Christmas is a time for happy reunions with friends and family.
Though away from home and usually having to be busy serving at the restaurant, these six chefs from MICHELIN-listed restaurants in Taiwan share with us their family traditions, as well as the nostalgic dishes that they feast on back in their hometowns.
From Orio-style fish, Bunet, to a rich-flavored morning cake, learn more about these chefs' Christmas memories and feel the merry atmosphere!
Orio-style Fish with Potatoes & Salată de boeuf
Ioan Adrian Benec and Govinda Manuel Perez De Ciriza LopezMolino de Urdániz
Two MICHELIN Stars, MICHELIN Guide Taiwan 2023
Perez De Ciriza Lopez: My hometown is Navarre, Spain. For Christmas, my family enjoys spending time together — we will have several lunches and dinners where we meet throughout Christmas. In Basque, it’s Olentzero who brings gifts to kids during Christmas, and the kids are excited to meet Olentzero at a parade held on the night of December 24th.
During Christmas, we will also have special dishes such as Salt Prawns with Brandy, Beef Tenderloin with Foie Gras, and Orio-style Fish with Potatoes. “Orio-style” originates from a fishing village in Basque — the fish is coated with oil, and then placed straight on the grill after seasoning. Once cooked, the fish is coated with vinegar, sliced garlic and chili.
Benec: I am from Romania, and we always have “Salată de boeuf” for Christmas. Traditionally it's prepared with beef, but we prepare this salad with chicken, carrots, potatoes, green beans, pickled cucumbers, and mayonnaise. As a family tradition, I will slaughter a pig for the whole family, and we will prepare handmade sausages to eat.
My friends and I also enjoy visiting every house in town and singing Christmas carols. Normally, I will have dinner and lunch with my family, and we will play board games together afterwards. My grandparents always share funny stories from their younger days — they do it every Christmas.
Christmas Morning Cake
Kevin RoseAd Astra
One MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Taiwan 2023
I am from the east coast of the United States. During Christmas, my family always hosts our relatives for Christmas Day at our house; and each year, my mom would take on an ambitious new centerpiece to the meal — a whole lamb saddle; a goose; a venison loin crusted with lemon thyme, dried berries, and toasted hazelnuts — as well as new side dishes and desserts.
As I got older and improved my own kitchen skills, I was able to help out. It's always impressed me how she went above and beyond, year after year.
The dish that we will definitely have for Christmas is what we call a "Christmas Morning Cake" that my mother makes for my family to eat once we wake up.
It is a dark, not-too-sweet cake made with molasses, and the rich flavor is juxtaposed with the sharpness of fresh cranberries. We typically enjoy it right out of the oven with a cup of coffee or tea while still dressed in our pajamas, admiring the pile of presents. As for the recipe, my mother's not ready to give that up yet!
(Photo: Kevin Rose)
Smoked Salmon and French Festive Delights
Florence Dailia16 by Flo
MICHELIN Selected Restaurant, MICHELIN Guide Taiwan 2023
I come from a humble working class family in Burgundy, France. During Christmas, meals were always filled with joy, and like many children, we love participating in decorating the Christmas tree, along with other festivities.
Meals are invariably prepared by my mother, a cooking enthusiast who enjoys hosting numerous guests at our large table, which is surrounded primarily by close family members. Throughout the years, my mom's cooking continues to reflect a blend of her Bresse origins, highlighting poultry and other specialties from Burgundy; as well as the Italian influences of my father and his years spent in Algeria before coming to France.
(Photo: 16 by Flo)
However, Christmas Eve is an exception.
Our Christmas meals are usually French and served as the perfect occasion to savor oysters, smoked salmon, snails in herb butter, and other seafood delights that we weren't accustomed to enjoying the rest of the year. I also remember baskets of dried fruits, with dates filled with almond paste. The main course was always a special moment, and we concluded the meal with a Yule Log and some desserts purchased from outside, including marzipan treats shaped like animals. These Christmas memories remain etched as a warm celebration of our family bond.
For me, my most profound memory happened after 13 years of working in different countries, when I returned for the first time to Burgundy during the festive season to celebrate Christmas with my family, following an extended stay in New Caledonia. Rediscovering cherished traditions and creating new memories filled the festive season with joy. Whether strolling through familiar streets, or embracing new traditions, the magic of Christmas became a poignant reconnection to family bonds.
Bunet
Paolo GhibaudoArtbrosia
MICHELIN-selected Restaurant, MICHELIN Guide Taiwan 2023
I come from a large family in Piedmont, Italy. During Christmas, over 30 relatives will gather at my grandmother's house to celebrate Christmas together every year. With this large number of people, we have a spread of more than 10 dishes, all meticulously prepared by my grandmother.
For starters, we enjoy classic dishes like paprika and tuna, pickled porcini mushrooms, flan with pumpkin, and Bagna caoda. The first pasta dish features Agnolotti and Tagliolini with Ragù Alla Bolognese. For the main course, we have venison, wild boar with polenta, and roasted salmon with vegetables. As for desserts, we indulge in traditional treats such as Panettone, Bunet, and Bûche De Noël.
We typically celebrate Christmas Eve by enjoying hot mulled wine on the night of December 24th. In my childhood memories, my dad would always tell me that as long as I behaved well and went to bed early, Santa Claus would bring me the gifts I wished for. Now that I'm in my twenties, reflecting on the past, it's heartwarming to see the younger kids in the family experiencing the same traditions that brought me joy in my childhood. It's both amusing and nostalgic.
We definitely have Bunet during our Christmas gathering. Bunet is a renowned Italian dessert hailing from Piedmont, celebrated for its velvety and creamy composition. This delectable treat is characterized by its harmonious blend of caramel, amaretti cookies, and chocolate. Resembling a chocolate budino, Bunet distinguishes itself with a lush, creamy texture and a more aromatic flavor profile.
The recipe for Bunet is distinctly free of flour and butter; instead featuring a harmonious medley of eggs, sugar, cocoa, milk, rum, and dry amaretti cookies. These cookies, typical of Piedmontese cuisine, impart their unique flavor, often used not only as standalone treats but also as a key ingredient in various recipes.
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Fillet of venison cooked in a Christmas broth & Schäufele
Thomas BühnerLA Vie by Thomas Bühner
MICHELIN Selected Restaurant, MICHELIN Guide Taiwan 2023
For me, Christmas is a time to meet and gather with friends and relatives. In Germany, Christmas is celebrated over three days. It starts on December 24th with Christmas Eve, the evening on which we will share presents with the family.
For Christmas Eve, most of the families are still quite traditional when it comes to food. We usually eat excellent mildly marinated salmon with blinis and caviar. The main course is fillet of venison cooked in a Christmas broth with red cabbage, which we also serve now at the restaurant during Christmas and New Year’s Eve.
The stock consists of two kinds of soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, cinnamon, water, as well as star anise and Szechuan pepper. The venison is poached in the broth for approximately 15-17 minutes. For dessert, there is an ice cream specialty that my wife has always eaten at Christmas since she was a child.
During Christmas days, we traditionally will also serve "Schäufele", a southern German specialty made from cured pork shoulder and served with potato salad.
For me, the best memories for Christmas are enjoying food together at the festive table with my family, and now, more and more with friends. I always enjoy how everyone looks forward to getting dressed up, the delicious food, the good wine, the good conversation, and just being together.
