This last post of my Taiwan mini-series (planning, one-week and two-week itinerary, favorite luxury hotels) goes into my fine-dining restaurant highlights. On a 17-day trip through beautiful Taiwan, my husband and I tried to dine at good gourmet dining spots whenever possible. While it was no problem finding such places in the island’s big cities, this was a bit different in the countryside. Yet we managed to get more than decent dinners in Taiwan in most cases. As a matter of fact, we only had one meal that we would have preferred to do without. But anyway, that is not the topic here. It is about my three favorite fine-dining restaurants in Taiwan.

Before jumping on the places in question, let us have a short look at foodie restaurants in Taiwan in general.

(Michelin) fine-dining restaurant scene in Taiwan

What Michelin and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants think

Taiwan is continuously making an impact on Asia’s fine-dining scene. Since the inaugural Michelin Guide Taipei in 2018, three more cities were added, Kaohsiung, Tainan and Taichung. In the Michelin’s last Taiwan edition (August 2023), 341 restaurants were included. 3 got three stars (Le Palais Taipei, Taïrroir Taipei and JL Studio Taichung), 6 two stars (Molino de Urdániz, Mudan, Logy, L’Atelier de Joël Robuchon and RAW, all in Taipei, and Liberté in Kaohsiung) and 34 one star. This is quite an impressive performance record, I think!

Also The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list covers Taiwan. 50Best Discovery shows 19 results when doing a search. 13 are in Taipei, 2 in Taichung and 3 in Kaoshiung. All three Michelin three-star establishments are included.

Our choice of fine-dining restaurants in Taiwan

As to our restaurant selection in Taiwan, it was no easy thing to do. First of all, the hottest tables are gone the minute they are open for online reservation (usually made via “inline”). And many among those are also quite expensive. Plus, some only accept bookings by phone. Then, it is sometimes difficult to find English information about certain places online. Not all have websites in English. And if they have, they make it not easy for you to find out where to click for the English version. Furthermore, restaurants are often very specific when it comes to making a reservation. They ask for several things, and you have to pay an amount or the whole meal in advance.

Despite all the difficulties we faced in the reservation process, we managed to find some really good spots. When doing so, we focused on more affordable places, i.e. such ones not asking for much more than 4,000 TWA (111 SFR/US$) for the tasting menu. After all, we had 17 nights to eat out. Except in one case – where we opted for the Signature Wagyu Menu with a Sirloin steak as main course – , we succeeded.

My top 3 fine-dining restaurants in Taiwan

In contrast to my luxury hotel highlights (my post) in Taiwan that I did not list in descending order, I made a ranking for my favorite fine-dining restaurants on this island. After lots of thinking, I have chosen my best thee among 13 places. While my number one was clear from the beginning, number two and three were not so easy to determine. Here is my classification of my personal fine-dining restaurant highlights in Taiwan. Two of them are Michelin listed, from which one even holds a Michelin star. The third is a second restaurant from a three-star Michelin chef on the island.

In this context, I have to add that we dined at one more one-star Michelin spot. And this was the one I have elected as my actual number two of best restaurant experiences in Taiwan. It is about Restaurant Holt in Taipei whose chef (Jeffery Downs) had left for Canada even before our visit.

While they were still serving his creations on our visit, we were told that there would be a rebranding process. And I have just noticed that their website is no longer available. So, I had to rearrange my ranking with a new number two and three. But first to my undisputed number one.

1. Restaurant Marc L³ Kaohsiung

About

According to 50Best Discovery, “reservations here are like gold dust”. I well noticed that when checking out the booking process at Marc L³. So, I bookmarked the exact time when to do the reservation online. And I was successful. Then we were given a short time window to make the full payment of the meal. But instead with credit card, they asked for a bank transfer. This was a no-go option for us (short payment deadline and high fees). Finally, the matter was settled when we involved our hotel concierge (Silks Club, many thanks!). You see, scoring a reservation at one of the hottest tables in Taiwan is no walk in the park!

After this overlong elaboration how to reserve one of the hottest tables in south Taiwan – sorry for this – , now to the place itself. Chef Marc Liao has been in fine dining for twenty years, also abroad for ten something years. In 2019, the Taipei born chef settled town in Kaohsiung. Here he joined Liberté, a two-star Michelin restaurant, before opening his own place in 2021. At Marc L³ – the three L’s stand for Live x Liberal x Limitless – , he serves contemporary cuisine in a casual setting. Marc L³ is listed at Michelin and at 50Best Discovery (The World’s 50 Best Restaurants).

What to expect?

Marc L³ is set in a quiet street in Kaohsiung’s Qianjin District. The spot is small, guests are seated either at the counter on the ground level (nine seats) or upstairs where you find three more tables. There is a cool vibe in here. This shows not only in the decor but also in the staff’s attitude. Marc Liao and three chefs (all women) were at work on our evening and one maître d`along with two servers.

Food wise, you are in for excellent modern European cuisine that is served without chichi. He does this by combining diverse cooking styles and techniques, which results in truly memorable creations. On offer is a sole eight-course menu. It is reasonably priced at 3,600 TWA (100 SFR/US$). According to the chef’s Instagram feed, he plans to open a new chapter where he aims at upleveling. This in order to get closer to the restaurant experience that he carries in his heart. Let us see what he has in mind. I already found that he brilliantly performed on our evening.

How was it dining at Marc L³, my favorite among visited fine-dining restaurants in Taiwan?

Upon arrival, two employees stood ready in front of the chic remodeled townhouse to greet us by name.

No wonder, we were the only Westerners dining here at this night. Once inside, the chef welcomed us too and chatted with us for quite some time. Besides being an outstanding chef – see below – , Marc Liao is a really nice person too! We were seated at the counter – we had not expected this – and were able to watch what was going on in the kitchen – and that was informative and entertaining at the same time!

In terms of food, dining at Marc L³ was one hell of an experience! We were served a delightfully balanced series of inventive dishes (12 of them) that surprised at every bite. The dinner included the chef’s playful take on a hotdog, filled with fish and squid. It came with two sauces, one ginger-onion, the other garlic-béchamel. And there was a black exterior that consisted of chicken broth with black truffle and squid ink.

The meat dish was A5 Wagyu shoulder paired with Anna potatoes and kohlrabi. Three sweet dishes put the final point, a rice pudding with chocolate crunch, the chef’s version of an apple pie and a donut with custard, lime and pistachio. We loved every minute of our dinner at Marc L³. It was a a big deal, both from the culinary aspect and the pleasantly relaxed ambiance we encountered here!

2. Restaurant Sho Kaohsiung, my second favorite of 13 fine-dining restaurants visited in Taiwan

About

Sho is an offshoot of the well-known Restaurant Den in Tokyo. This two-star Michelin spot under the lead of Zaiyu Hasegawa has reinvented kaiseki, an elaborate celebration meal. Chef Fujimoto Shoichi from Kyushu/Japan, who had worked five years in Tokyo, was sent to Kaohsiung in 2020. This in order to spread Den’s concept, adapted to its surroundings. And he does this in the fashionable Qianjin District. The chef, who started his professional career in a car repair shop, is now in charge at a state-of-the-art open kitchen. Here, surrounded by lots of staff, he works his magic. While the ambiance at Sho is a bit clinical (lots of white), it is far from being stiff. The dining spot has a Michelin star and is listed at 50Best Discovery (The World’s 50 Best Restaurants).

What to expect at Sho Kaohsiung?

You are in at Sho for a typical Japanese meal. That already shows from the spot’s exteriors. It is all about minimalism, there is lots of wood and you find here common Japanese plantings.

This finds a continuation in the restaurant interiors. The eyes are immediately drawn to a huge counter where about 14 guests can seat. In addition, there are two private rooms for about 6 to 8 each guests each. Everything is kept in white and light colored wood. The staff is also in white, complete with shirt, jacket and cap. Only the chef wears a black tie.

On offer is a sole tasting menu costing 3,500 TWA (96 SFR/US$) and comprised of ten courses. This is the case when you had opted for the so-called rice upgrade on the booking. This is about one of the signature dishes that the chef brought with him from Restaurant Den in Tokyo. It is kamameshi, a traditional rice dish cooked in an iron pot called kama. We got it once with Wagyu

and the other time with scallop.

At the end of the meal, the guests got some of it formed into balls as goodie to eat it as snack the following day. The other dish “imported” from Japan is a special kind of salad, which is made of ten different kinds of vegetable in various preparations. As to the rest of the menu, Fujimoto Shoichi combines traditional recipes with innovative touches.

How was it?

I mentioned it, the dining room is minimalist. Friendly staff welcomed us and led us to our seats at the counter. Here already a printed menu awaited us. At the other side of the counter, there was order and calm. It did not make the impression of an upcoming meal. Once started, it became busier, yet everything was done in quietude and earnest. At first, only the sous chef was in charge, then the chef appeared and took over some parts of the happenings. In any case, it was fascinating to observe.

Staff was cordial and attentive throughout the evening. They also explained the dishes to us. When it was time for the rice upgrade, the sous chef showed the ingredients and the pot around. After dinner, the chef came to all the guests to hand over the above mentioned goodie and to exchange some words. It truly was a pleasant affair!

The food was excellent, a series of small, well-rounded dishes, all of which were convincing. And it was indeed a modernized version of a typical kaiseki meal. It was a somewhat “stripped down version” of it, without the garnishes being for style. The first three starters were all with seafood (squid, oyster, shrimp), then was sashimi, followed by a meat course, duck with onion, nest fern and black tea. Next were the mentioned salad,

tile fish, the rice dishes I already went into and two desserts. The first was a mousse with perilla, plum and red guave. The second was a monaka. This sweet is made of azuki bean paste sandwiched between two wafers made from mochi. Here it came in combination with pineapple and caramel, delicious!

2. Restaurant KEN CAN by Ken Chan Sun Moon Lake

About

Restaurant KEN CAN by Ken Chan is the chef’s second restaurant on the island, and it is in the Sun Moon Lake area. It was opened in 2019, at Hotel Fleur de Chine.

Ken Chan was the first and only chef awarded three Michelin stars in Taiwan, when the guide was first published in 2018. This was at Restaurant Le Palais at Hotel Palais de Chine in Taipei, and he still holds them.

Ken Chan made an extraordinary career. The Hong Kong born chef started with pushing a dim sum trolley around a restaurant from which guests did make their choice. And he did this after dropping out of school when he was twelve. At the age of 23, he began a new chapter in Taiwan. Here he climbed the career ladder, until he became head chef at a five-star hotel. In 2010, he got the position as executive chef at Restaurant Le Palais, which he still holds, now at the age of 58.

It still seems to be Ken Chan’s goal to reinvent himself. On offer at his restaurant is Cantonese cuisine as well as Sichuan, Fuzhou and Taiwanese ones. Signature dishes are Cantonese-style roast duck, Peking duck and gourd stuffed with shrimp and crabmeat. Dim sum also makes part of the menu. And braised fish maw, abalone with goose foot or bird’s nest soup are favorite – yet expensive – choices too. You get all this in opulent dining-rooms with French-meets-Oriental decor. Be advised that the dress code at Le Palais is strictly formal.

What to expect?

Dining at KEN CAN by Ken Chan at Hotel Fleur de Chine at the lakeshore of Sun Moon Lake is probably not comparable to the one at the three-star Michelin parent restaurant in Taipei – I have not been there. In the Sun Moon Lake area, all is simpler. There is one dining-room, which is not big. It is in a traditional, elegant style yet is no formal affair. A “smart casual” attire is sufficient.

The menus are less expensive than in Taipei. You can choose one of three options that cost either 2,980, 3,980 or 5,980 TWA (83, 110 or 166 SFR/US$). And of course, Cantonese cuisine is on offer as in Taipei.

How was it at KEN CAN by Ken Chan?

On our arrival at the hotel reception, we were escorted to the premises, passing two other (casual) restaurants on the way. Only a few tables were occupied at the flagship spot (on a Friday evening end of March). The atmosphere was quiet, even somewhat relaxed. We had been contacted beforehand in order to enquire what menu we wanted (see above). And we had opted for the middle one. So, the printed menu was already laid out on the table. After some snacks, it was up to fish maw soup. It is a delicacy in China. In case you wonder about it, it is the inflatable swim bladder that most fish use to ascend and descend in water. It was mild in taste otherwise unremarkable – probably something for connoisseurs.

