RAW

appreciate the attention to details of chef andre’s creations and meal service. its an experience and an enjoyment. thanks to the RAW team for being customer oriented and thoughtful. from sg “homecoming” to taipei “the last dance”. we can see the effort and thinking put in. thanks kim for attending to us in both sg and taipei. thanks chef andre for sharing his love for food.

A cut above the rest. Near-perfect dining experience that engaged all our five senses. From what we ate (source/choice/preparation/pairings of ingredients); how we ate (hands/gloves/tweezer/designer-knives, etc); when each dish was presented (timing was just right); where we ate (table/gallery); and who served us (impeccable service, not just professional but personalised and sincere, also very knowledgeable), everything was well beyond expectations. There was not a single boring moment. 4 hours passed quickly. When RAW is no more, hopefully there will be more of such to take its place. Looking forward.

I’m honestly so sad to hear that this restaurant is shutting down by the end of the year to become a school… Raw is what I’ve always imagined a michelin star restaurant to be: gorgeous interiors, unique food, and an equally ambitious and contemporary way to introduce your meals for you. Raw has definitely been my favorite dining experience to date -the waiters are super knowledgeable with the dishes, and are able to introduce them in english and chinese! The whole dining experience took about 3 hours, but even my impatient dad (who usually limits his meals to an hour max) happily sat through the meal. The food they serve always have some sort of theme that binds them together, and it’s always fun to see what they choose for the season. This last one was about the chef’s memories and culinary journey to commemorate the end of Raw… which was bittersweet but delicious. I hope they plan to reopen another restaurant soon! Raw will always have a special place in my heart, and I was so lucky to have my birthday meal there!

Was able to come with a large group and sit at the chefs table. We were not able to see into the kitchen. The dishes came out with signs to tell us more about the dish. Some spills and drops gave us a poor cadence to the dinner. We had the juice pairing that was very affordable and interesting. Food was well presented. Several under cooked items including the bread of the mushroom dish. Coffee was underwhelming given the provided coffee chart.

Extremely high end restaurant with a heavy price tag, especially for locals. Definitely worth dropping in if you can get a reservation and are willing to pay the price tag. The restaurant itself looks amazing, the service is attentive and great. The overall experience is fantastic and definitely matches up with other Michelin star restaurants. The wait staff are amazingly helpful, nice and just great to talk to. The food is experimental and absolutely amazing in terms of what they’ve done. Breaking down ingredients and building them back up again. However, if I had to nitpick, the whole course didn’t feel cohesive towards the second half of the service, but that’s absolutely subjective. As individual dishes, they’re all great. Highly recommended for the experience for ppl with deep pockets.

Truly a unique experience. It was their 10 year anniversary special menu. Too many pictures to share them all. Elle was a great waitress/host who walked us through pretty much all our dishes.

This is the highlight of our 9d trip to Taiwan. But words nor pictures from me will never do justice. If possible, go w wine pairing and get to enjoy the special batch curated / picked by Chef Andre (check out the special bottle pictured). Taiwan already has great food from street to restaurants and this just elevates the f&b scene even higher. A splurge and thanks to our dear fren .. but certainly worth the hype!

Amazing experience!! Glad to have been able to get a spot for The Last Dance. Thank you to Chef Andre and team for the wonderful evening.

I'm honestly so sad to hear that this restaurant is shutting down by the end of the year to become a school... Raw is what I've always imagined a michelin star restaurant to be: gorgeous interiors, unique food, and an equally ambitious and contemporary way to introduce your meals for you. Raw has definitely been my favorite dining experience to date -the waiters are super knowledgeable with the dishes, and are able to introduce them in english and chinese! The whole dining experience took about 3 hours, but even my impatient dad (who usually limits his meals to an hour max) happily sat through the meal. The food they serve always have some sort of theme that binds them together, and it's always fun to see what they choose for the season. This last one was about the chef's memories and culinary journey to commemorate the end of Raw... which was bittersweet but delicious. I hope they plan to reopen another restaurant soon! Raw will always have a special place in my heart, and I was so lucky to have my birthday meal there!

Im glad i was able to make it to RAW before they announced that it will be closing by eoy to transition to a school. It is already incredibly had to get in to begin with; with this announcement, it will be near impossible. The restaurant looks beautiful and does not look like 10 years old. Every dish was delicious. Service was impeccable and these staff was incredibly knowledgeable. Wine pairing was reasonable. With the 10 year anniversary, chef andre also was there most of the night and did fun drawing to pay for a guest's meal, as well as guaranteeing reservation for winter menu - which is now his last menu. If i return to taiwan again, i will definitely try to go and taste new menu and enjoy the last chance of his art. Food was $200 USD, wine pairing was $60-80 depending which option u take. All in all, reasonable pricing given the art and science the RAW team made to make it an awesome experience for the guests.

One of the best Michelin restaurants I have ever been to. Our group came with empty stomachs and left so stuffed, something we can rarely say after eating at some of these types of establishments. Our group did a set of alcoholic and non-alcoholic pairings; the NA pairing was so incredible it was hard to believe, each drink paired wonderfully with their respective dish and tasted amazing alone. We were able to enjoy the Collective Memories themed meal where we were able to enjoy dishes from Chef Andre's life. While following the course, you could tell that these dishes had a heart to them and were the result of years of experience. My favorite dish overall was the Dan Dan Noodle and the Dirty Chicken Umami bomb! Definitely a place worth a stop through. We were told that RAW rotates the menu 6 times a year, quite an impressive feat to change the menu so frequently while still maintaining innovating and high quality flavors.

Instagram @aintgotnothingbutbodyfat Throwing back to a special lunch at RAW, the Michelin two-star restaurant in Taipei, to celebrate the coming of 2023 with their "Best of the Year" course with wine pairing. Chef Andre's creations were truly exceptional and unforgettable, showcasing the best of Taiwanese ingredients with a touch of French flair. We're already looking forward to our next visit!

