TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Tipsy Sparrow, the contemporary bistro at Le Meridien Taipei in Xinyi District, has unveiled a new evening a la carte menu under Culinary Director Paul Lee (李皞).
Lee, whose flagship restaurant Impromptu by Paul Lee has held a Michelin star for five consecutive years. He adopts a "New American Brasserie" style that combines US and French culinary foundations with global ingredients. The former executive chef at Le Cirque in Las Vegas introduces technical precision and interactive elements to the competitive Xinyi dining scene.
A central addition to the menu is the roasted half duck, which features locally sourced, grain-fed Yulu duck. The kitchen cooks the poultry by anatomy: the breast is seared on a flat-top grill to render the fat before being roasted at a high temperature, while the leg is prepared via a traditional French confit process to preserve tenderness.
The dish is finished with a tableside flambe service using burning orange liqueur and rosemary to offer a contemporary adaptation of the classic duck a l'orange.
The kitchen also reinterprets a staple of US comfort food with its whole fried chicken. Rather than applying a standard batter, chefs brine the chicken in saltwater, air-dry it, and apply an initial flour coating.
The poultry is then marinated in unsweetened yogurt to tenderize the protein before a final flour coating and frying at 180 C. The dish is served with duck-fat fries and a gravy made of mushrooms, spinach, cream, pan juices, and whiskey.
The seafood offerings use contrasting temperatures and regional flavors. The Gillardeau oysters are served with a Tabasco granita — made by freezing a blend of hot sauce, lemon, and sugar syrup — designed to contrast with the natural salinity of the bivalve.
Meanwhile, the amberjack collar is smoked and charcoal-grilled before being glazed with a Southeast Asian sambal paste composed of red chilis, fish sauce, lime juice, and parsley, then topped with fried shallots and garlic.
Alongside these large plates, the menu includes options starting from NT$480 (US$15). They include wild mushroom risotto prepared with seaweed butter and feta cheese, and a seasonal fish dish served with pearl couscous in a shrimp and crab broth finished with Chinese yellow wine.
Tipsy Sparrow. (Taiwan News, Lyla Liu video)
