Meet Jonathan Brody. He doesn't speak much Spanish, but when it comes to fixing up a gourmet Mexican meal, he and his staff at Taipei's Santa Fe Cafe can be counted on to please even whose who have grown up on a diet of enchiladas and burritos.

"During the first few months when we were open, Mexicans would come in and I would break out in a cold sweat, figuring they would storm out," says Brody. 'But the exact opposite happened: they stormed back in with all their Friends."

Small wonder, considering two key elements the restaurant has going for it. For one, it was opened with the help of Brody`s brother Max, a lifelong student of Mexican cuisine who came straight from a cooking job in Santa Fe, New Mexico (hence the name). Secondly, much of what you'll eat here is made fresh from scratch, including the refried beans, red picante salsa, and, amazingly enough, the tortillas, which are hand-pressed and prepared when you order.

The Santa Fe Cafe's menu is a follower of the Tex-Mex school, rather than the deep-fried Mexico style or the taco-fixated California variety (although oddly enough. they don`t serve chili). The atmosphere is suitably relaxed, while the portions are generous, if not philanthropic.

And speaking of large portions, some of the appetizers here are meals unto themselves. Consider the vegetarian empanadas (NT$150), fat, crispy bundles of savory cheese and pungent salsa, or the excellent quesadillas (NT$200) with tangy jalapenos and bell peppers in the luxurious cheese-filled nour tortillas. The latter also comes in a grilled chicken version (NT$250) which, with juicy pieces of white meal, is probably the best of its kind in Taiwan.

My choice for the main course was the chicken enchiladas (NT$250), which came clothed in a sweet, rich tomato sauce, the recipe for which, Brody explains, was a gift from a passing Santa Cruz native. Even more impressive were the dish's golden corn tortillas, harmonizing finely with the refried beans which, it should be said, were not over-burdened with lard as are their canned cousins.

And for those dining companions who may not be aficionados of Mexican Food, there's also a hearty seafood pasta (NT$350) with shrimp and grilled onions in a tomato cream sauce that can be spiced to order.