When Seafood Meets White Chocolate? Taiwanese White Asparagus Joins the Menu

Reported by Chen Tzu-yin / Taipei

Spring is the season for "asparagus," and the white asparagus produced in Taiwan is tender, juicy, crisp, and sweet. Hotel chefs have taken advantage of the inherent deliciousness of Taiwanese asparagus and its ability to retain moisture without being affected by air transport. By "using local ingredients," they have incorporated it into a series of creative dishes, adding a touch of local familiarity to the menu.

In the open kitchen, Chef Wang Fu-li of the Yunxuan Western Restaurant at The Regent Taipei adjusts the heat on one side while placing the grilled American-imported beef steak into the simmering oven on the other. Both are cooked using a two-stage charcoal grilling method with "burned wood ignition," utilizing acacia wood from Nantou. This most traditional technique carefully prepares these exquisite dishes.


▲The two-stage traditional charcoal grilling method is the biggest highlight in the Yunxuan Western Restaurant kitchen. (Photo / Reported by Chen Tzu-yin)

First dish: "Mixed Seafood with White Asparagus and Asparagus White Chocolate Sauce":

Just looking at the dish name, it’s hard to imagine how seafood and white chocolate sauce could revolutionize the taste buds, but one bite will amaze you with the harmony between the two. The sense of conflict exists only in the dish name, not in the actual flavors.

▲The combination of white chocolate sauce with seafood and white asparagus creates a texture that is completely non-conflicting. (Photo / Reported by Chen Tzu-yin)

Largemouth bass, prawns, clams, and Japanese scallops are first grilled over charcoal, then topped with an essence sauce made by vacuum-sealing and low-temperature cooking white chocolate, asparagus, and salt together, which is then whipped into a foam and drizzled over the seafood. The deep sweetness of the seafood, the bittersweetness of the white chocolate, and the sweetness of the asparagus blend into one.

Second dish: "Crispy Roast Suckling Pig with White Asparagus Truffle Risotto":

The crispy roasted skin of the suckling pig has no burnt taste whatsoever, and when paired with the tender, melt-in-your-mouth pork beneath, the aroma immediately bursts in your mouth. The rich flavor of white asparagus in the risotto also pairs perfectly with the rice.

▲What looks like chunks of suckling pig are actually the result of the chef’s "bone and meat separation" process before reassembly. (Photo / Reported by Chen Tzu-yin)

Sliced white asparagus is stir-fried with onions, rice, garlic, and butter, then topped with premium Italian truffles. Chef Wang Fu-li uses sous vide to vacuum-seal the suckling pig with bay leaves, thyme, onions, and various vegetables, cooking it at 60 degrees Celsius for 18 hours to extract rich meat juices. He then carefully separates the skin from the meat and removes the bones. The extracted juices and meat pieces are seasoned with salt and pepper, seared to a golden color just before serving. This elaborate and time-consuming process results in a dish that is crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, retaining its full aroma.

Third dish: "Wellington Steak with Large Asparagus and Port Sauce":

The first layer is a puff pastry crust handcrafted by the chef, with a crispness that is truly admirable. One bite immediately reveals the hearty texture of the beef tenderloin. The seemingly supporting role of king oyster mushrooms is juicy and sweet, as if not a single drop of moisture was lost during cooking.

▲Left: The timing of the crust and beef tenderloin must be perfectly balanced to avoid affecting each other’s textures. Right: The rosy medium-rare steak is the optimal level of doneness. (Photo / Reported by Chen Tzu-yin)

The American beef tenderloin is simply seasoned with salt and pepper, then seared on the surface (to prevent moisture loss that would make the pastry soft when added), topped with a concentrated mushroom mixture sautéed with shallots and thyme, then wrapped in pastry and baked in a steam oven for about 10 minutes to achieve the perfect medium-rare doneness and a crispy, flaky crust. Chef Wang Fu-li explains: "To ensure the beef isn’t overcooked and to maintain the crispiest possible crust, we went through many tests to find the perfect balance!" For plating, to complement the grandeur of the beef tenderloin, American white asparagus is used, allowing the textures of the asparagus and the hearty beef to alternate. The port wine sauce is also the perfect finishing touch, made with bay leaves, shallots, thyme, and port wine, further enhancing the delightful flavors.


▲Chef Wang Fu-li of The Regent Taipei praises Taiwanese white asparagus for its sweetness and juiciness, making it ideal for a variety of dishes. (Photo / Reported by Chen Tzu-yin)

(Prices: Crispy Roast Suckling Pig with White Asparagus Truffle Risotto NT$1,650, Wellington Steak with Large Asparagus and Port Sauce NT$2,350, Mixed Seafood with White Asparagus and Asparagus White Chocolate Sauce NT$1,850; also available is the Double Spring Bamboo Shoot Seafood Feast for NT$6,800. For details, please contact The Regent Taipei.)