Showing posts with label #RAWtaipei. Show all posts
Showing posts with label #RAWtaipei. Show all posts

Wednesday, March 29, 2017

news: TAIWAN RESTAURANTS LAND ON ASIA's 50 BEST

Finding Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in Taiwan
Good luck getting reservations at RAW, named Taiwan's Best Restaurant by Asia's 50 Best

Asia's 50 Best Restaurants were counted down earlier this year at an awards ceremony in Bangkok, where chefs eagerly waited to hear what place they had earned on this year's list. Nominees invited know they are guaranteed a spot in the top 50, but they do not know where on the list they rank until is announced at the ceremony. 


"Even the regional chairmen don't know who the voters voted for, or who got the votes. So it is very exciting for chefs to attend." said chef Richie Lin from Mume, a new entry on this year's list from Taiwan. 

RAW's chef Zor Tan recalled, "It is the time of year when you want to see your report card to know if you outdid yourself the previous year." 

This year, Gaggan, a progressive Indian restaurant in Bangkok, Thailand, retained his spot at number 1 for the third year in a row- an impressive record considering that Asia's 50 Best has only been around for five years. Gaggan will be familiar to those who have seen him on Netflix's "Chef's Table" series, or spotted his emoji menu or Japanese influenced, modern Indian tasting menu on Instagram. 


Taiwanese chef Andre Chiang's Restaurant Andre in Singapore moved up one spot to number 2. Third place is Amber in Hong Kong. The list includes restaurants from Singapore, Thailand, Japan, China, Taiwan, Korea, Sri Lanka, Indonesia and Philippines. Chef May Chow from Hong Kong's Little Bao was named Asia's Best Female Chef of 2017 and Otto E Mezzo's Umberto Bombana was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Chef Zor Tan who is involved with both Restaurant Andre and RAW said, "It's a gratifying feeling knowing both restaurants got into top 50 and best restaurant in Singapore and best restaurant in Taiwan. I am humbled that both restaurants are well accepted by our audience. It is a team effort that is recognized by our fellow peers in the industry." 

Unlike the Michelin Stars Guide, which awards highly coveted stars given by anonymous food critics in specific cities, Asia's 50 Best held a series of events where the chefs could eat, party and gather together. Chef Zor Tan, "This is where we pause for a moment from our busy schedule and gather." 


"The most valuable part of this experience is to connect, a chance for all the chefs to meet each other from different countries, share ideas and exchange knowledge." said chef Richie Lin. 

But both lists skew towards fine dining, higher priced restaurants that serve intricately plated dishes rather than the casual, mom and pop restaurants that could arguably also be a "best" restaurant on a list. Some critics also point out the lack of restaurants helmed by female chefs, as well as voter bias towards restaurants already on the list or in cities where tourism boards actively woo voters. 

Taiwan landed three restaurants on this year's list, with RAW (number 24), Le Mout in Taichung (number 28), and Mume, debuting at number 43. RAW jumped ahead from last year's 46th place past Le Mout to take over the title of Best Restaurant in Taiwan. Reservations at RAW are already nearly impossible to get through their online booking system, and with the additional publicity, diners will have an even tougher time. 


Without flying to another country, you can also try the Taipei branch of Ryugin #7 and L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon which placed for its Bangkok and Hong Kong restaurants, at #40 and #41. Keep an eye out for pop ups and "four hands" collaborations with chefs from other countries, such as Restaurant Andre (#2) at RAW, or Den (#11) at Mume. Regent Taipei has also brought Sri Lanka's Ministry of Crab #29 and Seoul's Jungsik #25 to Taipei. 

First time hearing about this list and these restaurants? Here's a brief introduction to the Taiwan's best restaurants, according to Asia's 50 Best. 


RAW #24


Who are the chefs at RAW?: Andre Chiang, Alain Huang and Zor Tan. 

What is the menu like?: RAW has a seasonal menu that changes every few months and has featured a Best of the Year menu at the end of the past two years. Comprised of eight courses, the menu lists just three key ingredients for each dish on a word puzzle like sheet. Dishes such as beef tongue shavings on top of a beef tongue cracker or miniature bbq corn are inspired by Taiwanese snacks with a modern gastronomic twist. Every menu highlights local produce, sourced with the island's local farmers, such as the spring 2017 menu's sliced tomatoes with green chili sorbet and gazpacho foam, with tomatoes from Yilan, Nantou and Yang Ming Shan.


