TAIPEI — Newly minted Michelin-starred restaurant Amaze pays tribute to its loyal guests with a seasonal winter menu that elevates Taiwan’s finest land and sea ingredients into a sophisticated narrative of gratitude.
In the competitive landscape of Taipei’s fine dining, few stories match the rapid ascent of Amaze. After opening its doors in Zhongshan District in 2024, the restaurant secured its first Michelin star and the Opening of the Year award in August.
To celebrate its first anniversary and its new status in the culinary firmament, executive chef Jim Yang (楊光宗) has unveiled a seasonal menu designed as a formal gesture of gratitude.
The menu, priced at NT$6,280 (US$199) plus 10%, focuses on the opulent seafood of winter while reflecting Yang’s signature fusion approach to Chinese gastronomy.
Yang followed an unconventional path to Michelin fame. He did not enter a professional kitchen until age 32, having previously worked as a truck driver, factory manager, and trade executive.
Despite the late start, Yang spent 27 years at the legendary Tien Hsiang Lo, where he maintained a five-star Michelin streak. At Amaze, he cross-references ancient culinary texts like the Recipes from the Garden of Contentment (隨園食單) with his own diverse heritage — blending his father’s Chaoshan roots, his mother’s grocery-store sensibilities from Hengchun, and his mother-in-law’s Hakka banquet techniques.
The winter menu centers on the peak richness of winter crabs and prawns. Yang’s philosophy avoids the superficial use of luxury, instead focusing on the labor-intensive extraction of flavor.
In the fresh crab, crab roe and crispy bean curd skin, Yang creates a concentrated “crab butter” by rendering the roe of hairy and mud crabs with king crab milt. This is served alongside steamed king crab meat, accompanied by a house-made sourdough mantou.
Ginger duck and fish ball is a masterclass in aromatic layering, utilizing a robust duck consomme foundation to host hand-made starry grouper fish balls infused with the herbal warmth of angelica root. The broth is further elevated by a tender duck breast roulade wrapped in tangy pickled mustard greens, bridging the gap between traditional winter soul food and fine-dining elegance.
Assorted seasonal vegetables and loofah features a complex medley of more than 10 finely julienned seasonal vegetables paired with fresh scallops. The mixture is encased in delicate ribbons of loofah and zucchini, then steamed and finished with a waterless loofah reduction to deliver a flavor that is exceptionally clean and soothing.
The meal’s crescendo is the fresh crab and prawn noodles. The dish features a dense sauce made from virgin mud crab roe and hand-peeled long-arm prawn fat. The mixture is tossed with traditional ramen infused with lard, fried shallots, and Shaoxing wine, ensuring the oceanic umami clings to every strand of the noodle.
For the main course, black pepper wagyu, Yang utilizes a low-temperature oil-confitting technique with star anise and cinnamon before searing the beef to a char. It is finished with a sauce made from mountain pepper and served with century-old Maruyama seaweed, reimagining the flavor profile of Indigenous Taiwanese barbecue.
The evening concludes with a deconstructed jujube pancake, a traditional Chinese dessert reimagined with layers of jujube cream, lotus seeds, and a honey-sesame lace tuile, paired with Tieguanyin tea ice cream.
(Taiwan News, Lyla Liu video)
