49 restaurants in Taiwan receive Michelin Star this year

Taipei, Aug. 27 (CNA) Forty-nine restaurants in Taiwan received Michelin stars this year, with 10 receiving the honor for the first time, according to the Michelin Guide Taiwan 2024 released on Tuesday.

This year's selection sees an increase from 44 restaurants in 2023, and while 10 restaurants are newly added one star venues, six retained the Green Star for their eco-friendly approach to business.

"Taiwan is a beautiful island that boasts an abundance of diverse ingredients and talented chefs. This year's selection reflects Taiwan's remarkable ability to honor traditional culinary roots while embracing new trends," said Gwendal Poullennec, International Director of the Michelin Guide.

"Our inspectors have noted that the restaurant industry in Taiwan is flourishing, with plenty of exciting new openings, of which it is not limited to small scale business models like before; and the fine-dining is not only applied to western-style cuisine, but also clearly seen in Taiwanese or Asian-related contemporary cuisine," he added.

Taïrroir, Le Palais in Taipei and JL Studio in Taichung retained their spots in the three star category, with Le Palais received the guide's maximum rating for the seventh consecutive year.

All restaurants awarded two stars in 2023, except for Liberte which closed in December, again received two stars this year, according to the guide.

They were Molino de Urdániz, L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon, Logy, RAW and Mudan, all of which are in Taipei.

Among the 41 one-star restaurants, the 10 newly awarded eateries included MINIMAL in Taichung, the first-ever ice cream establishment to receive a Michelin Star globally, and L'Atelier par Yao, Yuen Ji in Taichung, GEN in Kaohsiung, and Sens, A, Circum-, Eika, Wok by O'BOND and NOBUO in Taipei.

The one-star holdovers from last year include De Nuit, Fujin Tree Taiwanese Cuisine & Champagne (Songshan), Golden Formosa, Impromptu by Paul Lee and Mipo in Taipei, Fleur de Sel and Forchetta in Taichung, and Sho and Haili in Kaohsiung.

However, five restaurants awarded one star in 2023, including Danny's Steakhouse, Holt, and LONGTAIL Restaurant & Bar, were not selected this year.

A Michelin three-star rating denotes "exceptional cuisine worth a journey," while the two-star and one-star categories recommend excellent cooking worth a detour and high quality cooking worth a stop, respectively, according to the guide.

In addition, Hsu Yun-shan (許縕珊) from the one-star restaurant Ban Bo in Taipei, received this year's Michelin Service Guide, with the guide praising Hsu for interacting with diners and her "impeccable, warm and thoughtful style."

"With almost 10 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, Hsu is a kind, passionate and confident lady, [and] her engagement and service made a memorable and pleasant dining experience," the guide wrote.

This year's Sommelier Award went to Yoyo Tseng (曾雅慧) from newly awarded one-star restaurant Yuen Ji in Taichung, who became the first female recipient of the Sommelier Award in Taiwan.

"Leveraging her knowledge and expertise, she excels in creating intriguing pairings, enhancing the flavours of the traditional Taiwanese dishes with well-judged matches," the guide said.

Meanwhile, the Young Chef Award went to Tim Chen Ting-yu (陳莛諭) from newly awarded one-star restaurant huist (Dutch for "home") in Taichung, who, according to the guide, has "no gimmicks on his dish but could clearly feel his clever creativity and solid skills in showcasing the Taiwanese culinary scene and elevating its refined image."