How many have you tried? 30 popular new restaurants in Greater Taipei opened in 2016

Reported by Huang Shiyuan, Taipei

As 2016 comes to an end, looking back at the year, although the overall economic climate has been challenging, the F&B market has remained vibrant. From locally created Taiwanese brands and the introduction of popular Japanese and Korean concepts, to licensed restaurants from Europe and America—such as the Taiwan debut of Jamie's Italian, the Italian restaurant by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, which opened in November—food lovers always have something new to look forward to. ETtoday EBC News Cloud has compiled a list of 30 highly popular restaurants that debuted in 2016. How many have our readers tried?

The sauces and batter are imported directly from Japan, and Japan’s Kitajiki aims to replicate the exact same taste and texture as its flagship store in Japan. (Photo/Huang Shiyuan)

Kobe Pork Cutlet Rice Bowl – Kitajiki
The renowned Kobe pork cutlet rice bowl shop Kitajiki officially opened on December 10th. Since founder Mr. Kamisaburo Uehayashi developed a unique sauce during the shop’s early days, along with a special batter ratio, and suitable ingredients couldn’t be found in Taiwan, both the sauce and batter are imported directly from Japan to replicate the exact same taste and texture as the flagship store. The menu includes three types of pork cutlet rice bowls: Kitajiki Special Pork Cutlet Rice, Classic Japanese Pork Cutlet Rice, and Korean Spicy Pork Cutlet Rice.

Address: 1F, No. 22, Songshou Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City (NEO19 Mall, Songren Rd. side)
Phone: 02-2723-3313

Slow-cooked beef cheek with seasonal vegetables in red wine. (Photo/Huang Shiyuan)

Chou Chou French Restaurant
Chef Lin Ming-Chien, who was behind the planning of the contemporary ACHOI restaurant, had long dreamed of opening a French restaurant. About a year and a half after ACHOI opened, that dream finally came true. Chef Lin has established Chou Chou French Restaurant in Taipei’s Eastern District, offering a new take on classic French cuisine, distinct from ACHOI’s global fusion style. Food lovers can now enjoy authentic French flavors in Taiwan. Chou Chou French Restaurant officially opened on December 10th.

Address: 1F, No. 22, Lane 6, Alley 170, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Rd., Taipei City (Exit 5, Zhongxiao Dunhua MRT Station)
Phone: 02-2773-1819

Gyukatsu Motomura N<。220元。(图／黄士原摄)

Gyukatsu Motomura Taipei 101 Branch
Following the Kaohsiung Hanshin Dome branch, the Gyukatsu N<专门店“牛角次男坊”台北101店正式于12月6日开幕，除了满满的牛五花肉片堆叠高度达20公分的之外，还推出只有台北101店限定的牛角次男坊玫瑰火山N<，就连日本也吃不到。

Gyukatsu Motomura Rose Volcano N<采用低温料理技术，每日现烤原块澳洲牛肉，之后再切薄片，放在碗里就像一片片玫瑰花瓣，搭配温泉蛋让口感更不同。售价260元。至于品牌主打的“牛角次男坊N<”分量十分惊人，牛角次男坊N<选用上等原片牛五花直火烧肉，搭配牛角特制秘传酱汁，满满的牛五花肉片堆叠高度达20公分，米饭与牛肉都是各重250公克，售价220元。

Gyukatsu Motomura Taipei 101 Branch
Address: B1 Food Court, No. 45, Shifu Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City

Hannan Harbor Tienmu Branch opened on November 30th. (Photo provided by Hannan Cuisine)

Hannan Harbor Tienmu Branch
Hannan Harbor Tienmu Branch opened on November 30th. This is Hannan Harbor’s second branch in Taipei. In terms of menu offerings, the Tienmu branch emphasizes its open kitchen concept, highlighting multiple dishes prepared on-site—including fresh oysters steamed with citrus soy sauce, self-grilled sukiyaki beef, parent-child N<雪花牛、黄金鱼蛋虱目鱼米粉汤，现点现做-义式蔬菜海鲜炖米面、古早味担仔面、港式牛杂汤等。另外，天母店将推出最受大小朋友欢迎的棉花糖，以及汉来主厨用澳洲有机黄豆加上健康黑芝麻做成的霜淇淋。

Address: No. 77, Section 6, Zhongshan N. Rd., Shilin District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2835-2666