It went on with dishes that are somewhat unfamiliar to Westerners. While the lobster was something we knew and appreciated well, this was not the case as to the sauce. It was a mapo tofu one, a famous Sichuan staple where tofu pieces are braised in a rich, spicy sauce. Next was abalone, which we got to know a few years ago in Hong Kong. It was served on Low Mein (tossed noodles). And it was tender and tasty. I very much liked the next course, spinach, lettuce and tofu skin. The latter is the thin layer that forms at the top when you simmer fresh soy milk.

All in all, it was an interesting and authentic journey through Cantonese cuisine, an experience you cannot not make very often in Western Europe. Service was friendly, helpful and informative, we felt well at ease throughout the evening.

Looking back on my Taiwan journey

While this post focused on my three personal fine-dining highlights in Taiwan, you find on my blog some remarks about all the restaurants my husband and I dined on our 17-day journey. For this purpose, go for Taipei, Taroko and Sun Moon Lake to my one-week itinerary. As for Kenting, Kaohsiung and Beitou-Taipei refer to my two-week travel plan. Overall, I can assure you that – when traveling for food – , you get your money’s worth in Taiwan. While it is not always elaborate gourmet food when leaving the big cities, it was always good wherever we went.

Besides this blogpost about recommended fine dining in Taiwan and the two mentioned itineraries, I also went into two other topics concerning this island. My very first post went into some considerations to make when planning a luxury trip to this country. And the post before the current one was about my favorite three luxury hotels here.

Date of stay: April 2024

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The post My personal fine-dining restaurant highlights in Taiwan first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post My personal fine-dining restaurant highlights in Taiwan appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

Now it is to the details of a two-week Taiwan itinerary. My last post was about a one-week travel plan comprising the island’s north. If you have two weeks at your disposal, then you can also travel Taiwan’s south. Plus, you have the option to build in one more stay in the north. Such a travel plan allows you to take your time and to explore sights in the respective surroundings too. Again, I only included stops that ensure travel in style. That means places where you find options for staying at luxury hotels and dining at (Michelin) gourmet restaurants. Yet – as always – , I only considered establishments offering value for money.

There are six stops in total. Compared to the one-week itinerary that I described in my last post, there are three more. Two are in the south (Kenting National Park and Kaohsiung), one is in the north (a second Taipei stay). Find in the following my Google Map of a 17-day road trip in Taiwan that my husband and I did. It can be shortened to 14 days without any problems:

Overview on my Google Map of our 17-day Taiwan itinerary

As you could see, we started and ended the journey in Taipei with four stops in-between. The first stop was on the Island’s northeast, at the Taroko Gorge near the seaside town of Hualien. Then we traveled inland to Sun Moon Lake in the foothills of the Central Mountain Range. We continued towards south to the Kenting National Park. And before returning to Taipei, we had our one and only stay in a big city apart from Taipei, and this in Kaohsiung.

As I already went into the first three stops in my mentioned one-week travel plan, you find in this post about a two-week Taiwan itinerary only explanations to the last three ones (Kenting National Park, Kaohsiung and north Taipei). Again, I start with a short description of the respective town/region. Then I let you know what to do here in a few sentences. Finally, I go briefly into each of the high-end hotels we stayed and the (Michelin) fine dining spots we ate.

A 17-day Taiwan round trip with six stops in style

See details to stop 1 – 3 here

4. Kenting National Park (south, 2 nights)

About

The Kenting National Park occupies the entire southern tip of the country. And while Kenting is said to have the best beaches in Taiwan, they are subpar to those of typical beach destinations. Nonetheless, the area boasts a lovely coastal scenery and is well worth a full-day exploring.

Things to do here include: walk in the Sheding Natural Park with its huge coral rocks (volunteers guide you around if you wish), Sail “Nixon” Rock, Taiwan’s southernmost point, Longpan Park (great coastal views)

and Hengchun (old city wall with four ancient gates,

Old Street

with Patisserie Ce Moment).

Hotel: Gloria Manor

This is yet another property that has a connection to the former president Chiang Kai-shek. It used to be one of his presidential guesthouses. And this is easy to understand in light of the picturesque mountain and sea scenery you find here. The hotel is remotely located inside the Kenting National Forest Recreation Area, surrounded by tropical greenery.

Gloria Manor took over the site in 2012. The building convinces with minimalistic design that blends nicely into the natural setting. You find here 60 rooms in a range of categories. Yet it does have to be one with a sea view as this is probably the main attraction of staying here.

Breakfasts are excellent, you can make your choice out of several ones served on a tray.

And you can have it also in the pleasant outdoor area. Mu is the only restaurant on site, find some details below.

Restaurants: Mu Restaurant (at Hotel Gloria Manor)

At Gloria Manor’s Mu Restaurant you get excellent Taiwan cuisine with a modern twist. And the place strictly adheres to the principle “not in season, not on the menu”. The setting is relaxed yet still with an upscale touch. My husband and I dined here on both evenings and liked what we got. Good choices from the à la carte menu were Wonton Soup, Crab Omelet, Fried Rice with Pineapple & Dolphinfish, Mango Pomelo Sago or Baked Pudding.

There is also a set menu (1,680 TWD / 47 SFR/US$).

5. Kaohsiung (south, 3 nights)

About

Kaohsiung is Taiwan’s third most populous city and is home to the island’s largest port. While it long used to be an industrial city, it has been reorienting itself toward tourism as well as art and culture since since the turn of the millennium. This shows in the vast Pier-2 Art Center where former shipping warehouses were turned into shops and cafés. And there are museums, art installations and street art. I for one liked the dynamic vibe of Kaohsiung!

As to more classic sights here, the scenic Lotus Pond in the north of the city is an good place to go. It is known for its 20 temples or so along the shoreline and nearby.

And there is the Confucius Temple too. Another big name attraction in the area is the Fo Guang Shan Monastery, outside of town, which is the largest in all of Taiwan and quite a sight.

Last but not least, we used Kaohsiung for a day trip to Tainan. This is Taiwan’s original capital and still retains a traditional vibe. Go to the city center first (Confucius Temple, Hayashi Departement Store, Snail Alley & Shennong Street, two quaint streets;

then proceed to the Anping District (Anping Fort, Anping Old Street, Anping Treehouse).

Hotel: Silks Club

Silks Club is one kind of a cool, urban hotel, attracting business and leisure travelers alike. It is located in the emerging neighborhood of Qianzhen, opened in 2017. Already the sleek lobby with the reflecting pool of water impresses.

And it continues when it comes to the rooms. The 147 units have an average size of 66 sqm, floor-to-ceiling windows and oversized bathrooms.

The place for breakfast is In Jade Lounge – you get it on a tray plus there is small buffet, and it is a tasty affair.

You can also come here for drinks in the evening. The restaurant, a branch of the Japanese Ukai Tei, is divided into several sub-spots (Teppanyaki, Kaiseki & Grill). Find more info on the former below.

Restaurants: Ukai-tei Teppanyaki (at Silks Club), Marc L³ & Sho

For our Kaohsiung food adventures, my husband and I chose three Michelin dining spots. One even has a Michelin star (Sho), two are on the 50Best Discovery list (Sho & Marc L³).

I start with the “hotel restaurant”, Ukai-tea Teppanyki, where they serve a Wagyu menu (Rump 4,800 TWD, Sirloin 5,800 TWD, Tenderloin 6,500 TWD). We opted for the Sirloin (161 SFR/US$) and could witness quality ingredients being cooked on the iron plate right before our eyes. And we even had a chef who exclusively cooked for the two of us! That was quite an experience, especially when it was up to the preparation of the abalone (from live to death).

Our favorite dinner in Kaoshiung and probably on our whole Taiwan trip was the one at Marc L³. The three L’s stand for Live x Liberal x Limitless. Reservations here are difficult to get, and we had to pay our meal in advance (which was not a no-brainer to arrange). Yet, once seated at the counter (9 seats only), we were in for culinary magic! Unique French fare was prepared in front of us, and this as eight-course menu (3,960 TWD / 112 SFR/US$) in a relaxed ambiance.

And the chef is such a nice guy too, communicative, approachable and amiable! What a great evening we had here!

Dining at Sho, an outpost of the Tokyo famed Den Restaurant, was a epicurean highlight as well. We were treated to an exquisite Japanese meal with creative touches. Quite in contrast to Marc L³, it took place in a somewhat chilly ambiance. The place – a counter with 14 seats – had an almost clinical appearance. Notwithstanding that, we truly enjoyed the tasting menu (3,500 TWD + rice upgrade 700 TWD / 119 SFR/US$). And if you are wondering about the rice upgrade, go for it! It is a traditional rice dish cooked in an iron pot called a kama, once with Wagyu and the other time with scallops.

6. Taipei (Beitou District, north of the center, 3 nights)

About

Our second stay in Tapei was in Beitou, the capital’s most northern district. While it is not too far away from Taipei’s center (half an hour by MRT), it has a less urban feel. The hilly area is known for its hot springs and is close to beautiful nature.

We had planned to explore Taiwan’s north from Beitou. Yet we only managed to do one such day trip because of not so good weather. And this was to Jiufen,

a seaside town in the lush mountains northeast of Taipei (book a Taiwan tea time at Jiufen Artist Teahouse, expensive yet worthwhile;

escape the crowds by hiking the Jinguashi Aqueduct Trail). We left out the second one to Yangmingshan National Park on Taipei’s northern fringe. Instead, we headed to central Taipei once again, to the University District. And it was lively, even on a Sunday. And do not miss the sights in Beitou: Thermal Valley, Puji Temple,

Beitou Library, Xinbeitou Historic Station.

Hotel: Grand View Resort Beitou

While Beitou is not the first address for first timers to Taipei seeking to explore the city to the fullest, it was ideal for our purposes. Having already done the capital’s major sights, we longed for a quiet place to spend our last few days in Taiwan. Staying here is the best of both worlds: being in relative proximity to Taipei’s center and at the same surrounded by nature.

Grand View Resort Beitou is the most luxurious among the many hot-spring hotels that make use of the sulfurous hot-spring water that bubbles from the ground. The relatively large and modern property (opened in 2011) stands high on a slope with beautiful views of Beitou and beyond.

All the 66 guest rooms are spacious and come with hot-spring bathrooms, allowing a private soaking experience. I think the accommodations could use a little touch up, especially the wet area (the moisture from the hot springs does not help).

Breakfasts are really good here, served on a tray. And they even offered another variety on our third day. There are three restaurants, from which we tried out two (we did not eat at Aqua Deck with light continental food). Find more details in the next section.

Restaurants: Chinese Cuisine & C’est Bon (both at Hotel Grand View Resort)

We had dinner every evening at Hotel Grand View Resort Beitou. As I had read good things about the Chinese Cuisine – it is Michelin listed – , we went there twice.

One evening, we tried out the French place, C’est Bon.

While both offered fine food, we found C’est Bon better. We had a lovely dinner here indulging in immaculately prepared French food with a Taiwanese twist. Out of the four set menus, we ordered the one with Boston Lobster (3,080 TWD / 87 SFR/USD$), and we relished it.

As to the Chinese place, we had a not so good dining experience on our first evening. Whereas the food was good (we had opted for à la carte), service and setting were less so. Everything was better on our second dinner – we had the Vegetarian Set Menu (2,280 TWD / 64 SFR/US$). Yet C’est Bon has our love!

Looking back and ahead on my Taiwan journey

The start made some considerations to bear in mind when planning a (luxury) Taiwan trip (my post), followed by a proposal for one-week itinerary here. This is actually the first part of the journey my husband and I did on this island. It includes the three major travel highlights in this country, Taipei, Taroko Gorge and Sun Moon Lake. As luxury traveler and  fine dining lover, I also give recommendations as to where to stay and dine in style. In addition, I go into what to do in all theses places, plus some ideas for side trips. In this very post, you get the same thing, yet for the second part of our trip. Taken together, you have info on our original 17-day itinerary (that you can shorten to a 2-week Taiwan itinerary). Next on my blog, you will find out about my personal hotel and restaurant highlights in Taiwan in some more details.

Date of stay: April 2024

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The post Taiwan in style, a 2-week road trip itinerary first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post Taiwan in style, a 2-week road trip itinerary appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

While my last post went into general considerations to make when planning a Taiwan trip, this one is about a concrete one-week itinerary. When my husband and I toured beautiful Formosa – as it was called by its discoverers – , we actually had 17 days at our disposal (for the whole island). Yet, you can shorten the journey to one week (north only). This still allows you to see the island’s three major highlights – Taipei, Taroko Gorge and Sun Moon Lake. And my one-week proposal is about a Taiwan trip in style, meaning staying in luxury hotels and dining in (Michelin) gourmet restaurants (if available).

