The MICHELIN Guide Taipei 2019 selection featured a number of newly starred restaurants and establishments that increased their distinction levels. With such high level cooking taking is in Taiwan's capital city, it seems only fitting to highlight the best of the best. Here are the restaurants in Taipei all with two or more Michelin stars.
Le Palais
Distinction: Three MICHELIN StarsCuisine: Cantonese
What Our Inspectors Say: "Chef Chan moved to Taiwan from Macau nearly 20 years ago and specializes in Cantonese cuisine of the highest quality. The lavishly furnished dining room feels modern and chic, but with nice traditional touches such as ceramic art, calligraphy and paintings. The cooking is truly outstanding, with the Cantonese-style crispy roast duck, the tofu dishes and the baked egg custard tarts especially impressive; consider pre-ordering the roast baby duck. Service is thoughtful and friendly."
RAW
Distinction: Two MICHELIN StarsCuisine: Innovative
What Our Inspectors Say: "The owner-chef of the world-famous Restaurant André in Singapore opened RAW in his home town in 2014. The strikingly futuristic Weijenberg-designed interior features two gigantic pine wood organic forms that lend the faux industrial space a back-to-nature feel. The 9-course prix-fixe menu showcases chef Chiang's creative take on Taiwanese cuisine with the occasional street food influence—expect modern presentation and a stimulating blend of flavors, textures and temperatures."
Shoun RyuGin
Distinction: Two MICHELIN StarsCuisine: Japanese Contemporary
What Our Inspectors Say: "Sister to the world-renowned RyuGin in Tokyo, this restaurant delivers similarly creative cuisine with a focus on Taiwan's own produce and culinary heritage. The 7 and 10-course menus are expertly rendered and come with a map to show where those ingredients come from. For example, one month-old squab from Pingtung City is grilled over Bincho charcoal and straw to accentuate its delicate texture. The restaurant doesn't take walk-ins."
Sushi Amamoto
Distinction: Two MICHELIN StarsCuisine: Sushi
What Our Inspectors Say: "You have to book months in advance and it's not easy to find, but the food will be well worth the effort. The classically decorated sushi-ya has 12 seats at a solid cypress counter. The humble and friendly chef imports the seasonal fish mostly from Kyushu, and some from Tokyo, to be hand-pressed on sushi rice cooked in natural spring water from Nagano. There are 20 courses in the prix-fixe omakase menu, including 12 pieces of nigiri."
Taïrroir
Distinction: Two MICHELIN StarsCuisine: Innovative
What Our Inspectors Say: "It's hard not to be wowed by the 1,876 fluttering copper tiles hanging from the ceiling. After working at Guy Savoy and Jaan in Singapore, Chef Kai returned home to launch this dining concept—a portmanteau of Taiwan and terroir, his statement on the use of indigenous produce in reinventing Taiwanese cuisine. Set menus challenge your preconceptions thanks to the use of modern techniques to create artful presentation and contrasting flavors and textures."
The Guest House
Distinction: Two MICHELIN StarsCuisine: Sichuan-Huai Yang
What Our Inspectors Say: "Formerly a members-only dining club, it excites not with its décor, but with its food. Impressive skills transform seemingly simple dishes into tasteful presentations revealing great textures and taste. The menu is largely Huai Yang and Sichuan in origin, but with a Taiwanese twist. Signature dishes include double-boiled soups, chicken rice with sesame oil, pork tail braised in red yeast rice, and millefeuille tofu skin."
Photo courtesy of Shoun RyuGin/Facebook.
