Michelin this year selected 126 restaurants and street food stalls in Taipei, Taichung, Tainan and Kaohsiung for its Bib Gourmand list, with 16 of them chosen for the first time, the French culinary publication said yesterday.
As per tradition, the list was announced before this year’s complete Michelin selection for Taiwan is unveiled on Tuesday next week.
The Bib Gourmand list includes 126 eateries in the four special municipalities, down from 139 last year, with 43 in Taipei, 27 in Taichung, 31 in Tainan and 25 in Kaohsiung.
Photo: screen grab from Soft Power’s Facebook page
Among them, 16 were chosen for the first time — six in Taipei, two in Taichung, three in Tainan and five in Kaohsiung.
More than half of newly awarded establishments produce Taiwanese specialties and small local treats, such as rolled egg crepes, thick duck soup and pork belly steamed buns, also known as guo bao (割包).
Last year, 26 establishments were chosen for the first time.
“In a destination where delicacies, street food and small eats have always been a major part of the local lifestyle, we believe our Bib Gourmand selection is one of the best ways to explore Taiwan and its incredibly rich culinary scene,” Michelin Guide international director Gwendal Poullennec said in a statement.
“Our Bib Gourmand recommendations are not only made for international travelers looking to explore authentic food heritage, but also for local gourmets seeking affordable yet delicious experiences,” Poullennec said.
This year’s Bib Gourmand selection is “a nice collection of restaurants and street food stalls that combines the most traditional eats together with some international tastes,” he added.
Michelin inspectors also recommended eight culinary treats from the newly selected eateries that impressed them: braised pork rice from Huang Chi Lu Rou Fan (黃記魯肉飯) and taro rice noodles from Soup Noodle House (麵鋪) in Taipei; shio koji-marinated corn-fed chicken from Li Xiao Lou (裡小樓) in Taichung; and Tainan-bred shrimp, homemade sambal sauce and peeled chili peppers from Bue Mi.Lab (麥謎食驗室), stir-fried pork neck with green onions from Eat to Fat (添厚), and stir-fried chicken thighs with aged ginger from Mai Yen Shun (賣?順) in Tainan.
Tourism Administration Director-General Chou Yung-hui (周永暉) told the Liberty Times (the Taipei Times’ sister newspaper) that the agency was happy with the number of eateries chosen this year.
“They used international standards to evaluate Taiwanese snacks. Some popular restaurants might not be selected this time, but that should not discourage them from continuing to present high-quality food,” Chou said. “We hope more Taiwanese eateries can be added each year, and the Michelin Guide can expand its food reviews to include restaurants in other localities.”
Taiwan would benefit from more integrated military strategies and deployments if the US and its allies treat the East China Sea, the Taiwan Strait and the South China Sea as a “single theater of operations,” a Taiwanese military expert said yesterday. Shen Ming-shih (沈明室), a researcher at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research, said he made the assessment after two Japanese military experts warned of emerging threats from China based on a drill conducted this month by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Eastern Theater Command. Japan Institute for National Fundamentals researcher Maki Nakagawa said the drill differed from the
‘WORSE THAN COMMUNISTS’: President William Lai has cracked down on his political enemies and has attempted to exterminate all opposition forces, the chairman said The legislature would motion for a presidential recall after May 20, Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) said yesterday at a protest themed “against green communists and dictatorship” in Taipei. Taiwan is supposed to be a peaceful homeland where people are united, but President William Lai (賴清德) has been polarizing and tearing apart society since his inauguration, Chu said. Lai must show his commitment to his job, otherwise a referendum could be initiated to recall him, he said. Democracy means the rule of the people, not the rule of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), but Lai has failed to fulfill his
A rally held by opposition parties yesterday demonstrates that Taiwan is a democratic country, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that if opposition parties really want to fight dictatorship, they should fight it on Tiananmen Square in Beijing. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) held a protest with the theme “against green communists and dictatorship,” and was joined by the Taiwan People’s Party. Lai said the opposition parties are against what they called the “green communists,” but do not fight against the “Chinese communists,” adding that if they really want to fight dictatorship, they should go to the right place and face
A 79-year-old woman died today after being struck by a train at a level crossing in Taoyuan, police said. The woman, identified by her surname Wang (王), crossed the tracks even though the barriers were down in Jhongli District’s (中壢) Neili (內壢) area, the Taoyuan Branch of the Railway Police Bureau said. Surveillance footage showed that the railway barriers were lowered when Wang entered the crossing, but why she ventured onto the track remains under investigation, the police said. Police said they received a report of an incident at 6:41am involving local train No. 2133 that was heading from Keelung to Chiayi City. Investigators