If you were to open an establishment that served Continental cuisine, what would you call it? "Un Petit Chateau?" Maybe. "Das Gasthaus?" Possibly. "Le Cool Bistro?" Why not? "RichCoCo?" Hmm, most people would not think to name a European style restaurant RichCoCo. But then again, most people are not Peter Yuan, owner of RichCoCo, whose ambition is to eventually create a chain of hip Continental-style restaurants throughout mainland China. 

Yuan says the name will attract Chinese customers who are unfamiliar with European names and foods. This makes sense. Chinese restaurants in America do well with non- traditional names like "Panda Express," "Wonder Wok," and "Chop Stix." But while the name may attract first-time customers, it is the food that will bring them back. Yuan has gone to great lengths to ensure that his RichCoCo's food is of the highest quality. Though the menu is very European, a run-down of the items reveals that it has been developed with local palates mind: seafood soup, spicy chicken, stewed beef, and deepfried prawn. 

I began my meal with a very fresh garden salad. The presentation of all the dishes offered is very appealing, and reminds me of the kind of meal one could get at a sidewalk cafe in Paris. Though a lot of frying goes into the food's preparation, the dishes look very inviting and non-greasy. 

I tried the roasted scallops, which is a sort of seafood casserole. This was very appealing and authentic tasting. Through a little taste-for-taste bargaining with my dining companions, I also tried the fried prawn, the stewed beef ribs, and the spaghetti with meat sauce, all of which were good. 

The meat sauce had chunks of meat that would look appropriate in a Chinese stir-fry dish, but worked well in this Italian "classic." 

Peter Yuan came across his executive chef by chance. The chef originally came to Yuan, a doctor by training, after being involved in a motorcycle accident. Yuan helped him recover, and found out his patient had been trained as a chef in Paris. The two collaborated on the RichCoCo menu, and are continually experimenting with dishes that their local customers will find delicious. 

Yuan admits that he has had to slightly "Americanize" some of the food in order to make it more accessible to the Taiwan market. "Very traditional French food, with all the sauces and side dishes and serving techniques, people here wouldn't understand it. American style is -- you get a plate, and you eat what's on the plate. It's easier for Chinese to understand," he says. 

Yuan may have developed a winning combination of local taste, moderate price, quality food and hip atmosphere to take on the Chinese market. Who knows, maybe the development of China will some day be charted by how many RichCoCoes are in a region instead of how many McDonalds there are.