Before coming to the details of the three individual stops, here my Google Map of this one-week Taiwan trip.

Overview on my Google Map of a 1-week Taiwan itinerary

No Taiwan trip is complete without exploring its capital of Taipei. While I put it as first destination on my Google Map, you can of course also do it at the end of the journey. The second stop is on the Island’s northeast, at the Taroko Gorge near the seaside town of Hualien. Then you travel inland to Sun Moon Lake in the foothills of the Central Mountain Range before returning to Taipei.

I start with a short description of the respective place. Then I let you know what to do here in a few sentences. Last but not least, I go briefly into a high-end hotel and some nearby (Michelin) fine dining spots.

A 1-week Taiwan round trip with three stops in style

1. Taipei (Songshan District, near the city center, 3 nights)

About

Taipei is a must for every Taiwan traveler. You find here a fascinating mix of Chinese, Japanese, indigenous and western influences. And although it is a deeply urban place, nature is never too far away. So, it is the ideal starting and/or ending point for your island exploring.

When it comes to activities, Taipei 101 for a view of the city and the Elephant Mountain for a view of Taipei 101 are musts for first timers to Taipei. Also the political Taipei around the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall has to be on every traveler’s agenda.

Further things to do are the Dihua Old Street,

The Dalongdong Baoan Temple

and the nearby Confucius Temple.

Hotel: Mandarin Oriental Taipei

Before setting off on our Taiwan round trip, we lodged at the Mandarin Oriental in the Songshan District. This business district (financial industry) is an okay location for exploring Taipei, however not the most ideal one. Most sights are in the following districts: Zhongzheng, Wanhua, Datong, Xinyi and Da’an. And Songshan is slightly too far north and east compared to the before mentioned ones. Yet, you are close to a MRT station and once on the subway, you get everywhere quickly enough.

As to the hotel, it is opulent indeed. While being a newly built complex (opened in 2014 together with THE ARCADE, a shopping center), it is reminiscent of Medieval European architecture in an eclectic style.

The 303 guest rooms are more spacious than at its competitors. They are classically furnished with contemporary touches and boast generous marbled bathrooms.

And you get a fabulous breakfast at Café Un Deux Trois, a modern buffet style restaurant. Service is as excellent as you might expect it with this prestigious hotel group. And rates are affordable enough, in contrast to many other MO hotels in Europe.

Restaurants: Holt & Hosu

UPDATE: Restaurant Holt’s website is no longer available

We did not have dinner at Mandarin Oriental Taipei – except some small bites in the M.O. Bar after a late arrival on our first day in Taiwan (which were good).

Instead we had decided on two Michelin listed restaurants in the adjacent neighborhood.

Holt is a one-star Michelin restaurant offering exquisite contemporary European food. On our evening, they still served creations by Canadian chef Jeffery Downs, although he had already left for good in the direction of his home country. We were told that they are now in a rebranding process.

The tasting menu we got (3,980 TWD / 112 SFR/US$) was one of the trip’s highlight food wise delivering very high quality.

While Holt was really great yet very European, we were keen on trying food prepared in a more Taiwanese way. So, we had opted for Hosu, a modern Taiwanese dining spot, which is Michelin listed. And we were delighted by this cute little place whose name means “Good Island”. They served a tasting menu (2,880 TWD / 81 SFR/US$) that surprised at every turn.

2. Taroko Gorge (northeast, 2-3 days)

Currently largely closed due to earthquake in April 2024!

About

Taroko Gorge is one of Taiwan’s top scenic attractions. It is a steep valley created by the Liwu river and makes part of the Taroko National Park. The first 18 km/11 mi of Highway 8, coming from Taiwan’s east coast, are what is known as Taroko Gorge. The thing to do here are hikes of various lengths. Usually one full day is enough to get quite a good insight. My husband and I stayed three nights here, and this right inside the gorge.

As to actual things to do, be advised that usually one or more sights or trails are closed (it is a geologically active site). So, check what is open before you go. We did the following activities (on one full day): Swallow Grotto (short walk), Buluowan Suspension Bridge (crossing the bridge only), Eternal Spring Shrine Trial (closed, you could only walk to the first Shrine), Baiyang Trail to Water Curtain Cave (we did not go in, one and a half hour),

Lushui Trail (only a short part, closed after Small Cave).

The second day, we made a day trip to the Hualien area and a bit more in the south direction. It lead us along the east coast to Qixingtan Beach, Qizingtan (quaint seaside town), Baqi Viewpoint (nice),

Jiqi Beach, Fengbin Skywalk (closed) and Xin She Rice Terraces. Then we returned inland via the towns of Guangfu, Fenglin and Shoufeng. Here we made a side trip to Liyu Lake before going back to the Taroko Gorge.

Hotel: Silks Place Taroko

Closed until mid 2024 due to earthquake in April 2024!

As announced, the hotel is located within the Taroko Gorge. Precisely, it is in Tianxiang, a small village at the top of the gorge, about one hour from Hualien City. If you value the best possible situation for exploring the Taroko Gorge, then you are right here. The property used to be an official government guest house under the regime of president Chiang Kai-shek. In 2010, it opened after a renovation as Silks Place Taroko.

While the hotel’s exteriors are not necessarily a feast for the eyes, its interiors are nice, kept in a contemporary style. The 160 rooms are split over two floors, the Retreat Floor and Resort Floor. The former are more luxurious and offer access to the top floor Retreat Lounge where complimentary snacks and drinks are served all day.

As a Retreat Floor guest, you can have breakfast at either the Wellesley Buffet or the Retreat Lounge (served on a tray). For dinner, you can choose between the mentioned Wellesley Buffet or the Chinese Restaurant. Details to both of them follow in the next section.

Restaurants: Mei Yuan & Wellesley Buffet (both at Hotel Silks Place Resort)

As to the food at Hotel Silks Place Taroko, it was not the best we experienced on our Taiwan trip yet still decent enough. We had opted to be on half board and had to choose where we wanted to have dinner twice. As we do not like buffet restaurants, we went to the Chinese restaurant Mei Yuan on two evenings. And we had Shabu Shabu Hot Pot both times, yet we did not mind. This because it was prepared with good quality ingredients (which are boiled in a pot with soup in front of you).

When it comes to the Wellesley Buffet, we were quite a bit underwhelmed by the experience. Again, the quality of food was high and there was a wide range of culinary options. And the staff ensured that the buffet was kept immaculately.

Yet, it was like being in a bee house, with guests buzzing around and voices overlapping in every direction. It was not like something I expected from a five-star property.

3. Sun Moon Lake (center, 2-3 days)

About

Sun Moon Lake, at the foothills of the Central Mountain Range, is the island’s largest body of water. It is at an altitude of 762 m/2,500 ft and a hugely popular destination. And it is indeed a beautiful scenic view.

There are two lakeside towns, Shuishe village (more touristy) and Ita Thao (home of the Thao aboriginal tribe).

If you wonder what to do here, you can go boating, hiking, cycling and stand-up paddle boarding. However, swimming is not allowed (except at the annual mass swim). As to sights, visit the Wenwu Temple (view from the grounds above it towards the lake is splendid),

walk up to Ci En Pagoda (climb up to the top of it for the view) and go to the Antique Assam Tea Farm (self-guided tour, café & shop).

In case you have two full days in Sun Moon Lake as we had, consider a day trip to the Alishan High Mountain tea fields. Here Taiwan’s most famous tea (Oolong) grows. A good place to spend  a day is the small mountain village of Shizhuo. You can make the most beautiful hikes on the Shizhuo Trails System,

buy tea at the Lin Yuan Tea Factory (oldest tea grower in the area) and make a side trip to another village, Fenqihu (old street).

Hotel: The Lalu Sun Moon Lake

This is yet a former official government guest house of president Chiang Kai-shek. After extensive renovations, it was opened as a luxury hotel in 2002. And this is quite a property! It occupies a peninsula next to the Shuishe village. The hotel spans three buildings that blend harmoniously with the surrounding forested hillside. You have fantastic lake views from almost everywhere at the hotel. It is of a timeless Zen-like design.

All the 96 rooms except some stand-alone villas face the lake

and are exceptionally roomy.

Breakfast is served in the Oriental Brasserie and consists of a huge buffet with a diverse food offer, although it is not so geared towards western tastes. In terms of dining, five restaurants are at your disposal, although some only cater for room guests and member. Find out more about how it is dining at their two flagship dining-spots below.

Restaurants: The Lake View Chinese Restaurant, The Japanese Restaurant (both at The Lala) & KEN CAN by Ken Chan (at Hotel Fleur de Chine)

Both, the Lake View Chinese Restaurant and The Japanese Restaurant, were not as good as I had hoped for. While both offered good food, other aspects were not that satisfying. As far as the Chinese place (à la carte) is concerned, neither the banquet hall-like setting nor the service – we were poorly advised – were persuasive.

However, the Japanese spot (set menu at 3,600 TWD / 101 SFR/US$ with U.S. beef fillet) has an attractive setting (no view). When it comes to service, it was not much better than its Chinese counterpart (not many explanations to the food).

The good news in the Sun Moon Lake area is that there is an excellent gourmet restaurant around at the competitor hotel of Fleur de Chine. It is about KEN CAN by Ken Chan.

It is the second spot of this three-star Michelin chef at Hotel Palais de Chine in Taipei. If you are a foodie and have only one evening in the area, then dine here! We were delighted by the creative Cantonese set menu (3,980 TWD / 112 SFR/US$) as well as the courteous and informative service.

Looking back and ahead on my Taiwan journey

While this post went into a one-week itinerary of a Taiwan trip in style, the next is dedicated to a two-week one. Whereas the former only goes to the island’s north – yet covers the country’s three major highlights – , the second brings you to whole Taiwan. This longer journey has the same stops as the before mentioned Taiwan one-week itinerary plus three more. I started my reporting on this island with some considerations to make when planning a luxury trip to this island (my post). Two more blogposts to follow will highlight my personal highlights in terms of high-end lodging and (Michelin) fine dining restaurants.

Date of stay: April 2024

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Hua Hin, the beach side town south of Bangkok, is known for its night markets. However, if you look for great fine dining restaurants, you are not really spoiled for choice. So, when spending some leisure time here after a Bhutan trip (my posts), I had to look hard for gourmet spots for the three nights my husband and I had here. Finally, I did make some finds that live up to my idea of fine fining in a sophisticated ambiance. Thus, I am able to propose three of the best restaurants in Hua Hin to you.

Before going into the three dining outlets, a few remarks to the town of  Hua Hin in general and about the reason we came here.

Hua Hin as popular beach destination from Bangkok

In case you are in Bangkok and looking for a nearby beach destination, you actually have two options, Pattaya and Hua Hin. While the former is closer to Bangkok (two hours by car), it is predominantly known as party destination. Think in this context of blaring beer bars and neon dance shows. If you are more into laid-back, quiet places, then I definitely would go to Hua Hin. This takes you a bit longer (three to four hours by car), yet it is probably your best choice for beach activities, night markets, spa treatments or golfing near Bangkok.

Hua Hin has become quite fashionable as weekend getaway place for Bangkok residents. Yet also ex-pats like to have a vacation home or to retire here. It actually it is Thailand’s oldest coastal resort. The Royal family made it popular in the 1920s, and they still continue to vacation here nowadays.

Hut Hin as last stop after a Bhutan trip

Hua Hin made the perfect spot for my husband and me when it came to a few leisure days after a Bhutan trip (here you find all my posts about it). Before doing this journey, we also spent a couple of days in Bangkok. In this context, I already went into great fine dining in the capital’s Sathorn District. In case you are wondering about upscale lodging in Bangkok and Hua Hin, here is my post about this topic.

But now to some of the best resaurants in Hua Hin.

3 of Hua Hin’s top fine dining restaurants

I mentioned it already, there is no abundance of excellent fine dining options in Hua Hin. Yet you are not totally at a loss if you are a gourmet stranding here. Sadly, there is no Michelin Guide for this beach resort south of Bangkok. So, I had to dig deep on the internet to find upscale dining spots in another way.

Here is what I came across when doing my research. I start with my absolute highlight here, an upscale Thai restaurant, continue with an high-end Italian dining spot and end with a casual modern Thai eatery.

