Kaohsiung's Li.nu Autumn Menu: Chef Michael Lee Reimagines Taiwanese Home Cooking with French Technique
Li.nu in Kaohsiung serves its autumn Chef's Menu from October 1, with chef Michael Lee turning dishes like spring rolls, duck rice and fish with soy bean crumbs into a nearly 20-course set at NT$3,500 plus 10% service charge.
The autumn Chef's Menu at Kaohsiung's French restaurant Li.nu has been served since October 1, 2026, prepared by chef Michael Lee. This nearly 20-course set menu costs NT$3,500 per person, plus a 10% service charge, with ingredients sourced from Badouzi in Keelung, Qinkunshen in Tainan, Donggang, Yilan, and Hualien. Lee grew up in Kaohsiung and has worked at Michelin-starred restaurants in France and Japan. He describes his cooking as "Taiwanese-French," and this autumn menu continues that direction, transforming Taiwanese home dishes such as spring rolls, fish with soy bean crumbs, banquet-style lobster sandwiches, and duck rice into refined courses.
Interior space of Li.nu restaurant. Image: Li.nuLi.nu chef Michael Lee transforms Taiwanese home flavors into French culinary language. Image: Li.nu
Which dishes directly echo Taiwanese home cooking?
The hot appetizer "Fresh Oyster | Green Bamboo Shoot" continues Li.nu's earlier cabbage spring roll preparation, with the filling changing seasonally—this time featuring autumn oysters and green bamboo shoots. The main course "Rose Duck | Aigamo Rice" uses Hualien rose duck paired with aigamo rice, evoking the concept of duck rice rather than directly replicating a street-stall version.
Sea urchin and seaweed appetizer from the autumn menu. Image: Li.nuThe autumn menu's appetizers showcase delicate layers using local ingredients. Image: Li.nu
The seafood dish "Murray Cod | Soy Bean Crumbs" features Murray cod farmed in Yilan mountain spring water. This is a freshwater fish native to Australia, taxonomically different from what is commonly called cod in Chinese; the menu presents the dish under this name, and one should not assume the fish is identical simply based on the Chinese name. The chef prepares it with low-temperature butter cooking, paired with fragrant fried soy bean crumbs and Sanxing scallion oil, echoing the familiar flavors of fish with soy bean crumbs and scallion-oil steamed fish. The dessert "Chestnut | Autumn Leaves" is based on Mont Blanc, using chestnuts from Ren'ai Township in Nantou.
Murray cod paired with soy bean crumbs, echoing Taiwan's common fish with soy bean crumbs preparation. Image: Li.nuRose duck paired with aigamo rice, echoing the familiar comfort of duck rice. Image: Li.nu
What differences exist in wine pairings and add-on options?
Li.nu's head sommelier and restaurant manager Bonnie Chiou is responsible for this season's wine pairings; she received the Sommelier Award in the 2026 Michelin Guide Taiwan. The autumn wine selections shift toward umami and aged character, incorporating wines with oak-barrel toast, nutty, and earthy notes—differing from the lighter wine styles typically used in the summer or spring menus, and better suited to the richer, umami-laden mains of autumn such as duck and cod.
The dessert is based on French Mont Blanc, featuring chestnuts from Ren'ai Township, Nantou. Image: Li.nuPost-dinner tea and sweets at Li.nu. Image: Li.nu
Diners may also add a NT$350 tea pairing set, which includes Tainan golden buckwheat tea and two tea pastries, as an extension beyond the main course. This add-on is priced separately from the set menu, giving guests flexibility whether they wish to extend their dining experience or simply enjoy the tea pastries on their own.
Sommelier Bonnie Chiou oversees the wine pairing direction for the autumn menu. Image: Li.nu
How does this menu differ from past Li.nu offerings?
The dish names retain recognizable pairings such as "fish and soy bean crumbs" and "duck and rice," giving diners a starting point for understanding each dish; the original forms provide a memory anchor, while the actual presentation is shaped by the season's ingredients and techniques. The NT$3,500 Chef's Menu plus 10% service charge, and the NT$350 tea pairing add-on, are separate pricing items, so diners should confirm current offerings and add-on details when making reservations.
