Ya Ge is a modern chinese restaurant in Songshan, Taipei.
Ya Ge sits inside the Mandarin Oriental Taipei and was a long-term Michelin star holder. Hangzhou-leaning modern Chinese, two-course Peking duck the marquee.
Signature dishes: Peking duck two courses, Tea-smoked sea bass, Stir-fried Wagyu
Must order: Two-course Peking duck and the tea-smoked sea bass; pair with the white-tea list.
Tip: Reserve through the Mandarin Oriental website; service charge 10 percent on the bill.
Address: 3F, Mandarin Oriental Taipei, No. 158, Dunhua North Road, Songshan District, Taipei City 105
Ming Fu runs Bib Gourmand Taiwanese seafood from a wood-panel room behind Zhongshan MRT. Banquet-style sharing tables, a wine list with Burgundy depth.
Signature: Steamed grouper, Bottarga fried rice, Drunken chicken
Order: Steamed grouper of the day, bottarga fried rice, and a plate of cold drunken chicken.
Tip: Open 11:30 to 14:00 and 17:30 to 22:00 daily. Reserve by phone for the back room.
Rong Rong Yuan is the 1949-wave Sichuan-Hunan counter that fills its dining room every Taipei lunch. Bib Gourmand, mapo tofu the canonical Taipei version.
Signature: Spicy crispy chicken, Mapo tofu, Dan dan noodles
Order: Mapo tofu, dry-fried green beans, and a bowl of dan dan noodles.
Tip: Open 11:30 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 21:00 daily. Walk-ins only; turnover is fast.
Addiction Aquatic Development is a fish-market food complex in Zhongshan with a standing sushi bar, oyster bar, hot-pot room, and an excellent chirashi deli.
Signature: Standing sushi bar omakase, Live oysters, Sashimi donburi
Order: Counter omakase at the standing sushi bar or a chirashi rice bowl from the deli.
Tip: Open 06:00 to 24:00 daily for retail; sushi bar 11:00 to 22:00. Closes 02:00 Fridays and Saturdays.
Shan Yuan in Taipei runs Wagyu omakase at the smokeless grill counter, with A5 cuts from Miyazaki and Kagoshima. Michelin Plate; reservations a month out.
Signature: A5 Wagyu omakase, Salt-grilled tongue, Saikoro steak
Order: Wagyu omakase with the saikoro steak as the rice course closer.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Reservations open one month ahead by phone; counter seats only.
Longtail pairs a serious cocktail bar with an Asian-fusion bistro menu in a long Da'an room. Bartender-chef collaboration, small plates for shared dining.
Signature: Asian-inflected small plates, Wagyu tongue tartare, Signature cocktails
Order: Wagyu tongue tartare, charcoal-grilled lamb skewers, and the house Negroni variation.
Tip: Open 18:00 to 02:00 Mon to Sat, closed Sundays. Reservations via the website; counter seats are walk-in only.
Qing Tian 76 turns a 1931 Japanese-era professor's house into a Showa-era dining room serving set lunches and small kaiseki suppers, tatami floors intact.
Signature: Tatami set lunch, Seasonal sashimi, Wagashi dessert
Order: Set lunch in the tatami room and the wagashi-and-matcha dessert pairing.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Phone reservation required; remove shoes at the entrance.