RAW is simply amazing and definitely worth it if you can swing it. I spent multiple nights waiting for the 9:00PM PST time to see when I could snag a reservation when reservations open at noon Taipei time. I was able to get a reservation for 8 people. Very important is that you need to have a Taiwanese phone number to do two factor authentication so you can get through the reservation system. I got to experience their end of year set course which showcases the best dishes of 2022. I'm not gonna go through every dish because they were all so, so delicious. I recommend getting the full wine pairing to match the course. My wife and mother in law got the non alcoholic pairing and also really enjoyed it. By far, the crowd favorite of the whole set was the one called Forest. The dish looked like it was some soil and grass with tableware that looked like sticks you'd find out in nature. It was the essence of raw. It came with this bread that was so crispy on outside, yet soft and fragrant on the inner portion. You could either eat with your hands or with the tools. There's also a small knob of this delicious paste that it comes with. If I could go back and experience any dish, this would definitely be the one. What really stood out for me in this Michelin experience is the pure attention to detail. I've been to more than a few Michelin places now and I was very impressed at just how observant everyone in the restaurant is. In an almost good, big brother is watching kind of way, chefs, waiters/waitresses are always paying attention to your experience and trying to make sure things are okay. Case in point, we had won some bowls playing the gacha at RAW that were from a Japanese brand they had worked with. I was trying to look up the brand on my phone and a waiter came by to help me find the right spelling. I hadn't even asked for help and they came to solve my problem. Another example is I had swiped my card for the extra wine pairings and non alcoholic pairings and I was low key a bit shocked at what the extra pairings cost total cause I'm bad at mental math. I made a semi frown face and a waitress immediately came over to ask me if something was wrong to which I replied oh no no. It's fine. It was a temporary shock that was immediately noticed and addressed which made my experience that much more profound. I would wholeheartedly come back here every time I visit Taiwan just to experience the awesome food and for another chance to hang out for just a few minutes with Chef Andre Chiang and Chef Ben Wang. It was that worth.

So good I dug up Yelp to write a review about it. Sadly, Yelp establishment is not huge in Taiwan, so everyone basically relies on Google Maps and local blogs. I love Yelp though, and want to share my experience with the community here. FOOD: 5 stars DRINKS: 3-4 stars SERVICE: 5 stars (including improvements they made to the reservation system!) ATMOSPHERE: 5 stars We came here two years ago, and I've been wanting to come back ever since. But the reservation system was like a black hole, I only had the patience to come back and try every few months lol. Finally, now they've upgraded the entire system to in.line, with much more clear indication of which dates are available for how many people in a party, I booked a table almost without hesitation. Got a few friends to join, and off we went! (TIP: They do have a concierge phone number on the FAQ section of the website. The number is actually answered by a human! I highly recommend calling if you run into any issues). ONTO THE FOOD This season's theme was re:define future. It's about how we're treating the environment now, and the impact it has on the future. How apt for us to score a reservation two days after Earth Day :P I was actually quite nervous that the entire menu and topic is stark, so we wouldn't want to actually enjoy the food. To my surprise, it was entirely an amazing experience. The topics were conversation starters for us, and the food was EXTREMELY good. The utensils and dishes were in partnership with Secca, who's innovated with 3D printed ceramics that are sustainable and durable. (Lol I'm not advertising, but I want them myself!) As if just serving delicious food wasn't good enough, the interactions were creative and fun too. One of the dishes was served on a wood bark (protected by a special layer of paint of course, so that it was reusable and cleanable). We were handed black surgical gloves to eat off the bark, scraping with a cypress "fork", and just being immersed in the experience. Wagyu, otoro, short rib, sashimi, were ALL served in an extremely creative way that fit so well with the theme but not in an excessive way. WHY DRINKS WERE AMISS Wine pairing: For $80 ($2500NT) and 5 glasses of wine, I expected each to be really good. However, it was a big mediocre. We also didn't get really in-depth introduction of hte wines by the somm. If possible, I would've chosen the one without pairing and just ordered a couple of glasses myself. Corkage fee is $30 ($1000NT) per bottle, which is a bit ridiculous. Mocktail pairing: Also for $80, I actually thought this was quite creative, but only 2 of 5 drinks were memorable. Anniversary celebration drink: On the house, but tasted just like soda with some dry ice. -- Overall, I recommend RAW to everyone to try at least once! I personally would like to come back at least once a year, and am really excited to experience more in the future!

Last review of the year. I would like to write about Raw. Michelin two stars well deserved! I have dined in several Michelin guided restaurants in different countries, and Raw is now one of the top place in my book. They are a set menu only restaurant. It depends on the season. When I dined in December, 2019, they only have one set menu option with the same price point for lunch or dinner. Atmosphere: it's modern, casual and chic. I would dress accordingly too. Just something chic, no need to be formal even though it's a Michelin two stars place. Service: service was on point. Each dish was well explained along with the ingredients presented to us such as dry pig liver stone, traditional peanut oil and essential oils. Food: we had the 9 course winter menu. Some of my favorites were tofu with caviar, sea urchin with water chestnut, oysters with four different toppings, mushrooms, and soy sauce ice cream. Everything was tasty and well presented. The only thing we didn't enjoy was unfortunately the main course, the duck with miso. The duck seemed overcooked. Also, it was a bit too gamey. At the end of the day, Michelin starred restaurants with high price point should not only provide spectacular food but also excellent service. I really enjoyed how Raw presented and explained each of the dishes. This is the detail some of the other restaurants often forgets.

