Johin----An exquisite feast for the mouth and eyes at Johin 778, HuiWen Rd. (04) 2255-8787 Hours: 11:30 am-2:30 pm, 5-9:30 pm Credit cards accepted. Private parking lot.

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---By Douglas Habecker Translated by Uvia Chang

Stand outside Johin and it's immediately obvious that this is no ordinary Japanese restaurant. The building's sheer size--with a total 3,000-ping area--and exquisitely-detailed modern Asian architecture and decor enclose visitors in an exotic, refined atmosphere for enjoying a fine fusion of traditional and modern Japanese cuisine.
Johin is a new direction for Jogoya Group Chairman Chang Cheng-nan, a Taiwanese restaurateur success story who started out 15 years ago in Taipei with a Japanese street stall. Today, his empire includes seven very popular Jogoya Japanese buffet restaurants islandwide (with another planned for Kuala Lumpur). Recently-opened Johin heads further up market to offer an a la carte dining experience, in addition to extensive banqueting facilities that can accomodate up to 1,000 guests (90 tables) on the second floor.

The 450-seat first-floor restaurant manages, despite its size, to retain a very quiet, intimate atmosphere, thanks to the exquisite decor, which utilizes rough and smooth wood, red and purple gauze dividers, long corridors, Chinese antiques, wood and bamboo lanterns, chandeliers, water channels and other touches to great effect.
Osaka native Chef Yada Makoto uses his 15 years of experience to mastermind equally exquisite cuisine. Most diners opt for one of the five lunch set meals (NT$480-NT$580), served in a Japanese-style box, or four multi-course dinner sets (NT$800-NT$3,500), particularly the NT$800 special, which is presented in a four-level, gourd-shaped container. All dishes are also offered on the long a la carte menu, which includes favorites like the Five-Type Sashimi plate (NT$550), Grilled Eel (wunagi kabayaki, NT$350), Tempura Soba noodles (NT$250), modern-style Stone Grilled Beef (gunigu no ishiyaki, NT$300), and the very traditional Kobe Beef Sukiyaki hot pot (NT$1,350 for two people), using Australian beef. Other items include a full range of sushi dishes and a dozen brands of sake. Frequent food promotions, like a tofu festival with 24 varieties (continuing to Aug. 7), also are held.
As noted above, Johin is very well equipped to deal with big and small private functions. Besides the attractive second floor, there are three beautiful, 20-person VIP rooms in a semi-basement area, plus a shaded outdoor barbecue deck that can be reserved for parties of up to 50. Clearly, when it comes to providing top-notch facilities and Japanese cuisine, Johin is out to do everything in a world-class way.