Yellow Page Huang’s Three-Juice Braised Pot—advertised as a hot pot that doesn’t use a single drop of water. (Photo/Huang Shiyuan)

Yellow Page Huang’s Three-Juice Braised Pot
The famous Beijing-based hot pot chain, Yellow Page Huang’s Three-Juice Braised Pot, opened its first Taiwan location at ATT 4 FUN. The concept originated from a Qing Dynasty-era spicy fish dish but is modified so that not a single drop of water is used in the cooking process—earning it the nickname “hot pot without soup.” The bottom layer is lined with root vegetables, followed by various customer-selected main ingredients, then covered with a lid to braise. This allows the flavors of the vegetables and meats to intermingle. After about ten minutes, a secret sauce is poured over the ingredients and left to simmer until fully infused. Because the base is made of root vegetables, moisture slowly seeps out during braising.

Yellow Page Huang’s Three-Juice Braised Pot – Taiwan No. 1 Store
Address: 4F, No. 12, Songshou Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City (ATT4FUN)

▲Taiwan’s signature spicy pizza features peeled chili peppers. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

Jamie's Italian
Jamie’s Italian, the Italian restaurant brand by British celebrity chef Jamie Oliver, is opening its first branch in Taiwan this November. Across the globe, Jamie’s Italian incorporates local elements—such as murals of Mazu, a symbol of traditional Taiwanese culture, on the walls—and offers exclusive menu items like a Taiwan-only peeled chili pizza and two signature cocktails named Yushan Peak and Yangmingshan Peak.

Taiwan Hot, the Taiwan-exclusive spicy pizza, is crafted to suit local tastes using peeled chili peppers sourced from Taiwan. Steven, the head chef of Jamie’s Italian Hong Kong, explained that during the development of this pizza, Taiwanese chefs first gathered various types of chili ingredients and sent them to the UK for Jamie’s review. Jamie then discussed these ingredients via video calls with the Taiwanese chefs and experimented with different pizza recipes before finally selecting the peeled chili version.

Address: 3F, A11 Building, Taipei Xinyi Xin Tiandi, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi
Phone: 02-8780-2050


▲Han Lai Vegetarian Cuisine. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

Han Lai Vegetarian Restaurant – Zhongxiao SOGO Branch
Han Lai Vegetarian’s fifth branch nationwide and its first in Taipei, the Zhongxiao SOGO store, will open on November 8. The design of Han Lai Vegetarian Zhongxiao SOGO emphasizes a sleek, minimalist aesthetic. For the menu, the team has developed 23 new dishes, including cold black fungus salad, braised silk tofu, macadamia nut sauce salad, tomato sauce white beans with portobello mushrooms, steamed mushrooms in fresh dew, lotus leaf steamed four treasures, crispy fruit skewers with fragrant smoke flavor, and Ten Directions Soup. The menu makes extensive use of autumn’s bounty of mushrooms and fungus, prepared in various ways such as cold salads, steaming, deep-frying, or stir-frying.

Address: 11F, No. 45, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Da’an District, Taipei City

▲“Low-Temperature Rabbit,” served from Chef Igor’s grandmother’s glass jar, contains memories and nostalgia from his childhood. (Photo provided by L’origine by La Credenza)

L’origine by La Credenza
Taipei’s Nangang district is seeing an increasing number of gourmet establishments. A Michelin one-star restaurant that has held its rating since 2006 is opening a branch in Taiwan. The Michelin one-star restaurant La Credenza from Italy’s Piedmont region will launch L’origine by La Credenza within a newly opened business hotel in Nangang. The goal is to create an approachable Michelin dining experience, with a four-course lunch set priced at NT$780, under NT$1,000. The official opening is on November 11.

L’origine by La Credenza aims to break the perception of Michelin restaurants as unattainably upscale. The lunch set includes four courses—appetizer, soup, main, and dessert—for NT$780, under NT$1,000, while the five-course dinner set is available for NT$1,480.

Address: No. 526, Section 7, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei City
Phone: 02-27893358


▲HAMA Sushi. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

HAMA Sushi
Following the success of Kura Sushi, another Japanese conveyor belt sushi brand, はま寿司 (HAMA Sushi), opened in September. HAMA Sushi’s menu features over 70 signature sushi options, including nigiri, fried sushi, thin rolls, aburi (torched) sushi, battleship rolls, and meat sushi—a rare sight in Taiwan. Among these, the nigiri selection alone includes 29 varieties, battleship rolls offer 16, and meat sushi comes in three types: grilled beef, teriyaki beef, and green onion with prosciutto.