RESERVATIONS: - Reservations are hard to get but, I personally think they are much easier now than before. Pre-paid reservations open up 60 days in advance on their website at noon local time, using Ez table. - Smaller parties (2-3), weekend dates, and the lower priced menu options go the fastest. Based on our date calculations, the day we wanted opened on the 61st day so however we calculated was off. So if you are worried about that just try on multiple days for peace of mind. Also note their days off - Monday and Tuesday. - I dined here in May 2018, party of 2, by luck. They had a cancellation and I had emailed to get on the waitlist. ACCOLADES: - They have one Michelin Star. Michelin Taipei was announced in March 2018. They are No. 15 and the Best Restaurant in Taiwan on San Pellegrino & Acqua Panna's Asia's 50 Best. - It's all relative. I know some chefs care a lot about their stars. Taiwan is one place I would not recommend chasing stars. The Tourism Bureau of Taiwan paid Michelin millions to come to Taipei. - I'd heard a lot about the food at Raw before Michelin gave them one star and that's why I wanted to dine here. I would say that the experience seems more than one star based on other one star experiences I've had. Definitely doesn't feel like a 3 star. But overall, Michelin is just a point of reference, and there is subjectivity and politics associated with it. SERVICE/AMBIENCE: - Service was good and attentive, but not formal. I had made a reservation in English, so we had a server who spoke both Mandarin and English. - The wooden interior, furniture, and serveware are gorgeous. The tables and the drawers for the flatware are so thoughtfully designed. - We dressed nicer but overall there was a range. Taiwan is more chill and casual in general than any major European capital, so it felt relaxed. MENU: It changes by season. When you book, you have to pick a price option. Add 10% for service charge: NTD$1850-regular seasonal menu NTD$2680-regular seasonal menu+upgrade ingredients NTD$3500-regular seasonal menu+upgrade more ingredients+bread+flower tea FOOD: - I thought the bread was ok. We were so full we took the leftovers to go (not sure if they still do that). - Loved the presentation. - My favorite dishes: -- Sheet of corn topped with uni with a soft boiled egg and gnocchi underneath -- Sturgeon, puff rice, and greens in broth. The fish is raw and cook it in the broth a la shabu shabu -- Smoked cherry duck breast - Duck with foie gras and seaweed, paired with cauliflower and potato mash - In general, stomach space is limited when you're in Taipei. Raw is a delight in showcasing Taiwanese ingredients through a creative, fine dining lens. HOW TO GET THERE: - We easily took the MRT and walked a bit. We got here ahead of time and it was so sunny in front of the restaurant, so we ducked inside the mall to wait it out. YELP STARS: - Why not 5 stars? I need to go another time before giving them another star. I didn't love every single dish.

Overdue review! I heard it's really hard to get reservations at RAW. Fortunately my bosses relative has a connection to the restaurant so he was able to get us a reservation last min for lunch. I didn't know what to expect going in. We were greeted right away by the staff and was directed to out table. The wooden decore and the smell of fresh wood reminded me of ski cabin in the nature! The dishes were innovative and used local Taiwan ingredients. My favorite was the dry aged scallops and the truffle tofu. They change their menu seasonally and am excited to come back when I visit Taiwan again.

What a wonderful experience of new foods and textures. While not every dish was my favorite food in the world, it was such a different way to feel food in my mouth. The service was amazingly prompt and I loved that they had a non-alcoholic cocktail pairing with the dishes.

I have had my eyes on RAW for 2 years. They have been recognized as the best restaurant in Taipei and one of the best 50 restaurants in Asia so I was really excited when I got reservations for a Friday night. The restaurant itself is amazing. The wooden decor, the ambiance, lights and even the bathrooms are very modern and unique. I won't go into much detail on the menu and dishes since the menu is constantly changing. Just let me tell you that the flavor and the presentations are great. Every dish has a back story that the servers tell you (in English as well). Definitely a must try in Taipei if you can score reservations on their website.

Cool combination of traditional Taiwanese food with Michelin style dining. Menu is different every season, and end of year is the best time to pay a visit because they have a combination of the best received dishes from all seasons. Love the vibe and love the service, but I thought the food was not super impressive... They were great but not like "wait for months to get your reservation" great. Still worth a visit if you have the chance though... Not easy to find places that offer Michelin styled Taiwanese street food.

Reservation at RAW is probably one of the toughest to get in Asia. Online reservation opens up at noon Taipei time and all tables got seized within seconds. Tables open up 14 days in advance. If you are making reservations in the US, you need to switch your computer time to Taipei time, keep praying and clicking like crazy with your mouse and hoping to secure a table. We were able to obtain a dinner reservation during our Taiwan trip with the help of a professional and were amazed to see Chef Andre Chiang working in the kitchen that evening. The décor is breathtaking. Weaves of sculpted timber softly wrapped through the space. Lighting was balanced and inviting. Food is delicious. My favorite dishes were the Abalone/ Bamboo Shoot with San-Bei Pesto, Beef Tongue Cracker and the Taiwan Rice with Pork and Mushroom. All dishes truly demonstrated how Taiwanese local food/ingredients fused beautifully with western cuisine. Every dishes was presented with care and great details. The whole dining experience was inspiring. TIP: We had the wine pairing but each pour was really small. If I had a chance to dine at RAW again, I would not go for the wine pairing, instead I would order a bottle from their wine list.

I heard about Raw being one of the top 50 restaurants in Asia and got an influential friend to score us a reservation for 6 during our trip to Taiwan. After speaking with a bunch of friends we realized how hard it was to get a reservation at Raw. Raw is located in Da Tze a newer section of Taipei and the ground floor of a building that houses Ruth Chris Steak House and Chilis. As you enter the huge floor to ceiling doors it opens up to a hand carved Taiwan pine wood bar. The menu is Preset. 10 course meal. The menu is set by the availability of the freshest seasonal ingredients. The Raw experience starts from the time the server introduces himself to the wetting of the moist towelettes. Each dish was unique in either the presentation, taste, or its visual effects. One of the dishes was a thin slices flat piece of squid that transformed into squid noodles when a hot broth was poured into the bowl. Service was excellent with the server explaining each dish before it was served. The only minor dislike was the mixed cocktails which were some what weird but not so tasty. Raw is thumbs up recommendation by all in our family.

RAW is one of the best 50 restaurants in Asia, so we had to get reservations for our trip. - Get reservations online! - They only have one seating per table so they don't rush the diners - Decor and ambiance is great - Service is wonderful and attentive - Each food item was unique and delicious. The menu items change 4 times a year Wonderful place for a celebratory meal or just a regular night for a foodie. Highly recommended!

Well after 3 years of trying to get into this place, today was my day. Loved the decor, the music, the service, and, of course, the food. What an experience. Definitely worth every $. As pricey as it is - I would like to go back soon. The food was simple in flavor, but perfectly balanced.

Long overdue Taiwan foodie trip reviews. Let me start off with RAW... Reservation at RAW was probably the hardest one to get in to in all of Taipei. First you select the date and time that you want and "request" to book it. Then, you'll wait for at least 48 hours to get a response if you get in or not. If you're one of the lucky few, the you'll get to dine and experience Chef Chiang's creations. 9 course menu + the bread + cocktail drinks = AWESOME. I highly recommend this place to anyone visiting Taipei. Chef André Chiang and his team didn't disappoint. The kind of quality food and service they provided was something I would expect from a Michelin star restaurant. Price wise it was reasonable given that you'll get quality ingredients and well thought presentation. Shoutout to our server Oliver for his outstanding service throughout our dinner at RAW. Looking forward to dine here again! For now, let's all drool over these pictures...

