[Kyoto] さらさ西陣 Sarasa Nishijin

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[Kyoto] さらさ西陣 Sarasa Nishijin

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さらさ西陣 Sarasa Nishijin

Add: 11-1 Higashi Fujinomori-cho, Murasakino, Kita-ku
Tel: 075-432-5075
Hours: 12-11pm (closed on the last Wed of the month)
Price: 1,000-2,000 yen/person
Visited: Aug 2016

It was way too hot to walk around outside after our lunch at Kanei, so we decided to delay our visit to Daitokuji Temple and went into the cafe next door to cool down a bit more.  I later found out that this cafe named Sarasa has 6 locations across Kyoto, and this particular one we went to in Nishijin is famous for its location inside an 80+ years old public bathhouse.

吃完蕎麥麵後下午兩點多，實在熱的讓人無法在外面走動，決定鑽入隔壁一家看起來很有趣的咖啡店避暑（咦？說好的大德寺呢？）。後來才發現這個 “さらさSarasa” 似乎小有名氣，在京都有六家分店，而我們去的這家西陣店是由一棟80多年曆時的錢湯（公共澡堂）改造而成。

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The logo, designed to resemble steam coming up from a hot spring.

門牌的字體也特意設計成像溫泉裏冒出來的煙。

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Walls of the public bathhouse have been preserved, the patterned tiles rendering the space a little bit dizzying. Even the hair and make-up of the cafe staff is matching with the whole eclectic vibe.

澡堂的牆被完整的保留了下來，整個空間的色彩缤紛無比，連店員的發型和妝容都相當匹配。

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[Kyoto 京都] かね井 Kanei

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[Kyoto 京都] かね井 Kanei

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かね井蕎麦 Kanei

Add: 11-1 Murasakino Higashifujinomoricho, Kita Ward, Kyoto
Tel: 075-441-8283
Hours: 11:30am-2:30pm, 5-7pm (closed on Mon)
Price: 1,500-2,000 yen
Visited: Aug 2016

I didn’t plan to go to any Michelin restaurants this time in Kyoto, but as I was sorting out the itinerary, I noticed that there’s a one Michelin star soba restaurant near Daitokuji Temple which we planned to visit, so I decided to drop by for a taste. After getting off the bus in the nearest station, we walked for another 7-10 minutes in the scorching sun, eventually arriving at this humble-looking restaurant with a tiny sign that says “かね井” (Kanei), so small that it’s definitely missed unless by those specifically looking for it.

這次京都之行沒有特別安排豪華的米其林餐廳，不過在規劃行程時發現想要造訪的大德寺旁有一家米其林一星的蕎麥麵，決定順道去嚐一嚐。從公車站下來後冒著大太陽走了10分鍾左右，來到這間樸素的餐廳，外面挂著一塊不特別留意的話絕對看不到的小小招牌，上面寫著かね井（發音：kanei）。

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Upon entering the shop, I noticed that there are only about 16 seats inside, and even though it wasn’t even noon time yet, every seat has been taken. The owner lady quietly came over and said rather apologetically – I’m afraid you will have to wait for about 1 hour or so for a table. Well then, we shall wait.

推門入內，發現店裏只有16個左右的位子，所有人盤腿而坐在榻榻米上安靜地吃著麵。我抵達時才12點不到一些，不過店裏已經完全客滿了，前面還有兩位客人在等位。老板娘略帶歉意的說，可能要等一個小時哦。哎呀，那就等吧。

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In this small Japanese building of over 80 years old, the husband Toshio Kanei is busy manning the kitchen, while the wife takes care of the customers out in the front. There’s no air-conditioning even in the summer heat, only a small fan quietly doing its job; There is a small backyard garden, simply and elegantly decorated with a goldfish bowl, and a traditional Japanese wind bell making beautiful sounds with each breeze. The air is quiet, so quiet that everyone automatically lowers their voice as they enter the space.

80多年的日式建築裡，老板在廚房裏忙碌著，老板娘內外走動招呼客人。沒有空調，只有電風扇輕輕轉動著，小小的後院簡單精致，擺了一個很有禅意的金魚缸，挂了一串聲音清脆的風鈴。靜谧的氣氛讓所有人都也不自覺的輕聲細語。

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We didn’t actually wait for one hour, though it was pretty close to it. Upon being seated, we were served some cold brew tea, and started browsing though the hand-written menu. Though the restaurant is one Michelin star, it is not significantly more expensive than a regular soba joint, with the price for each a la carte item to be around 950-1,700 yen.