1. Restaurant Jaras at Hotel Intercontinental Hua Hin

Back story of Jaras, one of the best restaurants in Hua Hin

Restaurant Jaras was originally conceived for the Intercontinental Hotel in Phuket where the dining spot it made into the Michelin Guide. In April 2021, the concept was also introduced at the Intercontinental Hotel in Hua Hin.

Jaras is named after the owners’ grandma, Jaraspim Liptapanlop, who seemed to be a very good cook. As to the family Liptapanlop, everyone knows them in Thailand. The Liptapanlops own the Prayoonwitt Group and made their fortune in the construction industry. Lately, they have been gearing to the property development. Also the Hotels Intercontinental Phuket and Hua Hin are part of their portfolio.

Dining experience at Jaras

Design

Jaras is an intimate restaurant with only a fews tables. There is also a covered alfresco dining available overlooking the beach and pool. As to its interiors, the walls are nicely decorated with hand-painted murals depicting rural Thai scenes.

Food concept

On offer at Jaras is a creative contemporary Thai cuisine. Some of the recipes are inspired by the namesake, the already mentioned owners’ grandma, Jaraspim Liptapanlop. The ingredients come from regional suppliers, including fine caviar from a local farm. Also wine from the nearby Monsoon Valley Vineyard, developing a local wine culture since 2001, is available.

When it comes to what to order, you can choose between a multi-course menu or à la carte. As to the former, there is a 10-course Chef’s Table Menu, which costs 3,488 Baht (88 SFR/US$) including a glass of champagne. If this should be too much for you, go for the 8-course one (2,188 Baht / 55 SFR/US$) or the 5-course one (1,688 Baht / 43 SFR/US$).

In terms of à la carte, starters are from 270 to 680 Baht (7-17 SFR), mains from 350 to 750 Baht (9-19 SFR) and desserts from 230 to 280 Baht (6-7 SFR).

How was it at Jaras?

This was definitely my favorite dinner in Hua Hin as everything was right, from the design of the place to its ambiance to the food. As it was my husband’s birthday, we splurged on the 10-course Chef’s Table Menu.  We were not only allocated the best table at Jaras, but were well cared for throughout the evening by amiable and helpful staff.

All the ten courses, which took inspiration from Hua Hin community traditions, were very good. Among other things, we could also taste the local caviar, which could convince. There was lots of seafood – scallops, sand fish or King Mackerel – , prepared in all possible ways. Yet we were also served meat, above all Thai Wagyu beef with Panang curry. And everything was well prepared and nicely arranged.

We also had the paired beverages, which was an interesting experience as it included different spirits aside from wine – locally grown one too. The one thing that did not go well was the first glass of champagne we got. We had to reject it because it was flat. But that was the only downside. Bottom line, if you look for a restaurant for a special occasion, do not look any further – Jaras is it!

2. Restaurant Zafferano’94 Hua Hin

UPDATE: chef Luca Gavassa left end of March 2024

Back story of Zafferano’94

Chef and owner Luca Gavassa together with sommelier and restaurant manager Davide Lucatello opened their fine dining restaurant in April 2020, precisely when the first Covid lockdown happened. Bad luck for the two Italian restaurateurs! But they did not let things get them down. Both, the chef from the Turin area and the host from the Venetian one, were able to struggle through the difficult times and came out stronger.

Before coming here to Hua Hin’s eat street, Soi 94, both had been working in Koh Samui’s restaurant industry for 20 years, the last ten to them together. After such a long time at one place, they needed a change of scenery and headed to Hua Hin to open their upscale Italian dining spot.

Dining experience at Zafferano’94, one of the best restaurants in Hua Hin

Design

The restaurant is a dream in purple, inspired by the saffron crocus, Zafferano in Italian. The flower’s color, from which the most expensive spice is derived, is present all over the place. Purple is reflected in the table runners, the water glasses, the pictures on the walls, on diners’ plates etcetera.

Zafferano’94 features a bright, elegant dining room where you can watch the action in the kitchen through a glass separating panel. In addition, there is an undercover alfresco dining terrace plus a bar/lounge for drinks.

Food concept

On the menu you find refined Italian food. They reinvent traditional centuries-old recipes using modern cooking techniques and preparations.

The food journey started with tomato bruschetta on the house. For starters (from 280 to 380 Baht / 7 to 10 SFR/US$), my husband and I had Burrata Caprese (burrata cheese with tomato) and Carpaccio di Vitello alla Piemontese (veal carpaccio with parmesan). We continued with Risotto ai Porcini and Ravioli al Tartufo, Gorgonzola, Porcini e Noci (truffle ravioli with blue cheese, porcini and nuts). Those were from the entrées section (from 390 to 490 Baht / 10 to 12 SFR/US$).

Alternatively – or in addition if you are very hungry – , you can choose from the mains (490 to 980 Baht / 12 to 25 SFR/US). This is about meat and fish only. A favorite here seems to be the Ossobuco alla Milanese. It is a classic of Lombardy, veal shanks slowly cooked and served atop saffron risotto. Or you can build your own pizza (starting from 260 Baht / 7 SFR/US$).

As to desserts, you find here the usual ones plus a lesser known one (Bonet Piemontese, a hot chocolate cake with amaretto). Prices range from 60 (one scoop of ice cream) to 220 Baht (2 to 6 SFR/US$). While some dishes are always on the menu, other parts of the menu change regularly.

How was it at Zafferano’94?

While we were the only guests on a hot evening during Songkran Festival (Thai new year) until shortly before we left, there was no shortage of staff. Host Davide ran the front of the house in the most excellent manner together with an apprentice. And chef Luca skillfully delivered his fine Italian fare with the assistance of another cook.

My husband and I liked not only the immaculately prepared and nicely presented Italian classics with a twist but also the upscale ambiance at this chic place – from which you cannot find many in Hua Hin outside of high-end hotels. And the host is such a nice person, yet discreet enough not to be too talkative – in light of us being the only guests most of time.

3. Restaurant Braça at Hotel The Standard Hua Hin

Back story of Braça

Set in the buzzy surrounds of the newish (opened December 2021), super-cool Hotel The Standard, the Thai Izakaya Praça Restaurant suits just right. Praça – opened at the beginning of 2022 – is Portuguese for plaza, a local meeting place, and you actually see here all sorts of people. There is young trendy folk but also well-heeled couples and families.

Chef Prasertchai “Jacky” Trongvanichnam, a former Iron Chef champion who has worked at top hotels and restaurants in Thailand and the USA, is at the helm at Praça.

Dining experience at Braça, one of the best restaurants in Hua Hin

Design

Inspired by beach clubs of the Mediterranean, Praça is set in a restored heritage beach house equipped with an expansive verandah and breezy oceanfront.

As to seating areas, you have everything from an expansive veranda to a shady terrace for alfresco by the beach and indoor dining spaces. Although the latter is rather on the small side. The atmosphere here is relaxing, sharing style and lively.

Food concept

As I already hinted, it is about Izakaya, in Japan a casual drinking establishment also serving small dishes. It actuals means “stay-drink-place”. And food is thought to be shared.

Chef Jacky, trained in classic French cooking, showcases a unification of his western foundation, artisan local ingredients and favorite Thai street food flavors. He has composed an innovative menu with a fresh and playful feel. It includes tapas (160 to 290 Baht / 4 to 7 SFR/US$), flame-grilled food (160 to 360 Baht /4 to 9 SFR/US$), bowls, (260 to 360 Baht /7 to 9 SFR/US$) rice as side dish (80 to 90 Baht / 2 SFR/US$) and desserts (160 to 170 Baht / 4 SFR/US$).

How was it at Braça?

My husband and I had a seat on the verandah, which we considered as the ideal space for the not–so–young anymore. There are fans to make it more pleasant in case it is hot. And that was the case in April when we went.

Service was young, friendly and helpful, we felt well at ease. While Praça definitely has a nonchalant dining vibe, it was always attended to professionally.

Foodwise, we shared two Tapas (Miang Kham, Esan Tuna), Yum Som-O From the Fire, a Bowl (Khao Pad Nuea Yang), two Spoons (rice) and two Sweets (Waffel I-tim cha Thai and Hua Loy). Every dish followed the kitchen’s concept of traditional Thai recipes with a twist. Everything we had was well made and tasty. Only the grilled black tiger prawns were a bit mushy.

Overall, Braça is the perfect spot to go for modern interpretations of Thai food in a casual Izakaya style. And its front sea setting in a heritage beach house is hard to beat!

Looking back to my Thailand/Bhutan posts

This post about the best restaurants in Hua Hin is the last one of my Thailand and Bhutan reporting. As to the former, I started with possible pre-/post Bhutan travel plans, and that was in our case Thailand, i.e. Bangkok before and Hua Hin afterwards. Then I also looked into some of the best upscale Thai restaurants in Bangkok’s central business district of Sathorn.

Should you be show any interest in Bhutan, I wrote about the following topics: travel guide, 9-day itinerary, touring Bhutan by arrangements of luxury hotels operating here, Bhutan travel with COMO.

Date of visit: April 2023

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Bangkok is for sure one of the foodie’s capitals in the world. And so my husband and I made sure that we could try out some of the best what Thailand’s capital has to offer in terms of Thai fine dining on our recent stay. As we happened to reside in the Sathorn District (find more details about it below), it had to be here. I do not see the point in heading further if you are spoilt for choice as to excellent dining-spots in the area. And this is definitely the case in Sathorn which has some of the best Michelin restaurants.

After some information about Sathorn and our post-Bangkok travel plans, I come right to the fine dining places we had chosen for our three nights in Bangkok.

About Sathorn District

Sathorn, also written as Sathon, is one of the city’s major business districts. It stretches from the Lumpini Park to the Chao Phraya river and from the Sathorn Road to the Chan Road. You find here many high-rise office buildings that house banks and other financial institutions. While Sathorn is not exactly known for its tourist attractions, it still makes a good base for exploring Bangkok’s highlights. In addition, there are lots of great hotels, restaurants and nightlife outlets. And the good transport links here make it easy to get around.

Bangkok as starting and end point for a Bhutan trip

Bangkok was for my husband and I the ideal springboard into a Bhutan trip, for which we had been waiting three years (because of COVID-19). If you should be interested in my Bhutan reports, I made following posts: travel guide, 9-day itinerary, travel plans of luxury Bhutan hotel brands, COMO Bhutan journey and pre-/post Bhutan stays.

As to the last mentioned one, we stayed in Bangkok before going to Bhutan, as you know by now. When returning from this trip, we added some beach days in Hua Hin, located three hours by car south from Bangkok. In case you care for fine dining recommendations in this seaside resort, my next post will go into them.

Three fabulous Michelin listed/starred Thai restaurants in Sathorn

As I mentioned above, some of the best Michelin restaurants are to be found in the Sathorn District. Quite a few even have Michelin stars. So it is no easy choice! My husband and I decided to include only places that serve Thai food. On our first visit in Thailand, we wanted to savor exclusively local cuisine. In addition, we were reluctant to spend a fortune doing so (as there is an abundance of less costly outlets).

After a thorough research we settled on the following ones. As we stayed at the COMO Metropolitan Hotel, which houses the Michelin one-star Restaurant Nahm, this one was set. We had eaten at Nahm London quite some years ago – when it still existed – , and had liked our experience here. However, I have to admit, I was a bit deterred by the not so good Google reviews (4.0) of its Bangkok branch.

Further on, we opted for Restaurant Saawan offering modern Thai cuisine. This dining spot seems to be a fixture on the local gourmet scene, although since recently with a new chef. For our third night, we got a bit adventurous and also chose Samrub Samrub Thai, from which we found not much info on the internet. At this place, they rethink old Thai recipes in creative ways.

Now to the details of each!

1. Restaurant Nahm at COMO Metropolitan Hotel Bangkok

Back story of Nahm, one of the best Michelin restaurants in Sathorn

Restaurant Nahm gained fame when it was named best Asian restaurant by the World’s Best Restaurants award in 2014. At the time, it was under the lead of David Thompson, an Australian who has dedicated himself to the Thai cuisine for many years. I was lucky enough to have dined at his London branch before he closed it in 2012 and moved to Bangkok. Here he received a Michelin star in 2017 when Michelin first included restaurants in Thailand’s capital. Then, one year later, David Thompson left for Hongkong.

