I have been working as a MICHELIN Guide inspector for over 20 years now, eating in over 40 major cities and capitals, encompassing Central and Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, The Middle East, Asia, and the USA.
As a globe-trotter and passionate food eater, I'm personally so fascinated with the Taiwanese gastronomic scene for many reasons, and the following 5 points are probably among all the most unique traits about this lovely island:
Diversity
This is something I love most about Taiwan — the sheer diversity of the restaurants, the huge number of cuisine types, and the breadth of restaurant styles: from informal small eats up to world class fine-dining.
The MICHELIN Guide Taiwan 2023 encompasses forty-eight cuisine types spanning the globe, including many rarely seen ones such as Latin American, as well as modern cuisine, with all manner of influences from an array of continents, but also embracing the traditional and the new. There are many experienced foreign chefs who choose to settle in Taiwan, as well as a new breed of young and ambitious chefs venturing their new concepts. (Right photo: main dish from newly-listed one-starred Latin American restaurant ZEA from MICHELIN Guide Taiwan 2023 selection. Photo by Michael Wu/Zea)
Heading to Southern Taiwan, the variety of Taiwanese small eats and traditional dishes in cities such as Tainan and Kaohsiung are enormous.
From breakfast to a late-night comfort meal, you could never feel bored here. These dishes are often being elevated and have become the inspiration for many chefs in the fine dining restaurants, showcasing its cultural context and flavour through a new approach.
Resilience
What surprised me the most over the last two to three years is to see how Taiwan has bounced back.
This is clearly seen through the number of new openings in the market, especially after COVID restrictions being eased from October 2022. Local investors and even non food and beverage groups are investing large sums of money on renovating and launching high-end restaurants, with noticeably more ambitious projects than the small-scale establishments seen pre-pandemic.
Also, despite the challenges of Covid, chefs and their teams have been continuously improving and honing their skills, relentlessly focusing on providing even more refined and flavorful dishes. Food at each restaurant, existing or new, all stood out with energy and passion, showcasing their personalities, uniqueness, sophistication, and attention to detail.
Abundant Local Produce
Taiwan boasts bountiful ingredients because of the diversity of the landscape and the weather, as well as a consistent devotion to the development and innovation of agriculture, animal husbandry, and aquatic farming.
And it has become the strongest foundation for food in Taiwan, from fine dining to Taiwanese small eats and snacks, as well as becoming the source of inspiration for many chefs. The importance of locally produced Taiwanese ingredients and the farm-to-table movement are gaining ground with far greater emphasis on the provenance of produce used.
And this is closely linked with the focus on sustainability — I and my colleagues have noted a greater number of establishments incorporating this way of thinking into their approach with minor changes often leading to a positive change. The momentum here is hugely encouraging, with existing Green Stars strengthening and acting as beacons and role models.
Unlimited Market Potential
Over the past six years, we have consistently witnessed the continuous progress, development of chefs, and the growth of restaurants, allied with an increasing demand for fine dining.
The restaurant industry in Taiwan is flourishing, with few notable closures but plenty of exciting new openings. The Taiwanese love gastronomy and are passionate about dining out. In fact the "hard to get" reservations have become quite a topic on local social media, and, of course, make it more challenging for our inspection team!
Meanwhile, we have been impressed by the rise of the restaurants geared towards the local female market. Female solo diners and groups hanging out in high-end gastronomic hotspots are a noticeable feature.
I am always very excited when getting a chance to visit here, and every time, the energy, passion, creativity, and diversity continue to amaze me, pushing me to continue coming back time and time again.
