A Michelin one-star chef brings his entire team to Taiwan — the restaurant even closes for three days

▲Victoria Hotel N°168PRIME Steakhouse invited the chef of the Michelin one-star French restaurant L’EMBELLIR, Naohito Kishimoto, for a guest appearance.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan, ETtoday

In recent years, it’s common for Michelin-starred chefs to make guest appearances in Taiwan, but it’s rare for a visiting chef to not only bring their in-house head chef team from their own restaurant, but also to shut down their two restaurants for three days just to pursue quality.

The “Michelin French Dinner” held on the evenings of September 19 and September 20 at Victoria Hotel N°168PRIME Steakhouse invited Naohito Kishimoto, the chef of the Michelin one-star French restaurant L’EMBELLIR. But beyond himself, he also brought along the head chef teams from both the Tokyo and Kyoto branches of L’EMBELLIR — including Tokyo head chef Tetsuro Otsuka, Kyoto head chef Takuya Kuwabara, pastry chef Natsuko Takahashi, and general manager Daisuke Tokoro of L’EMBELLIR. As a result, the Japanese L’EMBELLIR restaurants were closed for three days.


▲Naohito Kishimoto specially brought Japanese Akaishi seaweed and French Condrieu cheese crisps from Japan to Taiwan.

Naohito Kishimoto has worked at restaurants such as La Promenade in the Loire Valley of France, Foucher in Paris, and L’Esperance in Bourgogne Vezeley, one of Burgundy’s wine regions. In November 2006, he opened the first L’EMBELLIR restaurant in Omotesando, Aoyama, Tokyo. When the Michelin Guide officially entered Japan for evaluations in 2008, L’EMBELLIR was awarded one Michelin star, and it has maintained that distinction for eight consecutive years up to 2015. In spring 2014, he opened “L’EMBELLIR Kyoto” within Kyoto’s Yasaka Shrine, which earned its first Michelin star just six months after opening.

Naohito Kishimoto places great emphasis on ingredients themselves and seasonal characteristics. During his guest appearance at Victoria Hotel N°168PRIME Steakhouse — his second visit to Taiwan — he sought out local ingredients such as wild duck from Yilan’s Cherry Valley and blackfin tuna from Pingtung. The signature dish at Victoria Hotel N°168PRIME Steakhouse is the “Gourmet Steak,” which also serves as the main course for the Michelin French Dinner. But in pursuit of an even more perfect flavor, Kishimoto prepared three unique sauces, two types of salt, and wasabi from Alishan for diners to choose from.


▲Boiled oysters with yuzu and lily jelly.


▲Grilled breast of wild duck from Yilan’s Cherry Valley, served with five-spice pepper and foie gras corn mousse.


▲Rock-grilled sea urchin and potato ball with carrot foam.


▲Grilled smoked tuna with mashed eggplant and black truffle sauce.


▲N°168 American Select Gourmet Steak.

The eight dishes and two desserts brought by Naohito Kishimoto include “Japanese Akaishi Seaweed and French Condrieu Cheese Crisps,” “Boiled Oysters with Yuzu and Lily Jelly,” “Grilled Breast of Wild Duck from Yilan’s Cherry Valley with Five-Spice Pepper and Foie Gras Corn Mousse,” “Live Shrimp in Tomato and Kelp Broth with Passion Fruit and Citrus,” “Rock-Grilled Sea Urchin and Potato Ball with Carrot Foam,” “Grilled Smoked Tuna with Mashed Eggplant and Black Truffle Sauce,” “South African Abalone with Miso Sauce and Vegetables,” “N°168 American Select Gourmet Steak,” “Sherbet Ice,” and “Premium Dessert: Chocolate Coffee Mousse with Coffee Ice Cream.”

Reservations for the “Michelin French Dinner” on the evenings of September 19 and September 20 are fully booked. The price is NT$6,000 + 10%.

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