The highly-anticipated list, announced in Taipei today, revealed a total of 20 Michelin-starred restaurants in Taiwan. As the only restaurant bestowed with three Michelin stars, Le Palais (頤宮) in Palais de Chine Hotel, was recognized for its “Exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.” 

(Image: Palais de Chine Hotel)

“We have long started to prepare since we’ve heard the Michelin was coming to Taipei,” said the Chief Manager at Palais de Chine Hotel. Slight adjustments in the spacing of the seats, the dishing, and the services were constantly made since then. “I treat my customers as my own family,”said executive chef Wei-Chiang Chen. To him, cookery is a profession that requires great passion. “When you’re cooking for your parents, you would definitely want to see your parents satisfied and proud. I see every customer as my parent, so I would cook with my heart.”

(Image: Palais de Chine Hotel)

Two Michelin stars, which meant “Excellent cooking, worth a detour,” were given to two restaurants. One of them was Ryu Gin (祥雲龍吟), whose Japanese culinary leader Ryohei Hieda had spent nine months prior to the opening of the restaurant, combing the island to look for the right ingredients. Currently, all ingredients used are local, save for some exotic seasonings.

The other went to The Guest House (請客樓) in Sheraton Grande Taipei Hotel, a classy restaurant renowned for its Hunan and Sichuan dishes. Culinary writer Liang-Yi Han, who once sojourned in the Netherlands, described the restaurant as "borderless-cuisined." Every time a foreign friend comes to Taipei, she would bring him to The Guest House.

17 One-Starred Restaurants in Taiwan

A total of 17 restaurants were initially disclosed at the press conference as one-starred, recognized for its “High quality, worth a stop.”

The first to be announced was Da-Wan (大腕燒肉), selected for its refined dishes and attentive services. Then followed Danny's Steakhouse (教父牛排), opened by Danny Teng, “The Godfather of Steak.” 

Listed restaurants of local Taiwanese cuisine include Golden Formosa (金蓬萊遵古台菜餐廳) and Ming Fu Seafood (金蓬萊遵古台菜餐廳). Cantonese cuisine selections include Three Coins (大三元酒樓). Tien Hsiang Lo (天香樓) in The Landis Taipei Hotel for Hang Zhou cuisine; Ken An Ho (謙安和), Kitcho (吉兆割烹壽司), Sushi Nomura (鮨野村), and Sushi Ryu (鮨隆) for Japanese cuisine.

For contemporary French cuisine, L'Atelier De Joel Robuchon, led by the most Michelin-starred "Chef of the Century," was featured in the one-star selection, along with La Cocotte by Fabien Vergé, MUME, Taïrroir, RAW, and Longtail the Bistro.

Find the complete MICHELIN Guide Taipei 2018 selection here.

(Image: MingTang Huang)

As for the freshly-minted 36 Bib Gourmand eateries unveiled last week, 10 are street food vendors in night markets that are a common sight across Taiwan. Hong Kong food show host, Michael Lam, also known as “The God of Cookery Junior,” observed that many iconic Taiwanese dishes have stood out this year, such as beef noodles, which brought eight restaurants to the Bib Gourmand list. The selection revealed that street markets and iconic local dishes are integral to the daily livelihoods of Taiwanese people who do not see the place merely as a sightseeing spot, but one with lots of stalls that offer good snacks and filling meals.

Translated by Sharon Tseng.

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