Address: No. 185, Section 2, Zhongshan North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City


▲Taipei’s Tiancheng Hotel has launched a new F&B brand, “Burger Lab. Burger Laboratory.” The image above shows the classic double beef cheeseburger. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

Burger Lab. Burger Laboratory
Capitalizing on the growing burger market, Tiancheng Hotel has introduced a new dining brand, “Burger Lab. Burger Laboratory.” In addition to classic beef cheeseburgers, the brand, guided by its philosophy of “deconstruction,” “innovation,” and “re-fusion,” has developed new flavors such as Southeast Asian satay chicken burgers, classic American B.B.Q. pork burgers, and Fiery Red Lips pork burgers. Prices start at NT$120 for a single burger and NT$199 for a combo meal.

Address: 1F, No. 43, Section 1, Zhongxiao West Road, Taipei City (Exit M3, Taipei Main Station MRT)
Phone: 02-2311-8905 ext. 3321

Torijo Yakimono
From the renowned Japanese catering brand Torijo in Chiba Prefecture, which currently operates multiple locations including Torijo charcoal-grilled cuisine<きとり、鸟丈海鲜屋、月の家釜饭料理3种型态；此次慕里诺餐饮集团首度将品牌引进台北，并以海外独家的“鸟丈炉端烧”为名，透过炉端烧料理形式与结合三店铺型态及居酒屋风格，打造出台北限定的“原食炭魂”风格，强调使用严选食材与承袭本铺的料理技术。

Address: No. 18, Lane 134, Section 2, Zhongxiao East Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2395-2522


▲Xiang Ji Cheng Hand-Pulled Chicken. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

Xiang Ji Cheng
After a 20-year hiatus, Xiang Ji Cheng is making a comeback. Now managed by the third-generation owner and brand manager Chen Qiaoyu, the new location is in Bali’s Left Bank area in New Taipei City. Chen Qiaoyu shared that the hand-pulled chicken is made using local Taiwanese free-range chickens and brushed with the classic barbecue sauce passed down from her grandfather. What’s different this time is the improved roasting technique, which involves multi-step processes and French-style low-temperature cooking to lock in the juices. Additionally, the pepper salt seasoning is also a family recipe, refined and mixed by themselves.

In addition to the classic roast chicken, there are also innovative menu items. For example, the Hungarian Grilled G-Leg is marinated with Hungarian pepper, garlic, parsley, and other spices; the Spicy Salt Chicken Skewers use chicken thigh meat paired with a family-secret grilling sauce and spicy salt blend, then seared at high temperatures; the Cuban Roast Pork Sandwich draws inspiration from the Cuban sandwich in the movie "Chef," featuring grilled pork slices inside Cuban bread, served with sofrito.

Address: No. 39, Guanhai Boulevard, Bali District, New Taipei City

▲ Dubbed the “Highest Buffet Restaurant in Taiwan,” the “50th Floor Café.” (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

50th Floor Café
Officially opened on August 25, the “50th Floor Café,” the highest buffet restaurant in the country, covers 400 ping (approximately 1,322 m²) with 200 seats. Situated on the top 50th floor and featuring 200 cm floor-to-ceiling windows, its breathtaking night views are set to make it a popular date spot. Additionally, the restaurant has a dedicated parent-child dining area equipped with a motorcycle rocker, mini train track, coloring boards, and food-shaped plush toys—providing play space for toddlers under five after meals.

The buffet includes a sushi bar, chilled seafood station, hot stone plate station, sushi and hand roll station, salad bar, appetizer section, Asian hot food zone, chef’s signature dishes, hot stone-grilled dishes, and even liquid nitrogen ice cream—first seen in a five-star buffet—offering over 100 dishes per meal. Pricing is weekdays lunch 780 TWD, weekdays dinner 880 TWD, weekend lunch 880 TWD, and weekend dinner 980 TWD—great value for under a thousand TWD.

