news/michelin: 10 TAIPEI CHEFS TO WATCH (+ 1 IN TAICHUNG)

Ever since Michelin launched its inaugural awards last year, Taipei has had a wave of chefs relocating here to try their hand with local ingredients, new restaurant openings, and passionate discussions about who belonged on the list (or not). 

With Asia's 50 Best wrapped and Taipei Michelin awards around the corner, I thought it would be the perfect time to highlight a few restaurants and chefs that have been on my radar and should be on yours too. 

1. JL STUDIO / Chef Jimmy Lim 
@jlstudio_tw / @jimmy_jlstudio

Chef Jimmy Lim and JL Studio was honored with the Miele's One to Watch this year at Asia's 50 Best Restaurant Awards putting this Singaporean restaurant in Taichung on the map. (and yes, I know he's not in Taipei, but he's definitely One to Watch!)

2. IMPROMPTU BY PAUL LEE / Chef Paul Lee
@impromptu_tw / @paulhwlee

3. LOGY / Chef Ryogo Tahara
@logy.tw / @ryogotahara

4. ORCHID / Chef Perin Gildas
@orchidno.83 / @gildasperin

5. ADACHI/ Chef Hiromasa Adachi 

6. VERDE / Chef Timothy Lu 
@verde_taipei / @cheftimothylu

7. ANIMA / Chef Marco Compagnin 
@anima.taipei / @compa89 

8. AMAMOTO/ Chef Shogo Amamoto

9. BENCOTTO/ Chef Iacapo Frassi
@mo_tpe / @iacopofrassi

10. SUGAR PEA / AVENUE / Chef Sandy Yoon
@sugarpea.taipei / @avenue.taipei / @sandyyoonn

11. INGE's BAR AND GRILL/ Chef Vincent Weng
@inges_taipei / @vincent_inges

I wanted to post this before the 2019 Michelin star announcements were made, so I will post first and add details later! The only two restaurants I have not been to on this list are Logy and JL Studio, but I hope to be going there SOON!!

And these are some of the chefs that earned Michelin Stars last year that you should know if you don't already. Currently, Mume, RAW and Ryugin are the three Taipei restaurants to hold the honor as one of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants in 2019. 

• L'ATELIER ROBUCHON TAIPEI / Chef Olivier Jean * @olivierjean_23
• LONGTAIL/ Chef Lam Ming Kin * @longtail.taipei @kin.cooks
• TARROIR / Chef Kai Ho * @tairror @kaiho1011 
• SUSHI RYU / Chef Yolong Yang*
• MUME / Chefs Richie Lin and Long Xiong * @mume_taiwan @richie_lin 
• RAW / Chefs Alain Huang and Andre Chiang * @raw_taipei @alainh001 @andrechiang_sg
• RYUGIN / Chef Ryohei Hieda ** @hiedaryohei

And speaking of Michelin, they should definitely honor Din Tai Fung and Shin Yeh with stars imho, as Din Tai Fung is definitely a place that people travel across oceans to eat at- the OG shop that made xiao long baos a household name. How can it have earned a Michelin Star in Hong Kong, but not in Taipei? 

News: TAIPEI’s FIRST MICHELIN BIB GOURMAND & CLOSING OF LE MOUT AND ORIGINES

(4/3/2018- I wrote this last month but never posted it.. I think I was trying to find an appropriate photo, but I will just have to post it without as too many things are happening in the meanwhile!)

WITH THE RELEASE OF TAIPEI'S first Michelin guide and this week's Bib gourmand list, my newsfeed has been flooded with announcements. The Bib gourmand selection includes places that Michelin wants to honor, usually under a certain price point, but have not been awarded an actual star. The first list spotlights a lot of local eats including 10 nine market stalls and 8 beef noodle soups. I thought it was also interesting that they recognized Joseph's Bistro, an Indian restaurant.

The past few days, I've also learned that Origines helmed by Chef Cyril Hou will close at the end of this month and the award winning Le Mout in Taichung will close at the end of 2018. Both have announced the closings on their Facebook pages, and Chef Lanshu has written a heartfelt letter about her decision to close her 10-year-old restaurant. I have yet to try either restaurant, but would like to try them before they close.

So with the upcoming release of Taipei is Michelin guide, will it make some of our favorites more even crowded, or will it shine a global spotlight on Taipei's fine dining restaurants that need more than local customers to thrive? Perhaps both. The past five years or so we've seen a boom of fine dining restaurants, modern bistros, steakhouses, sushi bars, Japanese and Korean bbq. Now we as customers have a wider range of culinary options, but are there enough people in Taipei who eat out that often, at that price point with that palate? As much as I enjoy a fancy meal out now and then, there are so many places even I have yet to try, or favorites that I haven't revisited in months.

Are you looking forward to what restaurants the Michelin guide will pick? I'm definitely curious! Do you think they will be able to find both the well known and not as well known local favorites? Or do you be more interested in a Taipei street food guide?


TAIPEI 2018 BIB GOURMAND

• DIAN SHUI LOU (Songshan) 點水樓 (松山)
• DIN TAI FUNG 鼎泰豐 (信義路)
• FU HUANG SOY MILK  阜杭豆漿 
• HAMAMATSUYA濱松屋 
• HANG ZHOU XIAO LONG BAO (DaAn) 杭州小籠湯包 (大安 )
• HAO GONG DAO JIN JI YUAN 好公道金雞園
• JOSEPH BISTRO
• MAO YUAN 茂園 
• MEILI 美麗餐廳 
• MY ZHAO My 灶 
• MY SWEET HOME SMALL KITCHEN 我家小廚房 
• NO. 1 FOOD THEATER CUSINE 一号糧倉 
• PENG FAMILY 彭家園 
• SERENITY 祥和蔬食 
• SHUANG YUE FOOD 雙月食品 
• SONG KITCHEN 宋廚菜館 
• TAO LUAN TING ROAST PEKING DUCK PALACE 北平陶然亭 
• ZUI FENG YUAN 醉楓園小館 

TAIPEI 2018 BIB GOURMAND BEEF NOODLES

• HALAL CHINESE BEEF NOODLES 清真中國牛肉麵食 館
• JIAN HONG BEEF NOODLES建宏牛肉麵
• LAO SHANDONG HOMEMADE NOODLES老山東牛肉家常麵 店
• LIAO BEEF NOODLES 廖家牛肉麵
• LIN DONG FANG BEEF NOODLES 林東芳牛肉麵
• LIU SHANDONG BEEF NOODLES 劉山東牛肉麵
• NIU DIAN BEEF NOODLES 牛店精燉牛肉麵
• YONG KANG BEEF NOODLE 永康牛肉麵

TAIPEI 2018 BIB GOURMAND NIGHT MARKET

• A NAN SESAME CHICKEN
• STINKY TOFU BOSS
• LIU YU ZI 
• RONG'S PORK LIVER
• CHEN DONG PORK RIBS MEDICINAL HERBAL SOUP
• FUZHOU BLACK PEPPER BUN at RaoHe Night Market
• SHI BOSS SPICY TOFU