At Nahm Bangkok, Pim Techamuanvivit, a female chef from San Francisco, took over in 2018. The Bangkok-born chef had left behind a career in Silicon Valley to open her own Thai restaurant in San Francisco, Kin Khao. And it was awarded a Michelin star only 18 months later! While still living in this city on the U.S. West Coast, she also holds the position of an executive chef at Nahm.

It seems that the restaurant’s style has not much changed since Pim  has been in charge. However, she has more turned to Thai artisans and small-scale farmers and fishermen to source ingredients. The eatery is still recognized by the World’s Best Restaurants award (No 98 of the Asian list) and also kept its Michelin star.

Dining experience at Nahm

Design

I liked the restaurant’s interiors with its extraordinary design. There are massive pillars, mirrored after Ayutthaya’s architecture, the second capital of the ancient city of Siam. This feature combined with hand-crafted wooden screens and bare wooden tables create a harmonious whole, which is contemporary yet with a traditional touch too. Onsite, you also find an outdoor poolside terrace. That suits the restaurant’s name, Nahm means “water” in Thai.

Food concept

As to the food, you get here a modern take on traditional Thai cuisine. Curries, salads, relishes, soups and stir-fries are on offer. And these often come with traditional ingredients which are not so frequently used in other contemporary Thai restaurants.

You can either opt for the menu or eat à la carte. The former is called “heritage” and costs 3,200 Baht (82 SFR/US$). If you prefer vegetarian fare, this is available as “botany” for 2,600 Baht (66 SFR/US$). As to the latter, starters are available from 400 to 780 Baht (10 to 20 SFR/US$), mains from 540 to 920 Baht (14 to 23 SFR/US$) and desserts from 350 to 375 Baht (9 SFR/US$).

How was it at Nahm?

While we generally liked what we got – especially the canapés (blue swimmer crab on rice crackers and miang of prawn, chicken and fruits)

were excellent – , service could have been better. After taking our order, staff did not show up at our table for quite a long time. While everyone around us got dish after dish, one hour passed until we got our first one. At some point, my husband inquired about the delay, but the server did not respond properly.

Once the round finally started, there was an ongoing coming of plates. And many came at the same time. We felt rushed and it totally lacked the magic of a typical tasting menu. And imagine, the dinner came to an end with the last dish being served less than one hour from its start.

On the positive side, at some point of time, a friendly female maître d’ appeared at our table to chat to us. We first thought that it was because of our complaint that we had made shortly before with a colleague of her. Yet it was unconnected. When she left, she casually said that she would check on our food as it seemed to be overdue.

2. Restaurant Saawaan Bangkok

Back story of Saawaan

Restaurant Saawaan – which means “heaven” in Thai – was opened in 2019. Shortly afterwards, it got a Michelin star and was holding it until 2022.  After the departure of chef Sujira “Aom” Pongmorn, it was gone yet the dining spot is still listed in the guide. And it is also featured on the World’s Best Restaurants Discovery list.

Since mid 2022, chef Saritwat “Earth” Wanvichitkun has been in charge here. He was born in Phuket and grew up in a family who owned a restaurant. From his mother he learned the art of cooking (Southern) Thai. As to western cooking techniques, he studied four years at Le Cordon Bleu Bangkok. Before being named as chef at Saawaan, Earth was executive chef at Restaurant Nitan in Phuket, which made it into the Michelin Guide in 2021.

Also at the helm at Saawaan is Arisara ‘Paper’ Chongphanitkul, who looks after the desserts here. She is the co-owner of ICI, a creative pastry café too.

Dining experience at Saawaan, one of the best Michelin restaurants in Sathorn

Design

The restaurant is housed in a converted shop house in a leafy alley off Sathorn Road. The window spans the entire front of the building, which is a good thing as the interiors are rather dark. The dining room is contemporarily styled, with brown bare wooden tables and a dark wooden floor. On the walls you find gold colored wallpaper adorned with branches full of white flowers. In addition to the circa 24 seats there is a counter where cold food is prepared in front of the guests (no seats here).

Food concept

On offer at Saawaan is modern Thai cuisine. The specialty here is that every dish focuses on a typical technique or concept of the traditional Thai cooking. And this always with a creative flair. One dish showcases for example grilling, the other stir-frying and yet another one fermentation.

On our evening, an eight-course tasting menu was served, showcasing following methods: raw, fermented, boiled, Miang (wrap), charcoal, stir-fried, curry and dessert. Ingredients were generally locally sourced. And a nice feature was that often a chef came to our table to give the finish to the dishes in front of our eyes.

There is a sole menu at your disposal, which costed 2,490 Baht (63 SFR/US$) on our visit. As I noted, it is now priced at 2,790 Baht (71 SFR/US$), which I still find reasonably priced for what you get.

How was it at Saawaan?

This was most probably my favorite dinner in Bangkok as the overall experience was very rewarding. Not only the service was impeccable, but the food was surprising, innovative and full of flavor. I only wish that we had not asked them for toning down the spiciness of the food a bit (they inquired whether they should do it nor not). Because I felt that it lost at times some of its magic as a consequence. Be it as it may, it was still great.

You definitely never got bored here as there is always something going on. It is great to watch the chefs and servers how they do a part of the preparation process in front of you. It is a fun affair and gives you the chance of occasionally asking a question.

My favorite dish at Saawaan was the curry. It was a green one paired with a Madame Burgaud Challans duck.

In order to produce the curry paste chef Earth combined ten different types of Thai chillies what resulted in a deep and well-rounded curry.

I also liked the dessert, a reinvented version of the classic Thai dessert of a steamed pandan layered cake. It was complemented with jasmine ice cream and black rice sauce.

3. Restaurant Samrub Samrub Thai Bangkok

UPDATE: one Michelin star as from December 2023

Back story of Samrub Samrub Thai

Samrub Sambrub Thai is run by a husband-and-wife team, Prin Polsuk and Thanyaporn “Mint” Jarukittikun. And interestingly enough, the former’s history is linked to the above mentioned Restaurant Nahm. He used to be David Thompson’s protégé, entrusted with heading Nahm London and Bangkok.

In 2017, Prin Poluk and his wife founded Samrub Samrub Thai in order to give lost Thai dishes a new life. First, they pursued their project in the form of pop-ups. Later on, in 2019, they moved to fixed quarters, to a small place with 16 seats only. And the eatery was well received. So, in November 2022, they moved one more time. And this to the current location in Saladaeng, with some more seats available. This is actually his wife’s childhood home, and her family still lives above. Prin Polsuk himself is from Chiang Mai in Thailand’s north, growing up in a family of farmers. If you wonder about the outlet’s name, Samrub means “menu” in Thai, but is it also something special.

In this year World’s Best Restaurant Asian list Samrub Samrub Thai ranks No 82. As to Michelin, the dining spot also made it into this guide in spring 2023.

Dining experience at Samrub Samrub Thai, one of the best Michelin restaurants in Sathorn

Food concept

Prin Polusk made it his mission to revive old recipes. For this he rummages through antique cookbooks and tries with perseverance and vigor to unravel its secrets.  At the same time, he is open to new culinary developments and incorporates them in his cuisine. The result is true Thai food “rethought”.

Apparently, dishes change every month and rarely ever repeat. On offer is a set menu – priced at 3,900 Baht (99 SFR/US$) – , which is served family style. And much appreciated by us, you get here one course after the other. In such a way, you can savor each one individually and you do not have to rush through the meal.

Design

The dining spot is located in a quiet residential area not far from lively Sathon Road. Everything looks new here at this at this large, white four-floor building. Once you walk through the door, you catch sight of a small open kitchen plus a long counter that can seat up to twelve guests.  In the rear, there is room for about ten more seats at tables. The room has an industrial-chic vibe, most is kept in black and white.

How was it at Samrub Samrub Thai?

The whole shebang

First of all, you have to know that it is difficult to get a reservation at Samrub for international guests. This because there is neither a website that deserves the name nor an easy way to make a reservation. You have to get in touch with them via Facebook or Instagram to make a booking request. Once you get an answer – which may last a while – , you have to pay the menu price in advance via bank transfer, for either the round at 5.30pm or at 8pm. Apparently, they are in the process of improving their booking and payment system to accommodate international guests too. Let us see what happens.

Unfortunately, we had another issue with the place. It seems they do not make it easy to love them. When we arrived here a few minutes before 8pm, all counter seats apart from two were already taken. And when we were discussing with Mint (the wife) about our seating – she allocated one of the tables in the rear to us where you are not able to witness the happenings in the kitchen – , the remaining seats were taken by other guests. Thus, we had no other choice than to become seated where she wanted us to do in the first place. At least we could make her let us sit side by side for better views.

Food & service

After we had overcome the initial obstacles, the dinner proceeded in an excellent vein, providing us with fantastic food and faultless service. All the courses – one snack, three starters, six main courses, one dessert, one petit fours – were amazing. I cannot name a personal favorite. Every single bit was scrumptious, full of taste and lingered long in our memories.

While the setting was rather casual, we felt quite at ease – the bench in the rear of the room was not overly comfortable. While the dinner went on, the chefs kept coming to our table to explain something related to the dishes served. And the meal sequence was just perfect. Also the chef was present and changed a few word with his guests – not to us “farangs”. However, his wife Mint, treated us warmly and made our dinner pleasant, although we had made a bit of trouble at the beginning (seating).

Samrub Samrub Thai would have easily made it our restaurant favorite in Bangkok if there had not been the mentioned issues!

What is next on my blog?

I already let you know that we not only made a “foodie tour” in Bangkok’s Sathorn in search of the best Michelin restaurants, but also went further south. And this to the beach resort of Hua Hin, the “darling” of many “Bangkokians” looking for a quick getaway. Said that, it was far more difficult there to find fine dining restaurants worth visiting for gourmet minded people. Nonetheless, we found some great places, although we had to move away a bit from our principle of only eating Thai food on our first Thailand stay!

Date of visit: April 2023

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Ubud is not only Bali’s cultural heart but also its culinary hotspot. There is quite a number of (casual) fine dining restaurants here that are a must for every foodie. During my recent stay in Ubud in central Bali I had dinner at some of the best gourmet dining spots. And I made some really mind-blowing gastronomic experiences. Which, I have to admit, was something that I did not think was possible. Although I knew that there were culinary gems around.

On an earlier trip, my husband and I accidentally passed the town’s current culinary showpiece, Restaurant Locavore. And this was six months after its opening in November 2013, when its future success was not forseeable. We thought it made a good impression, went in and got a reservation for the following day. We were thrilled by the dinner at the time! Less so, when we wanted to return two years later, and it was fully booked months in advance. So, we had to wait until last November to dine here again. And it was once again incredible! More later.

Before coming to the individual restaurants, a quick look at Bali’s gourmet restaurant scene.

Bali’s fine dining scene

While there is the one or another gourmet spot on the island outside of Ubud, the place to go as serious foodie is definitely this town in central Bali. The pioneer of Ubud’s fine dining scene is chef Chris Salans with his Mozaic Restaurant, opened in 2001. The American French chef has skillfully combined local ingredients with western technique in a nice tropical setting ever since. I personally have not dined here yet. On our recent stay, the dining spot was still closed due to the pandemic. Chris Salans reopened it in December, partnering with a younger ex-associate chef.

In the aftermath of the early bird of Mozaic, there was the already mentioned Restaurant Locavore that formed the scene. Since then, there has been quite a development in terms of the arrival of other promising (casual) fine dining spots. I name here chef Will Goldfarb with its Restaurant Room4Dessert and chef Nic Vanderbeeken with its Restaurant CasCades at Hotel Viceroy, both opened in 2014.

In 2015, Restaurant Blanco Par Mandif by chef Mandif Warokka followed, at the same time as Restaurant Kubu at Hotel Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, by chef Bayu Retno Timur. I have been to all of the newer establishments except for Nic Vanderbeeken’s place (who changed to the new Restaurant Apéritif at Hotel Viceroy in 2019). So, I can let you know about what to expect at them. I find it amazing how the former fine dining backwater was able to turn into a vibrant culinary hotspot! And hence, there is no Michelin Guide for Bali, your best source probably are the lists at The World’s 50 Best Restaurants site.

5 top Ubud (casual) fine dining restaurants

I start with four of the best (casual) fine dining spots in Ubud (respectively Bali). From which, I visited three on my recent 2022 stay in Bali and one on an earlier occasion in 2016. Furthermore, there is one more, a second restaurant of a big name here. And it is a place that is a bit more down to earth than the others.

