YEN Chinese Restaurant (紫艷中餐廳) is the signature Cantonese restaurant of W Taipei (台北 W 飯店). The restaurant serves nouvelle cuisine chinoise (new Chinese cuisine) which is a fusion of classical Chinese cooking techniques, innovative ingredients and stylish food presentation.
Inspired by the W Hotels brand, YEN Chinese Restaurant features cutting-edge contemporary design combined with local influences. Located on the 31st floor of W Taipei, the restaurant offers some of the best panoramic views of the city and of the iconic Taipei 101.
YEN Chinese Restaurant is open daily for lunch and dinner with an extensive a la carte menu and set menus. During my most recent trip to Taipei, I was able to dine at YEN Chinese Restaurant during lunchtime to sample one of its set lunches as well as some of the dim sum items from its a la carte menu.
LUNCH - A LA CARTE (DIMSUM)
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| Formosa Mushroom Dumplings | YEN Chinese Restaurant, W Taipei |
The first dim sum dish we tried was the Formosa Mushroom Dumplings (3pcs. for NT$180) which is made with locally sourced mushrooms and vegetables. The delicate wrapper and the mushrooms created an interesting contrast in texture.
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| Black Truffle Celery and Scallop Dumplings | YEN Chinese Restaurant, W Taipei |
Next to be served was the Black Truffle Celery and Scallop Dumplings (3pcs. for NT$240). Three pieces of dumplings are topped with scallop and crowned with minced black truffle. The stark flavors of the truffle and celery actually went well together with the scallop.
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| Spring Rolls with Pear, Scallop and Shrimp | YEN Chinese Restaurant, W Taipei |
We then sampled two variants of deep fried dumplings starting with the Spring Rolls with Pear, Scallop and Shrimp (3pcs. for NT$280). The wrapper was very crispy and not oily at all. The filling had a well balanced taste of sweetness and saltiness that do not overpower the natural flavors of the scallop and shrimp. The spring rolls are individually served on fresh shiso leaves which are actually edible. Their herby and minty flavor goes well with fried dishes.
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| Fried Turnip Shreds with Cheese | YEN Chinese Restaurant, W Taipei |
The second one was the Fried Turnip Shreds with Cheese (3pcs. for NT$210). Not your ordinary dumpling as the wrapper is made with a layered pastry and filled with shredded turnip and chunks of mozzarella. The dumplings are then shaped into lotus roots before frying them to golden perfection. The result is a flaky dumpling filled with crunchy turnip bits coated with molten cheese.
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| Taiwan Black Bear Bun with Black Sesame | YEN Chinese Restaurant, W Taipei |
Finally, we had YEN's version of these cute steamed bun desserts. The Taiwan Black Bear Bun with Black Sesame (3pcs. for NT$180) are shaped after Taiwan's national animal, the Formosan Black Bear using bamboo charcoal to give the bun its black color. The buns are filled with sweet black sesame paste.
Note: All prices are subject to 10% service charge and may change without prior notice.
7-COURSE LUNCH SET (NT$ 1,580 per person)
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| FIRST COURSE: (clockwise from right) Roast Fortune Suckling Pig, Steamed Abalone Siew Mai, Chilled Changhua Art Tomato with Osmanthus Flower, Spicy Hualien Bird's Nest Fern with Cordyceps |
The first course consisted of samplers of various appetizers. The suckling pig skin was very crispy while the abalone siew mai was very plump and juicy. I had the siew mai with the shiso leaf which enhanced the flavor of the dimsum. I then tried the spicy young fern which were surprisingly crunchy to the bite. The cordyceps mushroom had a light earthy flavor. The chilled tomatoes were sweet and very refreshing to the taste.
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| SECOND COURSE: Spider Crab Claw, Bamboo Fungus and Penghu Luffa in Superior Soup |
Second course is a light soup dish served with a meaty spider crab claw with local vegetables and bamboo fungus mushrooms. The crab meat was very tender while the Chinese cabbage, young luffa and the mushroom offered a contrasting crunchy texture.
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| THIRD COURSE: Wok Fried Mushroom, Penghu Lobster, Hokkaido Scallop, American Winkle with Pickled Chili and Asparagus |
The third course is a seafood dish consisting of internationally sourced seafood including lobster, scallop and winkle. The mushrooms, chili and asparagus added a contrast of color and texture to the dish. This goes well with the fifth course so make sure you reserve some of this dish for later.
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| FOURTH COURSE: Deep Fried Pork Ribs with Dahu Strawberry and Zhenjiang Vinegar |
The fourth course is a pork dish wherein pork ribs were fried until crispy and are then coated with a sauce made from the reductions of strawberry and Zhenjiang vinegar, giving this dish a caramelized flavor with hints of the woody and malty flavor of the black vinegar.
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| FIFTH COURSE: Seafood Fried Rice, Sakura Shrimp and Chinese Toona |
This is one of the best fried rice I ever tasted. If you love seafood, you will surely agree with me. The rice comes with chunks of shrimps and finally topped with crispy fried sakura shrimps and julienned Chinese toona (an aromatic leaf commonly used in Chinese cooking).
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| SIXTH COURSE: Lemongrass Crystal Jelly with Aloe Vera, Lime Sorbet & Puff Pastry with Papaya and Custard |
The sixth course is duo of dessert items. Lemongrass jelly is a very common Chinese dessert which is normally mixed with a variety of fruits. This one is mixed with aloe vera, which perfectly blends in appearance with the jelly but gave a contrasting chewy texture.
Instead of just adding lime juice, they topped this dessert with lime sorbet. This is perfect to cleanse you palate after a flavorful meal. The puff pastry, on the other hand, was very crispy and flaky while the papaya and custard filling was very light and creamy.
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| SEVENTH COURSE: Fresh Fruit Platter |
Finally, we ended our meal with a refreshing platter of fresh fruits. The watermelon was very juicy. The kiwi was mildly sour while the pineapple was very sweet yet not overripe.
Note: All prices are subject to 10% service charge and may change without prior notice.
W TAIPEI
W Taipei is a luxury and design-led lifestyle hotel located in the Xinyi central business district of Taipei, Taiwan. It has a total of 405 modern guestrooms and suites inspired by the latest trends in design, music and fashion, and with strong focus on comfort, attentive service and exceptional amenities. Read more »
YEN Chinese Restaurant
31st Floor, W Taipei
10 Zhongxiao East Road, Sec. 5, Xinyi District, Taipei, Taiwan
Contact: +886 2 7703 8887
Email: bf.taipei@whotels.com
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Lunch Schedule: 11:30am to 02:30pm
Dinner Schedule: 06:00pm tp 10:00pm
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