How to make reservations: Book at a table though RAW's website Reservations can be made two weeks in advance and are released at 12Noon everyday. Try your luck with the waitlist by messaging RAW through "Contact" on the page to snap up last minute cancellations. For an upgraded menu (at a slightly higher price) and view of the bustling kitchen, or if you have a larger party, try to get chef's table seats, which are usually released on the first Tuesday of every month at 3PM.


Check out this video interview by the Culinary Institute of America with RAW's chefs Alain Huang and Zor Tan, featuring dishes All About Duck, Taco Tako TACOS, Onion Onion Onion and Mango Snowball. I worked on this as a location producer/Taipei fixer last year for the CIA and they captured everything so beautifully. 


LE MOUT #28


Who are the chefs at LE MOUT: Lanshu Chen,  Jimmy Lim and pastry chef Makito Hiratsuka. Chef Lanshu Chen was named Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2014.  

What is the menu like?: Modern French dishes such as Blaze mushrooms, veal sweetbread, dried tangerine rind, chestnut, rice essence or American prime filet with French goose foie gras poele and sautéed chanterelles topped with a green peppercorn sauce.


How to make reservations: Make reservations on http://www.lemout.com
59 Cunzhong St, West District, Taichung City, Taiwan 403 +886 4 2375 3002 

MUME #43


Who are the chefs at MUME: Richie Lin, Kai Ward and Long Xiong

What is the menu like?: The Modern European menu features Snacks, Small, Bigger and Sweets on an a la carte menu. Signature dishes include the waygu beef tartare with clam mayo, confit egg yolk and preserved daikon; summer salad of nearly 30 different vegetables from local producers dressed with fermented black beans and crispy amadai with 


How to make reservations: Book a table through the reservation tab/link “Book a Table” on Mume's Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/mume.taiwan/). Call (02) 2700-0901 or e-mail: info@mume.tw for private dining room reservations, which seats 8-12 people serving a set menu only.


Check out this video interview by the Culinary Institute of America with Mume's chefs Richie Lin and Kai Ward . I worked on this as a location producer/Taipei fixer last year for the CIA's World of Flavors and love how these videos turned out. 

No. 1 GAGGAN, Bangkok, Thailand

No. 2 RESTAURANT ANDRÉ, Singapore 
No. 3 AMBER, Hong Kong, China  
No. 4 8 1/2 OTTO E MEZZO BOMBANA, Hong Kong, China
No. 5 NAHM, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 6 NARISAWA, Tokyo, Japan 
No. 7 NIHONRYORI RYUGIN, Tokyo, Japan
No. 8 ULTRAVIOLET BY PAUL PAIRET, Shanghai, China 
No. 9 ODETTE, Singapore
No. 10 BURNT ENDS, Singapore 
No. 11 DEN, Tokyo, Japan 
No. 12 L'EFFERVESCENCE, Tokyo, Japan
No. 13 SUHRING, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 14 FLORILEGE, Tokyo, Japan
No. 15 MINGLES, Seoul, South Korea 
No. 16 LES AMIS, Singapore
No. 17 LUNG KING HEEN, Hong Kong, China
No. 18 QUINTESSENCE, Tokyo, Japan
No. 19 BO.LAN, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 20 WAKU GHIN, Singapore
No. 21 ISSAYA SIAMESE CLUB, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 22 LOCAVORE, Bali, Indonesia 
No. 23 CORNER HOUSE, Singapore
No. 24 RAW, Taipei, Taiwan 
No. 25 JUNGSIK, Seoul, South Korea 
No. 26 SUSHI SAITO, Tokyo, Japan 
No. 27 TIPPLING CLUB, Singapore 
No. 28 LE MOÛT, Taichung, Taiwan
No. 29 MINISTRY OF CRAB, Colombo, Sri Lanka
No. 30 INDIAN ACCENT, New Delhi, India 
No. 31 EAT ME, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 32 JADE DRAGON, Macau, China
No. 33 TA VIE, Hong Kong, China
No. 34 HAJIME, Osaka, Japan
No. 35 GALLERY VASK, Manila, Philippines
No. 36 THE DINING ROOM AT THE HOUSE ON SATHORN, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 37 LE DEU, Bankgkok, Thailand
No. 38 LA YEON, Seoul, South Korea
No. 39 THE TASTING ROOM BY GALLIOT, Macau 
No. 40 L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON, Bangkok, Thailand
No. 41 L'ATELIER DE JOËL ROBUCHON, Hong Kong, China
No. 42 JAAN, Singapore
No. 43 MUME, Taipei, Taiwan 
No. 44 SHINJI BY KANESAKA, Singapore
No. 45 RONIN, Hong Kong
No. 46 WASABI BY MORIMOTO, Mumbai, India
No. 47 THE CHAIRMAN, Hong Kong, China 
No. 48 FU HE HUI, Shanghai, China 
No 49 NIHONBASHI, Colombo, Sri Lanka
No. 50 TAKAZAWA, Tokyo

