September dining recap: Duddell’s at Silks House, Kin’s Hai Shang and Bangkok’s World Gourmet Festival

Looking back at late August and September, the Taiwan and Asian dining scenes saw frequent moves, ranging from Michelin-starred guest-chef events and the closure of veteran establishments to the opening of new brands, all becoming focal points of discussion among food enthusiasts at the time.

What did Duddell's do during its guest-chef event at Silks House?

Silks House at Regent Taipei invited Hong Kong's one-star Michelin restaurant Duddell's to Taiwan for a guest-chef event on September 16 and 17, hosting two consecutive dinners priced at 16,800 Taiwan dollars per person plus a 10% service charge. Regent Taipei's Culinary Director of Chinese Cuisine Wu Hai-ming and Duddell's Executive Chef Chan Yiu-lam co-designed a nine-course menu, featuring dishes that contrasted culinary techniques from both regions, such as marinated Arctic surf clam, prawn balls in rich chicken broth, and mapo sea cucumber with chicken wings, concluding with bird's nest and egg custard pastry for dessert.

Why has Sweden's two-star restaurant Vyn attracted attention?

Yangmingshan composite complex YMS by Onefifteen previously announced that Sweden's two-star Michelin restaurant Vyn would host a guest-chef event in Taiwan in October. Vyn is helmed by chef Daniel Berlin, established in October 2023 through the renovation of an old farmhouse in the Österlen region of southern Sweden, and earned two Michelin stars in less than a year of opening, subsequently ranking 47th on the World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2025. Both parties stated that this collaboration continues the brand's philosophy of emphasizing hospitality extending from arrival until the early hours of the following morning.

What is the focus of Chef Kin's new brand "Hai Shang"?

Chef Kin launched a new brand called "Hai Shang," originally scheduled to open in September in the alleys of Taipei's Da'an District, focusing on fish maw chicken soup and seafood hot pot. The soup base adopts a Cantonese-style slow-cooked chicken broth approach, using old chicken, pork hind leg, Jinhua ham, and dried scallops as the base, simmered for a long time with red dates, goji berries, Chinese yam, and dried figs, with the addition of 75-head aged fish maw tubes. Main ingredients include Penghu wild large coral trout and fresh catch seafood, paired with homemade hot pot ingredients and Cantonese desserts.

Which veteran shops and brands have undergone changes?

Niko Bakery's sole remaining Huashan store closed on August 31, marking the brand's complete exit from the market. The brand was founded in 2020 by Wu Yu-jie, founder of the Fujin Tree Group, and baker Wu Tzu-ching, and once sparked a shokupan trend with its "beauty shokupan." On the other hand, "Toryumon," the second branch of Taipei's East District counter sushi restaurant Sushi Temoto, resumed offering its opening-period all-sushi set menu during Monday lunch hours starting in October, priced at 3,000 Taiwan dollars per person plus a 10% service charge, featuring 13 pieces of nigiri sushi paired with eel tempura and hand rolls.

What are the key points of price adjustments and international pop-ups?

Sukiyaki all-you-can-eat brand Mo-Mo-Paradise announced price adjustments for its dining options starting September 1, with the adjustment margin unpublicized. The plan announced at the time started at 469 Taiwan dollars per person for weekday lunches, alongside an Australian Wagyu all-you-can-eat option priced at 950 Taiwan dollars per person. Sourdough pizza specialist The Slice Shop similarly adjusted the prices of its "Matsusaka bacon pineapple" and "spicy maple bacon" items starting September 1, explaining that the use of Matsusaka pork requires multi-day marination and aging to reflect production costs. Seoul baking brand Bottari Bakery made its debut in Taiwan, collaborating with Shin Kong Mitsukoshi for a roving pop-up tour starting in Taichung on October 22, moving to Taipei in November, and relocating to Tainan in December, with the overall schedule running until December 3.

What major events occurred in the overseas dining scene?

The 26th World Gourmet Festival at Anantara Siam Bangkok Hotel took place from September 29 to October 4, with the theme set as "Global Flavors." It gathered 20 guest chef teams, including Julien Royer, chef of Singapore's three-star restaurant Odette; Dave Pynt, chef of Singapore's one-star restaurant Burnt Ends; and Josiah Citrin, chef of California's two-star restaurant Mélisse, to jointly present limited-edition dinners. In cross-industry dining developments, trend brand Clot, managed by Edison Chen, opened its first long-term operating restaurant, "Clot Canton Cafe," in Shanghai's Huangpu District, continuing cha chaan teng aesthetics while incorporating brand visual elements. Chinese diner-bar brand Commune also opened its first branch at Hysan Place, Lee Gardens Three, in Hong Kong's Causeway Bay, promoting an all-day dining and drinking format that serves meals by day and transforms into a bar at night.