The Michelin Guide to Taipei is currently under evaluation and will be released next March. Other versions may be introduced in the future.

▲The Michelin Guide, known as the bible of fine dining, officially announced its launch in Taiwan today (6th). The Taipei Michelin Guide is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2018 (after the Lunar New Year, likely in March).

Reported by Huang Shiyuan / Taipei

The Michelin Guide, known as the bible of fine dining, officially announced its launch in Taiwan today (6th). The Taipei Michelin Guide is expected to be published in the first quarter of 2018 (after the Lunar New Year, likely in March), making Taiwan the 30th country or region in the world to have a Michelin Guide. In addition to the Taipei edition, Michael Ellis, the International Director of the Michelin Guides, stated that the focus is currently on the Taipei version, but he remains optimistic about the potential release of Michelin Guides for other cities in Taiwan. Ellis also mentioned that the evaluation process for the Taipei Michelin Guide is still ongoing.

Since the 2018 edition will feature the Taipei Michelin Guide, what are the chances for other regions and cities in Taiwan to have their own guides? Michael Ellis, the International Director of the Michelin Guides, said that producing a Michelin Guide takes a long time and requires extensive preparation. For now, they are not commenting on future plans and are solely focused on the Taipei edition. However, he also expressed optimism about the possibility of launching guides for other Taiwanese cities in the future.

The Michelin Guide prides itself on anonymous evaluations, with unified assessment criteria across five key standards: quality of ingredients, mastery of cooking techniques and flavor harmony, level of innovation (the chef’s creative expression), value for money, and consistency between the dining experience and culinary standards. The same principles apply to Taipei.

Currently, the Michelin Guide has been published in 28 cities across 11 countries. With the addition of Bangkok, Thailand, Taiwan will become the 30th country or region in the world to have a Michelin Guide.

Regarding food evaluations, all cuisines in Taipei will be within the scope of the reviewers’ assessments. Ellis emphasized that the Michelin Guide evaluates the quality of the cuisine, not the type or style of cuisine. Moreover, with the diversity and internationalization of food today, one can find Italian cuisine in Taiwan, for example.

As Asia already has Michelin Guides in Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Shanghai, and Seoul, and the Taipei Michelin Guide will only be released in 2018, Lin Kun-yuan, the Director-General of the Department of Tourism under the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, stated that there had previously been a Green Michelin Travel Guide. As for the Red Michelin Guide, which could help promote Taiwanese cuisine, the tourism bureau has long had the idea and is eager to see Taiwanese cuisine gain international recognition sooner. However, Michelin is a rigorous evaluation organization, and the release of a guide also depends on market acceptance. It’s not just about doing it for one year—the accumulation of market momentum is also important. For instance, there has been significant international media coverage of food this year, such as from CNN and the Evening Standard in the UK. A lot of preparation is needed, and the role of the public sector is to provide the final push.

Regarding sponsorship amounts, Lin Kun-yuan said it was not the rumored $3 million, but because both parties agreed not to disclose the amount, he could only say that the tourism bureau does not have such a large budget.