It’s not unusual to find baked eggs in a brunch, but adding Dongshi fresh oysters? That’s less common.

Text & Photos / Xiongmao Rudy

Created by two French-trained chefs, the Chef’s Market boasts a refined yet relaxed atmosphere, paired with brunch and handmade desserts that truly impress.

Not too long ago, the Neihu Science Park didn’t have many restaurants, and many friends often complained about the lack of dining options. But over time, places like Good Meal Cafeteria and Shuiwen have carved out their own niches and flourished. This time, Xiong and I were invited to the Chef’s Market Le Marché de Cuistot in Neihu. Though newly opened, it already has a distinctive style.

Honestly, hearing “Mediterranean European cuisine” and the name might make you think of pricey, unsatisfying meals (including French, Greek, and Spanish dishes), but at the Chef’s Market, while it’s not exactly budget-friendly, the quality and ingredient selection are top-notch and worth every penny.

Xiong and I visited during brunch hours to see what kind of brunch the Chef’s Market team could come up with.

There’s a brunch menu right at the entrance—it looks both elegant and delicious.

They open at 11 AM, so we got there right when they opened to snap some photos of the place. The space is spacious, spanning two floors, with simple decor but a strong European street vibe. It turns out the owners are two good friends who studied cooking in France—Kim focuses on operations and menu development, while the sweet and adorable Mandy is an exceptional pastry chef and head chef. (Mandy has worked at a renowned patisserie in Paris and has plenty of experience.)

The name “Chef’s Market” came from Kim’s hope that it would be a place where chefs come to eat, but of course, it’s also open to anyone who loves food. The menu mainly features Mediterranean cuisine (with a clear French influence), but the portions are generous and the ingredients are high-quality.

For Kim, real French cuisine may be refined, but it doesn’t have to be overly small in portion or eaten stiffly. That’s why she’s dressed casually in shorts—to show that while the Chef’s Market has fine dining sensibilities, it won’t make you feel intimidated. The prices aren’t low, but the ingredients and cooking methods are meticulous, and no subpar ingredients are used. Whenever possible, sauces are made from scratch rather than using pre-made ones. As a fellow allergy sufferer, Kim knows how bad low-quality food can make her feel, so eating at the restaurant daily is also her way of maintaining quality.

There’s a four-person round table on the far right.

They also have a wine list. When chatting with owner Kim, we learned how much they care about food and wine quality. Since they offer single glasses or small carafes of House Wine, we asked how they store it. Kim boldly said they’d finish any leftovers within three days of opening the bottle—even if they couldn’t, she and Mandy would drink it themselves. (It was half-joking, but it shows how much they care about wine quality.)

This area is also one of the Chef’s Market’s showcases—handmade bread made with special French flour. The Chef’s Market has a professional baker, so whatever you want, they probably have it. There are about seven to ten types of handmade bread daily, priced roughly between NT$40 and NT$180.

As for desserts, there are about five or six types. The basic rosemary lemon tart (NT$105 each) may be small, but its tangy, delicious flavor is available every day!!

Then there’s the caramelized crème brûlée (NT$120 per serving) and the pistachio cherry tart (NT$150 each).

There’s also a chocolate-passion fruit wine-soaked cherry tart based on the lemon tart (NT$120 each), plus a basil-blueberry flavor (NT$150 each)—all handmade desserts that rotate daily.

Next, let’s check out the dining area and the semi-open kitchen. Every corner feels relaxed, without the stiffness of a typical European restaurant (that’s the philosophy of owners Kim and Mandy). The seating is comfortable—you’ll feel like you never want to get up.

Let’s sneak a peek into the kitchen.

This is the Chef’s Market’s bakery. They only use a few ingredients here: free-range eggs, rock salt, water, Isigny butter, and French flour.

The bold blackboard can be written on and changed freely—it’s a kind of rugged charm.

Looking from the inside out, the lighting is excellent, giving off an outdoor dining vibe. The menu changes regularly but is written on the blackboard—when something’s crossed out, it’s sold out. Besides the first floor, the Chef’s Market also has a second-floor dining area, though the pricing is slightly different.

There’s a uniquely European-style sink, a generous gift from the owner’s friend. It’s truly beautiful, full of European artistic flair.

