Mandarin Oriental’s Italian restaurant Bencotto offers luxury at accessible prices – enjoy a dinner set for just NT$2,000!

▲ Roast duck prepared using traditional Italian methods, served with foie gras and saffron turnips.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan, Taipei

Mandarin Oriental Taipei, often referred to as an ultra-six-star luxury hotel, opened in May (2014) and immediately became the most upscale luxury hotel in Taiwan. While room rates are not cheap, the hotel's restaurants offer great value for money. For example, the Italian restaurant Bencotto serves a four-course dinner set for under NT$2,000 (NT$1,800), while the five-course set is NT$2,200. The lunch sets are even more affordable: NT$980 for three courses and NT$1,280 for four.

Mandarin Oriental Taipei’s Bencotto Italian Restaurant was designed by internationally acclaimed designer Tony Chi. Guests can enjoy authentic Italian cuisine in an elegant, cozy, and stylish space. Bencotto has 168 seats and a private dining room that accommodates up to 50 guests. Tony Chi divided Bencotto into four main areas: the bar, lounge, main dining room, and a large private room. The main dining area features high ceilings and a warm, refined ambiance.

▲ The main dining area of Bencotto.


▲ Open kitchen.


▲ Private dining room with a view of the kitchen.

Bencotto’s head chef, Mario Cittadini, is only 37 years old but brings over 15 years of extensive culinary experience. Most notably, during his school years, he studied electrical engineering, literature, and economics, yet developed a deep passion for food, wine, and travel. Before joining Bencotto, Chef Mario served as executive chef and partner at the one-Michelin-starred Relais & Châteaux Il Falconiere in Tuscany, Italy, and at the one-Michelin-starred Il Postale in Perugia, Italy. In 2009, he moved to Asia, taking the position of chef at the Regent Beijing, where he was promoted to executive sous-chef within a year.

▲ American Snake River pork belly served with pickled cabbage and red bell pepper tomato sauce.

Regarding cuisine, Mario believes it evolves gradually over time, much like life, which makes it difficult to rigidly define what constitutes Italian or French cuisine. If he had to highlight a defining feature of Italian cuisine, it would be the essential use of olive oil—something he says you simply can’t do without. Mario also places great emphasis on ingredients, personally selecting the freshest seasonal produce, meats, and seafood, then designing menus around them to bring out their most authentic flavors.

For this interview, Chef Mario prepared the following dishes: American Snake River pork belly with pickled cabbage and red bell pepper tomato sauce (starter), Dungeness crab risotto with spicy pork sauce, roast duck prepared using traditional Italian methods with foie gras and saffron turnips (main course), and Italian cheese platter with wild berries and smoked milk ice cream. The pork belly in the starter dish has a texture as tender as Dongpo pork, and when paired with the crispy, net-like flatbread, it adds a delightful layer of texture. The pickled cabbage and red bell pepper tomato sauce also prevent the flavors from becoming monotonous.

▲ Dungeness crab risotto with spicy pork sauce.

▲ Roast duck prepared using traditional Italian methods with foie gras and saffron turnips.

The Dungeness crab risotto with spicy pork sauce uses imported Italian rice, which has larger grains and a firmer texture than typical Taiwanese rice. However, despite being firm and separate, the rice is fully cooked through—chewy and springy, quite different from the usual undercooked texture. As for the main course, the roast duck prepared using traditional Italian methods—with foie gras and saffron turnips—undergoes three days of preparation before being slow-cooked at low temperature for 45 minutes, resulting in tender, juicy meat that isn’t dry at all; the foie gras melts in your mouth. As for dessert, Mario explained that the smoked milk ice cream is made by smoking the milk first, giving it a subtle smoky aroma. His version is rich yet melts instantly in your mouth, leaving you wanting more.


▲ Italian cheese platter with wild berries and smoked milk ice cream.

Mandarin Oriental Taipei – Italian Restaurant Bencotto
Address: 6F, 158 Dunhua N. Rd., Taipei City
Tel: 02-27156868
Business Hours: Lunch 12:00–14:30; Dinner 17:30–22:00