Monday, September 19, 2016

bistronomy/modern: i strongly recommend RAW (fall 2016)



RAW
No. 301, Lequn 3rd Road, Zhongshan District
台北市中山區樂群三路301號
(02) 8501-5800

MRT: Jianan Road

website: www.raw.com.tw

hours: Lunch: Wed- Sun / 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Dinner: Tues - Sat  / 6 PM - 10 PM
Closed Mondays
$$$$ (NT$1850/per person plus 10% service. Chef's table menu in back of restaurant is slightly more expensive)

Kid friendliness: only set menus available so only probably only foodie kids will appreciate

Visit reviewed: 8/22/2016 Fall 2016

Previous RAW Taipei menus: 
5/26/2016 Summer 2016
1/21/2016 Winter 2016
 4/7/2015 & 3/4/2015 Spring 2015



LOVED loved love the new menu at @raw_taipei. Might be my favorite set yet. Loved the "All about duck" and the "Taco, tako, t-a-c-o-s" and dual basil pesto abalone and bamboo.  So many wonderful flavors and interpretations of Taiwan infused with the world for the latest menu.

Of course, it helped to have Chef Andre Chiang and Chef Alain Huang to talk about dishes and not be afraid to quiz the servers about details. I've been lucky enough to come to almost every season (thank you to my friends who manage to snag reservations) to RAW, but this was my first time coming as an invited guest of RAW to their media luncheon. I was the only English language media/blogger, so I'm working my way up in the world! Haha.




CORN / CHARCOAL / BBQ 
The first course at @raw_taipei definitely evokes Taiwanese street corn #🌽, smothered in sticky sweet sauce and grilled, but in miniature form. I thought it was a giant baby corn at first but someone pointed out it was made out of individual kernels taken off and reassembled onto a baby corn popsicle , so you still have the mouthfeel of regular sized Bbq corn kernels. Playful start to the 8 course meal.



ABALONE/ BAMBOO / SANBEI PESTO 
Chef @andrechiang_sg played with the idea that both east and west "use basil with different flavors. What if you used it (Taiwanese basil) in a Western way?" Taiwanese cuisine uses Thai basil in dishes like three cup, or san-bei, while Italian/Western uses a sweet basil for pesto. The addictive sauce was a mash up of the two, making the perfect match for the crunchy bamboo, touch of caviar and chewy abalone. I scooped up the extra pesto and pine nuts with the bread. So so good.




SCALLION / ONION / LEEK  蔥蔥蔥
Every season, RAW Taipei "Always has one vegetable driven dish" and this dish is it for the new menu. Paraphrasing Chef Andre's thoughts about this "onion family" dish, he said, "Interesting how when you cook the leaf, the roots, it shows different levels of sweetness, (it's) almost meaty." The leek and zucchini purée was definitely very creamy and sweet, with an underlying saltiness from the mackerel, while the onion petals cup drops of EVOO and balsamic. What I thought were bacon bits were fried shiitake mushrooms to give the purée a satisfying crunch. You almost don't need the uni, but I will never complain about uni. Later I found out that there are several touches, like the uni that come with the Chef's Table, which are the two elongated tables in the back near the kitchen, which cost slightly more per person.