其實並沒有等到一個小時（不過大概也45分鍾了）。老板娘爲我們倒上了冷泡茶、遞上一份手寫的菜單。雖然說是米其林一星餐廳，不過かね井的價格跟其他蕎麥麵屋的價格似乎差不多，單點的價格950－1700日幣不等。

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[Kyoto] Okutan 奧丹

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[Kyoto] Okutan 奧丹

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Okutan 奧丹

Add: 86-30 Nanzenji Fukuchicho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
Tel: 075-771-8709
Hours: 11am-4pm (Closed on Thu)
Website: webkyoto.com/okutan/
Price: Yudofu set meal ¥3,240

When in Kyoto, one absolutely must have a tofu meal.

I first visited Okutan’s Kiyomizu branch almost 7 years ago in winter 2009. I still distinctly remember the utter satisfaction of having a steaming hot pot of tofu after a whole morning of walking around in the wintry Kyoto air. This time back in Kyoto, I decided to pay Okutan another visit, though this time I went for its original location near Nanzenji.

去京都，一定要吃一席湯豆腐料理。

第一次造訪 “湯豆腐奧丹”，是2009年冬天。當時在京都冬日冰冷的空氣中找到了奧丹清水店，入內吃了頓熱呼呼的湯豆腐全餐，當時的惬意和滿足感至今都還印象深刻。六年多後回到京都決定再訪，不過這次，去的是更古老的南禅本店。

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Okutan’s Nanzenji location was established in 1635, and claims to be the oldest yudofu restaurant in Japan. Upon entering, we were first greeted with a lush little Japanese garden, after which we were to take off our shoes to enter the dining area. The space is equipped with floor-to-ceiling windows so that guests can enjoy the view during the meal – a lovely design. If memory serves correctly, however, I think the Kiyomizudera location has an even better view.

奧丹豆腐創立於江戶初期的1635年，號稱是日本最古老的湯豆腐料理專門店，南禪寺店是其總本家。入門後先看到的是精致的庭院，用餐區也特別設計了整排落地窗，讓客人能夠邊享用豆腐邊欣賞窗外的美景，非常貼心（不過印象中好像清水店的景觀更美？）

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I was delighted to find that the menu has not change a bit since I last visited almost 7 years ago, except that since it’s currently summer season, Okutan is also offering a chilled tofu option. The restaurant serves set menus (¥3,240 each) only, which includes yudofu/chilled tofu, vegetable tempera, sesame tofu, grated mountain yam, miso baked tofu, rice, and pickles.

脫鞋後，踏入榻榻米的房間。六年後再訪奧丹，發現菜單完全沒有變，令人安心，不過由于是夏季，所以有當時我沒嘗到的冷豆腐。奧丹僅提供套餐（各3240日元），內容除了有湯豆腐／冷豆腐之外、還有蔬菜天婦羅、胡麻豆腐、山藥泥、木芽田樂豆腐，白飯和漬物。

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Yudofu started near the end of Edo Period right near Nanzenji, originally intended for the monks only. Authentic, handcrafted tofu relies on high-quality soy beans, good water in which to soak and boil them, and of course the expertise of the tofu maker. What we get in supermarkets today is lacking in the pure taste of soy beans and the flavor of their protein, an unfortunate result of mass production.

湯豆腐源于江戶末期，發起地就是南禅寺附近，原本是寺內僧侶實用的精進料理。由于水質的關系，這裏的豆腐素以質感細膩、滋味淡雅而聞名；看似樸實，但經由匠人們堅持傳統的制程、料理、擺設，能演化多種層次風貌。在奧丹，就是要品嚐這個古老的文化。

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[Kyoto 京都] % Arabica

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[Kyoto 京都] % Arabica

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% Arabica Kyoto

Add: (Higashiyama) 87-5 Hoshinocho, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto
(Arashiyama)3-47 Sagatenryuji Susukinobanacho, Ukyo-ku, Kyoto
Hours: 8am-6pm
Price: 350 yen+/coffee
Website: www.arabica.coffee
Visited on: Aug 2016

In September 2014, a coffee shop named “% Arabica” opened right near the beautiful Yasaka Pagoda in Kyoto, inside an old Japanese house of over 50 years old. The facade is low-key, but the stylish vibe oozing out from large window panes immediately attracts the passerby.

