Foodle

Obana-san was one of the earliest supporters of Yamayuki as a line-caught tuna wholesaler and thus (supposedly) has preferred access for maguro. He usually favors smaller-size tuna and only ages a couple of days at most. On all of my visits, cuts from two different fish, usually from different landing points have been served. The only change I've noticed over the years is that the "chu-maki" made from the tender tuna scrapings appears now as an appetizer rather than a finale. Less

One of my most anticipated meals in Taiwan was at @jlstudio_tw - the first and only Singaporean restaurant to receive the prestigious 3 Michelin Stars! Helmed by Singaporean Chef @jimmy_limty, the menu pays tribute to his heritage using the amazing ingredients that this island has to offer. The dishes are highly creative, sophisticated, and carefully balanced in flavors and textures. While I’ve had a few of the signatures before at collaborations such as the hamachi with jackfruit & starfruit, the “laksa” without coconut and chili and the “nasi lemak” with the scales of the Merlion, it was still a delight to try them again at the restaurant. My absolute favorite dish of the night was the hidden menu dish “Roti” with an ingenious brioche with a bottom layer of spicy dried shrimp sambal, fish curry ice cream and roti espuma - one of the best dishes I’ve had in recent months!

Our menu:

Hamachi | Jackfruit | Starfruit
紅甘魚 | 波羅蜜| 楊桃

Gillardeau Oysters | Sea Grapes | Tapioca
法國吉拉朵生蠔| 海葡萄 |木薯

Patagonian Toothfish | Pinenuts | Laksa Leaves
小麟犬牙南極魚|松子|叻沙葉

Maine Lobster | Purple Sweet Potato | Pearl Onion
緬因龍蝦| 紫地瓜| 珍珠洋蔥

Hokkaido Rib Eye | Firefly Squid | Jicama | Banana Blossom | Local Wild Greens
北海道肋眼| 螢烏賊 | 豆薯 | 香蕉花 | 台灣野菜

Coconut | Jasmine Rice | Candied Ikan Billis |
Sambal Caramel | Fangyuan Organic Peanut Oil
椰子| 茉莉香米| 糖漬小魚乾 | 芳苑有機花生油

Yaw Kun Kopitiam 2017
耀坤咖啡店 2017

Sweets
茶點
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3*, JL Studio
Taichung, Taiwan
#supermelTW Less

What is Taiwanese cuisine? I was pondering about that when I dined at 1* @_yuenji_ which serves refined Taiwanese cuisine in Taichung. Heavily influenced by its history of migration and colonization, Taiwanese cuisine is ultimately a mosaic of flavors from its indigenous people, Minnan, Hakka, and other areas of China. Yuenji strives to present the hometown flavors of the island in a contemporary and elevated way. While you can choose a set menu, we opted for the tasting menu where we can choose from 6 categories of dishes - appetizer, soup, signature, hometown specialties, rice & noodles, and dessert. Many of the dishes were done well - the flavors were familiar but at the same time different from what I am used to. What blew me away were the soups - specifically the stewed beef soup with chenpi. The complex flavors were impressive. The tofu dessert was also a nice surprise as it was designed to look like a savory dish but everything was actually sweet - right down to the “green onion” matcha.

Our menu:

糖蒜海蜇頭
Marinated jellyfish, pickled garlic

紅糟黑羽雞
Boiled black feather chicken, red vinasse sauce

紅燒牛肉凍
Braised wagyu terrine, soy sauce

豌豆百合鴨賞
Smoked duck, lily bulb, pea pods

元紀皮蛋豆腐
YUENJI deep-fried tofu, preserved egg, peeled chili pepper

西瓜綿虱目魚湯
Boiled milkfish soup, pickled watermelon

陳皮牛肉盅
Stewed beef soup

金棗煙燻鱸下巴
Smoked sea bass, kumquat, garlic powder

鳯翼乾坤蝦
Stuffed chicken wing, shrimp and squid paste, spicy Sichuan pepper oil

桂花蛋香明蝦
Stir-fried prawn, duck egg, bamboo shoots

梅香燒嫩雞
Stir-fried chicken plum sauce

香酥嫩腩排
Deep-fried pork belly garlic, pepper

金湯蒲瓜鑲肉
Bottle gourd, minced pork and belly, shrimp, water chestnut shredded scallop

蔥油餅
Pan-fried scallion pancake

陳皮紅豆沙
Simmered red bean soup, dried tangerine peel

蜜糖松花豆腐
Chilled soy milk tofu, brown sugar, black sesame
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1*, YUENJI 元紀 • 台灣菜
Taichung, Taiwan
#supermelTW Less

