The Shangri-La International Food Festival kicks off — Michelin-starred cuisine under NT$2,000

▲ One of the main courses. American beef tenderloin, pepper, potatoes, and rhubarb root.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan, Taipei

The second edition of the Shangri-La International Food Festival runs from October 25 to 31, featuring 11 international celebrity chefs who collectively hold 21 Michelin stars. The event takes place simultaneously at 10 Shangri-La hotels worldwide. At the Marco Polo Restaurant in Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei, Italian chef Gaetano Trovato — who earned a Michelin star 30 years ago — is making a guest appearance. With a three-course lunch set priced at just NT$1,288, over 130 diners flocked in on the 25th to be among the first to taste his creations.

Gaetano Trovato is the head chef and proprietor of Arnolfo, a two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Tuscany, Italy. He insists on using fresh, seasonal ingredients and emphasizes preserving the original flavors of the food. However, with only around 30 seats at Arnolfo, the turnout of more than 130 diners on the 25th caught him by surprise. He hadn’t expected such an enthusiastic response from Taiwanese food lovers, though the large crowd also left the kitchen team scrambling to keep up.


▲ One of the appetizers. Asparagus, quail eggs, oranges, and quinoa.

For his guest appearance at the Marco Polo Restaurant (38th floor) of Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei, Chef Gaetano Trovato is offering a selection of gourmet dishes: a three-course lunch at NT$1,288+10% per person, and a five-course dinner at NT$2,888+10% per person. At the same time, renowned European truffle purveyor Stephan Burger has teamed up with Gaetano Trovato to present a limited-edition premium white truffle menu. The three-course white truffle lunch set (3 grams of truffle per dish) is priced at NT$2,288+10%, while the five-course white truffle dinner is NT$4,888+10%.


▲ One of the desserts. Classic tiramisu and sabayon.