2014年9月，在古色古香的京都八坂塔旁一棟50多年的日式房子裏，開了一家名叫 “% Arabica” 的咖啡館。外觀低調，然而透過大片玻璃窗滲透出來讓人無法忽視的時髦感，輕而易舉地將路人都吸引了過去。

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The entrance of the shop is a concrete replicate of the cobblestone pattern of Yasaka Street, which makes it seem like the outside pavement continues right into the shop, creating an illusion of a side street off the alleyway.

我在京都住的地方正好在離% Arabica步行五分鍾之處，趁一大早還沒什麽人，找了過去。門口玻璃的通透感，以及店內延用與街道上相似的地磚，都讓人有種鑽入小巷子的錯覺。

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The space is elongated, with a bar on the left, coffee bean storage on the right, and a roasting area deep inside. The transparent cellar displays coffee beans meticulously selected from all over the world, and conveniently, by installing the storage required to maintain temperature and humidity for the best quality coffee beans, it was also provided the necessary support for this old house. A perfect combination of the old and new.

入門後的狹長空間左邊是吧台，右邊是咖啡豆儲存櫃，最裡頭還有烘豆室。透明的咖啡儲存櫃的展示著從世界各地精選而來的豆子，而且很實用的是，在搭建這個嶄新儲存櫃的同時，也給原本木制老房子添了必要的結構支持，是完美的新舊結合。

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This Slayer espresso machine, customized especially for % Arabica, is just too beautiful. I want to learn how to make coffee just so I can use this machine. Tell me you don’t feel the same.

% Arabica這台特別定制的Slayer咖啡機，實在太太太帥了。好想爲了它學會如何煮咖啡（誤）。

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[Taipei 台北] Quelques Pâtisseries 某某。甜点

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[Taipei 台北] Quelques Pâtisseries 某某。甜点

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Quelques Pâtisseries 某某。甜点

Add: 34, Lane 102, Section 1, Anhe Road, Taipei
Tel: (02) 2755 4097
Hours: Wed-Sun 1-7pm (closed Mon & Tue)
Price: [pastries] 160-200 TWD [tea] 110-120 TWD
Visited: Jun 2016

There has been a burst in growth of French-style pastry shops in Taipei during the past few years, and actually, quite a few of them were opened by fellow alums from Ferrandi, where I had completed my professional pastry training. On this recent trip back to Taipei, I visited one of them called Quelques Pâtisseries, which literally means “a few pastries” in French.

台北近幾年來法式甜點店一家接著一家開，其中不少是由和我在巴黎同一所學校（Ferrandi費杭第高等廚藝學院）的校友所經營。這次在台北短短幾天，在僅能擠出時間探訪一家的情況下，我選擇了去年底才開幕的 “Quelques Pâtisseries 某某。甜點”。

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The shop was started by two classmates – Lai, who is in charge of the kitchen, and Jiou Jiou, who takes care of everything front of house. I met both of them at Ferrandi and, knowing the perfectionists that they are, it’s no surprise that Quelques Pâtisseries is lovely from head to toe – the interior design, furniture, and of course, the pastries.

Quelques pâtisseries 法文直譯的意思是 “幾個甜點”，很可愛的名字。負責外場的 Jiou Jiou 和內場的 Lai 都是我在 Ferrandi 的好朋友，兩個完美主義者組合在一起，也難怪某某從店裝到甜點的每個細節都令人無可挑剔。

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[Taipei 台北] L’Air Café Néo-Bistro 風流小館

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[Taipei 台北] L’Air Café Néo-Bistro 風流小館

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L’Air Café Néo-Bistro 風流小館

Add: No.5, Lane 174, Jinhua Street, Taipei
Tel: 02 3343 3937
Hours: 12-3pm, 6-10pm (closed on Wed)
Price: [lunch] 1200+ TWD [dinner] 4000+ TWD
Visited: Jun 2016

L’Air Café, as casual as the name suggests, is actually a refined bistro serving delicate French cuisine. It’s a collaboration between the owner of Boite de Bijou, a boulangerie/patisserie I raved about back in 2011, and head chef Dana Yu, who has honed her skills under Singapore celebrity chef Justin Quek and Robuchon Taipei among other prestigious establishments. L’Air Café has been a favorite among many of my friends living in Taipei since its opening in 2012, but as I had left for Paris that year, it wasn’t until this recent trip that I finally got to pay my first visit.

