In the very first Michelin guide for Taipei, the 2018 red guide handed out stars to a total of 20 restaurants, including the Cantonese restaurant Le Palais, which was awarded three stars and will hold bragging rights to being the best example of fine dining cuisine in Taipei for the rest of the year, according to Michelin.

A restaurant with three stars denotes exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.

In a statement, international director Michael Ellis called the dining experience at Le Palais “truly outstanding.”

“The Cantonese-style crispy roast duck, lobster, tofu and other dishes are remarkable, and baked egg custard tarts are sublime. All of the chef’s creations have won inspectors over.”

A pair of restaurants also earned two stars: Japanese contemporary restaurant Ryu Gin, and My guest House, which serves Hunan and Sichuan cuisine.

(Related: Is Bangkok’s first Michelin Guide good or bad for Thailand’s food scene?)

In the one-star category, a total of 17 restaurants were recognized, including popular Taiwanese native and Singapore expat Andre Chiang’s restaurant Raw.

Interestingly, French chef titan Joel Robuchon was unable to earn more than a single star for the Taiwanese outpost of L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon.

Together with the Bib Gourmand section, which features restaurants that offer good value eats, the 2018 selection includes 110 dining establishments that span 33 cuisines.

To reflect Taiwan’s street food culture, the Bib Gourmand selection also includes 10 street food vendors at night markets.

(Related: Why you should (or shouldn’t) refer to the Michelin Guide)

 

Below, the full list of starred restaurants: