Taipei: the temple of fusion gastronomy

If there was only one restaurant in Taipei, it would be Din Tai Fung. From a simple canteen serving Chinese ravioli, in a little over half a century the brand has grown into an international chain that was even awarded a star in the Michelin Guide. Founded in 1958, Din Tai Fung has stayed true to its original formula: a tasty cuisine inspired by dishes that are thousands of years old, meticulous décor and a staff with an eye for the smallest detail. But make no mistake, it is on the plates that the magic happens. In a carefully choreographed ballet, the waiter gracefully places the famous xiaolongao, steamed Chinese ravioli, before the eager patron. What makes them so special? They contain a stuffing, but also a hot broth. Some come with chopped truffles. But you will not have time to finish them, because the kao fu is already on its way. This spongy dough simmered with vegetables is often accompanied by braised eggplant topped with garlic cubes. Another house specialty is dried tofu mixed with bean and seaweed vermicelli. Then come the shaomai, shrimp-filled ravioli shaped like chimneys.

Din Tai Fung deserves its reputation as an ambassador of Taiwanese gastronomy, which has become the pride and joy of the people of Taipei. It also features prominently in shopping mall’s strategies to attract customers who appreciate the pleasures of the table. Lin, one of the local waiters, bravely explains in halting English: “In our country, young Taiwanese people love food courts, those entire floors of department stores devoted to food counters. They eat there on Saturdays at noon and then go shopping. It has become a tradition.” To meet this new demand, the city's busiest shopping mall, located in the Taipei 101 Tower, recently renovated its food court, now home to the Michelin-starred 3 Corners restaurant and its refined fusion cuisine concept. And the setting is as luxurious as that implies.  

Tim Ho Wan offers a simpler setting with much more of a small neighborhood restaurant ambiance, but it is the place to go for an unmissable star-studded dim sum. Getting a table requires some patience – the wait is generally 30 minutes to two hours. Once inside, the noise is remarkable, the waiters are harried and the furniture is unassuming. But none of that matters, because the gastronomic reward is worth it all. The tasting begins with a spongy steamed egg cake, followed by vermicelli roll with pig's liver – a distant cousin of Italian cannelloni with pork liver. Finally, Tim Ho Wan's undisputed icon: the BBQ Pork Bun, a slow-baked dough bun containing pork cubes and a magical sweet sauce. Truly unforgettable. Taiwanese cuisine in general is currently very much in vogueamong gastronomic critics. The latest edition of the Michelin Guide Taipei awards one star to eighteen establishments, two stars to five more (RyuGin, The Guest House, RAW, Taïrroir and Sushi Amamoto), and Cantonese restaurant Le Palais retains the three stars it earned in 2018.