Chailease Holding Co (中租控股), the nation’s top leasing services provider, yesterday unveiled plans to open a fine-dining restaurant featuring French cuisine by the end of this year, with an eye to winning Michelin recognition.
The release of the latest edition of the Michelin Guide on Wednesday prompted Chailese Group chairman Andre Koo (辜仲立) to take action and tap further into the food and beverage market, the company said in a statement.
Chailese Group, which owns Chailise Holdings, Grand Pacific Investment & Development Holding Co (中時控股), Chailease International Finance Co (仲利國際) and the Park City Hotel chain (成旅晶贊), set up a food company, Les Terroirs de Chailese Co (艾斯奇餐飲), in 2018 to sell imported wine, beef noodles and instant coffee.
Photo courtesy of Chailease Holding Co
The upcoming restaurant would target the high-end market by offering French dishes fused with Taiwanese cultural elements, Les Terroirs de Chailese chairman John Huang (黃炳彰) said.
The company recruited young Taiwanese chef Darius Wu (吳定祐) to take charge of the restaurant’s kitchen and design the menu, it said.
Wu, 26, who graduated from National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism (國立高雄餐旅大學), has won cooking awards in Taiwan and abroad, and has worked at popular French restaurants in Taipei Atelier de Patrick (法式派翠克餐廳), Orchid (蘭法式餐廳) and De Nuit (法式餐廳).
Wu said he would take advantage of the opportunity to invest in himself and sharpen his cooking skills.
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