Cantonese-style oven-baked crab, scampi panna cotta with lobster jelly and Indian kulfi ice cream infused with red wine and figs — these are just some of the new dishes that Taipei’s most illustrious restaurants have created for Michelin GastroMonth, which starts on Wednesday.
For the second year running, 27 restaurants that hold Michelin stars or are listed in the French taste-maker’s guide will be offering specially curated menus throughout the month of August.
The event incentivizes diners to take the plunge on restaurants they have been eyeing, by offering value-added set menus showcasing the best of each restaurant’s offerings.
Photo courtesy of Ambassador Hotel
Participating restaurants include Cantonese grand dame Le Palais (頤宮), Taipei’s only three-star establishment; Taiwanese innovators Raw, Gen Creative, Le Puting (樂埔町) and Mipon (米香); and Japanese restaurants Shoun RyuGin (祥雲龍吟) and Sushi Ryu (鮨隆).
Priced at NT$1,650, NT$2,750 and NT$4,620, meal tickets remain firmly in the upper range but are going fast, with all tables at Raw and Shoun RyuGin already sold out.
Raw’s first time participating in GastroMonth was always destined to cause a ruckus, given how notoriously difficult it is to get a reservation at the two-star, high-concept establishment. Diners snapped up tickets for dishes like “kokotxas / pil-pil / buckwheat,” a Basque-inspired dish made with the fleshy underpart of a fish’s jaw, and “bittergourd / porridge / granola.”
There remains plenty more to be eaten. Joseph Bistro — a Bib Gourmand selection that specializes in Goan food from India’s western coast — will be serving elegant versions of the subcontinent’s best hits, including the crispy street food pani puri, tandoori prawns and a trifecta of curries.
Italian restaurant Bencotto is offering one of the more intriguing menus, which includes the aforementioned crustacean panna cotta and wagyu with peanuts, fungus and coffee. Carnivores are served by two steakhouses in the form of A Cut and N. 168 Prime, while vegetarians also have two options in the kaiseki-style Yu Shan Ge (鈺善閣) and local fusion at Verde.
The second Michelin Guide to Taipei was released in April this year. 24 establishments received Michelin stars, while another 58 were named in the Bib Gourmand selection for excellent food that is also affordable.
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