Bringing an Italian Michelin one-star restaurant to Taiwan — 50% of the dishes here are available here too!

▲ My favorite thin-sliced Italian-style raw beef.

Text and photos byKuni

Igor is one of my favorite few among the many guest chefs who have visited Taiwan. Back in 2013, I was fortunate enough to collaborate with him on a food and violin event — that evening's collaboration remains a vivid memory. Later, Victoria was unable to retain him under contract, which I’ve always found a bit disappointing. This time, not only has he returned to Taiwan again, but he’s gone even further by opening a branch named after his Michelin one-star Italian restaurant: "L'origine by La Credenza." Without hesitation, I teamed up with some friends and we all arrived together in the damp and chilly Nangang in the evening. The restaurant just opened on December 1st, and I heard that guest numbers were limited during the trial operation period.

Entrance on the second floor.

Inside the restaurant.

Dining menu:
Hot spring egg: cheese sauce, truffle caviar, wild mushrooms (NT$230)
Italian-style raw beef: Wagyu thin slices, tuna (NT$360)
Granny Rabbit: homemade stewed vegetables (NT$420)
Fresh buffalo mozzarella: basil caviar, mixed vegetables (NT$300)
Italian beef ravioli: fresh black truffle, Piedmont hazelnut oil (NT$580)
Wasabi risotto: tuna, ham (NT$420)
Low-temperature lamb leg: baby bok choy, star anise, carrots (NT$680)
Chicken duo: Guizhong chicken, sweet corn sauce (NT$680)
American beef tenderloin: grilled, Guizhong chicken liver, spinach (NT$1380)
Handmade Italian gelato: homemade tuile, fresh fruit, chocolate sauce (NT$260)

The prices are lower than those at La Festa, where Igor previously served as a long-term consultant. Looking closely at the menu, I noticed a business lunch set for NT$780. Considering that about 50% of the dishes overlap with those from his Michelin one-star restaurant in Italy, it’s really a great deal. I immediately started planning to come back for a Lunch Set sometime. The hot spring egg at the start was very authentically Italian, and the mushrooms were used skillfully. Most of the wines paired with the meal, except for the last one, were from Australia. The first Riesling exceeded expectations, with a subtle mineral flavor.

Hot spring egg: cheese sauce, truffle caviar, wild mushrooms.

Australian Riesling.

Mitolo Jester.

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The combination of thin beef slices with tuna sauce and crackers is outstanding. I was skeptical when I heard they used 9+ Australian Wagyu, but later learned it was actually from the hind leg, so it had less marbling. Aside from cost considerations, it made full use of the tenderness of high-grade Wagyu while maintaining the refreshing quality needed for an appetizer — truly Igor’s style.

Italian-style raw beef: 9+ Wagyu hind leg thin slices, tuna.

I haven’t had a satisfying rabbit dish in Taiwan before, and today was no exception. The recipe matches the Italian version, and the stewed vegetables have a strong Southern European flavor. Unfortunately, the meat was different — it came from domestically raised rabbits in Chiayi, not wild rabbits, but plump meat rabbits. The taste resembled chicken breast, only softer, which was a bit of a letdown.

Granny Rabbit.

In recent years, Burrata has become increasingly common in Taiwan — simply put, it’s a more premium version of Mozzarella, with more creaminess and sensuality. Igor is clearly jumping on the trend. The ravioli is topped with Perigord black truffle (Perigord Truffle), which is one of the few luxury items that can rival the white Alba truffle. Although it’s called “Italian meat dumplings” in Chinese, there are actually three types: Agnolotti, Ravioli, and Tortelloni. But since it’s the Piedmont region, of course, we had to go for Agnolotti.

Fresh buffalo mozzarella: Burrata, basil caviar, mixed vegetables.

Italian beef ravioli: fresh black truffle, Piedmont hazelnut oil.

The Risotto that Igor excels at has always been my personal highlight. In the past, he once used coffee grounds, symbolizing conflict and passion. This time, it’s wasabi—going for an Italo-Japanese fusion. What surprised me even more is that this dish is synced with the version in Italy. I’m genuinely curious how the local customers perceive such creativity. Today, the doneness was just right; needless to say, it’s made with Acquerello rice. The only downside is that the seasoning wasn’t quite at its best, and a returning visitor who had been here twice shared the same sentiment.

Wasabi Risotto: tuna, ham.

The Wasabi Risotto from the Italian flagship store, screenshot taken from TripAdvisor in October 2016.

I’ve never been a fan of beef tenderloin, but it was what my friend ordered. Aside from a few exceptional experiences, I’ve generally kept my distance from this cut.

Slow-cooked lamb leg: baby bok choy, star anise, carrots.

Chicken duo: Guidding chicken, sweet corn sauce.

American beef tenderloin: grilled, Guidding chicken liver, spinach.

Steak sides.

Potatoes.

Petit-Figeac.

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Homemade ice cream toppings.

Tea-time snacks.

Artisanal Italian Gelato.

Scooped fresh for customers.

Customers can drizzle their own toppings onto the ice cream.

Anyway, I came back a few days later to try the business lunch instead. Can’t help it—seeing NT$780 get you a starter, soup, main course, and dessert, it was really hard to resist. As expected, the cost-performance ratio is excellent.

Menu.

Sparkling water.

Business lunch also comes with bread.

Business lunch salad.

First off, the deliciousness of the thinly sliced 9+ wagyu hindquarter was confirmed once again. The starter soup was a king oyster mushroom and carrot soup, with lightly grilled mushrooms that were quite charming. This time, the wasabi risotto got the seasoning right, but the reduction didn’t turn out as well—the kitchen team still seems to be in the process of fine-tuning. The pasta portion was huge, with a large king prawn prominently placed on top. The pasta shape was one I hadn’t tried before—I’m guessing it’s Fusillata Casareccia, probably from the Di Martino brand. Its unique S-shape can hold a lot of meat sauce and Grana Padano cheese inside. Combined with its al dente texture, biting into a piece while eating is extremely satisfying.

The Italian-style raw beef carpaccio remains top quality.

The king oyster mushroom starter soup was not skimped on.

The daylight is clearly better than at night.

Wasabi Risotto.

Today, the reduction wasn’t ideal.

A very generous serving of Grana Padano cheese and bacon pasta.

Freshly made Italian Gelato—you can see the vanilla seeds, and when you drizzle your own hot chocolate sauce on top, it turns out smoother than expected, sweet but not cloying.

Chef Darren.

Vanilla Gelato.

Ice cream toppings.

Still not enough of the Gelato even on the second try.

Afternoon tea.

Compared to several recently opened restaurants, L'origine clearly has an edge in coordination between the front and back of house. Not to mention that both Executive Chef Oliver and Chef Darren come from La Festa during the Igor era, and almost the entire front-of-house team hails from the former Godfather and Victoria teams. Before paying the bill, I happened to see a neighboring table’s customer accidentally drop a glass, and the nearby Hong Kong-born sommelier Johnson swiftly and gracefully picked it up — his experience was evident at a glance. Igor’s new restaurant deliberately selects some dishes to be the same as those at the Italian flagship. Compared to the La Festa period, it may lack some of the former’s vibrancy and color, and the flavors are not as bold, but the simple and mellow local Italian charm is absolutely more appealing to me.

Oggi Ristorante Italiano L'origine by La Credenza
Address: 2F, No. 258, Section 7, Zhongxiao East Road, Nangang District, Taipei City
Phone: (02)2789-3358

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