RICH MAN, POOR MAN

Lucca

66, NanMen Rd., Tainan City
(06) 215-1256
Hours: Tue. - Sun., close on Mon.;
11:30 am-2 pm(lunch),
5:30 pm-10 pm(dinner),
2:30 pm-5 pm(afternoon tea, only on Sat. & Sun.)

--- By Pieter Vorster and Steven Crook Translated by Annie Liu

Lucca, which bills itself as "an Italian restaurant that just won't compromise," has an extensive menu featuring pizzas (NT$280 to NT$390), spaghetti, pasta, and polenta dishes (NT$300 to NT$880), and seafood (from NT$390). If you really want to push the boat out, turn to the meat pages and order Grilled Venison Loin With Pinenut Mulberry Wine Sauce (NT$1,180) or Gratin Beef Strip Loin With Herb Anchovy Butter (NT$1,080). Supreme Of Guinea Fowl Chicken With Rosemary and Spicesalt is very filling and excellent value at NT$390. It's well worth paying NT$100 more to have a set which includes homemade bread, an appetizer, a generous salad, soup (either a conventional hot soup or an unusual cold soup served in a glass teacup), homemade dessert, and tea or coffee. Chef Wei, who opened Lucca around one year ago, prides himself on providing dishes that few other restaurants offer because they are barely cost-effective.