Restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan
Book if Taiwanese culinary history matters to you.
Hosu runs a 14-course set menu tracing Taiwan's five major population groups through seasonal local ingredients, in a newly relocated Da'an space finished in eco-conscious materials. Michelin Plate recognised in 2024 with a 4.6 Google rating, it sits at $$$ — a serious meal without the full cost of Taipei's starred rooms. Book two to three weeks out for weekends.
Yes, with one condition: you need to be interested in Taiwanese culinary history, not just a good dinner. Hosu runs a 14-course set menu structured around the five major population groups that shaped Taiwan's food culture. That framework gives the meal a coherent intellectual logic that most tasting menus in this city lack. Paired with a Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 and a Google rating of 4.6 from 181 reviews, the kitchen is clearly executing at a level that justifies the $$$ price point. For the explorer-type diner who wants depth and context alongside the food, Hosu belongs near the leading of your Taipei shortlist.
Hosu relocated in 2024, and the new space is worth understanding before you arrive. The courtyard features a native five-needle pine, and the walls are finished in oyster shell paint, both choices that signal a deliberate commitment to ecological materiality rather than conventional restaurant decoration. This is not a backdrop; the design philosophy extends the same thinking about Taiwanese provenance that runs through the menu. You walk into a room where the sourcing ethos is visible before you sit down. For a diner who pays attention to whether a restaurant's physical space matches its culinary claims, this coherence is genuinely compelling.
The address, No. 17, Alley 20, Lane 300, Section 4, Ren'ai Road in Da'an District, puts Hosu in one of Taipei's more residential, quieter pockets rather than the denser commercial corridors. Plan your route in advance; the alley address means ride-hailing apps occasionally need a landmark correction. Da'an is well-served by the MRT, but the specific lane is a short walk from the nearest station. Arriving with a few minutes to spare is sensible.
The 14-course format is built around a seasonally rotating compilation of dishes drawn from Taiwan's five major ethnic communities, pulling from mountain and coastal ingredients as the season dictates. Interactive elements appear through the progression, which keeps the pacing from feeling purely ceremonial. This is not the kind of tasting menu where each course is a self-contained showpiece disconnected from the last; the through-line of population and regional identity gives the sequence a narrative structure that rewards attention.
On the drinks side, there is no dedicated wine program data in the available record. For a meal of this type and price tier, a beverage pairing is worth asking about when you book, whether that is wine, sake, or a non-alcoholic pairing. At comparable Taiwanese contemporary restaurants in Taipei, wine pairing add-ons typically add meaningfully to the per-head cost, so factor that into your budget estimate. If wine pairing depth matters as much as the food, venues like logy and Taïrroir have documented programs you can research in advance.
Booking difficulty is moderate. Hosu is not as hard to secure as the top-tier Michelin-starred rooms in Taipei, but the post-relocation period and Michelin Plate recognition in 2024 have raised its profile. Book at least two to three weeks ahead for a weekend table; weeknight availability tends to be more forgiving. No phone number or website is listed in our current data, so approach booking through reservation platforms or direct contact via the address. Confirming dietary restrictions at the time of booking is advisable given the fixed menu format; the kitchen's sourcing philosophy suggests they are attentive to these requests, but confirm directly rather than assuming.
The $$$ price tier positions Hosu below the $$$$ bracket occupied by most of Taipei's Michelin-starred fine dining, which makes it one of the more accessible entry points into serious Taiwanese contemporary cooking in the city. For a special occasion where you want weight and intentionality without the full financial commitment of a starred room, Hosu occupies a genuinely useful position in the market.
See the comparison section below for how Hosu sits against Taïrroir, logy, Le Palais, and others in Taipei's fine dining tier.
If Hosu's format appeals but you want to explore further, the Taiwanese contemporary category has strong representatives beyond Taipei. Sur- and huist in Taichung are both worth the trip for a dedicated food itinerary. JL Studio in Taichung operates at the leading of the category nationally. Back in Taipei, Ban Bo and EMBERS are close neighbours in the contemporary Taiwanese space and worth cross-referencing depending on your specific interests. For a wider view of what the city offers, our full Taipei restaurants guide covers the range. If you are building a broader Taiwan trip, see also GEN in Kaohsiung, A Cun Beef Soup in Tainan, and Ang Gu in Hsinchu County. For everything else in Taipei, our guides to hotels, bars, wineries, and experiences cover the essentials. If you are considering a day trip, Volando Urai Spring Spa and Resort in Wulai and A Gan Yi Taro Balls in New Taipei are worth flagging for the full Taiwan picture.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hosu | Taiwanese contemporary | $$$ | Hosu moved here in 2024, and the decor revolves around eco-friendly principles – a native five-needle pine adorns the courtyard; the walls are covered in oyster shell paint. The chef's 14-course set menu is a compilation of the greatest dishes of Taiwan's five major group of population. Featuring gems from local mountains and waters, it follows the seasons. Interactive elements make for a fun experience.; Michelin Plate (2024) | Moderate | — |
| logy | Modern European, Asian Contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 2 Star, World's 50 Best | Unknown | — |
| Le Palais | Cantonese | $$$$ | Michelin 3 Star | Unknown | — |
| Taïrroir | Taiwanese/French, Taiwanese contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 3 Star | Unknown | — |
| Mudan Tempura | Tempura | $$$$ | Michelin 2 Star | Unknown | — |
| de nuit | French Contemporary | $$$$ | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
How Hosu stacks up against the competition.
The 14-course set menu is built around a fixed structure tied to Taiwan's five major ethnic food traditions and seasonal sourcing, which limits flexibility. Contact Hosu directly before booking to confirm what substitutions, if any, are possible. This format is generally less accommodating than à la carte restaurants, so if you have serious dietary restrictions, raise them at the reservation stage rather than on arrival.
The set menu format works reasonably well for groups since everyone eats the same 14 courses, removing ordering logistics. That said, the post-2024 space appears to prioritise atmosphere over scale, so larger parties should confirm capacity directly. For groups of six or more, reach out well in advance — tasting menu rooms at the $$$ tier in Taipei book out faster when a table takes up significant floor space.
Taïrroir is the most direct comparison: Michelin-starred, Taiwanese-rooted, and tasting-menu format at a higher price and booking difficulty. logy runs a produce-focused omakase that shares Hosu's seasonal sourcing philosophy but pulls from a different culinary reference point. If Hosu is fully booked or you want a step up in prestige, Taïrroir is the clearest upgrade; if you want something less structurally heavy, de nuit offers a different entry point at the $$$ tier.
Service format details are not confirmed in available data, so whether Hosu offers both lunch and dinner sittings is not something Pearl can verify. Check current availability when booking. At a 14-course set menu restaurant in this category, dinner sittings typically allow more time and a fuller experience, but confirm directly.
Yes, more so than a standard anniversary dinner but less so than a pure celebration meal. The 14-course format and the courtyard setting in the post-2024 space, with its five-needle pine and oyster shell walls, create a considered atmosphere rather than a festive one. The interactive elements help — it doesn't feel like a passive tasting menu. If the occasion calls for a meal with a story behind it, Hosu delivers; if you want energy and spectacle, look elsewhere.
At $$$, Hosu is priced in line with Taipei's mid-to-upper fine dining tier, and the Michelin Plate recognition (2024) confirms it clears a baseline of quality. The value case depends on whether the premise interests you: this is a structured 14-course argument for Taiwanese food history, not a greatest-hits tasting menu. If that framing resonates, it earns the price. If you want pure technical cooking without the cultural architecture, Taïrroir or logy will feel like better value for the spend.
Location
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