Melissa F

Last meal in Taipei this time was at @akin.taipei by Chef @kin.cooks who is originally from Hong Kong and also helms the 1* @longtail.taipei along with several other concepts! The menu here is inspired by the life experience of the chef - from his roots in HK to his culinary training in Shanghai, Paris, New York and Taiwan. As such, the dishes were very creative and unique with highlights such as the classic HK dim sum 蘿蔔絲酥餅 with sea urchin filling, the flavorful laksa chawanmushi, the beautiful crispy duck dry aged for 2 weeks, and the clever “cheese course” - blue cheese donut with mulberry and walnut!

Our menu:

White Asparagus, Fermented Strawberries, Osetra Caviar

Kuro Awabi, Chinese Chive, Liver Hollandaise

Bafun Uni, Calamansi, Shiso

Kegani, Chawanmushi, Laksa

Kinmedai, Olive, Pickled Ginger

Duck, Green Plum, Endive

Wagyu Char Siu, Black Garlic, Tomatillo Salsa

Blue Cheese Doughnut, Mulberry, Walnut

Rhubarb, Cherry Blossom, Sour Cream

Coffee, Chocolate, Mandarin

Custard Apple, Fermented Honey

Petit Four
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Akin 君尹
Taipei, Taiwan
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The second half of our menu at @mingles_restaurant:

Sticky Rice Risotto, Crab, Tomato, Sesame Oil, Caviar

Ginseng Chicken Roulade, Gochujang Mushroom Sauce, Deodeok (Korean Root Vegetables), Sesame Bechamel

Handon Soondae / Hanwoo++Korean beef), Yam, Fruit Kimchi

Noodles, Anchovy Broth

Bibimbab : Rice Ice Cream & Pudding, Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil

Sweet Pumpkin Rice Meringue & Cream, Pumpkin Sikhye Sorbet, Herb

JANG TRIO: Doenjang Creme-brulee, Ganjang Pecan, Gochujang Puff

Beautiful Korean Sweets

Thank you @mingleseoul for the wonderful hospitality!
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2*, Mingles
Seoul, Korea
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The main reason I was in Taipei this time was for the collaboration between @stkiyoshi of @orchid.no83 in Taipei and @sam_aisbett of @akunarestaurant in Saigon! The dynamic duo had worked together before for years at Quay in Sydney and Whitegrass in Singapore, so sparks were bound to fly between the two. The fun night weaved from Sato’s modern Japanese cuisine to Sam’s edgy rule-bending dishes which were complemented with a fantastic wine and sake pairing!

The menu:

HASSUN
shima aji, goma wagyu, ossetra kamo, shiitake

NAGASAKI OYSTER
sanbaizu, summer citrus, Kaviari caviar

MAGURO
horseradish, seaweed oil, smoked bubble tea

DRUNKEN DUCK
penshell clam, salted egg, ice lettuce

SHOKUPAN
kombu, aonori

CHAWANMUSHI
hokkaido uni, squid, corn

CROCODILE
broken rice porridge, shoyuzuke egg, coastal greens

FISH
hokkigai, sake kasu, bone broth

WAGYU
sour quinoa, pickled mustard leaf, fermented mushroom

MIKAN
gin, fromage blanc, yuzu

STRAWBERRY & MILK
verbena, galangal ice cream, dried milk

PETIT FOUR
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Orchid x Akuna
Taipei, Taiwan
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One of the restaurants that was a must-try for me on this trip to Seoul was @mingles_restaurant by @mingleseoul! While I’ve been to its outpost @hansikgoo in Hong Kong quite a few times already, this was my first time visiting Mingles which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year. The difference between Mingles and Hansikgoo - as Chef Mingoo explains - is that the former is more modern while the latter leans towards traditional. However, both restaurants use “jang” (Korean fermented sauce) as the fundamental element in their cooking.

Mingles moved to its current location 4 years ago with a minimalist and elegant design. Much like its decor, the dishes may look simple but harbor complexity and depth in its flavors. The first part of our meal started with tantalizing highlights such as the cold chestnut soup, Hanwoo beef tartare with smoked eel, zucchini rice cake tart, mingling pot (which utilized 16 different ingredients), and the fish porridge!

