Taiwanese soy sauce meets Latin American ingredients

Starting with the bamboo shoot dish, after hearing the chef explain how he preps it and why he designed it this way, you can really tell how much he respects the ingredients.

Empa-Tangbao: wu gu ji / jicama / mojo sauce

The name mixes empanada and tang bao. It looks just like an empanada, but it’s black to match the wu gu ji (black-boned chicken) filling. The dough is thin and crispy, and inside there’s shredded chicken, crunchy jicama, and hot chicken soup. It’s really well done — the shell is chewy and crispy, the filling-to-sauce ratio is just right, and the soup runs out when you bite in. Super impressive.

Country bread / Zuccardi olive oil

It’s made with both regular yeast and sourdough starter. The crust is crispy and hard, the inside smells like wheat, and it’s a little sticky-chewy.

They gave us four olive oils, all different varieties from the same estate: one light and pretty, almost like fruit juice, with no herby or bitter taste; one with a fresh green, peppery kick; one really herby with a light bitter finish; and one thick and rich with a spicy finish.

Zhen diao (red sea bream) with potatoes and po bu zi was one of the biggest surprises of the night. The sauce is nicely sour and really pops, but it doesn’t leave a heavy aftertaste — it actually cleans your palate and sets you up for the next dishes.

The Chiayi quail was hands down the best dish of the night. The doneness, the meat flavor, and the seasoning were all spot on. The flavors are clear without being show-offy, so you just want to focus on the quail itself. I’d rate it super high.

Served on a round plate. This is Argentina’s national dessert — flaky outside, with a cold sweet-and-tangy filling. Super refreshing.

A dark, round chocolate treat with silky dark chocolate inside. The chef adds Taiwanese long yan gan (dried longan) and whisky, so it tastes rich and full.

Traditional little sweets

The other two fancy round pastries on the tray are classic everyday sweets from around Latin America:

Flavor pearls: the pearl on the wooden spoon bursts in your mouth and releases sweet-sour tropical fruit juice — perfect for cutting through all the richness.

A delicious dessert to end a perfect day