Restaurant Locavore

A wild ride through the most ingenious creations made by two enterprising chefs using local produce only

Locavore is the local gastronomic showpiece. It is definitely the place to go for a foodie if you have only one dinner in Ubud. But make sure to book well in advance as it is very popular. This is especially the case at the moment as the restaurant is coming to an end as one knows it. That does not mean that the busy team behind Locavore retires from Ubud’s culinary scene. Quite the opposite, it just enters a new phase. There is a new project under construction and opening in the second quarter of 2023 (see more). Until this happens, you still can enjoy the creations at the “old” Locavore. Precisely, you can taste their favorite fifty dishes from nine years of restaurant history, and this in the form of three different menus over the next time.

My husband and I had the pleasure of being served Exhibition Menu No 2, and this on the restaurant’s ninth birthday on the third of November 2022! Wow, what an experience! You get here, as the name says it, local produce. Chefs Eelke Plasmeijer (a born Dutchman) and Ray Adriansyah (from Jakarta) know how to enchant their clientele. They bring diners on a journey of discovery of the unknown. A series of dishes are served that surprise at every bite!

The 18-course menu costs 84 SFR/US$ and is divided into four explorations. You can include a drinks pairing for additional 33 SFR/US$, which I recommend. You get creative drinks, some with alcohol, others not (but no wine). And it really takes the dinner to a whole new level. The ambiance at Locavore was relaxed, the staff was friendly and knowledgeable, the service was adequately fast (we spent three hours and a quarter here).

Restaurant Room4Dessert

A discovery trip through Will Goldfarb’s sweet world (which also includes savory snacks for a start) in three parts

When my husband and I walked by the Restaurant Room4Dessert in Ubud’s outskirts in 2016, I thought that it would be nice to eat here. I had heard about Will Goldfarb’s place (opened in 2014), but I did not want to drag my husband to a dessert-only meal (he has not such a sweet tooth as I). Much has changed since then! The property of the American born pastry chef grew from a 100 sqm venue to a 1,000 sqm one with a garden that has 300 different plants and 100 types of trees! They all flow in his recipes in some way or the other. And Will Goldfarb was named The World’s Best Pastry Chef at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards in 2021!

When checking out the dining spot for dinner in November 2022, I found out that the experience was now different. You are in for a meal in three parts. After a tour through the garden you get seven savory snacks at the bar, seven desserts in the dining room and seven petit fours in the garden.

On our visit, it was up to Season 13 Part 2, The Golden Age.

The menu amounted to 77 SFR/US$ including spirits (for the second part), which we had. Alternatively, you can choose it with a spiritless tasting (65 SFR/US$) or without any drinks (53 SFR/US$).

There is young team of amiable and laid-back locals that takes care of you, overseen by the impressive personality of Will Goldfarb. The pastry chef is present wherever needed, has a word with a staff member or with his guests. I found his performance admirable! The same is true for the food. Already the snacks were persuasive. Yet the sweet treats were simply amazing! They started light and and became gradually richer. The treat is really worth it, even my husband was blown away! And the meal was paced just right, we were here three hours and a quarter.

Restaurant Blanco Par Mandif

Haute Indonesian degustation menus with a twist in an elegant, intimate setting

If you look for a fine dining restaurant that radiates classical elegance and an intimate feel, then this it.

Of course, food is a highlight too, you get here a modern take on Indonesian cuisine. And you clearly note that chef Mandif Warokka also drew inspiration from his stays abroad. After his first restaurant, Teatro Gastroteque serving French cuisine with a Japanese twist, he opened his current one inside the Blanco Renaissance Museum complex in 2015. It is small, with only 20 seats, boasting views of the Tjampuhan river.

This was the most expensive meal we had in Ubud. There are four menus to choose from, all with seven courses except the fourth one. First, Degustation (Adiboga), with seafood and meat, costing 116 SFR/US$. Second, Vegetarian (Giriloka) for 73 SFR SFRf/US$. Third, Pescatarian (Tirtaloka), with seafood, that amounts to 110 SFR/US$. Finally, there is Hakkaisan, a Sake dinner menu, with seafood and meat, paired with Sake, available for 134 SFR/US$. My husband and I had opted for the degustation menu, we had to make our choice already at the time of our booking.

As to the food, it was immaculate, in every aspect, and inventive too. The ambiance inhere was very quiet, almost serene. The hand-washing ritual that the a staff member performed with us at the start of the meal contributed to this impression. Staff was very polite and attentive. There were not many diners around on our visit, we had booked “the first slot” right after the restaurant opened. Luckily, I have to say, because after the fifth course, we heard a loud bang. And then the electricity went out and never came back until we left. They were able to provide the two remaining dishes and the petit fours, but of course the experience was compromised. What a pity! Yet it happens.

Restaurant Kubu at Hotel Mandapa

Well-made Mediterranean-European cuisine in bamboo dining cocoons

Our dinner at the signature restaurant at Hotel Mandapa, a Ritz Carlton Reserve, dates back to 2016, so my impressions may be somewhat blurred. I well remember that I was not so enthusiastic about our table in one of the nine private dining cocoons just by the Ayung river. Although this is supposed to be a popular seating, I would have preferred a regular table. It was a hot and humid evening so that I considered the cocoon as a bit constricting with no wind coming in. Anyway, these huts are an original idea for sure!

Another thing that I did not forget that it was pitch dark in these cocoons. We could almost not make out what we were getting served. This is always a pity, especially when the food is artistically arranged on the plates. And that was definitely the case here! Yet also the food quality and preparation knew how to persuade. Chef Bayu Retno Timur oversees the kitchen here, who looks back at 14 years of experience in the culinary industry within 5-star hotels. You get here well-executed Mediterranean inspired dishes. They are made with premium ingredients and served by accommodative and informative staff.

You can dine here à la carte (starters from 12 to 29 SFR/US$, mains from 17 to 34 SFR/US$, desserts 9 SFR/US$) or opt for one of the two tastings menus (The Gourmet: 7 courses for 76 SFR/US$ / The Essential: 5 courses for 54 SFR/US$). When my husband and I had dinner here in 2016, we had The Essential (then Degustation 6 for 46 SFR/US$), and we liked what we got! One final recommendation for outside guests: arrive early enough to take in the views!

Restaurant Nusantara by Locavore

Contemporary Indonesian family-style dining by the flourishing food empire of Locavore

Locavore – see the dining spot that I mentioned first – is more than just a restaurant. Chef-owners Eelke Plasmeijer and Ray Adriansyah, who are beyond it, have developed it much further. There is the casual dining concept of Locavore To Go, the cocktail bars Night Rooster and Club Soda in Canggu, the Local Parts butcher shop with its Butcher’s Table, the R&D unit of Localab and Agency X, a F&B consultant company. And last but not least, Nusantara is also part of this family.

Nusantara by Locavore was opened in 2016, named after the Javanese word for archipelago. You have to know that Indonesia consists of 17,000 islands. Nusantara has made it its mission to showcase their signature dishes. Each is marked on the menu with its origin and is made with indigenous ingredients. The place is helmed by chef I Putu Dodik Sumarjana, who has worked his way up at Locovore. To prepare for the work here, he and his team travelled to different Indonesian islands to sample dishes and learn to cook them.

While Nusantara is not an actual fine dining restaurant, it is much more than a simple eatery showcasing local food. You get here traditional Indonesian cuisine in a contemporary experience. The menu changes regularly, but some favorites remain just as jukut kelor mesanten, a rich soup of moringa leaves, ground-spice paste and torch ginger cooked in a coconut – they roast the coconut over an open fire in front of the dining spot. It is about family-style dining here, you order a number of dishes and share them with your table companion. They recommend 2-3 small dishes (4-8 SFR/US$), 1-2 big dishes (9-14 SFR/US$), 1 rice (2 SFR/US$) and 1 dessert (3 SFR/US$) for two persons, which I found just right.

Everything we had was delicious! Staff is friendly and helpful. The setting is laid-back and charming with its rattan partitions and Batik prints.

Overall/Looking back

In this post I highlighted some of the best (casual) fine dining restaurants in Ubud. This town’s gastronomic scene has been undergoing a great development in the last decade. Serious foodies coming to Bali are no longer forced to leave this island disappointed, at least when it comes to dining in style. After eating at five of the top restaurants on the Islands of the Gods, I would like to give the remaining ones on my list (Restaurant Mozaic and Restaurant Apéritif) a try on a further trip!

In my Bali mini-series I also wrote about other topics than dining (this is the last post about the island). My first blogpost was about how to get the most out of a trip as demanding traveler (general info and where to go for sights plus luxury hotels). The second went into some of the best (easy) walks on the Island of the Gods. And the third informed about actual accommodations to choose here when longing to stay in style, divided by location.

Last date of stay: November 2022

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In 2002, a new list of best restaurants was brought to life, The World’s 50 Best Restaurants. And it was a successful launch! Soon it established itself as major player in the culinary scene. It also became a serious opponent to restaurant guides such as the Michelin Guide or the Gault Millau Guide. Since 2013, there also have been published two regional lists, one for Asia and the other for Latin America. And recently, the 2021 list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants has come out.

When I noticed that I had already dined at the restaurant that tops the list, I took the opportunity to look back at all my dining experiences at establishments appearing here. There are five of them, and I want to briefly showcase what you can expect when dining at those.

Before doing so, some words to the main list, The World’s Best Restaurants.

The World’s Best Restaurants list

This is the original list and at the same time the more significant one. The first winner ever was El Bulli in Spain in 2002. Unfortunately, I had never the chance to eat here before its closure in 2011. Yet, I was lucky enough to have a dinner at the informal tapas place of Tickets in Barcelona, run by the same pair of brothers as El Bulli, Albert and Ferran Adrià.

It was one hell of a meal, consisting of 25 courses,

back in 2012, one year after its opening. By the way, it ranks at number 20 in the current list.

The latest restaurant topping the World’s Best Restaurants list was Mirazur in Menton/France in 2019. The year before it used to be Osteria Francescana in Modena/Italy. And in 2017, Eleven Madison Park

in New York took the first position. Here I was fortunate enough to dine in 2018 before it had to close in March 2020 due to the Corona pandemic. And it still is so, sadly. The absolutely fabulous meal my husband and I had here will always stay in my memory! And I dearly hope that my compatriot Daniel Humm will be able to continue the glorious story of this gourmet temple!

Now to my culinary adventures at establishments of the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list.

Asia’s Best Restaurants list 2021

As I already let you know, I have been at five eateries listed on Asia’s Best Restaurants 2021. They are the following: The Chairman in Hong Kong (#1), La Cime in Osaka (#8), Les Amis in Singapore (#13), Vea in Hong Kong (#16) and Indian Accent in Delhi (#18).

1. The Chairman Hong Kong (#1 / 1 star Michelin)

I like to remember my visit to The Chairman as it has been one of the few places ever where I really enjoyed Chinese fare. The eatery is tucked away in a quiet street in an old area of Hong Kong’s Central District.

When my husband and I entered the premises, we immediately realized that this in not just another of those nondescript Chinese restaurants but a place oozing tradition and character. On offer here is typical Cantonese cuisine made with the best local ingredients, and this with a twist. Staff was friendly and accommodative and helped us westerners to make the right choices from the a la carte menu.

While my husband and I liked what we got, we never would have thought that The Chairman would once become the number one of all restaurants in Asia. Please understand me right – it was a fine meal yet far from being cutting edge gastronomy. Unfortunately, I cannot provide any pictures – at the time I rarely did any food shots. For more information, have a look at my blogpost where to dine in style in Hong Kong.

2. La Cime Osaka (#8 / 2 star Michelin)

This was the first restaurant I booked for our 2019 Japan trip. At the same time, it also was the one I was most looking forward to. And it truly was a highlight – although we had quite a number of such places in the Country of the Rising Sun. Here is my blogpost about dining in Japan.

The elegant and contemporary restaurant is set in Osaka’s downtown.

You find here a marble counter where the chef appears from time to time to do some finishes on the dishes.

There is a set menu only with twelve courses featuring an extraordinary Japanese-French cuisine.

It was a culinary firework, from the first to the last minute.

Staff was pleasant and unobtrusive. Before the dinner started, we were told that a TV team from a local station was present to do a reportage on La Cime. They assured as that we would not be bothered by them. Funnily enough, the TV reporters were interested to ask us some questions about our motivation to dine here – we were the only westerners present. Of course, we said yes. And we felt like celebrities when doing so!