Rating: 4.9/5 This place is insane! Everything is on point, the services, the presentation, the ingredients, the creativity, most importantly the taste. For a fine-dining experience, this is by far the best restaurant I've experienced in Taiwan so far. And in terms of pricing (about $100 for a 7 courses dinner), this is a great value compare to other fine dinning restaurants as well. This place is at the same league as 11 Madison, Per Se, and more! What makes RAW truly unique is that it uses primarily local Taiwanese ingredients and inspired by traditional Taiwanese food. You could probably call it New Taiwanese or Modern Taiwanese cuisine. The taste is still authentically Taiwanese but the art of plating and cooking techniques transcended the dishes through French, molecular gastronomy and New American techniques. Dishes Review: 花生冰淇淋卷 peanut, cilantro, ice cream and spring roll This dish is a spin on the night market delight. It stays true to the flavors of the original dish but the presentation is stunning! Potato and egg Sounds simple but there is so much to this dish. Really fun to eat as well. There is 1000years egg powder 皮蛋， salted duck egg powder 鴨蛋 ， three types of fish roes, and tuck within the creamy mashed potatoes are the bacon bits! Deconstructed 客家小炒 (Veal, celery, tofu skin, garlic confit, and more) This is probably my favorite dish of the entire meal. Super creative and how the flavors melt together is amazing. The cocktail (Bombay Sapphire gin, starfruit, lemon grass, garnished with curry powder and plum powder) This is a very sophisticated cocktail because the first sip wasn't amazing for me but the more you drink it the delicate flavors come alive. When you sip from the curry side, the lemon grass flavor comes forward. When you sip from the plum side, the starfruit flavor comes forward. 2 drinks in one, brilliant. Why is it 4.9 instead of 5? It is because it is almost impossible to get a reservation here, and I want to come back here every time when I visit Taiwan. If you want to experience RAW, better get your rsvp early !

IF YOU DONT ACCEPT RESERVATIONS FOR KIDS PLEASE PUT IT IN RED ON SEVERAL PAGES OF YOUR WEBSITE! 0 Stars! Please make your website more clear. I booked this restaurant for our family gathering to celebrate my kids birthday and get together with family in Taiwan and Singapore. A day before our dinner, we were kindly told by the staff that our kids could not join. Item 11 on a laundry list of items, was that kids cannot join. Thankfully we prepaid all 8 seats and have wasted almost 1000 dollars on this place, and now have no place to eat. I was a fan of Andre Chiang in Singapore and went to his restaurant several times. Not anymore.

It took us a lot of effort to get the reservation for this place. A lot of people rave about this restaurant, you could taste the chef's interpretation of French style with Taiwanese cuisine twist. From the moment of entering into the restaurant until leaving, we were treated super nice. Staff was knowledgeable about every menu item. There are total 9 course. I honestly enjoy every single dish. Everything was prepared perfectly and even the plating. The portion is not small here so be ready to be stuffed after dining here. I would love to come back but just I just wish their reservation situation was not as stiff.

I met a situation is that I book sucessful and they gave me the price NT2680 for 1 per at first,then few weeks later they told me I have to choose NT4680 for 1 per.If I don't,I need to wait 1 more month.Then I asked about how much did they charge for corkage and drink cost for 2 times.I need to spend 2-3 days for their delayed message.Furthermore ,they answered me Impolitely even I write a email to their web site to ask change a customer service. The taste of food is better than average.The material come from Taiwan to be localization.The ingredients now seasonal but not so rare and expensive like oyster or rib eye beef.There creative is fine.but I still think they charge too much,especially corkage and drink cost. The most awful thing is their attitude of booking service.After u message them,u need to wait around 2 days for the answer.And the answer they give u is not so precise and rude.

Nope. I was sous chef for a 2 Michelin Star chef in the past... Definitely not 2 Michelin Star worthy nor 1 Star. But that's just me and my standards as French Fine dinning sous chef. Service and staff were great. But the food was... meh. Maybe the line was off their game that night but to be honest that's no excuse for par/sub par flavors (the sous chef and the line should have been taste testing prior to service and during gold standard plating.) The lack of flavors would never fly in my kitchen BUT what do I know... lol.

RAW doesn't have a menu or named dishes. They only have an ingredient list. Each dish here was made using Taiwanese seasonal local ingredients. You absolutely cannot imagine that these local Taiwanese ingredients can be this dazzling and delicious with a creative twist from the chef. The chef has used the French way of cooking to innovate new changes to the Taiwanese flavor. Each dish was deliciously stunning. 【 RAW 】這裡沒有菜單也沒有菜名 只有一張料理的食材表 每一道料理的食材都來是台灣本土的當令食材 你絕對猜想不到這些常見的台灣食材 在經過主廚的巧思創意之後會變得多麼精采 主廚以法式料理方式讓"台灣味"有了新的變化 每一道菜都讓我驚艷

RAW has been on my bucket list since the day it opened but reservations has been extremely difficult. King Nik came to rescue and I finally got a reservation! As one of Asia's best restaurant, RAW did not disappoint! The ambiance, service, and flow were all great! The menu is a 8-course menu at NTD1,850++. This is like 1/5 of what Restaurant Andre is charging! (I am fully aware I am comparing apples to peaches but still...) Bread is a la carte but highly recommended. Wine is additional of course but who can say no to a delicious bottle of Sancerre, which was very refreshing and paired very well with the food. Overall, the meal is very light and refreshing. I was worried I would end up hungry but the portion ended up being just right. The dishes showcased the various local ingredients and the cooking techniques have transcended the everyday dish into a different level. Definitely recommended if you can get a reservation.

