September dining recap: Wancha’s autumn tea gathering, André Chiang’s guest-chef dinners and Écru’s chef handover

Looking back at the restaurant industry in September this year, we can see that several landmark events have come to an end: the autumn season of Miaoli Sanyi’s Mountain Tea Party “Wancha Party” has been completed, the transnational guest-chef collaboration project initiated by André Chiang has entered its second season, and Taipei French restaurant Écru has also completed the handover of its chefs. These developments outline the overall appearance of Taiwan’s restaurant industry in the second half of this year, from event planning to personnel changes.

What was discussed in the autumn session of Wancha Party?

Miaoli Sanyi Hogenji-no-Oka’s “Wancha Party” autumn event was held from September 19th to 20th. This is the second event in a series of events launched by the park since May this year. The theme focuses on mountain forest healing, and is inspired by the Japanese movie "Little Forest" to concretize the concept of tea in cooking - using tea as seasonings, spices, sauces and soup bases. The site includes a number of activities including the "Tea Table" taught by a Michelin-starred chef, the handmade cheese platter course "Cuisine on the Drawing Board", the "Flavor Storytelling" lectured by writer Saffron, and the outdoor tea party "Three Rhymes of Yuan Tea". If you sign up for any of the activities, you can enter the park for free, while those who simply visit the market need to purchase a park ticket.

What arrangements have been made for the second season of André Chiang’s guest-chef collaboration project?

The "Neo-Locale" guest-chef collaboration project initiated by André Chiang, creative director of food and beverage at The Archipelago, launched the second season of "Homecoming" and once again invited chef Matteo Alberti of Kanazawa restaurant Origo to come to Taiwan. Unlike most guest-chef collaborations, which change chefs every season, this project allows the same chef to visit again. The event was held in two stages: from September 14th to 15th at Taichung Xinshe Feihualuoyuan, focusing on mountain products, native plants, smoking and ageing techniques; from September 17th to 20th, it moved to Archi Kitchen on the second floor of the The Archipelago in Toucheng, Yilan, with an all-seafood menu, connecting the two seaside cities of Kanazawa and Yilan. The price per person in Yilan is NT$3,680, plus a 10% service fee. Matteo Alberti is currently preparing for the "Origo 2.0" project, which is expected to move into a new space next year and reduce the number of seats. The official launch date is set for 2027. The two dinner parties in Taiwan have previewed some of the ideas.

Écru chef changes and Taichung restaurant suspends operations

Hiroyuki Tobimatsu, the chef of French restaurant Écru in Taipei, has resigned from his position on September 30. Hiroyuki Tobimatsu is from Fukuoka, Japan, and has lived in Burgundy, France and Belgium. He studied under the chef Noboru Inoue at the French restaurant Chez Inno in Tokyo for five years. He came to Taiwan in 2021. In 2023, he cooperated with Taiwanese friends to open Écru and served as the chef. On the other hand, L'Atelier par Yao, a French restaurant in Taichung, also entered a period of suspension of operations at the end of August. The restaurant's announcement described the past few years as "a restaurant has its own season." It did not explain the specific reasons. It only said that this was a time to reorganize and understand the relationship between cuisine and itself, and mentioned that it may return to the table with a different look in the future.

Transformation and Restart of Time-honored Stores

"Minshenghui", a beef hotpot brand in Da'an District, Taipei City, has ended its original business operations on August 30. The store was founded by Wu Yujie, founder of Fujinshu Group. It originally specialized in Tainan freshly slaughtered beef hotpot. This year, in response to market positioning adjustments, it was transformed into "Minshenghui Spicy Hotpot" and reopened. At the same time, the Taipei private kitchen project "À la maison at home", which has been suspended for some time, also announced that it will be restarted. This time it will not return to the original location on the first floor of the home of founder Ye Yuqing and his daughter Ye Chen. Instead, it will move into the hot pot restaurant Shabu Zen, continuing the cooperative model with Ye Yuqing as the chef and Ye Chen in charge of the plating and front-of-house service. Hualien wagashi shop Yutuzu Yuxing Confectionery Co., Ltd. has suspended its current business operations since September 14, and the team has turned to preparations for the Taipei store. The brand stated that information about the Taipei store is expected to be announced in late November. The specific location and opening time have not yet been disclosed.

New store openings in Hong Kong

Karun Thai Tea, a Thai milk tea brand from Bangkok founded in 1998, is determined to enter Hong Kong and will be located at shop No. 220 on the second floor of Airside, Kai Tak Shopping Centre. The brand is famous for its Thai tea drinks with family recipes. It provides classic milk tea, smoothies, and flavored products such as osmanthus and magnolia. Many media in Hong Kong have reported that it is expected to open in October, but the brand and shopping mall have not released an official opening schedule. The actual progress is still subject to official announcements.