SALSA CUBANA 392, HuaMei Street (04) 2319-2436 Hours: 5 pm -1 am (until 3 am Fri./Sat.)

       This pleasant-feeling, colorful Canal District establishment is Taichung's first salsa bar, featuring not only salsa music but regular salsa dance classes. Classes are offered Fridays and Saturdays, 7 to 9 p.m., by a visiting professional salsa instructor from London, where this dance is the current craze. Students, who dance in the basement area, pay NT$300/hour and get drinks at the bar for half-price. All customers can enjoy a selection of alcohol that includes beers (NT$150), wines, spirits and NT$200 Latin cocktails like the Cubano (Cointreau, rum, egg and lime juice), Barstardo Sufridor, La Bomba, Catalina Margarita, and Fidel Castro (dark rum, lime juice and ginger ale). There are also various food dishes, such as the Ultimate Latin Burger (NT$220), Cuban Potato Wedges (NT$120), Nachos a la Cubana (NT$180) and Blueberry Pie (NT$120). Salsa Cubana is very easy to find, given the fact that it is just down from Napoli, in the former location of other establishments like PJ's Cafe and Napoli itself.--By Douglas Habecker