A unique place in Taiwan since the theme is an Art-inspired restaurant which reinterprets Taiwanese cuisine through Western-style fine dining traditions. What makes it different is that this restaurant has fused food with art, and the outcomes were pretty good. Some dishes I liked others, not so, nevertheless, it was overall a great experience from the restaurants overall interior architecture to the food...by far the best "Western Style" fine dining in Taipei. In Sum: Pros - Raw is a Very innovative restaurant establishment, all fresh and interesting ingredients, High Price-point, Excellent service, Unique ambiance, NO Chop Sticks Cons - Difficult to get a reservation..Hopefully, see you guys again soon....If I manage to get a reservation or another Hook UP ....;-)

If you like creative food and want to see a different take on modernist cuisine RAW is an excellent place to go. While that flavours didn't all work for me and I found there to be a lack of acidity, the creativeness was off the charts. Most high end dining tends to look the same, taking classic French techniques adding modernist tricks and focusing on farm to table and elevating even the most simple of ingredients. Noma, Eleven Madison Park and El Cellar de can Rosa all do this to perfection. Where Raw puts a spin on it is focusing on elevating and manipulating classic Taiwanese and Chinese dishes to create unique dishes you will not find in other Michilin restaurants or anywhere. It's five stars for creativity and four for execution. 1. The SPACE is brilliant if bit odd in it's layout. In front is a huge curving bar and a large waiting area, perhaps it was meant to be cocktail lounge or additional dining because it is shamefully under utilized but it's beautiful to look at. The main dining area has two parts, a large open space with simple 2 and 4 tops and then behind a low half wall another area for group dining that borders the large kitchen. The space is modern without being fussy. People in smart jeans and hipster outfits were common than suits. You'll want to dress smart but no need for a super formal outfit. 2. The SERVICE was excellent. When we got there for what was the last reservation of the night, the host greeted us with apologies explaining there were people from the main land aka China at our reserved table who had not left yet. They did not leave for another 15 minutes. The host offered us a complimentary drink while we waited. Once they and their dozen of shopping bags left we were quickly taken to our table and service was very on point and on time. Most of the diners were Mandarin speakers except for one table of Europeans but the sommelier was French and each course for us was introduced in English as they weren't aware that we spoke French until the end of the meal. The servers seemed to know the menu well but were hesitant to answer questions. 3. THE FOOD I could see the influences of many European and American 3 star Michelin such as having just a list of ingredients for the menu like they did at Eleven Madison Park, techinques first used at El Bulli and still on display at Tickets yet many of the dishes were uniquely Taiwanese because of the use of seasonal local ingredients and being a play on such things as a crispy rice dishes every kid eats in Taiwan. The food was entertaining and thoughtful and at times extremely delicious. For my palate though I needed more contrast in textures and I needed more acidity. The pricing is very good compared to the restaurants it is competing with on the international dining. It is a set tasting menu with optional pairings. All in all it's some of the best high end modernist food you can find in Taipei. 4. RESERVATION- you need one, I was able to get a last minute one because of a cancellation I assume. Do not as do as an older Indian gentleman do, who showed up without a reservation with his girlfriend and expect to be able to bully or bribe your way to a table loudly pointing at other waiting for their delayed reservation (such as us) and saying well if they can get a table why can't I?

RAW is a journey of culinary experience: visual, aroma, taste and human interaction. The deco is like a modern museum for wood sculptures, wood aroma permeating environment. Each dish is very creative with local fresh ingredients, and tastes delicious. The service is friendly and impeccable. I will give 95/100 because booking is almost impossible.

This is late review, I was there on February 2019. Beautiful decor, Excellent excellent food execution, stuffs are very knowledgeable and friendly. I would pay higher price for the quality, I recommend this restaurant

I understand that this will be a negative review in a sea of positive accolades so let me be specific and comprehensive about my experience. Ambiance: The decor screams of modernist industrial design, with large woodwork pieces, like any hipster restaurant from brooklyn, or a particularly well funded chipotle. The music is way too loud, making conversation with dinner guests difficult. The silverware is kept in drawers at your table. A cute idea at first until you realize you have to repeatedly open this unwieldy wooden box in order to retrieve your silverware between every course. Food: I'll list the things that stood out to me the most The first was RAW's take on wasabi peas, and other taiwanese convenience snacks, and they nailed it. In fact they nailed it so well, I questioned why I paid 80$ to eat what tasted like 1$ snacks I could purchase from 7-11. Second the pork course, the pork tail sandwich was very good, but again, tasted like street food that I could purchase right outside for 1/10 of the cost. The pig ear dish was very good. The flavors melded well and the vinegar dressing lightened up the gelatinous texture of the pork. Third, the scallop dish. The miso dressing was almost flavorless. The scallop wrapped in fried leaves was oily all the way around. The scallop inside was cooked perfectly though, and the soup that accompanied it tasted like a good french onion soup with a seafood aftertaste. I would say this dish was the highlight. Fourth , a chicken and rice sandwich. This was definitely the low point of the night. The chicken rice was bland and oily, the chicken skin was so crunchy it felt and tasted like plastic. The sandwich form factor also made the whole ordeal inconvenient as well as messy. It's not good when your reinterpretation of a dish is worse than the original version. Fifth, spaghetti with clams and tofu, with a clam beurre blanc sauce. This was weird and disappointing. From what I gathered from the server, the tofu is supposed to act like a cheese? This was a case where the overall dish was definitely less than the sum of its parts. Flavors were disjointed. Lastly, beef wrapped in leek with a demi glace and some kind of vegetable on the side. They served this with a non serrated knife, making it impossible to cut the leek. The leek and beef are bland on their own, with the sauce being necessary for the dish to rise to the level of mediocrity. Dessert was ice cream with dehydrated lemons and burnt marshmallow with a small pear. This was ok. Service: The servers were friendly enough, though maybe a little green? It would be unfair of me to expect michelin class service so suffice to say they definitely tried to be helpful and attentive. Price: This is by far the most baffling part of the experience. Bread and (tap)water are both extra charges. There is also a 10% service charge included in the (I've been informed this practice is becoming more and more common in Taiwan.). Upcharges were offered to us as alternatives, and we were not informed that they were extra until we got the bill. While the total was still not expensive per se, it was odd and offputting that this "fine dining" establishment would resort to these nickle and diming tactics. Overall, I give this place 2 stars. Taipei is arguably one of the food capitals of the world, and good food is cheap and plentiful here. I would not come back again.

