LA BLE D'OR

--By Tammy Huang, translated by Sho Huang

(04) 2255-5911
20, ShiZheng Road
Hours: 5-10 pm; 11 am-10 pm (opens 11 am Sat/Sun)
Credit cards accepted.

Dark, red-brick walls, dark-brown wooden floors and decorations, a golden piano and European-style chandelier all contribute to feeling that you're in some kind of central European forest lodge at La Ble D'or. While Taiwan's domestic brewing industry continues to play catch-up, this establishment focuses on introducing beer-brewing skills from Quebec, Canada, and offers guests a variety of great options. Barley, wheat and rye are the three main ingredients and traditional German brewery techniques have been adopted to preserve the essential yeast, minerals and proteins in the process. The result is great beers with a smooth head of foam. Outdoor seating is offered and provides a good venue for live band performances. Wooden tables, chairs and a lounge area help ensure the comfort of guests, who can also entertain themselves with the big-screen LCD TV. In another special feature, the special beers here also go into meat dishes and help accent the flavors of the main ingredients. German Pork Knuckle (NT$480), French Duck Breast (NT$780) and Italian Song Ban Pork-pigs' neck famous for its chewier texture-(NT$280) are highly recommended.