3. Les Amis Singapore (#13 / 3 star Michelin)

My husband and I together with our adult son chose Les Amis for a special occasion. And it turned out to be a good choice for that. It is an elegant and sophisticated restaurant with a fine white-glove service.

But all this without being stiff or overly formal.

When my husband passed the wine cellar, the gracious server even let him have a look into it – and the wine collection was truly impressive!

As to the food, classic French cuisine is served here, immaculately prepared and presented. Each dish provided plenty excitement to our tastebuds. We were raving about this feast for days, if not weeks! And it is not that place where you get these minuscule portions but reasonable serving sizes!

Prices here are high yet you get something for it. Apparently, many of the ingredients are from France and their quality is first-rate. If you plan a Singapore stay, check out my blogpost about great restaurants picks here.

4. Vea Hong Kong (#16 / 1 star Michelin)

Actually, I have not eaten at chef Vicky Cheng’s current restaurant Vea in Hong Kong but at Liberty Private Works, where he worked before. I vividly remember my visit here back in 2015 as it was a completely new type of restaurant to me at the time. You sat on a bar stool at a counter and are served a no-choice menu by chefs working in front of you in an open kitchen.

Find here only a small excerpt of the whole menu consisting of about ten courses.

I was wooed by the carefully prepared creations with flavor combinations that worked well! The chef really has a knack for marrying Chinese food with modern French techniques. From what I understand, he continued this kind of cooking at Vea where he is co-owner.

Just to remind you, I did a blogpost about where to go in Hong Kong for gourmet dining.

5. Indian Accent (#18)

When browsing Asia’s Best Restaurants 2018, I noticed that a restaurant on the list (#19) was in walking distance to our hotel in Delhi that we had booked for our upcoming north Indian journey in 2018.

And without further ado, I made a booking here. Indian Accent is located at The Lodhi, a high-end hotel, and is a glamorous place indeed, laid out around a pond.

The food, a modern take on Indian food, was excellent! My husband and I ordered from the à la carte menu yet there are also menu options.

And the staff is hospitable and informative. If you happen to be in in New York, you can also dine at the Indian Accent branch there, as we did.

It was just as good, yet different from the ambiance (modern urban). If you go to Delhi, here is my blogpost about Indian Accent. In case you head to New York, here are four tips for upscale fusion cuisine in this metropolis.

Date of visits: The Chairman 2015, La Cime 2019, Les Amis 2019, Vea 2015, Indian Accent 2018

The post 2021 list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post 2021 list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

This is the last part of my mini-series about a three-week trip to Japan (made before Corona). In the following, I will inform you about types of restaurants you find in the Land of the Rising Sun plus where to go for gourmet (Michelin) dining spots.  While my first post was about the most perfect Japan itinerary, I dealt in the second with the topic of luxury accommodation in this country. In the third one, I went into how to find and reserve Japanese fine dining places. Why, you may ask. Because Japan is no easy place for fine dining lovers from oversea in search of suitable gourmet restaurants.

Next on my blog you will find two more blogposts about this fascinating land. I would like to provide inspiration for a well-earned journey of a lifetime once you can travel again! First, I will let you know how it is staying at a luxury ryokan (Japanese guesthouse).

Second, I will go into two off the beaten path destinations in Japan, Kiso Valley and Yakushima Island.

Before coming to the topic of this post, I want to draw your attention to my Google Map of Japan.

My Google Map of our Japan journey in style

For readers that are new to my blog, I created a Google Map of the trip across the land of the rising sun. It includes the route, the activities and every single (luxury) hotel and (gourmet) dining spot my husband and I went to. And it comes with short descriptions and pictures of everything.

As to the itinerary, we chose one called “Second Golden Triangle”. This means the “First Golden Triangle of Tokyo – Kyoto – Osaka” complemented with Kanazawa and Takayama, located in the Japanese Alps. As this is quite a common tour with a focus more on urban places, we made it a bit deeper and less city-related. And we did this by adding three more, mainly rural, spots: Hakone near Tokyo (for Mt. Fuji views), Kiso Valley (for historic postal towns) and Yakushima Island (for natural wonders).

But now to the focus of my current blogpost, an overview on some relevant restaurant types in Japan along with our choice of fine (and also some casual) dining spots in Nippon (another name for Japan, it means the origin of the sun).

Restaurant types in Japan & our choice of gourmet (Michelin) spots

As you might know, Japanese restaurants specialize in a particular food, i.e. sushi, noodles or tempura. I suggest that you think first about what kind of eateries you want to try before looking for specific dining-spots in the respective category.

Here you find a list of common restaurant types in Japan, accompanied by the fine dining places my husband and I chose for our culinary adventures here.

1. Kaiseki restaurants

Kaiseki or Kaiseki Ryori is a traditional Japanese multi-course dinner served at high-end restaurants or inns. Originally, it was a formal meal as part of the tea ceremony. Nowadays, Japanese people have it only on special occasions just as birthdays or festivals.

The food is (ultra-)seasonal and is left natural. Chefs make sure that guests can enjoy the inherent flavor of the ingredients. They even use leaves and twigs to underline the natural character of the products.

And often they also make references to past or coming seasons and events.

Kaiseki dinners are often part of a stay at a ryokan (traditional Japan guesthouse). We had a truly memorable Kaiseki dinner at Hakone, at a luxury ryokan (Madoka no Mori).

Find more information about staying at that sort of lodging, a must-do for every Japan traveler, soon on my blog.

2. Sushi restaurants

I think all of us are familiar with sushi. It is almost synonymous with what westerners understand by Japanese food. Sushi in Japan is different from its westernized version overseas. The variety is much bigger and the way it is served is different.

At a high-end sushi restaurant you receive one piece after the other. And each is ready to eat in one bite without adding any condiments. The sushi master has seasoned it already to perfection. And you may eat it by using your hands or chopsticks – whatever suites you. Usually, ginger is provided to eat between orders as a palate cleanser.

And be prepared to dig deep into your pockets if you opt for an upscale sushi restaurant! This was no different at Gion Sushi Tadayasu in Kyoto

where we had the most memorable sushi dinner of our lives. The one-star Michelin sushi master prepared twenty-five small dishes

whereof twenty were sushi (all nigiri with one exception). As my husband and I wanted to try more than one premium sushi restaurant, we also dined at Sushi Harumi in Tokyo-Ginza.

Here we received a fine mix of (nigiri) sushi and other food. And it was reasonably priced, also due to the smaller number of sushi courses.

 3. Izakaya restaurants

An izakaya is a casual Japanese-style pub where you get alcoholic drinks and food. And instead of ordering one dish per person, you go for a number of small plates for the table to share. Basically, It is some kind of a Japanese tapas-style eatery.

In terms of food you get edamame, yakitori (grilled meat on sticks), tamagoyaki (fluffy Japanese-style omelet), karaage (Japanese-style fried chicken), sashimi, grilled fish, french fries and salads amongst other items.

On our three-week trip we had one dinner at an izakaya place, and this in Kanazawa at Plat Home.

Here in this modern eatery they serve tasty creations in a relaxed ambiance.

4. Shabu Shabu & Sukiyaki restaurants

While both are made in hot pots (called nabe), only Shabu Shabu qualifies as hot pot dish. Guests cook raw ingredients just as sliced meat and bite-sized vegetables in a boiling pot of broth. The latter is only slightly flavored with kombu seaweed and dashi soup stock.

After cooking you dip the pieces in ponzu or sesame sauce.

As to Sukiyaki, you cook the same ingredients in a hot pot as well. However, you find in here more a sauce than a broth. You make it with soy sauce, mirin (Japanese rice wine) and sugar. Its flavor is sweeter and more pronounced than it is the case with Shabu Shabu.

Before eating you dip the ingredients in raw beaten egg. So the bites become richer and the sweetness is less accentuated.

On our Japanese journey, my husband and I had the chance to try out both dishes at the fabulous ryokan Takimi Onsen Inn in the Kiso Valley.

5. Tempura restaurants

Tempura is a typical Japanese dish where you dip food (slices or strips of seafood, meat and vegetables) in a batter and deep-fry it in hot oil. This gives the ingredients a crispy, flaky finish. Tempura is a ubiquitous dish in many Japanese restaurants yet there are also tempura eateries serving only this kind of food.

You even find Michelin starred tempura restaurants in Japan! In Tokyo there is quite a number of such establishments. We opted for the one-star Michelin Tempura Shimomura in Ueno.

It was a great choice and offered value for money, too! We liked the high quality Sashimi seafood and the vegetables that the chef fried in a light, thin batter.

6. Washoku restaurants

Washoku is traditional Japanese cuisine. It is a simple preparation of rice and side dishes made with a variety of seasonal ingredients. From what I understand, it has similarities to Kaiseki meals, however it is not that elaborated. And it takes place in a more casual ambiance.

We had one such meal and this at Chisou Inaseya in Kyoto, a restaurant that specializes in chicken. We had ordered the chef’s omakase paired with Sake.

The combination of simple yet refined dishes complemented with sake was a mind opening culinary experience!

7. Yakiniku restaurants

Yakiniku means grilled meat and seems to have its origins in the Korean cuisine. Here guests order raw meat that they prepare on a grill that is built into the table.

Before eating, you dip the ingredients in sauces (tare). And you pair the meat with Korean side dishes just as kimchi (fermented vegetables) and rice.

My husband and I gave this Japanese barbecue a shot in Tokyo-Ginza at Yakiniku Excellent Ginza-ten. It is quite a chic establishment with friendly servers (who help foreigners) and we liked what we got.

8. Japanese-European (Michelin) fine dining restaurants

Here we could draw from the full offer of high-end Japanese cuisine with European influences. We had lots of mind-boggling culinary experiences and insights!

8.1. Japanese-French cuisine

We had this kind of cuisine on four occasions, and all the places were superb, each on its own way! First, I have to name a really hot dining spot, the Michelin two-star La Cime in Osaka. It also ranks as number 93 among The World’s Best Restaurants by San Pellegrino.

Here the chef celebrates an exceptional contemporary French cuisine in a modern setting.

Then we indulged in a delightful multi-course menu with fantastic wine pairing and outstanding service at Gion Roiro in Kyoto (Michelin one-star in 2020).

A highlight was also the dinner at Le Grill Dominique Bouchet in Kanazawa

where we had well made classic French cuisine with local produce. This is an affiliate of a one-star Michelin chef in France who also oversees a one-star establishment in Tokyo.

Last but not least, we enjoyed a fabulous meal at Okas at Hotel Sankara on Yakushima Island.

8.2. Japanese-Spanish cuisine

As luck would have it, my husband and I dined twice at Japanese chefs who are influenced by Spanish cuisine.

On the one hand, we had a truly memorable feast at the two-star Michelin Zurriola in Tokyo-Ginza.

Definitely go for counter seats if you want to watch how culinary magic is unfolding in front of your eyes!

The name from the restaurant comes from the Spanish San Sebastian coast, where the chef once lived.

On the other hand, there is also action to witness at the one-star Alarde in Osaka.

Here the chef grilles meat in his Asador style chargrilling station from the Spanish Basque country behind the counter. Other refined dishes from the Basque cuisine are available, too.

9. Other, more casual eateries in Japan

Of course, we did not eat solely at fine dining restaurants but also had the one or other lunch at a casual eatery. I was especially interested in tasting noodle and okonomiyki (Japanese pancake) dishes.

9.1. Noodle restaurants

Five of the more known types of noodles are the following: ramen (thin wheat, served in broth), soba (buckwheat; brown, dense, strong in flavor), udon (thick wheat; substantial, chewy, hot and cold), yakisoba (wheat, often fried) and somen (wheat; thin, similar to udon, often cold).

Out of the choice of noodle restaurants, we unfortunately only ate at a ramen and a soba place. While the former was unexceptional, I found the experience at a soba eatery, where you could watch the noodle production, a pleasant one. It is about Teuchisoba Ebisu Soba Noodle in Takayama.

9.2. Okonomiyaki restaurants

Okonomiyaki is the Japanese equivalent to a savory pancake. It consists of batter (wheat flour and eggs) and cabbage and you can add several more ingredients to your liking. This can be anything from meat or seafood to vegetables or cheese.

My husband and I went to Okonomiyaki Kiji in Osaka, awarded with a Michelin Bib Gourmand. And it was not only a culinary delight but also fun (the chef is a funny guy).

