Tucked discreetly away in a corner of An Ho Mall, FrescO Group's new outlet mirrors the traditional daylight, greenery, wood and snazzy designs that its name has come to represent. 

 Raw zinc, glass and birch-ply dominate FrescO's interior. A central shaft topped with a skylight floods the space, with a diffused light that plays off interior walls the color of linen and potted palms that stretch for the sky. Speakers hidden somewhere in the infrastructure pipe in easy-listening pop. The volume, though not loud, would make it hard to whisper sweet nothings to you date. 

The menu - or more correctly menus: regular, lunch, afternoon tea, children's - offers everything from Californian sandwiches to burgers and from omelets to linguine. The lunch set menu costs around NT$300 - more or less, depending on what you order - and includes appetizer, entrees, dessert, and tea or coffee. 

A pick from the regular menu netted a crispy, "deep-fried calamari in hell" (NT$250). Little squid rings coated in a crispy batter sat on a pool of spicy red sauce, garnished with scallion slivers and aromatized with a sprinkling of dried sage. I smothered a squid ring in the sauce and no sooner had it made contact with my tongue than the words "hell, that's hot," popped out. The sauce packs a mighty punch, so be warned. In fact, a good number of the dishes on the menu may singe your tonsils. Annie Chiu, the restaurant's PR manager explained the menu has been designed to satisfy palates yearning for a bit of spice in their lives.

The house-baked pizza snuffed out hell, and gave my palate time to settle down for the main course. But before that, I should say the pizza's here will surprise those weaned on the soggy, oily discs spun out by school kids at popular pizza chains. 

Offered with a variety of toppings, the nine-inch pizzas represent pretty good value at NT$260. Though the topping looked a bit scant, the fresh, aromatic ingredients turned out to be perfectly measured to delight my tastebuds and not my eyes. A rich smell of mushrooms titillated my nostrils, and as I took a bite the salty anchovies tickled my tastebuds. Finally the crispy - but not dry - dough brought my senses back to neutral in preparation for the next slice. 

The seafood linguine (NT$320) with garlic shoots, diced roasted tomatoes and peppers, clams, prawns and lobster jive in a substantial sauce. Also pepped with a spicy sauce suspiciously similar to that from "hell" - but less fiery - the dish was a smash success. 

For lack of room, I had to forsake dessert, which was regretful as I was dying to try the tiramisu, but there will be other days.