Wei Feng Motel

Converted from Taipower Company former staff housing, this tiny gem serves five Chinese double-boiled soups that come with a side, plus your choice of rice or noodles. Spicy food lovers shouldn't miss the oyster chicken soup with chillies – vegetables nicely complement the umami of free-range chicken legs and oysters from Yunlin . For staples, try Koshihikari rice from Japan mixed with Tainan No. 16 and topped with nori pork floss.

Nestled in a department store, the simple space makes an impression with turquoise walls and striking light fixtures. Since the 1960s, this family business has been serving traditional banquet dishes best enjoyed with alcohol. The fourth-generation owner still follows the same ethos; his big-flavoured dishes come in large sharing portions. The deeply flavoured braised cabbage is stewed for 3 hours with dried shrimps, dried plaice and chicken bones.

This chef couple honed their skills in various establishments for over a decade, before returning to their hometown to start this new venture. They focus on fish, especially the local catch, fermented or pickled to revamp the taste profile. The menu changes from time to time, but their signature conch herbal soup is a mainstay – slow cooked for over 3 hours, its rounded, mellow flavour is complemented by a floral note from torch ginger flower.

Both the room and the food reflect the pared-down ethos at the core of Kei Kurusu’s culinary philosophy. Under the gourmet visionary’s supervision, the chef precisely crafts local ingredients (mostly veggies and fish) with Japanese and French techniques, highlighting their pure flavours without unnecessary condiments. First-time guests are served a set menu so they can experience Kurusu’s vision; returning customers get to try something else.

In keeping with the name – hābu is the Japanese transliteration of the word "herb" – the space and dishes are decorated with herbaceous plants. The chef devises a season-driven menu based on the kaiseki tradition, using fresh and dried herbs and spices. Thanks to Western techniques and temperature variations, the herbal flavours are rounded and subtle. Before a dish is served, its aromatic components are presented for a multi-sensory experience.