The New Year’s Eve dishes by a state banquet chef are here！First-ever “King of Vegan Soups” debuts

Diced Chili Lobster. (Provided by Taipei Sheraton Hotel)

Premium Fish Maw and Abalone Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. (Provided by Taipei Sheraton Hotel)

State banquet chefs launch their first-ever vegan New Year’s Eve dishes this year！Gao Ganghui, Executive Chinese Chef at both Taipei Sheraton Hotel and Taipei Marriott Hotel, not only continues to offer best-selling takeout New Year’s Eve dishes from previous years—such as Premium Fish Maw and Abalone Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Red Sticky Rice with Chinese New Year Meats, and Geleshan Prawns—but also introduces brand-new dishes including Diced Chili Lobster, Roast Crispy Pork Belly, Kavalan Lees Dongpo Pork, and Mushroom Vegan Stewed Mushroom Soup. Among them, the Mushroom Vegan Stewed Mushroom Soup is a first-time offering that will delight vegan diners.

With nearly 40 years of culinary experience, Gao Ganghui, renowned for his soup dishes, has also been invited to serve as a state banquet chef. This year, he debuts a vegan Mushroom Stewed Mushroom Soup, touted as the “King of Vegan Soups.” Made with a sweet and savory vegetable broth base, it includes a rich variety of mushrooms such as morel, white mushroom, Brazilian mushroom, button mushroom, and shiitake, along with ingredients like yam, chestnut, ginkgo nut, and golden cordyceps. The resulting soup is deliciously smooth and flavorful, offering vegans a treat they can enjoy heartily, while meat-eaters can also savor its health benefits.

When it comes to Chef Gao’s signature New Year’s Eve dishes, one cannot miss the Premium Fish Maw and Abalone Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. This dish, which has remained a bestseller for over 10 years, differs from the traditional Taiwanese version where ingredients like taro and chestnuts break down during cooking, resulting in a thicker broth. Instead, Chef Gao uses a Cantonese-style slow-braising technique, constantly skimming impurities during the cooking process to produce a clear yet richly flavored soup packed with collagen. Another classic, the Red Sticky Rice with Chinese New Year Meats, combines the commonly seen red sticky rice in Taiwanese cuisine with Chef Gao’s signature Cantonese-style cured meats, adding a delightful touch of sweetness and making it a top-selling New Year’s Eve item.

Among the new dishes, the Kavalan Lees Dongpo Pork boasts an aromatic wine fragrance, tender and non-greasy meat, and a richly savory sauce that pairs perfectly with rice. The Diced Chili Lobster is sure to excite spice lovers, featuring a unique chili sauce made over the course of a week and spread on the lobster before steaming, resulting in a spicy and appetizing flavor. Starting on the 22nd, in addition to offering individual items for order, the hotel is also launching a complete New Year’s Eve set meal titled “Seven Dishes and One Buddha Jumps Over the Wall,” which includes an Auspicious Platter, Premium Fish Maw and Abalone Buddha Jumps Over the Wall (with jar), High Soup Q Lobster, Braised Sea Cucumber in Scallion Sauce, Kavalan Lees Dongpo Pork, Sweet and Sour Grouper, Red Sticky Rice with Chinese New Year Meats, and Blooming Prosperity. Each set is priced at NT$17,888 and serves approximately six people.