J699 Vogue Restaurant 276, GongYi Road, section 1, 1F; (04) 2319-7199 Hours: 11 am-1 am (open to 10 pm until 9/17)

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     As one might guess from its name, J699 is a stylish, upscale dining establishment, located just down the road from the intersection of DongXing (Dung Shing) and GongYi roads. Uniquely, the restaurant is one part of a larger, equally-stylish building that includes a spacious lobby area (complete with grand piano), the April clothing boutique, and the upstairs Cartina Spa for men and women. Dining seating for 100 is spread out between the first floor and an second-floor balcony smoking area, and there are VIP rooms for groups of eight to 40. The tasty cuisine here--described as a mix of Italian and French--is the brainchild of Head Chef Jeff Chen, who previously worked at the Taipei Ritz Landis Hotel and in San Francisco. A la carte dishes include reasonably-priced, hand-made, 10-inch thin-crust pizzas (NT$200-280), various pasta and rice dishes (NT$280-380), and bigger entrees, like the Pan-Fried Codfish with saffron sauce (NT$620) or the Grilled NZ Beef Fillet "Bourdeaux Vin Rouge sauce" (NT$690). There are also various lunch and dinner meal sets, including monthly specials, ranging from about NT$420 to NT$670. Other offerings include NT$180 afternoon teatime specials and a number of J699's proprietary red and white French, Australian and Canadian wines. The classy experience is completed with nice, gold-accented decor and a professional, attentive wait staff .--By Douglas Habecker, translated by Annie Liu