A friend booked the reservation couple month ago for our party of 10. As the dates got closer, half of the people that was supposed to be at dinner couldn't make if for one reason or another. We had to do some last minute recruiting but with the reservation so difficult to come by, it was fairly easy to fill the table, so off we went. On arrival, a waiter came open the giant glass door, asked for reservation details and there seems to be a bit of confusion, as I was lead to the wrong table. Sort it out quickly, and was lead back to entrance lounge area. They seem to have a policy of not seating guests until at least 50% arrival, but wasn't clearly stated by the staff. Once half of us arrived, we got seated and gave the wait-staff the wines we brought to prepare for dinner. The dining room is setup very bistro (modern) like, clean, casual, no table cloth. Menu and silverware are tucked away in a drawer that's build into the table. Menu is changed quarterly and available in both English and Chinese. Wines chilled, butts in the chairs, and off we go on this dining adventure. First up was "Chicken Masala", presented as a one bite cracker with toppings. Flavoring was unmistakably origin of India, perhaps a touch on the sweeter side than I expected, but was fine, no complaints. Second course was a "Tomato Salad" dressed with ohba sansho and sashimi. This was an interesting combination, as the sashimi (Mackerel?) on its own is a touch on the fishy side, norm for silver skinned fish, but when eaten together with the tomato, it washes away the fishy flavor. Each little jewel of tomatoes were all perfectly ripe and sweet. A selection process rarely seen in Western/Fusion restaurants in Asia. Third course was a warm salad of "Perfect Egg & Wild Vegetables". Perfect Egg was perfectly done, the yolk is just cooked enough where it's not overly runny. A very savory and hearty dish. I did made a comment to my friends wondering how this dish would taste if slightly chilled, or serve the egg warm with slightly chilled veggies. Fourth course was "Sakura Ebi Cappelini", an Italian-Japanese creation. Flavorful, good, and no again no real complaints. Course #5 comes a soup dish, RAW's play on "Clams & Corn" pudding. Clams cooked perfectly and a wonderful match with sweet corn on a seaweed based pudding. Another well done dish, but the flavor profile was a bit close to the previous dish, which for me is more of a extension of the third course rather than a new course on its own. The star of sixth course, first main, was "Cod", dressed with burnt cabbage. Fresh as can be, the texture of the fish was done just right, bouncy and juicy. A very tasty dish no doubt. Seventh course, meat main, "Pork Belly", done Chinese flavored with a twist. Pork came with crispy skin on and dressed in a "Chinese Olive" sour sauce. I am not sure the sauce did much for the course, if you don't mind the fat in pork belly, there is no need to use the sauce. For those afraid a bit of fat, the sauce does help cutting the grease. At the end of an adventure, we arrive on course #8, "Strawberries with Pink Guava Sorbet". A dish of nice sweet flavors to finish a meal, tasty and satisfying. I've been thinking of how to rate this experience overall since the minute I stepped out of the restaurant. For the price, in Asia, I understand why the place is so popular and difficult to book a table. The food experience overall was very proper, each dish was executed correctly, cooking temperature was perfect, but all just seem to lack a layer of complexity to push it to the top. For the wine service, the staff took very good care of wine and done everything properly. However, at NT 500 corkage per bottle, I think the restaurant can afford to use better glasses. I support restaurants charging a reasonable corkage fee, but wine glasses is part of the wine service experience. The glasses here are just cheap stems one expect to see at a mediocre establishment. Half way through dinner, we also got curious about their wine list, took a look, surprised to find the wine list just on a large one page menu and how esoteric the selections are. Was told the restaurant imports all the wine on their own and are all organic. A wine list like this, the staff needs to be extremely well trained on wine, as everything on the list needs to be hand-sold. I would say 99% of the patrons would have not a slightest clue on any of the wine on this list. After seeing the list, I looked at each table to see whom has ordered wine. The entire restaurant, the entire night, it looked like there was just one table ordered wine off the list. I have a hard time believing they would sell more than a case or two of wine per week. Overall, I would give this place not quite 4 stars, but since there is no fraction on yelp, I reluctantly gives it 4 stars. Much better than average, but just a little lacking.....

How does everyone get reservations? Seemed they changed their system from a 2 week to a 2 month reservation system and I was super excited for that. Found some times and put in a request. I received an e-mail saying I'll get a response within 48 hrs. 48 hours comes and goes and so I e-mail them and have yet to receive a response. I've given up on Raw.

4/8/16 dinner. The new menu is impressive! I only had an issue with one dish. The capellini with shrimp (I will post picture later), I thought the chef was after aesthetics more than the taste. It was not easy to eat, would have been better as a butterflied shrimp on top of the regular (unfried) capellini. The sauce was actually beautiful. The rest of the dishes were very well thought out and executed. The 3 highlights for me were the sweet potato, "bottarga" and buckwheat, the squid kombu and lovage and the Taiwan rice, pork and mushroom. Getting better and better!

What's wrong with their reservation system? I had my AE Concierge service called them and they failed too. Sigh! I wonder how other people made the reservations successfully?!!!!

Jan 2015 Likes: most of the eight courses I had were well-executed with interesting concepts, contemporary and had good balance of flavors. I'm pleased we have a casual French restaurant with a voice of its own, and on a par with its counterparts in Europe. Hopefully it'll set the benchmark for many new bistros in town. Dislikes: lack of oomph possibly because food were served lukewarm, I'm not a big fan of sous-vide food, as it's never as gratifying as traditional cooking. The young staff didn't explain the courses in detail when the menu was encrypted with key ingredients only. A little more enthusiasm about food they serve wouldn't hurt. As the result, I'm guesstimating some of components and preparations of the dishes below. 1. Asparagus, silky smooth broccoli puree, "burnt" miso sauce , persillade with bread crumbs. I like how they set the tone of the entire meal with this dish. The preparation is undoubtedly French yet the flavor is a blend of two worlds 2. Kampachi amberjack, daikon strips, shiso flowers, grapefruit, sago, and a smear of creme fraiche at the bottom. Well-played with the sago 3. Seared squid, sauteed cauliflower, ajoblanco almond soup, milk snowflakes crumbs, milk shards. The milky sweetness and white shards and crumbs remind me of the dish Michel Bras created in the documentary Entre les Bras 4. Paella deconstruct: Breaded fried shrimp, saffron broth, puffed rice, fresh pea and edamame, and piquillo pepper sauce, black olive powder 5. Mushroom, mushroom, mushroom: sous-vide egg on a bed of mushroom duxelles (porcini, truffle?), burdock chips, raw button mushroom, mushroom broth, wakame, watercress. This dish is an umami bomb. 6. Seaweed "risotto", abalone, okra, grated bottarga. The al dente rice in briny fish stock tasted more like traditional Taiwanese milk-fish congee than risotto 7. Sous vide-then-seared beef short ribs, baguette chips, charred leeks, glazed pearl onion, parsley puree, garlicky bread puree, miso demi glace 8. Warm chocolate mousse, salted brown butter ice cream, mochi, crumbled cookies, nougat. Except mochi, every components went well together

