Taipei 101’s A Joy debuts autumn menu

台北101「A Joy」推出秋季菜單

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Perched on the 86th floor of Taipei 101, Taiwan’s highest and most expensive buffet, A Joy, is redefining luxury dining with a newly unveiled autumn menu created in partnership with celebrity chef Andre Chiang (江振誠).

The seasonal lineup, running through Nov. 30, marks the autumn chapter of the restaurant’s yearlong "Four Seasons Symphony" series. Built around the concept of "0rigin," the menu shifts the buffet narrative from abundance to culinary precision and nostalgic storytelling.

"Diners visiting a high-altitude buffet are no longer looking for endless variety," Chiang said. "It is about the quality and refinement of every single dish."

Chiang has introduced a "limited dining" philosophy, prioritizing small-batch craftsmanship over mass production. He has also created "flavor pathways," encouraging guests to pair distinct culinary components to unlock personalized flavor profiles instead of eating standalone items.

At the center of the autumn lineup is a focus on restorative, soul-warming fare suited for cooler weather. Chiang’s flagship dish is a green Sichuan pepper and peeled chili black-feathered chicken soup, blending 30 years of French culinary technique with memories of his mother’s cooking.

The dish features a slow-simmered hen broth infused with tender chicken thigh, sweet peeled chilis, and green peppercorns that impart a mild numbing warmth believed in traditional food culture to promote circulation.

Presented inside a vessel styled like the ancient medical text “Compendium of Materia Medica,” the menu opens with the word "welcome" — a gesture intended to feel like a comforting home-cooked meal served high above the clouds.

The autumn offerings also highlight what Chiang calls “Taiwanese flavors after seeing the world.” Notable dishes include a elevated take on a Shilin Night Market street snack: crispy kuruma prawn wrapped in Hong Kong-style shrimp roe noodles, encased in a seared Mexican tortilla, and seasoned with Japanese sweet sauce and truffle mayonnaise.

Another creation pairs classic French bouillabaisse with Japanese wheat gluten wafers, wild sea bass, king crab, and kelp-infused sushi rice, bridging Eastern and Western traditions in a single bowl.