First part of our menu:

Strawberry, Sancho Pepper, Caviar

Sweet Potato Rice Cake

Chestnut Soup, Chestnut Chip, Truffle

Korean Seasonal Raw Fish

Fried Hairtail Fish & Gamtae Roll

Hanwoo Beef Tartare with Smoked Eel

Korean Zucchini Namul & Rice Cake Tart, Shrimp, Perilla, Turnip

MINGLING POT : Seafood Morel & Hanwoo Cabbage Mandu, Sea Cucumber, Abalone, Spinach, Acorn Jelly, Cold Brewed Anchovy Broth

Jeju Fish, Crispy Black Rice, Dried Fish Porridge, Pressed Caviar

To be continued…
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2*, Mingles
Seoul, Korea
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A delightful lunch at @longyuetw - a Cantonese restaurant helmed by Chef Kan Chit Ming whose impressive career spans 60 years and was previously the Executive Chef at Fook Lam Moon in HK. The chef was candid about the difficulties in replicating Cantonese classics in Taiwan due to limitations of ingredients such as Jinhua ham and poultry from China but even so, the technical skills displayed in the dishes here were high - favorites included the char siu, double-boiled fish maw soup, steamed crab with egg white, crispy chicken, and sweet & sour beef!

Our menu:

冰燒三層肉
Roasted Pork Belly

金蒜黑豚叉燒
Signature Barbecued Pork

黃金燒鵝
Roasted Goose

松茸鮮螺頭燉花膠
Double-boiled Matsutake Fish Maw with Sea Whelk

花雕蛋白蒸花蟹
Steamed Blue Swimmer Crab with Egg White and Hua Diao Wine

蔥油淋海上鮮
Steamed Sea Fish and White Radish with Scallions Sauce

手吊脆皮雞
Longyue’s Signature Crispy Chicken

咕咾和牛
Sweet and Sour Wagyu Beef

蝦乾芥蘭煲
Braised Dried Shrimp and Chinese Kale in Casserole

松露蛋白和牛炒飯
Wagyu Beef, Black Truffle and Egg White Fried Rice

豆沙芝麻球
Deep Fried Sesame Balls stuffed with Bean Paste

牛油果官燕
Braised Bird’s Nest with Avocado
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Longyue 朧粵
Taipei, Taiwan
#supermelTW Less

During my stay at @fsseoul, I had dinner at their Cantonese restaurant Yu Yuan which held a Michelin star from 2017-2021. Designed by @andrefustudio, the decor is inspired by the grandeur of 1920’s Shanghai - adorned with jade-colored walls and tasteful furniture. The restaurant has recently appointed a new head chef Kwok Wai To who hails from Hong Kong and has previously worked at 2* Imperial Treasure in Guangzhou. We had the chance to try the chef’s signature menu which combines traditional Cantonese cooking techniques with local Korean ingredients - resulting in intriguing dishes such as the bird’s nest soup with Jeju carrots, and the deep-fried sea cucumber stuffed with Hanwoo beef and served with Lao Gan Ma sauce!

Our menu:

{YU YUAN APPETIZER PLATTER}

MARINATED LIVE LOBSTER, JELLYFISH AND KOREAN BLACK FUNGUS IN SESAME SAUCE

CHAR SIU – BARBECUED JEJU BLACK PORK BELLY IN HONEY SAUCE

{SOUP}

DOUBLE-BOILED BLOOD BIRD’S NEST SOUP WITH JEJU CARROT AND GOLD LEAF

{ENTRÉE}

TRADITIONAL BEIJING DUCK

DEEP-FRIED HAENAM SEA CUCUMBER FILLED WITH MINCED HANWOO BEEF AND LAO GAN MA SAUCE

SAUTÉED PORCINIS AND BROCCOLINI IN UISEONG GARLIC SAUCE

WOK-FRIED RICE NOODLES WITH ASSORTED SEAFOOD IN SUPERIOR EGG SAUCE

{DESSERT}

JEJU GREEN TEA ENTREMET WITH CARAMEL CREMEUX, GREEN TEA MOUSSE AND CARAMEL ICE CREAM
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Yu Yuan
Seoul, Korea
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A superb first meal in Taipei last week at 2* @logy.tw by @ryogotahara_logy! Originally from Hokkaido, the chef had trained in Italy and worked at @restaurant_florilege as sous chef before launching Logy in 2018. The restaurant uses seasonal local ingredients to celebrate the diversity of Asia while staying true to its Japanese identity. It was my first time trying Logy and I was very impressed with its complex and well-constructed dishes - highlights included the white shrimp with shaoxing wine jelly & mango, “hot & cold” chawanmushi, smoked mackerel risotto, caramelized eel tempura, and camomile ice cream with white asparagus soup. The meal was made all the more special with the excellent wine pairing by @lu__kevin who was just named Asia’s Best Sommelier by @theworlds50best!