風流小館是台灣知名的珠寶盒面包店和兔子聽音樂的老板開的法式餐廳，是我很多住在台北的朋友都喜歡的店。餐廳位于永康商圈一個安靜的角落，有大片的落地窗，望出去是金華公園的一整片綠。掌管廚房的女主廚 Dana 在新加坡名廚 Justin Quek 手下工作多年後，加入了台北的 Robuchon 的開幕團隊，最後來到了風流小館。 之前在網上和她稍有交流，這次回台北，決定來嚐嚐她的料理。

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L’Air Café is located at a quiet corner in the Yongkang neighborhood. I came by during lunch time, and my mood was immediately elevated by 1) the ample sunshine pouring in from the floor-to-ceiling windows, and 2) this lovely-looking menu dotted with Spring and Summer colors, bright enough to cast away any dark clouds.

當季菜單的設計，非常春夏的顔色，拿在手裏心情都輕飄飄了起來。

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The meal started with this: white asparagus jelly, lemon-flavored crab meat, white asparagus slices, chorizo, and caviar. From the color to the flavor to the texture, each element is light and elegant, a most pleasant start.

Dana 的料理風格溫柔細致，比如這道白蘆筍凍搭配檸檬風味蟹肉、白蘆筍片、西班牙香腸及魚子醬，從顔色至風味和口感都清淡優雅，非常怡人。

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Sweet fish (ayu), sweet fish liver, honeydew.

香魚與香魚肝佐哈密瓜。

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[Taipei 台北] Plants

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[Taipei 台北] Plants

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Plants

Add: 1F, No 10, Ln 253, Sec 1, Fuxing S. Rd., Da-an Dist., Taipei
Tel: (02) 2784-5677
Hours: [Tue-Fri] 11:30am-9:30pm [Sat-Sun] 10am-9:30pm
Price: 500-800 TWD/person
Visited: Jun 2016

If you’ve been following my blog, you know that I’m far from being a vegetarian – as a food blogger, I pretty much eat everything and anything the restaurants serve. When on my own, however, I rare order or cook any meat, preferring light meals filled with lots of veggies. So when my friends in Taipei took me to Plants, a recently opened vegan/gluten-free/whole foods cafe, I was immediately charmed by it.

我本身並不是素食主義者，不過最近的確是吃的越來越輕盈了。這次在台北被朋友帶去了才剛開幕的 Plants，馬上喜歡上這家由兩個女孩子 Square 和 Lily 經營的 “植物性、無麸質、全食物小食堂”。

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Plants prepares their food based on three principles: “plants-based” – their food is free from eggs, dairy, honey and all other animal products; “gluten-free” – they do not use any wheat, barley, rye nor any grains with gluten, and instead use certified gluten-free oats, carefully choosing their sources to avoid cross-contaminated with gluten; “whole foods” – they use whole ingredients, unrefined sugars, and no overly processed food nor funny additives.

“植物性” (plant-based)，以不傷害動物爲原則，完全采用全植物食材，也沒有蛋、奶、或蜂蜜；“無麸質” (gluten-free)，不使用引起麸質過敏的食材；“全食物” (whole foods)，指的是未精致過、可看到天然樣貌的食材。光聽就知道是家用心的好店。

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“Count nutrients, not calories”. Word.

小小的食堂清新明亮，牆上寫著 “Count nutrients, not calories”，透過櫃台能隱約看到後面的廚房。

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[Taipei 台北] Shoun Ryugin 祥雲龍吟

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[Taipei 台北] Shoun Ryugin 祥雲龍吟

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Shoun Ryugin 祥雲龍吟

Add: 5F, No.301, Le Qun 3rd Road, Taipei
Tel: (02) 8501 5808
Hours: [Tue-Sun] 6-9:30pm (last order), closed on Mon
Website: www.nihonryori-ryugin.com.tw
Price: 6500 TWD + 10%
Visited on: Jun 2016

Please note that this was an invited tasting.

