.