Serene ChanCalling all foodies travelling to Taiwan! You might want to relook your Taipei itinerary again because Michelin has unveiled a collection of 110 award-winning restaurants and street food stalls across 33 different cuisines in its first MICHELIN Guide Taipei 2018. The highly-anticipated list also revealed a total of 20 Michelin-starred restaurants in the gastronomic city – one restaurant bestowed with three Michelin stars, two restaurants with two Michelin stars and 17 restaurants clinched one Michelin star.
Here is a glimpse into eight of the must-visit Michelin-starred establishments in Taipei and their signature dishes!
Three-star Michelin Restaurant
Le Palais
Image credit: Le Palais Facebook
Image credit: Le Palais Facebook
Cantonese restaurant, Le Palais is the cream of the crop among all the other Michelin-starred restaurants in Taipei.
Serving authentic Cantonese dishes as well as other authentic Chinese dishes, Le Palais, helmed by Chef Chan Wai-Keung, is renowned for its Cantonese-style crispy roast duck and delicious baked egg-custard tarts. The chef’s exceptional creations, coupled with the restaurant’s luxurious ambience, is sure to capture the hearts of all foodies!
Address: No. 3, 17F, Section 1, Chengde Road, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103
Opening hours: 11.30am-2.30pm & 5.30-9.30pm daily
Price: 500 to 1500 TWD
Two-star Michelin Restaurants
Ryu Gin
Image credit: Fine Dining Restaurants Facebook
Image credit: Fine Dining Restaurants Facebook
Inspired by Tokyo’s popular RyuGin restaurant, this Japanese contemporary restaurant with subtle elements of Taiwanese gastronomy does not fall short of expectations. Go for the 7 to 10-course dinner, which is well-matched with elegant wine pairings. The rosemary squab, which is the highlight of the dinner, is said to be so tender that it melts in your mouth! Pair it with the highly-raved JuyonDai sake for a phenomenal experience.
Address: No.301 Lequn 3rd Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei, Taiwan
Opening hours: 6-9pm daily
Price: 3000 to 5000 TWD
The Guest House
Image credit: Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel
Image credit: Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel
Featuring traditional Hunan and Sichuan dishes with a Taiwanese twist, The Guest House seriously deserves a Nobel prize for transforming seemingly simple home-cooked food into works of art with great texture and taste. Their signature dishes include double-steamed soups, chicken rice with sesame oil, pork tail braised in red yeast rice, and millefeuille tofu skin.
Address: 17F, Sheraton Grand Hotel, 12, Section 1, Zhongxiao East Road, Zhongzheng, Taipei, 110
Opening hours: 11.30am-2pm & 6-9.30pm daily
Price: 500 to 1500 TWD
One-star Michelin Restaurants
MUME
Image credit: MUME Taiwan Facebook
Image credit: MUME Taiwan Facebook
Meaning “plum blossom” in Latin, MUME serves up dishes that certainly remain true to its name. Here you will find every dish delicately garnished with fresh herbs and flowers – a striking contrast to its dimly-lit faux-industrial interior. Nordic influences and modern European techniques are used effectively to bring out the uniqueness of Taiwan fresh produce, especially manifested in the Mume Salad with over 20 ingredients. The Wagyu Tartare is also equally good – juicy and bursting with flavour. If you have a sweet tooth, try the delightful tartlet which comprises of sweet peas and ginger threads with ricotta cheese.
Address: No. 28, Siwei Road, Da’an District, Taipei, Taiwan
Opening hours: 6-9.30pm daily
Price: 1500 to 3000 TWD
L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon
Image credit: L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Facebook
Image credit: L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon Facebook
If you are a French food connoisseur, you must have heard of Chef Joël Robuchon who operates a chain of restaurants known for its iconic black and red colour scheme – L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon is one of them. Acclaimed by many local Taiwanese reviews as one of the best French restaurants in Taipei, this glamorous, high-class restaurant serves French classics in a prix-fixe menu, à la carte or even in small tasting portions. Be sure to try their foie gras and exquisite deconstructed desserts!
Address: No.28, 5F, Songren Road, Xinyi District, Bellavita, Taipei, Taiwan
Opening hours: 11.30am-2pm & 6-9.30pm daily
Price: 500 to 1500 TWD
Golden Formosa
Image credit: MICHELIN Guide
Image credit: Golden Formosa
With roots dating back to the 1960s, Golden Formosa is a three-generation family business that sticks true to its traditional family recipes from the olden days. Its signature deep-fried pork ribs are double-fried to lock in the juices and up the level of crunchiness in the crust. Another dish worth the money is the Buddha Jumps Over The Wall, a rich and flavorful chicken soup with over 10 gourmet ingredients. This restaurant is almost always fully-booked and seats don’t come by easily, so remember to make your reservations in advance to avoid disappointment!
Address: No. 101, Tianmu E. Rd., Shilin Dist, Taipei, Taiwan
Opening hours: 11.30am-2pm & 5.30-9pm daily
Price: 500 to 1500 TWD
Taïrroir
Image credit: Taïrroir Facebook
Think a chic, trendy restaurant with 1,876 lustrous copper tiles hanging from the ceiling and professional waiters and waitresses welcoming you in all-smiles. That is Taïrroir for you.
Taïrroir, a portmanteau of Taiwan and terroir, is an innovative western fine-dining concept coined by Chef Kai Ho who uses fresh indigenous produce to reinvent Taiwanese cuisine. Every dish is an artful presentation that prompts you to whip out your camera for a snap. One of their signature highlights is the deconstructed taro duck dish with 65°C soft poached egg and creamy taro purée sprinkled with crispy duck pieces and dried shrimps. For starters, the restaurant also serves up bread baked by the award-winning Wu Pao Chun bakery, so don’t miss out on that!
Address: No.299, 6F, Lequn 3rd Road, Taipei 10462, Taiwan
Opening hours: 12-1pm & 6.30-8pm daily
Price: 1500 to 3000 TWD
Kitcho
Image credit: Kitcho Facebook
From its famous Niigata rice seasoned with three kinds of vinegar down to its warmly-lit interior with traditional pale wood and fabric furnishings, this Japanese sushi restaurant transports you momentarily to the Land of the Rising Sun. Other remarkably executed dishes include the cod sperm with egg custard as well as the simple uni gunkan maki, in which the uni tastes like it’s freshly caught off the coast of Hokkaido.
Pick an imported sake from their ever-changing seasonal menu. Cooked dishes are also available if pre-ordered. It may be a pricey meal but it is definitely worth every penny if you are craving for Japanese food!
Address: No.48, Lane 181, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Rd, Taipei, Taiwan
Opening hours: 12-1pm & 6-8pm daily
Price: 1500 to 3000 TWD
Keeping in mind the rich gastronomic history of Taipei (read: Taipei has 20 streets dedicated to some of the world’s best street food!), Michelin Guide specially released a Bib Gourmand category last week for its Taipei edition. The category rounded up a total of 36 eateries, including 10 street food stalls across various night markets and a total of 11 cuisine types, including the famous Taiwanese Beef Noodles.
Spoilt for choice? Well, extend your foodie adventure in Taipei and explore this renowned culinary hotspot in-depth!
The complete selection of the MICHELIN Guide Taipei 2018 can be found on the 2018 MICHELIN Guide Taipei website: https://guide.michelin.com/tw/en/taipei.
Information extracted from press release issued by Taiwan Tourism Bureau Singapore Office
