Arima Seafood Kapou: Home-style flavored Japanese New Cuisine 377, ZhongMei Street, West District moved to: 70, ChaoMa Rd, Xitun Dist. (04) 2258-2277 Hours:11:30 am-2 pm, 5-9 pm Credit cards accepted.

---By Cai Pei-Rong Translated by Cara Steenstra

"Arima" is the name of a hot springs district in the deep mountains of Japan's Hyogo Prefecture. It is also one of the three oldest hot springs in Japan. The use of this name by this restaurant is an attempt to reflect its private location and exclusivity to gourmands. "Kapou" is a type of Japanese cuisine; its main ingredients are sashimi, nabemono and other home-style cooking ingredients.

The main theme here is seafood, which is combined with new Japanese cuisine cooking styles, adding new elements of creativity to the dishes. Apart from their a la carte and set menus, there are also many seasonal dishes to choose from. Seafood imported from Hokkaido, Canada and Australia is creatively presented, helping to bring old customers back to try new flavors. Since winter arrived, the "Angler Fish Shabu Shabu" (NT$800 per pot for six persons) has been very popular; the King Crab from the Baring Straits is also very fresh and delicious. Their unique "Handmade Taro Duck' is a special dish made from mashed taro mixed with ducks' meat, then steamed and eaten with a special sauce. This dish has many customers coming back for more. The restaurant's creativity is reflected in their interior decor as well. Gone is the traditional atmosphere of most Japanese establishments, replaced by modern, stylish simplicity.

The Business Set Meals are only NT$280, but allow you to enjoy a full range of Japanese cuisine. There are six tasty main courses to choose from, including Sushi, Salt Roasted Cod Fish, Roasted Eel, Seafood Tempura, Black Peppered Fillet Steak, Barbecued Lamb Chops, Roasted Pigeon and Matsuya Pork with Plums. The set menu also includes Vegetable and Fruit Salad, a steamed dish, Salmon Onigiri, a seasonal soup, Formosan fruit and a dessert. These reasonably priced set meals are sure to attract many office workers from the nearby area and are available all day, Mondays to Fridays. On weekends, High Grade Set Meals are also available for NT$580.