Taipei restaurant serves up French and Italian with a Taiwanese twist

A Taipei eatery is serving up fusion cuisine that breaks the mold. It takes classic French and Italian cuisine and turns it on its head, combining Asian flavors in iconoclastic ways. C: A favorite on the menu is frog legs wrapped in buckwheat noodles with black garlic sauce. It''s a tantalizing treat for the tastebuds, as well as a work of art.

It''s linguine doused in a sauce made with lobster-head stock. A hint of spice enhances the sweetness of the seafood. The succulent pincer is bursting with flavor.

To make this dish, curry spices are fried gently in butter until their aroma is released.

In goes the Maine lobster. High heat removes the fishy taste and locks in the buttery sweetness.

Then the lobster shell is simmered to make a dark rich sauce.

That''s draped on the pasta and tossed well for depth of flavor.

Frederic Jullien
Culinary advisor
I changed the sauce with a little bit more spicy, more flavor, like the ginger, the black pepper. When I it very local food, in the restaurant in Tamsui so I found this kind of sauce.

In this dish, Taiwan flavors are the star. It''s frogs legs wrapped in crunchy buckwheat noodles. Dip it into the black garlic sauce for a tasty blend of East and West.

To make this dish, frog legs are wrapped in noodles and crisped up in hot oil until golden.

Then it''s time for plating. The chef swipes on pesto, then adds dollops of egg-yolk sauce and black garlic sauce. This dish was inspired by the complex flavors of black garlic chicken soup.

Frederic Jullien
Culinary advisor
It''s very strong and sweet in the same time. And after with all the garlic, fresh garlic. You have the intensity of garlic. So we have three flavors of garlic, which is very nice.

In his risottos, he uses Chihshang rice. He tops it with chicken wings from Puli that are pan-fried on a low flame till crispy. The creamy rice and crackly wings provide a pleasing contrast of textures. This French chef has traveled all over Taiwan to source his ingredients. He has even reimagined a pizza with Taiwanese black-hog sausage. He uses French culinary techniques and fresh local ingredients, so that diners can rediscover the tastes of Taiwan.