Eight restaurants in Taipei and Taichung were given one or two-star Michelin ratings for the first time, while Le Palais of the Palais de Chine Hotel retained its three-star rating for the third consecutive year in this year’s Michelin Guide.
Michelin began evaluating the culinary scene in Taipei in 2018. This year was the first time that it evaluated restaurants in Taichung, too.
The list of star-rated restaurateurs was revealed in a ceremony at the National Taichung Theater yesterday.
Photo: Liao Yao-tung, Taipei Times
In Taipei, Danny’s Steakhouse (教父牛排), Da-Wan Yakiniku Dining Restaurant (大腕燒肉), Golden Formosa Restaurant (金蓬萊遵古台菜), Impromptu by Paul Lee, Ken Anho Japanese Restaurant (謙安和), Kitcho Sushi Restaurant (吉兆割烹壽司), L’Atelier de Joel Rebuchon (侯布雄), Longtail Restaurant and Bar, Ming Fu Taiwanese Seafood Restaurant (明福台菜海鮮), Mountain & Sea House Restaurant (山海樓), Mume, Sushi Nomura (鮨野村), Sushi Ryu (鮨隆), Three Coins Cantonese Restaurant (大三元酒樓), Tien Hsiang Lo Restaurant (天香樓) of the Landis Hotel Group and Ya Ge Restaurant (雅閣) of Mandarin Oriental Hotel maintained their one-star ratings.
The six restaurants that received a one-star rating for the first time were Taipei’s A Cut of the Ambassador Hotel Group, Molino de Urdanize of Hotel MVSA (渥達尼斯磨坊) and Sushi Akira (明壽司), and Taichung’s Fleur de Sel Restaurant (鹽之華), Forchetta Restaurant and Oretachi No Nikuya (俺達的肉屋).
Five restaurants maintained their two-star ratings: RAW, Nihonryori RyuGin (祥雲龍吟), Sushi Amamoto (鮨天本), Tairroir (態芮) and Guest House (請客樓) of the Sheraton Grand Taipei Hotel.
Two restaurants featuring Asian cuisine — JL Studio in Taichung and Logy in Taipei — secured a two-star rating for the first time.
Le Palais, which features baked egg custard tarts, Cantonese-style crispy roast duck and tofu dishes was awarded three stars by the Michelin Guide for a third time.
Chung Chia-hsien (鍾佳憲), who works at Oretachi No Nikuya, also won the Michelin Young Chef Award, a new award category.
“Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, gourmet enthusiasts have to undergo many restrictions when dining out,” Michelin Taiwan general manager Jay Mao (毛行健) said. “Chefs and restaurant owners also face unprecedented challenges, but they continue to use creativity to serve gourmet lovers by offering online culinary courses.”
It is because of this difficult situation that announcement of the new Michelin Guide is “even more precious,” Mao said.
The culinary scene in Taiwan has been voted by international visitors as the No. 1 reason the nation is worth visiting, Minister of Transportation and Communications Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) said.
The publication of the new guide, featuring restaurants in Taichung, “shows that Taiwan has other attractive and multicultural cities, aside from the capital,” Lin said.
“Taipei has solidified its status as the city for gourmet lovers through recognition from the Michelin Guide in the past three years, and I hope that the same thing will also happen with Taichung, a city with many restaurants serving creative dishes,” he said.
“I strongly recommend that the Michelin Guide consider evaluating the culinary scenes in southern Taiwan, such as Kaohsiung and Tainan,” Lin added.
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