Offering Taiwanese diners an authentic kaiseki experience – the Jinshui Taipei set menu starts at NT$4,000

▲ Jinshui Taipei will open on January 21.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan, Taipei

The Tokyo Hotel Chinzanso, Japan’s most upscale hotel and a nine-time five-star recipient in the Michelin Guide, is opening its first overseas high-end Japanese kaiseki restaurant, “Jinshui Taipei,” on January 21 in Taipei’s Dazhi district. It will present the full essence of traditional Japanese kaiseki cuisine. Hand X Bo-wen, the head of Jinshui Taipei, said the goal is to let more people in Taiwan experience and appreciate genuine Japanese kaiseki and understand the cultural meanings it represents – which is also the main reason behind bringing the renowned ryotei (Japanese fine dining restaurant) Jinshui to Taiwan.

Ryotei Jinshui was once a filming location for the Japanese TV drama Hanzawa Naoki and has hosted numerous gatherings of political and business elites. Overseas head chef Renpei Biwa, with 20 years of experience in Japanese cuisine, will curate refined set menus using the freshest seasonal ingredients and meticulously chosen tableware. Prices range from NT$4,000 to NT$6,000, featuring around 9 to 11 courses. As January marks Japanese New Year, many dishes incorporate New Year themes and creative touches – such as fan-shaped kelp carved with the kanji for “longevity” and meringue sculpted to resemble snow.


▲ First appetizers and starters from the “Plum Viewing Moon” set menu.


▲ The “Three-Piece Assortment of the Day” from the “Plum Viewing Moon” set menu.


▲ The small pot dish from the “Plum Viewing Moon” set menu.

Jinshui Taipei’s kaiseki offerings include three set menus: “Wax Plum,” “Adonis,” and “Plum Viewing Moon,” priced at NT$4,000, NT$5,000, and NT$6,000 respectively. The “Wax Plum” set consists of 9 dishes, including appetizers, i




▲Gyozas in the "Plum Moon" set.


▲Grilled dish in the "Plum Moon" set, most notably served on a plate made from Mount Fuji lava, featuring Australian grain-fed beef.


▲One of the interior seating areas.


▲Entrance.

The 5,000 NT dollar "Adonis" set includes a total of 11 courses, adding an extra appetizer "Sakizuke" and "gyozas"; the 6,000 NT dollar "Plum Moon" set also contains 11 courses, with the more distinctive inclusion of a small hot pot composed of abalone, kinki fish, king crab, and seasonal vegetables. In addition to satisfying the palate, the tableware at "Kinshui Taipei" is also meticulously selected, with tea ceremony bowls made from Mino ware—the designated traditional Japanese craft from Gifu Prefecture’s Mino region, Japan’s largest producer of ceramic tableware.

"Kinshui Taipei" differs from its Japanese counterpart, Kinshui, and has been adapted to Taiwanese dining habits by replacing tatami-style seating with tables and chairs. It also features two private rooms that can accommodate six people each, available for reservation when hosting important guests.


▲Private room for six.

Kinshui Taipei
Address: 5F, No. 299, Lequn 3rd Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City (Dazhi EAT-T Building)
Phone: 02-8501-5329 (For reservations, please call between 14:00–20:00)