At @yudao_taiwan, Chef @nickyangpowei reinterprets local flavors and ingredients through a contemporary lens. From iconic Tainan ingredients to traditional banquet dishes, guests can experience these culinary memories from a new perspective. This is the debut seasonal tasting menu in pictures:

「歸岸」
漁光島牡蠣
安平小鮪魚
Oyster / Tuna

「熟成日常」
七股虱目魚 / 花菜乾
Cigu Milkfish / Sun Dried Cauliflower

「山徑氣息」
烏魚白子/ 香檳茸
Mullet Roe / Almond Mushroom

「台法辦桌」
鮑魚/ 椰子
Abalone / Coconut

「海風輕佛」
長濱白蝦 / 韭菜
Changbin Prawn / Chinese Chives

「山林饋贈」
楠西梅花鹿 / 蘋果
Nansi Sika Deer / Apple

「花東風味」
太麻里釋迦 / 黑豬
Taimali Atemoya / Pork

「飯桌文化」
高雄139 /自栽香草
Kaohsiung 139 Rice / House Herbs

「童年回憶」
玉里愛玉 / 水梨
Yuli Aiyu / Pear

「清晨記憶」
台東新住米/ 豆漿
RisoMi / Soy Milk

「台南甜」
金柑 / 哈密瓜 / 龍眼乾
Kumquat / Honeydew Melon / Longan

See more about my dining experience in my reel 👉🏻
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YuDao 予島
Tainan, Taiwan
#supermelTW Less

Follow me to @giadagarden_beijing - a contemporary Italian restaurant in Beijing by Italian luxury fashion label Giada. A white spiral staircase connects the restaurant with the boutique at China World Hotel. The chef at the helm is @changliuchef who first rose to fame as S.Pellegrino Young Chef’s winner for China in 2016. He was also one of the first Chinese chefs to work at Noma and was the sous chef at Tokuyoshi for 3 years before opening his own restaurant Serica in Milan. At Giada Garden, Chef Cielo is bringing together his Italian training with his Chinese heritage. Showcasing local ingredients, the menu is a reflection of the chef’s own culinary journey. Highlights of the night included the ravioli “xiao long bao”, tagliolini with preserved bergamot 老香黃 & Chinese yellow wine, koji spaghetti, yellow croaker with sour shellfish jus, and an amazingly tender aged local pigeon. Don’t miss the creative non-alcoholic pairing designed by the chef himself including one that’s served in the cutest pufferfish glass ever! 🐡

More on the dishes in the next post.
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1*, Giada Garden
Beijing, China
#supermelChina Less

A fantastic lunch at 3 Michelin Star @chaoshangchao_chaoyang in Beijing - the first and only Chaozhou restaurant in the world to receive this prestigious accolade! With years of experience in Hong Kong and Shanghai, Chef @cyatfung delivers traditional Chaoshan dishes with sophistication and finesse. Upon stepping foot into the restaurant, it was like entering a fish maw museum as we meandered past numerous valuable fish maw on the way to our private dining room. We started our meal with a presentation of two huge Buddha’s Hand - one fresh and the other preserved. The preserved Buddha’s Hand had been aged for 10 plus years and is highly prized in Chaozhou. Highlights of the meal included the chilled threadfin fish tart, squid in shacha and shrimp oil, chicken soup with fish maw & pork tripe, braised sea cucumber with preserved radish and my absolute favorite - crispy pigeon leg stuffed with shark fin!

Our menu:

烧黃椒酿鲜桃仁
Roasted Yellow Peppers Stuffed with Fresh Walnuts

潮汹马友鱼饭挞
Chilled Threadfin Fish Tart

沙茶虾油穗花鱿
Squid in Shacha and Shrimp Oil

卤水猪手拼嫩肝
Braised Pork Knuckle with Liver

黄皮豉烧金沙骨
Braised Pork Ribs with Black Bean Sauce

猪肚荷包鸡花胶
Chicken Soup with Fish Maw and Pork Tripe

润烧鱼翅酿鸽腿
Pigeon Leg Stuffed with Shark Fin

老菜脯扣酿辽参
Braised Sea Cucumber with Preserved Radish

芙蓉花雕海上鲜
Seafood with Shaoxing Wine and Egg White

春菜煮潮汹海螺
Spring Vegetables with Conch

烧椒家乡肉饼饭
Minced Pork Rice with Roasted Peppers

燕窝椰子冰淇淋
Coconut Ice Cream with Bird’s Nest

传统反沙芋头粒
Traditional Candied Taro Cubes
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3*, Chao Shang Chao 潮上潮
Beijing, China
#supermelChina Less