One of the best experience of eating beautifully crafted and delicious food. My favorite is the one prawn appetizer, thinly sliced fish and dessert. Will sure come back if I'm in Taipei again. Well worth the money for the memorable dining experience

I was really curious to have my first fine dining experience in Taipei. I felt torn because Taiwan to me was always more about street food; however, after hearing that chef Andre was doing a Taiwanese ingredient/dish focused tasting, I had to try RAW. Reservations are online via EZ table. I heard it was super hard to get a reservation, but I was able to get a table for 4 when I logged in right at the specified time. The tickets are pre paid, but you can get them refunded up to 2 weeks prior. They have 2 tasting options, and we opted for the "deluxe" one, which was to include bread and tea. When we asked for more bread, they said it was one loaf per table. I guess the premium tasting included some other premium ingredients, as well instead of just the bread (ex caviar). When you start off, you get menus with a list of the ingredients for the night - both a Chinese version and an English version. Everything you need is found in the drawer in the table - menu, utensils, napkins. They had a wine pairing, but we went by the bottle instead. They have some interesting picks including a local Taiwanese champagne. However, we went with a French sparkling wine and a Burgundy. The tasting - 1. Mini tea egg: with a birds nest made of fried potato strings, mayo. The presentation was really pretty with the eggs in nests perched on a faux tree 2. Sushi and shrimp deconstructed: a fried shrimp head (a bit under done for me), and then shrimp tartare with sushi rice wrapped in a local leaf (rather than nori). Instead of wasabi, there's a green pea puree with a bit of wasabi kick, and there's crisped quinoa to dip the "sushi" in in place of soy sauce) 3. 小劉清粥: This was their take on the typical porridge dish. This was super creative. It was a crisped rice cake with fermented tofu and uni on top; underneath, in the cup, was vegetables that you would typically put in the porridge. On the side is a super rich and umami seafood broth that you drink with it 4. Scallops: meant to remind you of an old way that shrimp was hung and dried. They had thinly sliced scallop crudo, which was sweet and tender, but they managed to get a bit of a char on it. Accompanying it was charred enoki, smoked basil, caviar. The flavors on this were great, and it was especially good with the sparkling wine we chose. 5. Bread service: super crusty outside, served warm. The inside was light, and it came with a light whipped butter. 6. Bamboo: charred bamboo, fried and steamed asparagus, a broken egg and caviar sauce topped with whipped asparagus 7. "Local fruit": gnocchi topped with super thin sheets of corn - impressive knife skills. There were also corn nuts for texture, along with sorghum and spicy bottarga. The was definitely an interesting gnocchi dish 8. "Black and white part 1" - "white" - Raw house made tofu, white soy beans from Kaoshiung, black truffle. The tofu comes in the box, and the whey product from the tofu pressing process is served separately - I've definitely never drunken the whey before 9. "Black and white part 2" - "black" - 砂鍋魚頭: cobia, thinly sliced and charred on the outside. This was served with a crisp of sweet potato, smoked aubergine (very tender), house made furikake, and caviar. 10. Dirty chicken: chicken with umami ketchup, Black European radish, brown sauce from the chicken, and a "dirty" squid ink sauce. The chicken on this was really flavorful and tender 11. "Rhubarb": plum stained celery to introduce rhubarb to Taiwan, served with oil of verbena 12. Christmas dessert: red bean soup (紅豆湯) - the dish was like a mont blanc dessert but with red bean puree, almond and oat ice cream (loved these), leaves of purple rice 13. 核桃牛奶糖: walnut and date candy that tasted like date cake (棗泥糕) All of the food was definitely very interesting and innovative - some of the most creative stuff I've had in a while, mostly because I've never had Taiwanese food/ingredients presented in this way. The only thing I would really complain about is the service. - It's a bit rushed and intrusive when they try to clear each person's plate immediately as they take the last bite of the dish. - Then, when you try to flag someone down for service, it's like people have blinders on. - The way the dishes were presented was not consistent. - They served a few dishes and let them sit there while one person was in the restroom; then they said they would be back to introduce the dish, but it took a while to get someone's attention - Everyone was friendly and polite - They were good about water refills; wine service was a bit more of a miss In the end, it was NT3500 per person (about $120) for the food + service. The wines were extra and ran around $100-150 a bottle, and they had an additional 10% service on them. Service awkwardness aside, I think it's definitely worth a try for a more innovative Taiwanese fine dining experience.

Awesome food, great service. A must visit for foodies in Taipei! I visited around early July 2015, when they just recently changed their menu. The 8 courses meal was very well executed with special concept for each set of dish. Price: NT1850++ (Dinner)

If you are a tourist and you'd like to experience taiwanese culture in a exquisite way, then this is for you! If you're a local, then you'd probably be disappointed. The dishes they serve here are modified high quality local food. Not only is it hard to book, but also are you paying $$$ for some above average local food.

Food is fun. Ambience is not. Apparently you can turn up in jeans and T- shirts and it would be okay. After all the hype I was expecting at least for people to dress up a little.

Test the 2017 spring menu , this set of menu is not for local Taiwanese . The whole set makes me feel like the menu idea is inspired by night market cuisine . For foreigners , they will probably feel very cool !! For locals, I personally feel like the value of the set is not so worth it .( the ingredient for the cuisine is too cheap ???) I don't expect to eat whole bowl of peas for a meal cost $2800 .However , I still recommend to try RAW , it represents the real Taiwanese cuisine !

Creative fusion cuisine. Great service, awesome atmosphere. From ingredients to presentation, obvious attention to details.

It's you have to book a month ahead or smith...thank god I never had to go through that... Everything is special I guess but I find it a bit overpriced. I think they can do much better...Staff are trained well and they present the dishes in English for us...grateful for that! One time experience is good enough...

What is the best a restaurant can offer? Exquisite taste of food? Attentive service? Delightful ambiance? Artful display? Magical wonders to marry the essence of two culinary cultures on taste buds? To me, RAW has it all. Thanks especially to chef Alain who works wonders to expand my imagination and our lovely waitress Elies.

