TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Led by Executive Chef Bruce Li (李至正), Taipei's Michelin-starred T+T restaurant has unveiled an exciting new menu that embarks on a fresh culinary journey of Southeast Asian flavors.
The first dish is a surprising adventure for the palate. Inspired by the classic stingray street food of Malacca, Li reinterprets it with a local twist, using Taiwan milkfish.
Li coats the fish with dry-fried spices and bakes it to capture that signature intense aroma. Paired with a Southeast Asian-style stew, the dish is served as a sandwich.
Li explained that he kept the authentic Malaccan flavor but used the delicate texture of the milkfish and the casual, handheld presentation to make the dish both fun and delicious. He added that while he is paying homage to Malaysian cuisine, his biggest challenge is sourcing and adapting local ingredients.
For example, he has transformed the famous white curry noodles of Penang into a refreshing Japanese-style cold noodle dish. The sweet shrimp, bean curd, coconut milk dish features a rich clam and coconut milk broth, which is then chilled and tossed with noodles, mountain pepper oil, and a yuzu-kombu vinaigrette. It's garnished with sweet shrimp, crispy bean curd skin, and finger limes for a perfect balance of spice, sweetness, and citrus.
The red curry, chicken skin, and lemongrass dish is a creative deconstruction of classic Malaysian chicken curry. It is presented in two parts: crispy chicken skin with a house-made spice powder, and a smooth chicken tofu paired with a red curry sauce. Li said that he toned down the intensity of the curry to better suit a multi-course menu, ensuring the flavors do not overwhelm the diner's palate.
The soup, surf clam, bamboo shoot, and citrus, is a tribute to Taiwan’s classic clam and chicken soup. It features surf clams that are grilled to enhance their aroma, crispy fried bamboo shoots, and is finished with a clear chicken broth infused with a bright citrus flavor.
The most daring dish is the salted fish and stink bean rice. This rice dish blends Asian fermented fish cultures, combining duck rice with Li's three house-cured fish and the distinct flavor of stink beans.
Li shared that the inspiration comes from a whole-fish fermented fish sauce he tasted in East Malaysia, noting that while the flavor is strong, it is an opportunity for Taiwanese diners to experience something truly unique.
“Western diners are often more adventurous with new flavors, approaching the dish with an open mind,” said Li.
For the main course, Li shifts to a South Korean barbecue theme. The wagyu, pear, scallion dish uses premium Japanese A5 Wagyu beef coated in a sauce made from gochujang, doenjang, and soy sauce. The seared beef is served with pickled pear, romaine lettuce, and cheese, mimicking the traditional Korean ssam wrap.
The dessert, lychee, pandan, coconut sugar, is a tribute to the Malaysian shaved ice dessert cendol. Li uses lychee sorbet as the base, topped with pandan jelly, coconut sugar, and coconut flakes for a sweet and multi-layered finish.
(Taiwan News, Lyla Liu video)