The TACO / TAKO/ T-A-C-O-S takes a spring onion pancake as tortilla, octopus (with is tako in Japanese) as the meat with a soft boiled egg and T-a-c-o-s standing for teriyaki, avocado, cabbage, onions and sour cream. A playful interpretation and play on words to combine the flavors of multiple countries. The spring onion pancake is thicker than a regular tortilla would be, and the flaky layers provide the satisfying crunch, while the chewy cubes of octopus and runny egg contrast and complement the pancake.



ALL ABOUT DUCK used all parts of the duck including duck heart, duck tongue and duck liver. I mean #FOIEGRAS SOUP. How can you not love it? With barley, Taiwanese red quinoa and corn. One of my favorite dishes.





OCEAN TROUT/RADISH/SALTED OLIVES

Ocean trout served two ways. First as fish chip with the fish skin fried into a crispy chip, then sous vided into tender submission and topped with salmon roe, paired with radish and salted chinese olives. (And looks sort of like the island of Taiwan) If you weren't paying attention, you might even think it was salmon. Every dish RAW serves always has contrasting textures, something smooth, something crunchy and this dish follows the rules. 




BURNT TOMATO/ MOLE/ SMOKED SAGO 
Beef cheek with mole sauce and burnt tomato, light dusting of chocolate shavings. Unexpected dish for me- curious how locals will like this menu. 


Spying into the kitchen between dishes


And ICE / SNOWBALL / MANGO modernizes the popular mango shaved ice and gives us a meringue snowball with sweet #mango cubes and tableside snowfall.





So that's the new menu at @raw_taipei. I really enjoyed every single dish and love that they are introducing flavors like mole and tacos to Taiwan, but in an unexpected new way by marrying the ones we find familiar. Inspires me to try to do the same at home.

Friday, June 24, 2016

revisited/modern: i strongly recommend RAW SUMMER 2016


RAW 
No. 301, Lequn 3rd Road, Zhongshan District
台北市中山區樂群三路301號
(02) 8501-5800

MRT: Jianan Road

website: www.raw.com.tw

hours: Lunch: Wed- Sun / 11:30 AM - 2:30 PM
Dinner: Tues - Sat  / 6 PM - 10 PM
Closed Mondays, and Tues lunch
$$$$ (NT$1850/per person plus 10% service)

Kid friendliness: only set menus available so only probably only foodie kids will appreciate

Visit reviewed: 5/26/2016
previous visits: 4/2015 (spring 2015), 1/2016 (winter 2016)


WHEN I WATCHED THE GRANT ACHATZ EPISODE OF CHEF'S TABLE ON NETFLIX, I was reminded of (1) how much I love documentaries (2) how much work goes into a restaurant, each dish, by a team of people who strive to make inspired dining rather than something you could get anywhere else. I thought about my recent visit to RAW which has been featuring the summer menu for a few months now. There's a dish that Grant Achatz made when he was at French Laundry and Thomas Keller told him, "You know, this will be known as a Thomas Keller dish from now on. Are you okay with that?" And as much as we love or hate the dishes at RAW, we can give the credit to Andre Chiang, who is the face of the restaurant, but also acknowledge the partners and teamwork that make it happen. There are two other partners who conceptualize and execute the menu- Zor Tan, who is known as the "brains" coming up with the ideas for the menu and Alain Huang, "the hands," who makes the menu happen and runs RAW's kitchen on a day to day basis, are just as integral to the beef tongue cracker or the 27 vegetables that end up on your plate. The more that I eat at RAW and get to know the behind the scenes (and I'm sure this is true of many restaurants), the more that I appreciate the innovation that these new restaurants in Taipei strive for while making it taste good at the same time. We feed our eyes, our mouths, our stomaches, our minds, our cameras. It is still nearly impossible to get a table at RAW- I have only gone the last few times because of my friends' prowess in snagging a reservation. Thank you M!




Browsing Chef Andre's OCTAPHILOSOPHY while waiting. Was tempted to buy a copy as they had limited copies signed by Chef Andre and all the chefs at Restaurant Andre, but when was I ever going to make any of these dishes? (I'd rather eat there!)



