Yes, the days of all those restaurants are numbered. They will make some profit early, they start reducing quality or service, then hang on as long as possible, eventually dying. Raw might be an exception for reasons unrelated to typical Huate or unique food in Taiwan.
You may be right. But Taipei certainly has many dining & drinking options that are by no means cheap. Like high end Japanese restaurants that perhaps serve some of the best Japanese food/sushi outside of Japan, and expensive and well received cocktail bars (Ounce, Alchemy, R&D, etc.). These types of places can prosper over the longer term but high-end Western cuisine can not? Interesting.
As for Raw possibly being able to prove to be an exception, you mean because Andre Chiang is behind it?
Not Haute cuisine, but Balle Balle is an awesome Indian restaurant in Taipei that I think is on par with any London curry house. Good for a date. I go there whenever I’m up in Taipei. I live in Kaohsiung and the Indian food is dire here.
Mume serves the best food I’ve had in Taiwan. Outstanding. Why they don’t have a Michelin star is beyond me.
2018
Honored by Michelin
MUME was awarded 1 star by the first ever Michelin Guide Taipei.
Source: About MMHG⎟MUME Hospitality Group
Guy
2019
The Glory of Being the Best of Taiwan
Awarded with a Michelin Star for the second time, MUME was ranked the 7th among Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants. All in all a record-breaking year!
Source: same as above
Guy
2020
From One Peak to the Next
MUME was awarded one Michelin star for the third time
Source: again same as above.
Guy
They don’t have one now.
Richie Lin left MUME for other pursuits. Perhaps the Michelin folks are waiting to see how things look following his departure.
In any case, I’m pleased to hear you enjoyed your meal there. I assumed you dined there after Mr Lin’s departure?
Guy
I’m eating there now
Then don’t waste your evening exchanging posts with me!
Enjoy your meal, BD!
Guy
15,180 for two adults and a child. Worth it, IMO.
If your name is Midas, no doubt
Haute cuisine. I personally don’t get it. I think it’s emperor’s news clothes / dirty fork
I’ll be back
I think my highlight was the Hari Kiri with the spoon😅
It’s harakira ((腹切り)!
Guy
You’re gonna need to tell that to the waiter who tried to top himself with a desert spoon
That’s crazy. I’d have to be Bezos rich to spend that much on a meal.
$100US/person tops, especially since I’m very happy with my own cooking abilities.
This thread has been dormant for a while, understandably so during the COVID emergency when many aspects of managing a fine restaurant came under severe stress. Now that we’re on the other side, how are things looking in Taipei?
One newish establishment that has caught my eye is Clover Bellavita by Jean-Francois Piège. I have not yet visited this place, located on the 4th floor—just below the Joel Robuchon restaurant—in Xinyi’s Bellavita complex.
Have any forumosans tried it?
Guy
Haven’t, but I can wholeheartedly recommend 3 place for refined dining which I tried already a few times: one Italian, one French and one Spanish, so no one can call me biased.
The Italian is
Very nice and cozy home kitchen, but the food is nothing but refined and modern Italian fine cuisine.
The French is
The head chef is a master of French fine cuisine (albeit being taiwanese herself) and even offers some very interesting Taiwanese wines as pairing.
The Spanish is
Although I should call it more Basque, but the modern fine Spanish food experience there is real.
So far the only Michelin starred restaurant I enjoyed is the Spanish one, and also Danny’s steakhouse (although wouldn’t call that fine cuisine), all the others I tried so far here were a disappointment (Raw, tairroir, palais de chine).