Address: Floors 48 to 50, 16 Xinzhan Road, Banqiao District, New Taipei City (next to Banqiao Big City)
Tel: 02-7705-9700


▲ The rail car doesn’t serve sushi, but Cantonese dim sum. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

Dim Sum Dao
Breaking away from Japanese cuisine, the Freshness Group ventures into Cantonese dim sum—and even utilizes the conveyor belt from their Freshness Express Sushi service to add fun to the dim sum experience. Dim Sum Dao currently offers over 40 types of dim sum, mostly guided by Master Lee Chin-sheng, head chef of Hong Kong’s popular dim sum specialist Lung Tai Tze. Among them are eight signature dim sum: Shrimp Dumpling King, Scallop Siu Mai, Traditional Glutinous Rice Chicken, Lava Custard Buns, Silky Fun Cake, Snow Mountain Char Siu Buns, Not Fried Rice Roll, and Pan-fried Shrimp Paste Eggplant. “Not Fried Rice Roll” is a curious name—it features silky rice net skin wrapped around shrimp paste, water chestnuts, celery, and crispy fried tofu skin for a multi-textured bite. Dim Sum Dao prices range from 58 to 128 TWD.

Location: 2F, 40 Changchun Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City (entrance on Linsen North Road)
Tel: 02-2511-5598


▲ One of Hokkaido’s must-eat dishes, soup curry, arrives in Taiwan with the popular shop GARAKU. Pictured is their signature tender chicken thigh. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

Soup Curry GARAKU
Beyond ramen and sushi, another Hokkaido essential is soup curry. Managed by the Hutong Yakitori team, the renowned soup curry restaurant ス0?抓?彀?ARAKU officially opened on August 23. GARAKU president Masatoshi Fukuie says the secret to great soup curry lies in its broth, made with generous amounts of chicken, beef or pork bones, various vegetables, and 21 proprietary spices including turmeric powder—to recreate the authentic taste of Hokkaido soup curry in Taiwan.

Address: 1F, 28 Songshou Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City
Tel: 02-8780-5111


▲ The new brand from Dian Hua BUFFET, “Feng FOOD Seafood & Meat Buffet,” officially opened on July 12. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

Feng FOOD Seafood & Meat Buffet
The new brand from Dian Hua, “Feng FOOD Seafood & Meat Buffet,” located in Dazhi, officially launched on July 12. The restaurant offers multi-national cuisines including Chinese, Japanese, Taiwanese, Hong Kong, Macau, Vietnamese, Thai, Laotian, Italian, and American—with over 200 unlimited dishes. Covering more than 800 ping and seating up to 600 guests, it includes a private room that can accommodate 300 people, making it the largest all-you-can-eat buffet in Taipei.

Address: 8 Zhifu Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City (1F, Dazhi Dian Hua)
Tel: 02-8502-0555


▲ Hainanese Chicken Rice. (Photo by Huang Shiyuan)

Asia 49 Asian Cuisine & Lounge
Following the Cantonese restaurant Moonlit Court, the Asia 49 Asian Cuisine & Lounge on the 49th floor of “Mega 50 Dining & Banquet” will open on July 28. In addition to Malaysian, Thai, Indonesian, and other Asian cuisines, the pricing model is unique: choose any 3 dishes for 688 TWD, 5 dishes for 988 TWD, 7 dishes for 1,288 TWD, and any extra dish for 250 TWD. With an attached lounge, it operates until 11 PM on weekdays and 1 AM the next day on holidays.

Address: 49th Floor, 16 Xinzhan Road, Banqiao District, New Taipei City (Baiyang Building)
Tel: 02-7705-9700


▲ The ingredient-packed Fifth Generation Tenma N<，定价550元。(图／黄士原摄)

Shimomachi Tenma N< 秋光
Won the 2015 Japan "National N<联盟”金赏的《下町天N< 秋光》，是由日本百年名店《土手の伊势屋》五代目主厨谷原秋光先生于2015年所创立，这次下町天N<秋光登台，谷原秋光除将美味天N<引进台湾，价格跟日本比便宜许多，但食材品质并没有打折，穴子、虾、牡蛎等海鲜都是从日本进口，仅从饭量减少及采用台湾蔬果等来降低成本。如果民众对于550元的五代目天N<价格仍觉得贵，可以选择330元的天N<，只是食材不同，但美味并没减少。接受度，像是在日卖2500日圆、超过750元新台币的五代目天N<，台湾售价降到550元，整体商品便宜幅度约3成。

Address: No. 55, Lane 187, Section 1, Dunhua South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-8771-3311

▲ Sarabeth's classic eggs benedict. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

Sarabeth's
Sarabeth's, known as the "Queen of Breakfast" in New York, has finally opened its first Taiwan branch on May 31. Located on B1 of SOGO Dunhua, it has its own separate entrance and exit, so it doesn't follow the department store's operating hours and can open as early as 9 AM. This was also a key requirement of founder Sarabeth Levine for the branch location. In the restaurant, the signature classic eggs benedict is priced at NT$360, and with a 10% service charge it comes to just under NT$400. The French toast is priced at NT$480, which with the service charge goes over NT$500.