Before coming here today ive heard so many good things and how special this place was.. Which led to the high expectations to finally try something that is somewhat Asian fusion but made with local Taiwanese or asian ingredients. Yep the decor, atmosphere was there at the level of expectations but the fact that the space was super opened, you don't get much privacy or the sense of intimacy that you would expect at a somewhat "fine dining" experience. But that's not my point.. Having had the chance to try many different cuisines and food across the US..and abroad.. Personally I felt the taste and the menu wasn't thought out as what i would imagine. Yes it is different due to its different ingredients such as kombu, barley, star fruit, etc.. But I just kept asking myself what am I tasting. The food just made me guess what it was.. instead of enjoying it and not second guess what was in it. Overall the food was odd and a little lost in direction. Was it Chinese? Taiwanese? French ? Japanese? Not sure.. Stay away from the cocktails.. we ordered two drinks and one was simply a slushy in a margarita glass.. which had almost no alcohol in it. Another one was like a pineapple juice(made pretty rough ) and each costed around 400ntd? Overall it was a restaurant .. that was hyped up. If you don't mind paying for a 5000+ meal, go for it. But if you're looking for that long lasting mind blown meal.. then I suggest you go somewhere else.

This place is definitely a place for you to bring your guests, dates, and special celebration. Creativity of the dishes are awesome...in term of taste, some dishes are well prepared, and some are just soso. Therefore, it is depends on what you are looking... Creativity, environment, and tastiness of the food. If I am not wrong, they charge NT500 per open bottle of you bring your own booze.

I believe RAW is currently the best western restaurant in taipei right now - incredibly hard to get a reservation. be persistent. be on their website around 11.59am to try to refresh and load the page right on 12pm. - otherwise call first tuesday of every month between 3 to 5pm. to get a a chef's table. there are 2 types. 8 seaters and 12 seaters. - food wise - fantastic. i think, if taiwan were to get a michelin 1 star, it should be this one. for the food and creativity. - service though, although good, but not great. not yet michelin. they will need to step it up. - but in any case - michelin or not. WORTH GOING. please do so. it changes menu every 3 months or so. Very creative. Go hungry, go open-minded and just enjoy the culinary goodness this place has to offer. major thumbs up.

I was excited to try out RAW, which was one of the first restaurants noted in a NY Times article on more modern fare in Taiwan, and getting a reservation relatively close in (we booked only 2 weeks in advance) during a weeknight was surprisingly easy given the acclaim. The location itself is across the river in the northern part of Taipei, and it is a little bit of a hike from the Brown Line MRT, so we ended up taking a taxi to and from dinner. The ambiance was probably the most striking thing when you step in - the bar is framed by beautifully curved wood that evokes an ocean wave, and the main dining room has views of the open kitchen and the feel of a hipster, trendy spot in Brooklyn that is using an industrial space converted to use for fine dining. The approach to silverware is interesting, as there is a drawer with multiple sets of forks, knives, and spoons for your use. However, if you go with the larger-course dinner, I found myself short utensils by the last course or two. Service was also pretty good, although if you are looking for spot-on translations of each course into English, you won't get it. You will still have an idea of what is in each dish generally, but some of the nuance around the exact type of ingredients may get lost. Before the food, the drinks: the cocktails were solid but not super-memorable, and if anything, based on watching the activity at the bar, it seemed like preparation took a bit longer than I would have thought. The food itself was presented on a menu reminiscent of something you might have seen at an older iteration of EMP, where the ingredients are listed out without much of an inkling as to the exact preparation. The food itself is very well-presented, with a lot of thought going into the presentation and the look. What detracted from the meal a bit was that it often felt like there were too many things going on in most of the dishes, and while there was nothing that tasted bad, there were instances where too much happening meant a course that wasn't quite as memorable. My favorite was crispy rice served with chicken and topped with perfectly-crisped chicken skin; although it was a tad oily, it is a hearty bite that really hits the spot. I also enjoyed the red snapper wrapped in radish and served in a broth derived from the fermented head of the fish - a preparation that incorporates more traditional techniques and utilizes it in a modern fashion. Others, though, looks promising but didn't quite turn out as expected. One dish was served with whipped potatoes and 5 different types of 'egg', ranging from caviar and ikura to sprinkled egg yolk...the potatoes were too plain on their own and absorbed the saltiness of the fish eggs, while the yolk barely made a dent at all. The clams with tofu and sea urchin, served in a creamy sauce, was a twist in starting from a Western dish and adding Asian influence, but again - too many stars on the plate to let one really shine through. RAW is a great spot to eat at - the ambiance and the thoughtfulness of the decor is undeniable, and the artistic presentation of the food pairs well with it. That said, it tries to be too ambitious at times, resulting in dishes that don't quite work, or even doing things (like adding cocoa nibs to the butter) that might seem fun but are unnecessary. I would probably come back to see how the meal was executed in another season, but it's not quite at the same echelon as some of the more experimental modern restaurants I have eaten at elsewhere.

It's the most popular restaurant in Taipei recently.As a MIchelin restaurant,the price is reasonable.They have awesome food and great table service.Food and drinks are produced by Taiwan local seasonal material.I did enjoy it and "beef tongue cracker" impressed me deeply.I will visit RAW again：）

Had high expectations for Michelin ** restaurant but surprised they got any. The food was interesting but out of the dozen plus dishes, only a couple were memorable. But I think what really left a bad taste was the service. We arrived on-time for our reservation (actually seated before 1/2 the restaurant) yet my table of 2 was the last to get served. It took over 50 min for our 1st coarse to arrive. Our neighboring tables were already on their 3rd coarse! We complained and they gave us a complimentary glass of wine but it didn't end there. We were celebrating my fiancé birthday and made it known on our advance reservation of the special occasion. They completely forgot and brought us the check and we let them know and they brought out a music box to play with and apologized. I'd heard great things about RAW and as a Taiwanese American who lives in NYC, I'm use to fine dining but beyond the cool decor at RAW, I was thoroughly disappointed. Definitely do not recommend. Lastly, when asked for water we asked for tap (we had wine pairings and cocktails) and they charged NT$120 pp for water....wow! Way to nickel and dime when my bill was over NT$10000 already.