Restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan
Serious yakitori counter; book ahead.
Fumée Yakitori holds a Michelin Plate and an OAD Asia ranking (#234, 2025), making it one of the more credible yakitori options in Taipei's Zhongshan District. At $$$, it sits below the city's tasting-menu tier but delivers focused, technically serious grillwork. Book two to three weeks ahead and go in knowing the format rewards repeat visits more than first timers.
Fumée Yakitori is one of the more credible reasons to make a reservation in Taipei's Zhongshan District. Chef Ryu Shunsuke runs a yakitori counter that has earned both a Michelin Plate (2025) and a place on the Opinionated About Dining Leading Restaurants in Asia list, ranked #234 for 2025. At $$$, it sits in the mid-to-upper price tier without tipping into the four-symbol territory of Taipei's tasting-menu circuit. If you want precision grillwork in a format that rewards repeat visits, book here. If you want a full omakase progression with wine pairings and a longer narrative arc, look at Logy or Taïrroir instead.
Imagine sitting down at a counter in Zhongshan, the smoke from the binchotan charcoal just present enough to signal what is coming, and then a skewer arrives that is simpler and more focused than almost anything you would find at a comparable price point in the city. That is the core proposition at Fumée Yakitori. The format is Japanese in structure, the address is Taipei, and the execution has been recognised twice over in 2025 by two of the most credible rating systems covering this part of Asia.
Yakitori as a category rewards regulars more than most. On a first visit, the logic of the progression, the interplay between cuts, seasoning, and char, can feel somewhat opaque if you are not already fluent in the format. On a second visit, you start to read the menu differently. You know which skewers are worth lingering over, you understand the kitchen's rhythm, and you make better decisions about pacing. Chef Ryu Shunsuke's approach sits closer to the Japanese ideal of restraint than to the more freewheeling interpretations that have emerged in some of Taipei's newer grill-focused openings. If you have already been once, the return visit is where Fumée starts to fully justify its dual recognition.
The wine angle at a yakitori counter is worth addressing directly, because it is a question that does not have a clean answer here. The venue database does not confirm a dedicated wine program, and the cuisine format traditionally aligns with sake, shochu, and Japanese highballs. That said, at the $$$ price tier in a city where wine culture has expanded considerably over the past decade, it is reasonable to expect some list depth. If a serious wine pairing is central to your evening, confirm the drinks offering before booking rather than assuming. For venues where the wine program is explicitly a draw, Logy and Molino de Urdániz both have more documented beverage programs.
The OAD ranking places Fumée Yakitori in meaningful company. That list is voted on by frequent diners and professionals rather than by a single inspector, which means the #234 Asia ranking reflects accumulated repeat-visit consensus rather than a single assessment. Combined with the Michelin Plate, the picture is of a venue that has built sustained credibility rather than one riding a single review cycle. For comparison, yakitori at this level of recognition is relatively rare outside Japan. If you have been to Torisaki in Kyoto or Torisho Ishii in Osaka, you will have a useful frame of reference for the standard Fumée is working toward, though the specifics of each kitchen's style differ.
Google rating of 4.2 across 169 reviews is solid but not exceptional. That spread suggests some variance in experience, which is not unusual for a counter format where pacing, group size, and seating position all affect the visit. It is worth noting that 169 reviews is a relatively modest sample for a venue with this level of award recognition, which may point to the reservation difficulty keeping overall volume lower than a more accessible spot would see.
Address is Lane 39, Section 2, Zhongshan North Road, B3, which puts it in a basement or lower-ground position in the Zhongshan District. Zhongshan is well connected by MRT, and the neighbourhood has become one of the more concentrated areas for serious dining in Taipei. For a broader view of what is available in the area, see our full Taipei restaurants guide. If you are building a longer trip around Taiwan's dining scene, JL Studio in Taichung and GEN in Kaohsiung are both worth adding to the itinerary. Our Taipei hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide can help you plan around the reservation.
Booking difficulty is moderate. The combination of a Michelin Plate and an OAD Asia ranking means demand is consistent, and a basement counter format typically means limited seats. Book at least two to three weeks out for a standard weeknight, longer if you are targeting a weekend. No booking method is confirmed in the available data, so check current reservation channels before your trip. Walk-in availability cannot be confirmed.
Quick reference: $$$, Zhongshan District Taipei, Michelin Plate 2025, book 2-3 weeks ahead minimum.
See the comparison section below for how Fumée sits against Taipei's broader dining field.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fumée Yakitori | Yakitori | Opinionated About Dining Top Restaurants in Asia Ranked #234 (2025); Michelin Plate (2025) | Moderate | — |
| logy | Modern European, Asian Contemporary | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Le Palais | Cantonese | Michelin 3 Star | Unknown | — |
| Taïrroir | Taiwanese/French, Taiwanese contemporary | Michelin 3 Star | Unknown | — |
| Mudan Tempura | Tempura | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| Golden Formosa | Taiwanese | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
How Fumée Yakitori stacks up against the competition.
Yes — a counter-format yakitori restaurant is genuinely one of the better solo dining formats available. You eat at the bar, you watch the cook, and the pacing is built for individual progression through the skewers. Chef Ryu Shunsuke's counter in Zhongshan suits one diner as well as it suits two. If solo dining makes you self-conscious, yakitori counters are the category to start with.
The counter is the format here, not an afterthought. Fumée operates as a yakitori counter restaurant, so sitting at the bar is the intended experience, not a fallback for walk-ins. This is the same structure you find at serious yakitori venues across Tokyo and Osaka — the counter seat is the seat.
Yakitori as a format is built around grilled proteins on skewers, which limits flexibility for vegetarians or those avoiding poultry. Dietary restrictions are not documented in available venue data, so check the venue's official channels before booking. At the $$$ price point, it is reasonable to expect the kitchen to accommodate straightforward requests, but a counter-format restaurant with a set progression of skewers has structural limits.
Book at least two to three weeks out. The Michelin Plate recognition and an OAD Asia ranking of #234 (2025) generate consistent demand, and a basement counter format means seat count is low. Weekend evenings fill faster — if your schedule allows, a weekday booking is easier to secure.
This is a skewer-focused counter restaurant, not a full izakaya menu — come expecting a progression of yakitori rather than a broad à la carte selection. Chef Ryu Shunsuke holds a Michelin Plate and an OAD Asia Top 250 ranking for 2025, so the cooking is taken seriously. The address is in a lane off Zhongshan North Road Section 2, basement level — allow extra time to find it on your first visit. At $$$, this is a considered dinner, not a casual drop-in.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