One of the meals I most looked forward to on this trip to Taipei was dinner at Shoun Ryugin, the sister restaurant of three Michelin star Ryugin in Tokyo. I visited Ryugin five years ago and was quite blown away by Chef Seiji Yamamoto’s impeccable cuisine, so naturally I was excited to try his Taipei establishment, which features the richness of Taiwan’s local ingredients while striving for the same memorable dining experience.

請注意這是餐廳安排試吃。

五年前慕名去了東京米其林三星的龍吟，當時就對山本征治主廚的極致料理相當佩服。後來聽說他在台北開了家姐妹店，而最近才知道這家分店和RAW（以及很多台北其他的餐廳）都是HASMORE赫士盟餐飲集團經營的。這次多虧了他們的邀請，讓我嚐到了這兩家餐廳。

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Upon entering, I was first served a cup of cold brew tea at the reception area (godsend on this hot hot summer day in Taipei), and once our entire dinner party has arrived, we were led into the elegant dining room via a stone path.

抵達後，服務人員讓我在休息區稍坐，幷送上一杯冰涼的冷泡茶（台北夏天，太需要了）。店內沈穩優雅的風格，和東京本店有些相似。

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[Taipei 台北] RAW

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[Taipei 台北] RAW

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RAW

Add: No.301, Le Qun 3rd Road, Taipei
Tel: (02) 8501 5800
Hours: [Wed-Sun] 11:30am-2:30pm, 6-10pm (closed on Mon & Tue)
Website: www.raw.com.tw
Price: 1850 TWD + 10%
Visited: Jun 2016

Please note that this was an invited tasting.

My friends’ first reaction to me going to RAW was uniformly – “How did you get a reservation?!”…and immediately after: “Can I come with you?” It’s no surprise they are so shocked – since opening in 2014, seats at RAW get snatched up literally seconds after being released, everyday – even many of my friends living in Taipei haven’t had a chance to go yet. What’s the big deal?

請注意這是餐廳邀請試吃。

朋友們聽到我要去RAW，第一個反應都是：“你居然訂到了！”，然後就是 “可以帶我去嗎？” 的確，這家餐廳自2014年開幕以來每天都被秒殺訂滿，連我很多住在台北的朋友至今都還沒吃到過。這麽難訂的餐廳，值得嗎？噢，絕對值得。

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The reason why RAW is so wildly popular, other than the fact that it’s conceptualized by André Chiang (of the Restaurant André fame), is also because it consistently offers delicious and creative cuisine at a reasonable price of 1850 TWD+10%. RAW positions itself as “bistronomy” – the combination of bistro and gastronomy – meaning that it’s not as uptight as fine dining restaurants, but is more refined than the typical bistro both in terms of decor and cuisine. I’m quite familiar with this style as I frequented many neobistros in Paris, and was curious to see the Taiwanese version at RAW.

RAW的定位是bistronomy（bistro和gastronomy的結合），沒有高級餐廳需正襟危坐的拘束感，又比普通小館子來得精致，在料理上更是下足了功夫。而它這麽紅的原因，除了因爲主廚是江振誠（台灣名廚，在新加坡的André餐廳已連續好幾年名列世界前50餐廳榜單），當然還是因爲料理本身出色，而且價格實在令人無法抱怨（1850台幣＋10％）。

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[Taipei] W Hotel

Categories taipei
[Taipei] W Hotel

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W Hotel Taipei

Add: 10 Zhongxiao East Road Sec. 5, Taipei, Taiwan 台北市信義區忠孝東路五段10號
Tel: (02) 7703 8888
Website: www.wtaipei.com
Visited: Jun 2016

Please note that this was a complimentary stay arranged by the hotel.

From Taipei Songshan Airport, it was an easy 20 minutes on the taxi to W Taipei. The stylish vibe was immediately contagious, and I couldn’t help but get a little excited about checking-in – despite the fact that I’ve been here for drinks on previous visits to Taipei, I had never stayed at the hotel…until this time around.

w taipei

Designed by G.A. Design International of London with the theme of “Nature Electrified”, W Taipei features a meticulously curated collection of contemporary art throughout the hotel, starting at the first floor reception area. Hanging from the ceiling is “Reflective Cloud” by Hirotoshi Sawada, an installation of mirrored plastic and bamboo, with blue dots on the floor as “raindrops”, inspired by the rainy weather in Taipei.

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On the wall is “To Light You Fade”, an interactive installation created by rAndom International, lighting up according to your movements in front of it.

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