[Monday Foodie Feature]PaCafe CHEF FU’S CAFÉ, a family-run eatery serving French delicacies

But regulars at PaCafe all know not to be fooled by the minimalist décor. What the chef serves up is a full classic French course — salad, main dish, and dessert, nothing missing. Fifteen courses for just NT$1,500, and service charge is waived. Moreover, every single dish is personally prepared by Fu Jun. No wonder back in the U.S., he was chosen by the famed “secret diner” food critic columnist in Nashville as one of the 13 most delicious restaurants in the city, earning him the title “Best Chef in Town”! When it comes to this, the usually humble Chef Fu is quite proud: “I’m happiest when I can make us Taiwanese shine on American turf!”

Alright, the shy Chef Fu says let’s talk more about cooking, so we’ll go through the dishes one by one. The first amuse-bouche is like Spanish tapas, featuring fresh diced apple paired with pine nuts and a bit of Italian cured sausage — a refreshing taste of summer in a single bite. The next dish, scallop salad, may seem simple, but there’s a lot going on. Chef Fu substituted lettuce with fresh veggies such as cucumber, sweet peas, and tomatoes, adding blueberries, champagne grapes, and edible flowers to complement the sweet ocean flavor of the fresh scallops. Paired with three sauces — grapefruit, vinaigrette, and carrot leaf oil — diners can freely mix and match their preferred flavors and textures, even making it a hit with kids who don’t usually like salad.

The duck jelly soup is made from the stock of this month’s featured dish, the confit duck leg, which is then filtered layer by layer to remove oil and fat, resulting in a clear broth that carries the aroma of duck meat. The jelly needs to be poured over with hot broth upon serving, where it slowly melts and mingles with diced duck meat for a silky-smooth texture. The truffle foie gras custard combines truffle juice with foie gras, along with custard and onion foam. Though the taste is subtle, the fragrance of truffle and foie gras extends into every bite of the custard, leaving a lingering aroma. As mentioned earlier, all dishes at PaCafe are personally made by Chef Fu — including the bread. Chef Fu jokes that because it’s all handmade, the bread and pumpkin soup are especially popular.

Chef Fu’s meticulousness shows in every detail, evident in the crab cake that arrives at the table. Crab cakes that often fall apart when cut are transformed by Chef Fu using vegetables instead of flour — the result is a firm texture that holds together until the very last bite, enhanced with lobster foam for an even richer umami. A border of tropical fruits like mango cuts through the richness. Meanwhile, the shrimp mousse, though small in size, insists on using fresh prawns, giving each bite a satisfying bounce, well matched with a thin cracker. Next, the multigrain tart serves as a palate cleanser midway through the meal — it not only clears the previous flavors but also prepares diners for the main course. Ingredients like oats, barley, and Job’s tears, along with the plum garnish on the side, aid digestion, letting guests enjoy healthy eating.