MICHELIN Inspectors Share Their Favourite Dishes from the Newly Listed Starred Restaurants in the MICHELIN Guide Taiwan 2024

Circum- 

This is an unexpected combination, but it is truly impressive. The pairing of fish and lamb creates a remarkable "freshness" (鮮) that lives up to its name. The lamb leg is sliced into pieces of just the right thickness, and a brown broth is poured over it tableside. The broth, made from crucian carp and pickled cabbage, has a texture somewhere between a thickened sauce and a gelatinous consistency, allowing it to coat the lamb nicely. The meat is incredibly tender, without any hint of gaminess, and the hot broth leaves a lingering, pleasant aftertaste.

Eika

Wood-Fire Duck Breast with Red Koji Sauce

The in-house, 14-day-aged duck breast is expertly grilled over charcoal and served with duck jus and a red koji sauce. The meat has a beautiful rosy hue, highlighting the precision of the grilling technique. The skin remains perfectly crisp, while the meat is tender, juicy, and finely textured. The contrast between the crispy skin and tender meat creates a wonderfully satisfying experience. The duck jus adds richness and moisture, while the red koji sauce introduces a savory depth, complexity and richness. Each bite reveals the meticulous craftsmanship and layered flavours, making it a truly unforgettable dish.

NOBUO 

Red Velvet Prawn & Capsicum (hero image)

A satisfying dish with a bright and vivid presentation. The slightly grilled prawn is topped with shrimp oil, savory cream, quinoa, and dried shrimp, and served with an orange bell pepper dressing and herbal oil. Biting into the shrimp reveals a pleasing umami flavour with a layered texture that combines crunchiness, crispiness, bounce, and creaminess. The dish is finished with a cool, silky sauce that completes the experience—a sophisticated nice dish. 

Sens 

This dish showcases solid skills. The small-sized local pigeon was expertly dry-aged, with the pigeon breast featuring very thin, crispy skin and meat that was exceptionally soft, tender, and flavourful. It was served alongside a thin tart filled with white onion, vin sauce, and a half-boiled quail egg. The quail egg’s creamy texture and the delicate pastry added a silky and crispy element to the dish. The pigeon leg was grilled and paired with a slightly sweet sauce, complementing the flavours well. Overall, this dish demonstrated a high level of skill, delicacy, and attention to detail.

Wok by O'BOND 

At Dusk—Quail, Autumn Essence, Porridge 

This quail dish was the highlight of the evening. The Chiayi quail, dry-aged for three days, was stuffed with red beans and diced porcini mushrooms. The skin was slightly crispy, while the meat was juicy and full of flavour. The standout feature was the red beans, which were exceptionally soft and smooth. The porcini mushrooms added depth and umami to the tender meat. The dish was complemented by a rice congee sauce and huadiao wine foam, which provided a silky, airy texture and a fragrant finish from the huadiao wine. The bamboo fungus, braised in chicken broth, was soft and chewy, absorbing the rich flavours of the broth. The quail legs were deep-fried, brushed with satay sauce, and topped with seaweed strips, delivering a robust flavor with a lingering shacha sauce aftertaste.

Taichung

L'Atelier par Yao 

The spelt was prepared with a sea urchin chili sauce that featured a light red hue and a subtly creamy flavour. The spelt itself offered a bouncy texture, while the green parsley sauce added a silky touch. Combined with bamboo, the dish achieved a well-balanced harmony of freshness, umami, and creaminess. A notable highlight was the hint of coffee oil in the sauce, which provided a delightful aroma and a refined finish.

MINIMAL 

-5 °C  Ginger Lily / Sake / Pear

This dish showcases layered textures, skills, and an appealing presentation, accentuated by various floral notes. The pear mousse is topped with shaved ice made from ginger lily and chrysanthemum, and garnished with small pear-shaped balls and pear-ginger jelly. Despite its simple and pure appearance, the dish offers a surprisingly complex flavour. It begins with a delicate floral note, followed by refreshing ice that melts instantly in the mouth. The crunchy pear texture, jelly, and soft mousse come together to create a harmonious and nuanced palate experience.

RELATED: Inspectors Reveal All on MINIMAL, the First Ice Cream Establishment Globally to be Awarded a MICHELIN Star

YUENJI

Deep Fried Stuffed Nugget Screed Duck, Dajia Taro Paste

The dish presents a clever and creative twist: it resembles a traditional dessert, 'taro paste,' but with a shape reminiscent of 麻荖 (another type of traditional Chinese sweet). The chef reimagines the classic Taiwanese taro duck as taro paste sticks — cherry duck is braised until flavourful, then deboned and mixed with taro paste, shaped into sticks, and deep-fried until crispy, topped with popcorn. The first bite reveals an ultra-thin, slightly crispy coating, followed by the soft, sweet taro paste flavor, and finishing with a hint of meatiness. The filling includes diced water chestnuts, adding crunch to the soft taro paste, while the unseasoned popcorn provides additional crispness. The overall flavor is well-balanced, harmoniously blending savory and sweet notes.

Kaohsiung

GEN

The dish features a broth simmered with radish aged for 30 years and old hen stock, used to braise abalone and Chinese mushrooms. The chef reduces the sauce slightly at the table. The abalone, though petite, retains its whole shape and is served with a sauce of pleasing thickness. The flavour is rich and layered, combining savory notes with a subtle sweet aftertaste. The tender abalone absorbs the sauce beautifully. The mushrooms are also noteworthy, maintaining their full shape and offering noticeable elasticity when cut. Fully infused with the broth, they provide a hot, moist texture with a delicious taste. The remaining sauce is so flavourful that it’s tempting to pour it over rice.

RELATED: The Full List of the MICHELIN Guide Taiwan 2024