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Deluxe hits the right notes with beer, food and ambiance
By Courtney Donovan Smith
Translated by Naomi Lai
2, DongXing Rd, Sec 3
Deluxe Brew House is one those places that has found the perfect formula for coaxing customers into relaxing and lingering all evening with friends, ordering beer after beer with food to match. Its large two-floor interior space provides not only a classy-but-relaxing ambiance, but also a variety of seating areas, from booths and cozy tables to the long bar, plus pleasant outdoor patios on both floors good for enjoying the evening breezes, or having a smoke. Groups and special functions of all sizes are welcome; groups of 30 to 80 can book the second floor for a NT$500/person minimum charge, for example.
However, the setting is just one part of a three-part winning combination that includes excellent beer and food. Deluxe, which came to Taichung around the beginning of 2010, is part of Taiwan's largest microbrewery company, offering craft-brewed beers holding the reputable German Doemens certification. Served fresh from the tap, the Weissbier, Gold Pils, Dunkel (NT$120/300cc, NT$180/500cc, NT$320/1,000cc) and changing seasonal beers both look and taste wonderful. There are also fruit-flavored "cocktail beers", a special Munich beer being offered in August only, and a variety of wines, cocktails, whiskeys and soft drinks for non-beer drinkers. Luring patrons Mondays to Thursdays from 7 to 9 p.m. is a Happy Hour with buy-one-get-one-free special on beers.
Since opening, Deluxe has continued to improve its sizable menu of Western and local dishes. In the former category, there are satisfying meat-centric entrees like the German Sausage and sauerkraut (NT$520), Roasted Bavarian Pig Knuckle (NT$480), tender US Choice Beef Slices, and Deep Fried Chicken Wing with Beer Sauce (NT$220), plus various pizzas, pastas, salads and appetizers. In addition to a long list of Chinese/Asian entrees like Stir-Fried Tofu with Ginger and Garlic (NT$180), Kung Pao Chicken, or Pork with Kim Chi in Korean Style, the brew house is now offering a three versions of a four-to-six-person NT$399 lunch special Mondays to Fridays from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. This comes with four dishes--like Hakka Stir Fry or Sliced Pork with Garlic Sauce--and a soup.
Starting August 1, the restaurant is adding to its beerhouse appeal with live music every night between 7 and 9 p.m., featuring different styles and artists. All this helps solidify Deluxe's position as favorite hang-out and refuge from the sweltering days and nights of summer.
 
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August 2010 