So, the second floor is all about classic fine dining. With a reservation three days in advance, you can dine here, with a minimum spend of NT$1,500 per person. You can also discuss the menu with the chef. (This table is literally a huge block of wood, used as-is—talk about going all out.) The chairs are custom-made, fully bespoke. (That level of care alone is impressive.)

Looking down from here, you can sense another of Kim’s priorities: the restaurant’s atmosphere and environment. She noticed that many European-style restaurants in Taiwan can feel stiff, but in France or the Mediterranean, dining is actually very relaxed and enjoyable. So the entire restaurant, from decor to lighting, is designed to help everyone feel at ease while still maintaining elegance—so you can truly enjoy the food.

Because of this, Kim even placed a streetlamp in the restaurant to create a street vibe. (Very thoughtful and detailed...)

Alright, since Xiong and I visited during brunch, let’s focus on the brunch menu. The Chef’s Market offers four brunch options. The first is named after the restaurant itself, the Chef’s Market (NT$650 per serving, includes soup and bread). It has French-style rolled omelets and Taleggio cheese oyster baked eggs, so Xiong didn’t hesitate to order this one.

Next is the Azure Coast (NT$580 per serving, includes soup and bread), which features salmon as the main ingredient.

Then there’s the Holiday Market (NT$480 per serving, includes soup and bread), which uses carefully selected black-bone chicken eggs to make a sunny-side-up egg. Cat-loving Miao decided to skip the salmon today...

Finally, there’s the French Sweetheart (NT$420 per serving), which features sweetbread as the main component.

There are also plenty of beverage options, all written on the blackboard.

Next, while waiting for the food orders to be taken, Kim took Xiong for a stroll near the kitchen and happened to see the head chef preparing fish—so fresh and huge!! All of it was going to be used for grilled fish.

The squid is being prepared (very skillfully and quickly). Although Kim is also a chef, she mainly handles menu design and operations, while the dishes at Chef’s Market are entirely created by the head chef, who previously worked at Toscano in Xihua.

The first dish of the day was this French-style “Bonjour Coffee” (NT$210 per serving). The reason it’s called Bonjour Coffee is that it’s meant to be enjoyed right after waking up. But you might wonder—why serve coffee as a large glass of milk with a shot of espresso?

It turns out that in France and other European countries, the proportions of coffee and milk are actually quite flexible. Kim explained that you can start by drinking half the milk (with just a little coffee), creating a café au lait-like feel. Then, once you’ve gradually woken up or even when you’re about to head out for work, you can pour the rest of the espresso into the milk, turning it into a rich coffee mixed with milk. This way, it has layers without being too intense—and you get to enjoy both the aroma and complexity of the coffee. This method really highlights the richness and versatility of the coffee, showcasing Chef’s Market’s creativity and mastery of ingredients.

Next up was the Happy Garden Fruit Tea. When poured, it released an incredibly fragrant aroma, yet without any artificial or overly chemical smell. Even though it was a rather hot noon, each sip still brought a sense of sweetness.

Then came the bread and soup that came with the brunch. Basically, both the soups and breads at Chef’s Market can be ordered individually—the soups are NT$120 per bowl (dinner time), while the bread ranges from NT$40 to NT$180. Whatever you’re craving, they’ve got it here.

A very thick pumpkin soup—it’s practically the delicious essence of pumpkin.

Rye and red wine fig artisan bread paired with focaccia, plus some great butter. (Honestly, it’s delicious on its own.)

Well, Xiong and Miao got so caught up chatting with Kim that they lost track of time. About ten minutes later, both brunch plates arrived together.

First, this is Miao’s Holiday Market (NT$480 per serving, includes soup and bread). At first glance, you’ll be drawn to the two eye-catching sunny-side-up eggs—they’re specially selected free-range chicken eggs (and Kim even had to pick them up herself). Though the portion may not look huge, by the end of the meal, you’ll feel quite satisfied and full.

In addition, there’s also a handmade yogurt fruit salad and thick-cut fries with skin on.

