[Taipei] Nonzero 非零餐廳

Nonzero 非零餐廳

Add: N0.5, Alley 4, Lane27, Ren-Ai Road, Sec. 4 / 台北市大安區仁愛路四段27巷4弄5號
Tel: (02) 2772 1630
Hours: 11:30am-2:30pm, 6-10pm
Website: www.nonzero.com.tw
Price: [lunch] 400~800 NTD [dinner] 900~1500 NTD [afternoon tea] 300 NTD
Visited: Oct 2011

Nonzero, an organic food store and restaurant run by the chairman of Aveda Taiwan, serves simple and wholesome dishes. The decor is warm and inviting with an open kitchen, wooden communal tables, an eclectic chair collection, and soft, sensuous lighting. If you are looking to treat your tummy to some healthy and artisanal cooking, try Nonzero.

For a light dinner, two of us decided to share a risotto dinner set (900 NTD) and ordered a main course a la carte. The meal started with some bread and olive oil from Australia’s Dandaragan Estate. This premium olive oil is an important part of the cooking at Nonzero, I believe they even do an olive oil tasting at the bar for those who are interested.

Cream of loofah squash soup, not very memorable.

Green salad with vinaigrette, fresh and crisp.

Unfortunately risotto with spicy chicken and vegetables was barely spicy and even bordered on bland.

Roasted pork shoulder with seasonal vegetable (650 NTD), our a la carte main course, was a very pleasant surprise. The pork shoulders were roasted to a perfect balance between tender and crunchy, minimally seasoned so that the natural flavor of the pork shone through. The vegetables on the side were fresh, vibrant, and delicious – a great accompaniment. Excellent dish.

Dessert from the set was a mascarpone cheese cake with meringue/almond cookie and fresh fruits. The sprinkling of almonds, sunflower seeds, and sesame was a nice touch as they added texture and to the silky smooth rare cheese cake. Light, yet satisfying.

Lastly, a cup of freshly steeped Aveda comforting tea, naturally sweet with licorice and peppermint. A most soothing end to the meal.

Yes, Nonzero is worth coming back to. If not for the food itself, then for the nice concept and comfortable ambiance.