The News Lens
Date: 2017/01/15
By: Matthew Fulco
Taiwan’s steakhouse market has moved upmarket with the arrival of some new restaurants.
High-end Western food has long struggled to gain a footing in Taipei. Celebrity chefs known for fusion
Photo Credit: Michael Johnson @ Flickr CC By 2.0
cuisine, like Singapore’s Justin Quek, have come and gone. Yet one type of pricey Western restaurant has been successful here: the American steakhouse and other establishments specializing in beef. Indeed, Taipei has more than 20 such restaurants, some long established. Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse opened in 1993, Lawry’s The Prime Rib Taipei in 2002, and the Ambassador Hotel’s A Cut Steakhouse about a decade ago.
“There’s a perception in Taiwan that steak or prime rib is equivalent to fine dining,” says Alex Lin, restaurant manager at Lawry’s.
With the arrival of California-based Alexander’s in 2015 and Chicago-based Morton’s in 2016, Taipei’s steakhouse scene has now moved further upmarket. A three-course dinner at either (without alcohol) can easily surpass NT$4,000 (US$120) if a diner selects one of the more premium cuts of beef. In June, Alexander’s invited Michelin chef Claude Le Tohic to co-present an eight-course tasting menu priced at NT$7,000 (US$220) per person. [FULL STORY]