The menu:

Beetroot “Kimpira” / perilla / sesame

Shaoxing Wine Jelly / shrimp / mango

Soymilk Bavarois / caviar / tomato & yogurt whey

Tuna(Chutoro) / roselle jelly / basil & saffron ponzu

Chawanmushi / angelica ice cream / dried squid consommé

Hay Smoked Mackerel / fried glutinous rice with hazelnut / coffee & “Sababushi “ soup

Caramelized Eel Tempura / comte cheese & chocolate sauce / sour hot soup

Omiwagyu / Urui-Miso / wood ear mushrooms glazed with toasted soybeans powder

Sakura Ice Cream / chervil granita / herb liqueur syrup (Saint Antonio)

Sakura Mochi filled with lily root and amaretto flavor

Chamomile Ice Cream / white asparagus & lavender soup

Aiyu Jelly with carbonated coconut jelly
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2*, Logy
Taipei, Taiwan
#supermelTW Less

Me and Crabzilla 🦀 at @ministryofcrab.bkk! 😆

Loved our meal at Ministry of Crab in Bangkok. While I haven’t been to the original @ministryofcrab in Sri Lanka yet, I’ve had their mud crab at a collaboration in Macau and it was amazingly delicious! Thus I was super excited to eat at their branch in BKK where the crab size ranges from 500g to a whopping 2kg (which is crabzilla!). Aside from the signature black pepper crab, we also had other fantastic dishes including the crab liver pate, kaphrao crab, clay pot prawn curry, butter clams, and more!

#KeepCalmAndCrabOn
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Ministry of Crab
Bangkok, Thailand
#supermelThailand #supermelBKK Less

The second half of our “Heritage | Culture | Roots” tasting menu at @haomabkk:

𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗸𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗕𝗶𝘀𝗰𝗮𝘆
Banana shrimp, prawn cracker, “Balchao” bao

𝗚𝗼 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗿𝗮𝘀!
Crab, madras curry, ponni rice

𝗔𝗮𝗺𝗿𝗮𝘀, 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗮𝘀 𝗔𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗮𝗿
Totapuri mango, buttermilk, “Royal Project” caviar

𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗵𝗮𝗯𝗮𝗱𝗶 𝗗𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘁
Fish musallam
Goat nihari & Haleem
Mughal breads

𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗿𝘂𝗶𝘁 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶
Dehydrated yoghurt, passion yolk, pistachio praline

𝗠𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗱𝘆
Cashew-nut nougat, dried mousse, sea salt ice-cream

𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗿

Thank you @deepankerkhosla @vishvas.sidana for the wonderful experience!
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1*, Haoma
Bangkok, Thailand
#supermelThailand #supermelBKK Less

The “Heritage | Culture | Roots” tasting menu at @haomabkk takes diners on a gastronomic journey through the many different regions in India with the choice of meat & seafood or vegetarian experience. Each dish was presented with a postcard of Chef @deepankerkhosla’s memories in India. The food was creative and packed with flavors while the wine pairing was diverse - ranging from champagne to orange wine, sake and sherry.

The first part of our menu started with:

𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗺𝗯𝗵𝗮
Pani puri
Vada pav
Dahi kebab
Raw mango panna

𝗦𝗮𝗺𝘂𝗱𝗿𝗮
Local sea urchin, moily curry

𝗕𝗲𝗻𝗮𝗿𝗮𝘀 𝗸𝗶 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗮𝘁
Shorba puff, Chiang Mai tomato granita, pickles

𝗟𝗼𝗯𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀
Phuket lobster, ghee roast, idli
Pulissery

𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗢𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗴𝗴
Chicken kakori
Keema ghotala, egg yolk

To be continued…
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1*, Haoma
Bangkok, Thailand
#supermelThailand #supermelBKK Less