COMPASS MAGAZINE, Jan 1999. VOL. 6 ISSUE 1

Mom's American-Style Homemade Pies
81, Yu Ren Road, Taiping City, Taichung County
Tel/Fax: (04) 2391-7208
Mom's provides delicious, freshly made-to-order pies. Order nine-inch pies (NT$200-350) or single slices (NT$25-45) in 13 different flavors--pecan, chocolate, pineapple, blueberry, apple, Dutch apple, egg custard, lemon, peach, black cherry, pumpkin and so on. Ten percent discounts for orders of five or more pies.

E-cafe
124, Liu Chuan W. Rd., Section 2
Tel: (04) 2373-1890; Hours: 10 am-4 am
This establishment sports a modern look and acts as both an Italian-style restaurant and a classy pub, with 120 seats and two levels. Medium-to-high priced cuisine tends towards bigger meals like steak, roasted chicken and seafood dishes, although there are some simpler, cheaper rice and spaghetti choices. Lunch diners also get a small, free salad bar. Live bands play from 6:30 pm on and, from 10 pm on, a DJ takes over for a more pub-like setting.

Restaurant Ginza
431, Chin Hua North Road
Tel: (04) 2206-0360; Hours: 11 am-2 pm, 5-10 pm (closed second/forth Mon. each month)
There's hardly a better place to find very authentic Japanese cuisine in Taichung. Owned by Michelle Yu, who studied high-end kaisecki cuisine for seven years in Japan (and speaks fluent English), this establishment provides a selection of beautifully-presented set meals and individual dishes, prepared with fresh, all-natural ingredients.

Finga's Pizza and pasta
B3-level, "B" Building, Chung Yo Dept. Store 161, Sanmin Rd., Section 3
Tel: 04-226-1670; Hours: 11 am-10 pm
This pleasant Italian eatery is the latest venture for well-known expatriate restaurateur Dereke Bruce and is notable for its custom-made wood-burning oven. In addition to a big selection of pizzas, diners can also mix and match a variety of pastas and sauces. Home-made sorbets and ice creams, plenty of good wines and other soups, salads and drinks help make this an ideal dining spot. < MORE ON FINGA'S >

Villa Bella
25, Ching Cheng 9th Street
Tel: 04-326-1761; Hours: 4-11 pm (12-2 pm lunch after Christmas)
Villa Bella, meaning "beautiful house," provides traditional home-style cuisine from southern Italy's Puglia region. No American-style Italian here, according to owner Stefano (brother of Napoli's Luigi). Diners can sit inside or in the pleasant outdoor garden. < MORE ON VILLA BELLA >

Barista Seattle Gourmet Coffee
B2-level, "B" Building, Chung Yo Dept. Store
(161, Sanmin Road., Section 3)
Hours: 11 am-10 pm
A Starbucks look-alike , Seattle Gourmet Coffee brings a new era of coffee to Taichung. This large establishment serves up almost anything you can think of -- espressos, various lattes (flavored, w/soy or rice milk, chai, eggnog, etc.), iced coffees and various types of frio with a choice of beans ranging from Guatemalan Antigua to Kenya AA. Added treats are the San Francisco Cookie Co. items and real bagels.

House of Living Art (HOLA)
1-5, Taichung Harbor Road, Section 2
Tel. (04) 2319-5755; Hours: 10 am-10 pm
Want your dwelling to look like something out of Better Homes and Gardens? Go to HOLA, a big, beautiful two-floor American-style store located directly across from Evergreen Laurel Hotel. Imported bedspreads, curtains, rugs, dishware, pillows, crystal, candles, appliances, cooking ware, storage shelves, lamps, frames, prints and towels.

Kodak Hotel
525, Ta Tun Road
Tel. (04) 2329-0055
Kodak Hotel is an all-new medium-range business hotel, with 123 guest rooms, a 120-seat western/Chinese/Japanese buffet restaurant, a 280-person banquet hall, lobby bar, and sauna. A complete redecoration job make this an attractive establishment. Single and twin guest rooms start at NT$3,600 but 40% discounts are being offered in the soft-opening period.