Location: B1, 246, Section 1, Dunhua South Road, Taipei City (Pacific SOGO Dunhua)

▲ The nigiri sushi in the Marumoto set, with the one on the far left being the highly praised tuna belly nigiri. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

Marumoto
Operated by the Breeze Group, the Japanese restaurant Marumoto has been in six months of preparation and finally began soft opening on May 18. The head chef is Iwaki Tsutomu, who trained under the old-school Edomae sushi technique at "Tsukiji Sushi Iwa" and has 20 years of experience. Iwaki expressed that he hopes through Marumoto, Taiwanese customers can enjoy authentic and delicious Japanese cuisine. Marumoto is located on the 45th floor of Breeze Xin Yi, where you can gaze at the blue sky and green mountains during the day, and admire the beautiful night view of Taipei City at night, making it the highest Japanese restaurant in all of Taiwan.

Address: 45F, No. 68, Section 5, Zhongxiao East Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City (Breeze 45, Xinyi)
Phone: 02-6639-7786

▲ The dim sum at Wangyuelou, such as the fresh shrimp goldfish dumpling, looks incredibly lifelike. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

Wangyuelou
Located on the 48th floor of the Taipei 101-area's highest building, the Baiyang Building next to the Breeze Xinpu Department Store in Banqiao, Wangyuelou features window-side tables with stunning day and night views. It has three exclusive and private VIP rooms, named Banqiao Hall (24 people), Fuchung Hall (12 people), and Nanya Hall (10 people), along with other regular seating totaling 100 spots. The restaurant mainly serves Cantonese cuisine, with some Sichuan and Hunan dishes included. Each dish starts at NT$280, and there are five set meals priced between NT$1,000 and NT$4,800 per person. For lunch, they specially offer refined Hong Kong-style dim sum starting from NT$120 per piece. Officially opened on May 24.

Address: 48F, Baiyang Building, No. 16, Xinzhan Road, Banqiao District, New Taipei City
Phone: 02-7705-9700

▲ The popular Kaohsiung restaurant Dazhai Men's Dry Pot Duck Head opens a branch in Taipei. (Photo / From Dazhai Men Dry Pot Duck Head - Taipei Dunhua Facebook)

Dazhai Men Duck Head Dry Pot Taipei Dunhua Branch
The popular Kaohsiung restaurant Dazhai Men's Dry Pot Duck Head has opened a branch in Taipei. Friends in Taipei who love duck head dry pot are in luck — starting May 7, the Dazhai Men Taipei Dunhua branch began operations. Aside from the duck head dry pot, there is now also an option for dry pot spicy beef tendon. And after finishing the duck head dry pot, you can pour the broth into the spicy hotpot and throw in vegetables, seafood, lamb, beef, etc., instantly creating a second way to enjoy the meal.

Address: No. 8, Lane 232, Section 1, Dunhua South Road, Taipei City
Phone: 02-8772-1447

▲ The popular Japanese-Korean meatball steak is coming to Taiwan. (Photo / Provided by Oh ! My Stone)

Oh! My Stone
Taiwan’s first “meatball steak” restaurant, “Oh ! My Stone,” opened on May 21. This is a new food trend recently emerging from Fukuoka, Japan and Seoul. It uses high-temperature black stone round cast iron to directly grill ball-shaped hamburger patties on the black stone surface, offering a brand-new experience combining yakitori and stone-grilled flavors, with DIY fun for guests. The meatball steaks and other ingredients are served on regular iron plates, but the highlight is the heated 500-degree black stone round cast iron. Guests place the ground meat directly on it to grill, and one stone can cook about one meatball steak.

Address: No. 16, Lane 6, Alley 553, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei City (near Taipei City Hall MRT Station & Songshan Cultural and Creative Park)
Phone: 02-2769-5757

Taïrroir French Restaurant
Expressing the culinary spirit of Taiwan’s new generation, blending ingredients, terroir, and attitude in its cuisine.

