“Every time when I come across a seasonal ingredient or a special flavour combination, I document it,” chef Johnny Tsai from one-MICHELIN-starred restaurant T+T said as he scrolled through hundreds of notes on his mobile phone. These ideas he picked up from outbound journeys and his immediate surroundings will be cast at the right moment to become the stars of his culinary theatre.
“T+T has changed its direction since its sister restaurant Circum- opened in 2023. The cuisines from the Greater China region have been outsourced to the latter, and now, it is dedicated to Taiwan and Southeast Asia.”
French techniques have remained a cornerstone of T+T, but showcasing the spirit behind Southeast Asian cooking has become the primary question that occupies the restaurant. With its menu changing every season, what keeps Tsai’s creative juice flowing?
Inspiration is Everywhere: Lessons Learnt on the Road
“I go to Malaysia, Korea and other countries every year when the business is on a break, and I’d get inspired by trying their street snacks, MICHELIN-starred restaurants, local markets and cutlery,” Tsai noted. He met T+T’s other chef Bruce Lee when they both worked under Singaporean gastronomic icon Justin Quek. The duo’s mutual understanding towards cooking has only gotten stronger after years of running the joint together. Those shared moments abroad are also instrumental to them staying on the same page whenever they come up with new dishes and impart a distinctive aura onto their creative output.
For instance, “Red Curry | Mint | Koshihiari Rice” stems from the red curry sold on the streets of Singapore. The spices available there boast an exceptional fragrance, which reminded them of a corresponding dish with fresh fish Quek prepared at Justin’s Signature over a decade ago.
Reflecting on that instance, Tsai and Lee experiment with the components in the dish: smoke-grilled mackerel bone replaces fish sauce as the umami agent; standing in for oyster sauce, Japanese soy sauce rice cracker offers the depth of a fermented condiment as it is crushed to coat the mackerel fish. The usual long-grain rice is substituted by koshihikari rice, which takes on a delightfully chewy texture after cooked with coconut cream and various spices. The mix of Japanese, Taiwanese and Singaporean influences extends their travel memories to the present time.
Deconstructing the Canon
The spring appetiser “White Shrimp | Bean Curd | Sambal” (right image) is an imaginative remake of laksa, applying the noodle soup’s enticing notes of spices to western-style devilled egg. Seafood, soy and dairy, the holy trinity in the iconic dish, are represented respectively by sweet white shrimp, crispy tofu skin and velvety mayonnaise in Tsai and Lee’s rendition.
The addition of vivacious sambal makes clear of its Southeast Asian origin. In contrast to the disappearing broth, the solid element in laksa – the starch – is served in liquid form via the sake and alcohol-free amazake that complete the novel creation with a lingering rice aroma.
It clearly outlines the two chefs’ ambition to challenge the established culinary framework, proposing new forms to classic recipes.
“I believe the customers who come here expect to find familiar flavours on the plate,” Tsai mentioned.
The imagawayaki at T+T garnered so much popularity that it not only became a signature at the restaurant menu, but also a point to connect the chefs and diners. Meanwhile, their team is always on the lookout for new narratives to showcase traditions and everyday practices indispensable to Taiwanese culture.
One such example is “Mackerel | Tomato | Kimchi”(left image), which pays homage to the tinned mackerel that most Taiwanese have tasted at some point in their lives.
The dish is the first course of Tsai’s spring menu, and he hopes to excite the palate of his patrons with something cold and tart. The mackerel is marinated with lemongrass and galangal before grilled. Its salinity and fattiness are accentuated by a jelly of clarified tomato and kimchi juice. Carrot, basil and finger lime inject extra fragrance and acidity to the ensemble.
Finding Harmony Among Individual Dishes
“Rather than reinventing classics, I care more about the overall balance of my menu,” Tsai noted. “The transition from cold to hot, the ratio between seafood and meat and the fluidity of flavour profiles are some of our priorities.”The devil is in the detail. Tsai is meticulous in the attempt to highlight seasonal produce and manage the rhythm between courses.
“A single dish might be delicious on its own, but the progression of tastes is more important if we consider the satisfaction level of a meal.”
Such rigour is seen even in the role of water at T+T.
“Water helps release the taste of food. When we are having a heavy sauce, drinking a sip of water to dilute it can unlock all its dimensions,” Tsai explained. To ensure his sense of taste stays sharp, he consumes two bottles of water while assessing his dishes, so that the aftertaste of first course does not impact his impression of the second.
“We choose evian because its purity is effective in removing the aftertaste of a dish. The food at T+T features lots of spices and sweet and sour flavours, which really benefits from pure mineral water to relieve the stimulation.”
Other factors to the equation are temperature, with chilled water doing a better job refreshing our taste buds, as well as smoothness.
“Ideally, it should have fine bubbles like champagne and be mild enough to not diminish the sensitivity of our mouth. Anything that affects the harmony of flavour between our dishes deserves our attention,” Tsai concluded.
Hero image: Chefs Johnny Tsai (left) and Bruce Lee (right) from T+T.
All photos courtesy of T+T and Andrew Kan.
Further Reading: Video: 2 Days In: Taipei
