Video | Three Taipei restaurants using locally sourced ingredients to create stunning dishes
Taiwan’s abundance of high-quality natural produce is prompting chefs in the capital to create meals that are triumphs of local sourcing, with some believing the quality of produce is even higher than that from Japan
There is no shortage of Hong Kong visitors to Taiwan, drawn by the country’s legendary street-food culture and night markets. Stinky tofu, spring onion pancakes, coffin bread and beef noodle soup are just some of the dishes that entice people to come on scores of daily flights.
But there is a new culinary wave attracting diners to Taipei’s hugely exciting restaurant scene, one where local produce is the hero and prices can come as a very welcome surprise.
Modern French brasserie Chou Chou is taking comforting classics to new heights through exceptional ingredients and presentation, all at a reasonable price. One of Taipei’s most popular and acclaimed places to eat, the restaurant is owned and run by Hong Kong born-and-raised chef Lam Ming-kin and his partner Amy Chen, who also own the city’s equally popular establishment Longtail.
Lam’s stellar career in global kitchens has seen him work at Vong (now closed) at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong, Guy Savoy’s Le Chiberta in Paris and Jean Georges in New York. His journey ultimately bought him to Taipei, a move partly inspired by the country’s natural bounty.
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“Taipei is one of the few cities in Asia where, within an hour or two, you can visit and talk to your fisherman or farmer. It’s about the relationship with them,” he says. “Hong Kong is convenient and you can get anything through deliveries three times a week from France, but they only come once a week here so you have to be more creative.”