Address: 6F, No. 299, Lequn 3rd Road, Taipei City
Phone: 02-8501-5500

▲ Custom-made rich seafood tsukemen. (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)

Menya Itto
Ranked 3rd among the 50 most delicious ramen shops in Japan by the Japanese food website “Tabelog,” Menya Itto opened its first Taiwan branch on April 18. Its signature rich tsukemen (dipping ramen) is also known as the “champion tsukemen.” The broth is made by simmering chicken bones, chicken feet, chicken fat, ground meat, and five different types of seafood. It also features Japan’s first low-temperature cooked chicken and pork chashu.

Address: No. 29, Section 1, Nanjing East Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2581-1711

▲ Yuanshan Steakhouse officially opened on the 28th. (Photo / Lin Yuling)

Yuanshan Steakhouse
After a 22-year hiatus, Yuanshan Steakhouse reopened on April 28. Its biggest feature is the use of popular dry-aging and wet-aging techniques to make the beef more tender. Dry-aging preserves the tender interior texture, concentrating the beef’s flavor, then storing it in a fridge set between -1°C and 3°C to maintain humidity, resulting in a softer texture and more pronounced taste. Wet-aging involves vacuum-sealing the beef to retain its natural sweetness and moisture. Chef Tseng Chia-hsing explained that both aging methods rely on the beef’s own natural enzymes to enhance flavor, tenderness, and juiciness.

Address: No. 1, Section 4, Zhongshan North Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2886-8888 ext. 1250

▲ The brisket at MacDowell’s Kitchen. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

MacDowell’s Kitchen
The New York-based BBQ favorite, Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque, opened its first Taiwan branch on April 18. Combining the characteristics of Texas and North Carolina BBQ, it uses slow-smoked techniques over a long period to preserve the most authentic flavors and juices. Main dishes include brisket, flanken-style short ribs, and dinosaur beef ribeye, as well as classic pulled pork and pork ribs.

Address: No. 109, Section 4, Ren’ai Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-27726174


▲ The thick-sliced chashu ramen at Tori no Hitokuchi. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

Tori no Hitokuchi Ramen
The American-Japanese ramen shop Tori no Hitokuchi offers a menu including Tori no Hitokuchi White Soup Ramen, Spicy Ramen, Miso Ramen, Spicy Miso Ramen, Vegetable Ramen, Vegetable Spicy Ramen, and Thick-Sliced Ramen. Founded in 2004, “Tori no Yakitori” was a hidden gem in a New York alley, using free-range chicken. The large amount of chicken bones left after processing led to the development of “tori shio tare” (chicken white broth), which Japanese ramen masters then used to create chicken white soup ramen—the origin of Tori no Hitokuchi Ramen.

Address: No. 9, Lane 5, Alley 107, Section 1, Fuxing South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2778-9866

▲ Now you can enjoy Kongling One Chicken in Taiwan too! (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

Kongling One Chicken
Many have been eagerly awaiting the Korean dish Kongling One Chicken, which opened in April. Owner Rui YongfY noted that the broth for Kongling One Chicken is made by simmering over 10 kinds of vegetables for five hours, resulting in a lighter taste compared to regular chicken soup. The chicken itself is a 45-day-old free-range chicken, making the meat especially tender. If one chicken isn’t enough, you can add knife-cut noodles (NT$60), steamed rice (NT$20), and seaweed egg congee (NT$60). For the congee, it's recommended to finish the chicken first, then add the remaining broth (staff will refill if needed), steamed rice, egg, and seaweed to slowly cook into a porridge.

Address: No. 14, Lane 83, Section 1, Da’an Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2781-8181


▲ COVA’s desserts and cakes are all made fresh daily. (Photo / Huang Shih-yuan)

COVA
The century-old Italian patisserie COVA from Milan finally opened officially on February 18. Here, you can enjoy authentic Italian coffee, cakes, and chocolates. Small cakes and pastries (like cream puffs) are NT$70 each, while daily selection cakes are NT$220 per slice. As for COVA’s signature chocolate products, the Goodnight Chocolate is NT$35 per piece, Gold Brick Chocolate is NT$70 each, and filled/chocolate truffles are NT$80 each, regardless of flavor.

Address: 2F, No. 68, Section 5, Zhongxiao East Road, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2722-7655