Simply put, the free-range eggs are small in size, but the yolks are rich and dense, with a distinctly sweet and creamy flavor. The feeling of cutting into them is deeply satisfying, and Miao was really pleased. Hidden under the sunny-side-up eggs were cheese, bacon, and Spanish ham (the more you chew, the more flavor you get)—a truly rich breakfast.

Next, this is Xiong’s dish from Chef’s Market (NT$650 per serving, includes soup and bread). For this price, it’s already on par with a regular restaurant’s dinner offerings. But for Kim, she wants everyone to have an even better meal. The highlight of this brunch is definitely the American Choice ribeye steak wrapped with shredded potatoes!! (Of course, it’s also topped with Italian Taleggio cheese and oyster-infused free-range chicken scrambled eggs, plus handmade yogurt fruit salad and fresh seasonal vegetables.)

The grilled seasonal vegetables have released their natural sweetness, making them a very enjoyable pairing with the ribeye (and it’s healthy too). The Italian Taleggio cheese and oyster-infused free-range chicken scrambled eggs, along with the handmade yogurt fruit salad, were not forgotten either.

Honestly, having a frittata in a brunch isn’t strange, but adding fresh oysters from Dongshi is not common at all. The oysters aren’t small, and they’re bursting with sweetness and juices—biting into one releases an incredibly refreshing pop in your mouth.

And that’s not all. The frittata made with free-range chicken eggs is also paired with Italian Taleggio cheese, offering a rich texture with an even more aromatic taste. Combined with the juice from the Dongshi oysters, it’s extremely satisfying (giving you a feeling of floating in the ocean).

Finally, the ribeye beef is coated with shredded potatoes on the outside. Xiong found this dish quite interesting—if it’s a combination of beef and potatoes, why not just serve the steak and the potatoes separately?

It turns out that for Kim, brunch at Chef’s Market is meant to be relaxing. If the steak were served alone, then naturally the doneness would have to be discussed. So she decided to combine the beef and potatoes, cooking the inside to around medium doneness, with a crispy potato exterior on the outside. This creates a combination that’s chewy yet crispy—a perfect pairing.

After finishing both brunches, Xiong and Miao were already quite full. Beyond dessert, there was also Chef’s Market’s handmade baguette (and it’s the real Parisian kind). Kim said that their baguette only has four ingredients: flour, yeast, salt, and water—nothing else!!!

The more you chew, the more aromatic it becomes, and with its thick, crispy crust, this is the taste of Paris (gazing into the distance).

Next up are the daily creations from Chef’s Market’s star—Mandy, the sweet dessert chef and co-owner.

This is the Rosemary Lemon Tart (NT$105 each).
Strictly speaking, the portion isn’t very large—about the size of what a woman can hold in one hand. Mandy believes that a true lemon tart should not only have a refreshing taste, but the combination of acidity and rosemary is the real essence. And the proper way to eat it is to consume all the components (including the rosemary) (and it even tastes better when eaten by hand).

Next is the Basil Blueberry flavor (NT$150 each).
Basically, most of the desserts here use the lemon tart as a base, and adding different toppings creates new desserts. This basil blueberry version not only has a refreshing taste, but the tanginess of the blueberries combined with the aroma of basil adds a complex and varied flavor profile. It’s perfect for dessert lovers who love innovation and variety.

To be honest, Chef’s Market offers good dishes and a solid concept, aiming for the finesse of fine dining while creating a relaxed yet high-quality dining atmosphere. Though the prices aren’t low, the value is evident, and it has carved out its own niche in the Neihu area. Next time they get the chance, Xiong and Miao will come back to try the dinner menu.






Chef’s Market Le Marché de Cuistot
Address: No. 11, Lane 3, Jihu Road, Neihu District, Taipei City
Phone: (02) 2659-8590
Operating hours: Monday to Friday from 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM, Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 AM to 9:30 PM
Recommendation: The flavors are refined and portions are moderate. The prices are slightly high but worth it. The dishes are themed around the Mediterranean but lean more toward French style.Both brunch and dinner are quite distinctive.

Author of this article: Xiongmao Rudy – a couple passionate about food who occasionally splurge on dining and entertainment, but generally adhere to the principle of “limited money, endless appetite.” They run a blog of the same name.“Xiongmao Eats the World”Updates are ongoing.