The chef prepares the pancakes behind the counter and brings it to the table equipped with an iron griddle (teppan).

Here you can cook it as long as it suits you.

Overall

The process of finding and reserving restaurants in Japan was stressful and time-consuming. But once everything fell into place, my husband and I had the most wonderful time. We made experiences which we never believed were possible. A whole new world of culinary possibilities was opened up to us. Furthermore, we got insights into food preparation and arrangement completely new to us. Hats off to chefs who have the courage to expose so much of their person and their craft of cooking – think of places where everything happens behind the counter where you are sitting!

What was before – what is next

This was the last post of a mini-series about luxury travel in Japan. I began with a three-week itinerary, followed by upscale hotels on the tour. Then I provided a guide how to find and reserve fine dining restaurants in Japan. Finally, I have just let you know what Japanese eateries to choose as a gourmet when following the route suggested. And for a short overview, keep my Google Map of Japan in mind complete with activities, hotels and restaurants!

And to entice you even more into visiting Japan, there will be two more blogpost about this country. One covers a stay at a luxury ryokan, Madoka no Mori in Hakone, the other is about two lesser-travelled spots in the land of the rising sun, Kiso Valley

and Yakushima Island.

Date of visit: November 2019

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The post My Google RESTAURANT Map of Japanese journey in style first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post My Google RESTAURANT Map of a Japanese journey in style appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

My last two posts about a Japan trip together with my husband – which took place before the coronavirus outbreak – were about a three-week itinerary and hotels to stay in style. The next one will go into where to dine as a gourmet in the Land of the Rising Sun. But before coming to this, you have to know how to find and reserve fine dining restaurants here. Of course, traveling to Japan is no option right now, but I think you have to keep your wanderlust dreams alive!

After a few words about the particularities of eating out in Japan, I come to ways of locating high-end restaurants and getting into them.

Characteristics of Japan’s culinary scene

One thing to start, I have never ever spent so much time evaluating the “right” restaurants for our needs as in Japan. Evidently, there is no shortage of good dining-spots here. But how do you find them – and even more difficult – how do you get a reservation once you have come upon them?

For gourmets – as my husband and I are – Japan should be a paradise as there is an abundance of Michelin starred restaurants. But Japanese do not make it easy for Westerners in search of culinary excellence. There are more and more eateries that turn away first-time customers without a recommendation from a regular. This is quite an obstacle for Westerners. Why do restaurant owners in Japan act like this? First of all, their dining-spots are often very small (ten to twelve seats). Second, they usually cater for core customers. Third, they might be hesitant to speak other languages than Japanese. And fourth, Japanese restaurant owners sometimes fear that uninformed tourists might affront regular guests.

One thing is for sure, if you want to eat in upscale Japanese dining outlets, you have to make yourself familiar with certain habits and customs in terms of dining in this country. I will not go into these. In case you are interested, there are tons of materials on the internet in this regard. And it definitely helps if you learn a few words of Japanese …

Finding gourmet restaurants in Japan

As mentioned, recommended fine dining restaurants are plentiful in Japan. A good starting point of course is checking-out the Michelin Guide. Here is the link for Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. In case you go to Takayama too, please find the link here.

A less favorable way of finding good dining-spots is using TripAdvisor as primary source. The reason for this is the fact this site is mainly filled with reviews from travelers and not from locals. And this is simply not reliable enough. However, it might be useful for cross-checking once you have found a dining spot of your choice.

Alternatively to TripAdvisor, I would rely more on Tabelog, Japan’s massive restaurant review website. While I did not do researches on the restaurant platform itself, I Googled the name of a restaurant in combination with “Tabelog”. This resulted in a page with some information and – most importantly – a score, for instance 4.08 (out of 5), which is an utterly good one (for instance Restaurant Zurriola in Tokyo scored liked this …).

All the spots that perform from 3.5 and above might be considered as very good ones.

Once you have your wish list, another problem occurs, and this is the reservation issue.

Challenges of reserving restaurants in Japan

If you have selected your favorites – maybe having also checked out whether they receive foreigners – you may want to make reservations. Doing so is very much recommended in view of their popularity and/or the fact that many have only a dozen seats or so.

Reservations directly at the restaurants are in many cases not really an option (an exception here was Restaurant Plat Home in Kanazawa where we booked per email …).

This because the places in question are often neither willing nor set up for booking requests from people outside of Japan. Yet there are several possibilities to bypass this barrier.

1. Hotel Concierge

One option to get a reservation at Japanese dining outlets is it to ask the concierge of your hotel – preferably a renowned luxury hotel – to do it for you. We did not try this out, so I cannot comment on this this. I read once that this is not the royal road in Japan anymore as it is no longer working at restaurants that prefer locals to travelers.

2. Guruvani

Another option might be using Guruvani, Japan’s gourmet navigator according to its own statements, for your restaurant reservations. I came across this service several times when looking for dining opportunities myself but did not give it a try.

3. OpenTable

And yet another way to secure restaurant tables is with the help of OpenTable, an online restaurant reservation service. It especially operates in its home market of the United States but also in Japan. My husband and I use this offer quite often when traveling, which is free for end users. In Japan we booked one or two dining outlets through it.

4. Pocket Concierge

Our way of choice for restaurant reservation in Japan was another online service, Pocket Concierge. You can reserve high-end and some other restaurants through it, including lots of Michelin-starred dining-spots (Restaurant La Cime in Osaka, two Michelin starred, was one of them …).

It is even possible to be put on a waiting list for establishments taking only reservations from regular customers. My husband and I did not give the latter a shot as we wanted to feel welcomed when paying high prices for dining experiences. Yet we made heavily use of the former service as Pocket Concierge has access to quite a few renowned dining outlets.

For this purpose, you have to open an account with them and book the restaurant in question. In this process you have to select a set menu. This is often omakase, sometimes there are are also special menus that do not appear on the restaurant’s homepage. The costs for the desired menu will immediately be charged to your credit card. This service is usually not free, normally you have to pay a fee, which differs (cross check menu prices against the restaurant’s home page, if possible). In most cases, we encountered fees of 7 SFR/US$ per person or so. The reservation process went smoothly in all the dining-spots we used it. And we always got great seats in the respective places.

Over time, we used Pocket Concierge not only as a reservation vehicle but also as search engine for upscale dining-spots. And we made some great findings (for instance the Michelin starred Tempura Shimomura Restaurant in Tokyo).

More about our restaurant choices you find in the blogpost to come.

Here one last tip when making your reservation via Pocket Concierge. When doing so, you often have to decide on either counter or table seats. My advice is to opt for sitting at the counter every time you get the chance. It was always a highlight being able to witness the action behind it.

Lookout

This is it in terms of preliminary skirmishing about how to find and reserve restaurants in Japan. And of course I do not want to keep back where my husband and I dined on our trip. I can assure you there were some truly memorable culinary highlights! Find all about it in my next blogpost plus some introductory remarks about different types of eateries in Japan.

Once again, I will include my Google Map with all the details of our Japanese journey (activities, hotels and restaurants). In case you want to know more about the former two topics, here are my posts about what to do and where to stay when traveling this fascinating country.

Date of visit: November 2019

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The post Western gourmet in search of culinary highlights in Japan first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post Western gourmet in search of culinary highlights in Japan appeared first on Swiss Traveler.

Japan as travel destination 

Route options: “Golden Triangle” vs longer alternatives

Final itinerary: “2nd Golden Triangle” & 3 rural additions

both located amongst the Japanese Alps. And funnily enough, they are equally called “Little Kyoto” along with some other towns too. In-between we also visited two villages in the Shirakawa-go region and in a neighboring one. Again, we had to make changes at the itinerary. Takayama would have been the logical choice on the way to Kyoto, but the Kanazawa marathon took place on our initial arrival day. And again this meant that there were no hotel rooms available.

as mentioned, was next on the list complete with a side trip to Nara

(Japan’s first permanent capital, by train). And here was also the place where we (reluctantly) returned our rental car. We had liked very much the flexibility of this mode of transportation. From this point of time, we mainly got around by train.

For this purpose, we had acquired a Suica Card on our arrival in Tokyo. This is a prepaid smart card that you can use for most public transport and shopping. In the latter context, I recommend going to the 7-Eleven shops. They offer a great selection of quality goods and are different from the ones outside of Japan.

with another side trip to Himeji (castle, by train).

And further on we went to Fukuoka (Kyushu) by Shinkansen where we immediately boarded a plane to Yakushima.

This lesser traveled, subtropical island is famed for its old cedar forests. One more time we were forced to make adjustments at our travel plan. Originally we wanted to fly out from Osaka, but all the flights from here on our date of departure were already gone one day after being ready for booking. As we thought due to a long weekend taking place at this point of time!

And, as said, our Japanese journey ended in Tokyo,

after flying out from Yakushima via Kagoshima, which was no big deal.

So much to our Japan itinerary. In the following a few words to the things you can do on the route we opted for.

 

Activities “2nd Golden Triangle” & 3 rural additions

You find detailed information of attractions in my Google Map. Here, I will go into the general nature of things to do in the different places.

 

In Hakone, a mountainous town not far from Tokyo, it is all about viewing Mount Fuji, the holiest mountain in Japan. Furthermore, you can explore the natural and man-made wonders of Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park.

 

Kiso Valley is the place to experience a great example of historical rural Japan. And this in the charming old postal towns of Magome and Tsumago, which are connected by part of the Nakasendo Trail. The latter is a super hike to do with lots to see. And it is not too strenuous. I will go more into details in one of my next blogposts.

Kanazawa and Takayama are both towns – the former a large town, the latter a small one –, which were spared by the World War II. Therefore, they have lots of period wooden merchant houses, which are delightfully preserved. Kanazawa has in addition to this a famous garden and a samurai history. Between these two towns, you can find three villages (Ogimachi, Ainokura

and Suganuma) with A-frame farmhouses. They are known as gassho-zukuri, which is quite a sight.

 Kyoto is the city in Japan that is from a cultural point of view the most important one with its more than 1,600 temples. Go not only to the top attractions but visit also less popular ones as this allows you to escape crowds. Sightseeing in Kyoto involves a lot of walking as many highlights are close together. Work your way from one neighborhood to the other. A side trip to Nara with its important (and large) temples complete with an abundance of deer is quite a worthwhile thing to do. In my opinion half a day is sufficient for this. For a three and a half-day itinerary, refer to my Google Map in the next paragraph.

The neighboring city of Osaka is quite different from Kyoto as here it is all about shopping, from very whimsical shopping streets to “normaler” ones. A side trip to Himeji to see the beautiful castle is well-worth doing.

 

Yakushima, a short distance away from Kyushu’s south coast, is a secluded and largely unspoilt nature paradise famed for its old cedar forests. And luckily, you can see its main sights in a few days. Activities include driving around its perimeter and hiking (attention: quite hilly with steep climbs and extremely wet climate). More about our stay here you find in one of my next blogposts.

Last but not least, the megacity of Tokyo is impressive just because of its sheer size. Must-dos to realize its dimensions are taking in its panoramic views. Good choices for this are Tokyo Skytree, Tokyo City View and Sky Deck. Make your way from one neighborhood to the other and visit the particular attractions. This involves long walks but also using the subway and busses quite often. Have a look at my Google Map below where I propose a three-day route.

This is it what I wanted to share with you about our Japan trip as to itinerary and activities. I will not go further into the well known places in Japan just as Kyoto or Tokyo. So much has already been written about them on the internet. However, there will be a post about our stays in the lesser visited spots of Kiso Valley and Yakushima Island in the time to come.

 

But here and now to my Google Map of Japan I keep telling you about.

 

My Google Map of our Japanese journey in style

My apologies for making you wait until the end of my blogpost for my Google Map of our three-week trip across Japan in style! It comes with all our activities, hotels and restaurants including short descriptions and pictures. A tip: do not view pictures with Safari, as they often do not show with this browser.

 

 

If you are not only interested in the itinerary and things do in the particular places, then stay tuned. My next three blogposts will be about the topics of upscale hotels

and gourmet restaurants (and find & reserve them)

in Japan. So much in advance, it is no easy thing as Westerner to figure out where to go for luxury travel in the land of the rising sun. And the same is true when it comes to make reservations once you have come upon adequate places!

 Date of visit: November 2019

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The post My Google ITINERARY Map of a Japanese journey in style first appeared on Swiss Traveler

The post My Google ITINERARY Map of a Japanese journey in style appeared first on Swiss Traveler.