I was drawn to this page "Unique. Pure. Texture. Memory. Salt. South. Artisan. Terroir. These are important words in Restaurant Andre. They are the backbone.. Octaphilosophy is our method of encouraging and managing... and a principle to live by."


The Anatomy of Bistronomy- love, affordable prices, freedom, spirit, sharing, multiple courses, phenomal produce, no bullshit and terroir.




Summer 2016 menu
(instagram @raw_taipei added to the bottom. hehe)



First course: PORRIDGE / FERMENTED TOFU /CONDIMENTS 

The star of this dish is the kohlrabi, which is tastes like a crisp daikon, even though it's not listed on the menu. Seaweed powder dusted atop of finely julienne kohlrabi, crab salad hidden underneath, all atop a large piece of kohlrabi. The porridge? Just the water from boiled rice, which is surprisingly sweet, served in a small cup to drink. The fermented tofu is the dot of the sauce.




Second course: SCALLOP/ CAULIFLOWER COUSCOUS / SPICY PONZU

Having just come back from Toba, Japan, this dish reminded me of the freshly caught and grilled scallops that the women divers prepared for us. This was RAW's version, with crunchy grains of cauliflower disguised as couscous, also hiding a sliced scallop, perfectly seared. I didn't care for the sauce, which I found out later was a cauliflower puree. It was thick and a bit gluey and I thought it was housemade mayo.




Third course: BEEF / TONGUE / CRACKER

On the lao jie or old street in Yilan, you can find many shops selling "ox tongue" crackers 牛舌餅, named after their elongated shape, and is crispy and slightly sweet and a favorite local snack. RAW plays with the name, the idea and pushes it a bit further by making their own version of the cracker, then topping it with actual beef tongue, cooked for 36 hours with soy sauce and Japanese vinegar, caramelized onion and pairing it with a gooey slow cooked egg. The pairing is amazing and reminds of when you dip Japanese sukiyaki into raw egg, but 10x better. So brilliant, taking something that is SO Taiwanese and making it into such a modern dish in such a delicious way. If this was a permanent dish, I would order two or three, EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. (it's odd though on Instagram, some people got it with egg and some without. I wonder why)




Fourth course: BUTTERMILK/ REMOULADE/ GAMBERONI

A table side pour of the buttermilk into the green pool, the vegetable stack hides a plump shrimp underneath. So summery almost like a deconstructed coleslaw. 




Fifth course: LEEK OIL/ DAIKON /SUMMER VEGETABLES 

Our server said along with the betelnut flower there were 22 kinds of Taiwan spring vegetables in one dish. How many can you identify?




Sixth course: HIRAME SKIRT / PICKLED JUS / MEUNIERE

Personally I thought this was a tad oily, and one of my least favorite dishes of the menu. 



Seventh course: RED QUINOA/ OYSTER BEARNAISE / SMOKED CABBAGE

RAW's untraditional version of surf and turf also seemed like an underwater scene to me, with the Taiwnaese red quinoa crusted chicken looking like coral, the smoked lettuce leaf looked like a translucent shell and the wasabi and spinach foam like the ocean. Next the chicken was diced Spanish mackerel mixed in with the cabbage.  



8th course/ dessert: THUNDER TEA/ ALMOND MOCHI / SHAVED BEAN CURD




To me, the plates from the summer 2016 menu at RAW felt like they had ocean/acquatic theme with minimalistic strokes..julienned kohlrabi dusted with leek powder masquerading as seaweed underwater.  Translucent crispy cabbage could be paper thin shells on quinoa crusted chicken coral and cabbage mixed with diced mackerel, or the betelnut flower with 22 kinds of Taiwan spring vegetables mirrored coral reef.  I don't know if it was my subconscious or RAW's very intentional vibe, but put together in a collage, it became even more evident to me.
RAW isn't the only one doing out-of-box thinking when it comes to bistronomy in Taipei, so while I admire RAW and appreciate it, I don't put it on a pedestal and I don't think they would want us to either. But I always look forward to seeing their new menu and summer is almost coming to an end -- what will fall bring us?


:)