baan Taipei was created in cooperation with Chef Tong who has a Michelin one star restaurant in Thailand. His other restaurant baan also received Michelin Bib Gourmand recommendation in Bangkok. They then came to one of the most expensive areas in Taipei and opened up baan Taipei, which received a Michelin the Plate award in 2020.
My friend learned about it through a YouTuber. Since he absolutely loves South East Asian dishes, he was excited to take me here on his birthday.
Taipei Thai Restaurant—baan Taipei: Price Range and Menu
Any restaurant in this area is in the higher price range. Most dishes here cost around NTD$300–500 with an additional 10% gratuity. But the portions are small, especially the meat dishes. The portions were so small I questioned my appetite. Do I really eat that much? I'm 5'4", not a giant. Honestly, each dish looked like it was made for one person to me. I cold finish everything we ordered, minus 1 soup, on my own. You can share one dish between 2 people max because the meat dishes really just had exactly 2 pieces of meat.
2020 Michelin the Plate—Appetizer
Taipei Thai Restaurant—baan Taipei: Marinated Eggplant
Price: NTD$180
I want to start with a dish that I was pleasantly surprised with. I have to confess, I hate slender eggplants. They are different from the fat ones that I use to make vinete (Hungarian eggplant spread) and they are typically stir-fried in Taiwan. I always tell my sister that they taste like cotton wrapped in plastic then soaked in soy sauce.
However, the marinated eggplant from baan Taipei is peeled. It has this strong smokey flavor when you bite into the center. The eggplant is cooked perfectly soft so that there is still some fiber present as you bite into it, while the center melts against your tongue. At the very end, there is a hint of sweetness. It's such a refreshing and appetizing dish.
I tried this dish because my friend preordered it and I thought I have to taste it before I judge it, but it ended up being one of my favorite dishes in this meal.
2020 Michelin the Plate—Noodle & Rice
They serve fried rice, noodles, flat noodles and classic pad thai. The waiter suggested that we order steamed rice. Each bowl of rice costs NTD$30 which is pretty expensive, plus I don't eat carbs so we didn't order any. I personally find that none of the things we ordered were so heavy that you'd have to pair it with rice or carbs.
Taipei Thai Restaurant—baan Taipei: Northern Thai Khao Soi
Price: NTD$360 (weekday lunch special, served with grilled ribs)
My friend came prepared and specifically asked for this dish. The best way to explain khao soi is coconut curry soup noodles. On the bottom, there are regular noodles and there are noodles that have been fried crispy set on top.
It is a very iconic dish that is served in Laos, Northern Thailand, and Myanmar.
The fried noodles taste crispy like crackers before being soaked in the soup. Once soaked, they become soft and has a distinct chewy texture which I liked. However, I found this one to be kind of average aside from the unique fried noodles.
I have made Thai food and I know cutting galangal (Thai ginger) is difficult, like sawing wood with a butter knife, so I want to be lenient. But I still think they did not do a great job handling the galangal. I would bite into pieces of it and some bites became completely overpowered by the strong ginger taste. I never had the same problem when I made Thai curry with galangal, instead, I spent hours making sure that I minced the galangal finely. I expect a restaurant to be at least better than I am.
The soup was creamy, which is great, but apart from that, it tasted very similar to the chicken curry noodle soup from Very Thai Noodles (bheart noodles)—a mid-price range chain restaurant that you can find in food courts—and I like this khao soi less because of the galangal bites.
2020 Michelin the Plate—Meat
Aside from the pitifully small portions, the texture of all the meat dishes were outstanding. One of the dishes we ordered—Grilled Chicken with Lemongrass—is listed as a chef's special.
Taipei Thai Restaurant—baan Taipei: Charcoal Grilled Ribs
Price: NTD$360 (weekday lunch special, served with khao soi)
baan Taipei's charcoal grilled ribs were cooked well. They aren't very crispy on the outside, but certain burnt parts on the surface have a nice crunch to it. They are quite soft and easily came off the bone.
According to the description on the menu, these should have a hint of sourness from the tamarind but they mainly tasted sweet to me. I don't particularly like it when meat tastes too sweet without being complemented by any other flavor palette, but I think the tenderness of the ribs made up for it. There are also some ligaments near the bone which adds a nice chewy texture. I didn't LOVE it but I enjoyed this dish.
Taipei Thai Restaurant—baan Taipei: Grilled Chicken with Lemongrass
Price: NTD$320
I think one of the most consistent great quality at baan is that every single piece of meat I had was cooked perfectly. Everything was tender and at its best texture.
Some of you may know that I don't like the texture and oily stench that often comes with chicken skin, but several restaurants have done a good enough job cooking the skin that made me actually devour it. The skin of the grilled chicken from baan was crispy enough for me to take a bite out of it but not enough for me to be willing to eat all of it. I still ended up removing the skin and rubbing the sauce onto the meat.
The grilled chicken with lemongrass was so tender and juicy while being filled with the aroma of lemongrass. This dish is served with a side of sour and spicy sauce which was delicious and refreshing. I think the chicken was flavorful and delightful with or without the sauce. They are two completely different experiences.
