Back Alley Cuisine Recognized in Debut Taipei Michelin Guide
Back Alley Cuisine Recognized In Taipei’s Debut Michelin Guide
(Bloomberg) -- Tucked away in a nondescript alley not far from Taipei’s hostess bar district, Ming Fu isn’t the most likely place to find internationally acclaimed cuisine.
The small seafood restaurant was the surprise name among the 20 eateries recognized in Michelin’s debut guide for the Taiwanese capital on Wednesday. It now sits alongside the restaurants of such lauded names as Joel Robuchon and Andre Chiang.
In its appraisal, the French tiremaker hailed Ming Fu’s “dense and gelatinous” “Buddha jumps over the wall” soup and the signature braised chicken with pickled gourd. To get a spot at one of its only six tables, diners are warned that reservations are vital.
The husband-and-wife team that runs Ming Fu seemed largely uninterested in their new status. Neither attended Wednesday’s Michelin ceremony and the restaurant dismissed multiple requests for comment. A member of staff said via phone the owners were too busy serving customers to speak to reporters. The only outward sign that anything had changed was a bouquet of flowers near the front door sent by a well-wisher.
Le Palais, which specializes in Cantonese cuisine originating from southern China, was the only Taipei restaurant to receive three stars. Two others were awarded two stars.
“I was shocked to see that they awarded 3 stars to Le Palais,” said Jocelyn Chen, managing director of tastytrip.com, a fine-dining website based in Shanghai. “It’s a good restaurant, but I don’t think it has reached a 3-star level. I don’t think the inspectors really understand Taiwanese food. We need to give them a couple more years.”
The awards are part of Michelin’s growing effort to broaden its appeal in Asia. In addition to Taipei, it now publishes guides for Japan, Hong Kong and Macau, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore and Bangkok. The Thai capital failed to claim a single three-star award when its guide was released in December.
“Taipei is a city that has incredibly rich gastronomic history,” said Michael Ellis, international director in charge of the Michelin Guides. “Taipei has also given birth to a truly dynamic and innovative dining scene.”
One notable omission from the Taipei list was Din Tai Fung, perhaps Taiwan’s most famous culinary export. The dumpling maker -- lauded in a 1993 New York Times article by chef Ken Hom as one of the best restaurants in the world -- failed to win any stars, having to settle instead for a mention in Michelin’s “bib gourmand” category.
Michelin’s restaurant reviewers anonymously award stars based on creativity, quality and service. Three stars are given to restaurants “worth a special journey,” two stars for those “worth a detour,” and one star is for those deemed “worth a stop.”
These are the restaurants that made the Taipei list:
Three Stars
Le Palais
Two Stars
One Star
Da-Wan
Danny’s Steakhouse
Golden Formosa
Ken An Ho
Kitcho
L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon
La Cocotte by Fabien Verge
Longtail
Ming Fu
Mume
Raw
Sushi Nomura
Sushi Ryu
Tairroir
Three Coins
Tien Hsiang Lo
Ya Ge
To contact the reporters on this story: Adela Lin in Taipei at alin95@bloomberg.net, Samson Ellis in Taipei at sellis29@bloomberg.net.
To contact the editors responsible for this story: John Liu at jliu42@bloomberg.net, Emma O'Brien, Adrian Kennedy
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