2020 Michelin the Plate—Soup
Taipei Thai Restaurant—baan Taipei: Chicken Tom Yum
Price: NTD$340
Do I dare say that I preferred the tom yum I made over this? I should keep that information to myself, but perhaps I would share my recipe some time soon. That is not to say that this was no good though. I thought it was alright, just not exactly to my liking.
There was a bit of sourness, which my friend was delighted to discover, but I really wished it was a bit more sour. If Ares were there, he might have agreed. I think this is more of a personal issue than an issue with the dish. I prefer my food a lot spicier and a little more sour than most people.
Don't let the name fool you, it's chicken tom yum, there's not a lot of chicken in it though. Maybe 3–4 small chunks. I do have to admit that the meat persisted to be tender and well-cooked. I liked the addition of oyster mushrooms in the soup. It almost covers up the fact that there was barely any chicken.
2020 Michelin the Plate—Dessert
Taipei Thai Restaurant—baan Taipei: Coconut Sticky Rice with Mango
Price: NTD$220
It is really tiny and even more so when you consider the price; however, this was my favorite dish of all. The coconut sticky rice with mango was the only dish I had that made me believe they deserved a Michelin recommendation.
I don't know where they got fresh mangoes in the dead of winter but they did. We drizzled the coconut milk over the mango slices and rice. The sticky rice soaked up the coconut milk and became packed with flavor but does not become soft and soggy.
The sticky rice alone was cooked to perfection. It was so chewy, sticky, and bouncy. It was fragrant from the pandan leaf and seasoned to just the right amount of sweetness so that you don't get tired of it but triggers that dopamine boost. Then pair it with the distinct tropical taste and subtle sweetness of mangoes, I couldn't get enough of it. Just writing about it now makes me want it.
When I went to the restroom and came back to see that my friend had finished what was left of my half, I was sincerely upset and disappointed. The red little panel operator in my brain (according to Pixar) wanted to scowl and defend my food, for a millisecond I was about to turn into Joey Tribbiani. If the restaurant wasn't about to close for their afternoon break, I would've ordered another one.
2020 Michelin the Plate—Beverages
The bar area is beautiful. Sabai Sabai is listed as a recommended choice on their menu and is the only alcoholic drink they serve.
Taipei Thai Restaurant—baan Taipei: Palette in Bangkok Mocktail
Price: NTD$180
It was 2 in the afternoon and I don't even drink, so I went for a mocktail. The presentation of Palette in Bangkok is gorgeous, with an inviting layer of foam on top. The foam is made from Calpis, a non-carbonated Japanese lactic acid drink that tastes like a cross-over between yogurt and Yakult. I usually find Calpis quite sickening but the taste of the foam was pleasant and light while adding a rich texture to the drink.
The cocktails tastes mildly sweet with a welcoming sourness from the passion fruit tea on the bottom. Between the tea and the foam is butterfly pea flower sparkling water which brought a nice bubbling sensation in my mouth.
Taipei Thai Restaurant—baan Taipei: Thai-Style Milk Tea
Price: NTD$120
I am not an expert in Thai milk tea since I almost never drink sweet milk tea. My friend on the other hand, orders Thai milk tea whenever possible. He enjoyed it and I had a taste as well. It surprised me that it wasn't tiresomely sweet, which was my impression for Thai milk tea. It bore the aroma of star anise and cloves and is overall rich and smooth.
Taipei Thai Restaurant—baan Taipei: Interior
My friend loves visiting Instagram worthy restaurants and has stated that he is expecting lots of photos ops when he made the reservation. The interior of baan Taipei is aesthetically pleasing and a really nice waiter told my friends about the spots where people usually take photos. However, aside from the beautiful bar, baan Taipei is a not a great place for portrait photography.
The place is very dimly lit and any light source they have hits directly from the top. Unless you want to have an over exposed forehead and dark face, this is not the place. The background wouldn't be particularly outstanding either.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is great though. If you walk further into it, there are some Thai patterns on the wall. Even the restroom downstairs uses a lemongrass scented diffuser. The outside of the restaurant gives off strong South East Asian vibes along with lots of lush plants. I thought that was a nice spot for a photo.
Taipei Thai Restaurant—baan Taipei: Conclusion
Overall, the food at baan Taipei is slightly above average with great plating but quite overpriced. We spent NTD$1,000 each and I was halfway full. I guess the Michelin name raised my expectations, while the food was chiefly average, not delicious. The disappointment made me take away an extra point. I wouldn't imagine that it deserves a Michelin level recommendation if no one told me. But I will say that it is much more authentic compared to other Thai restaurants in Taiwan.
The interior design is nice but it's not super Instagram worthy. I consider it more of a restaurant that you come to just to see what it's about and maybe for some bragging rights if you are taking people out for dinner. Or if you came across this blog post, it might be a place you visit just to have some mango sticky rice, because I would totally do that.
2020 Michelin the Plate—Taipei Thai Restaurant: Store Info
Store name: baan Taipei
Address: No. 15, Alley 233, Dunhua Road Section 1, Da'an District, Taipei (4-minute walk from MRT ZHongXiao DunHua Exit 4)
Phot: (02) 2711-0528
Official website: https://baan.tw/en/home/
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