Acclaimed Taiwanese Chef André Chiang stunned the culinary world with the announcement that the last operational date for his two Michelin-star Taipei restaurant RAW is set to be 31 December 2024. The award-winning chef also confirmed that he will take a back seat from the culinary frontline to cultivate budding chefs at his new culinary institution.
Is this déjà vu? Restaurant André in Singapore also made its final curtain call after a decade in business. Both establishments exit their respective markets during their heyday too.
According to various Taiwanese press reports, Chef André Chiang held a press conference on 29 July at RAW to announce the restaurant’s closure. “31/12/2024 will be RAW’s final operating date”, according to a statement released by RAW. The two-Michelin-star restaurant will become a learning academy at the same address, focusing on culinary education and “fostering future Michelin-worthy chefs”.
At the same press conference, Chiang also revealed that he will step back from the culinary frontline, aka the kitchen. Instead, he will focus on “transforming RAW into a culinary incubator and learning institution for young Taiwanese cooks and chefs”.
“RAW has already achieved its mission as a leader in the Taiwan culinary scene within a decade. It also showcased to young Taiwanese chefs the desired qualities that an international-grade restaurant should have.”
RAW will start serving its final menu, themed “The Last Dance”, from 16 August to 31 December. “This menu is a love letter dedicated to all who are passionate about culinary and gastronomy”, the statement added, “A swan song prepared by the culinary team at RAW”. Reservations will begin from 1 August 2024 through RAW’s website.
Various concepts related to Chiang will remain, including the upcoming Bon Broth in Singapore, opening in Q4. Bon Broth is a joint project with Singapore restaurant group Surrey Hills Holdings.
Opened in 2014, RAW focused on reinterpreting Taiwanese produce and familiar flavours into elevated contemporary bistronomy using French techniques.
Typically, RAW changes menus about six times yearly. But this year only has three concept menus – the four seasons-based greatest hits “2023 Best of the Year”, “Collective Memories – 10 out of 10” and “The Last Dance”.
RAW was awarded one Michelin star for the inaugural MICHELIN Guide Taipei Selection in 2018. The following year (2019), it snagged two stars and has been maintaining this feat consecutively till the MICHELIN Guide Taipei Selection’s latest 2023 edition.
Hailed as one of the most difficult restaurants to make a reservation in Taiwan, RAW sees an average of 30,000 diners yearly.
Chiang returned to his birthplace Taiwan in 2018 after closing the Singapore-based Restaurant André in February of that year. Subsequently, he set his sights on RAW “to focus on education, developing others and cooking”. He also took on the Culinary Director role for Sichuan Moon in Macau, in 2019 (closed in Summer 2023). Currently a Wynn Culinary Ambassador, he recently did a pop-up hotpot concept, BROTH by André Chiang, at Mizumi, Wynn Macau, in May 2024.
Chiang and his entire team from RAW were also in Singapore in March 2024 for a 12-day limited dining residency. Taking over the now-defunct La Dame de Pic at Raffles Hotel Singapore, it featured a menu of signature dishes from Restaurant André and RAW.
Chiang’s three-decade-long culinary career is nothing but illustrious. The celebrated chef trained alongside revered culinary luminaries like Pierre Gagnaire, Joël Robuchon, and Alain Ducasse. He was also the only Asian during his stint at Haute French restaurant Le Jardin des Sens.
In the recent 20 years of his career, he has created 14 original restaurant concepts worldwide. This includes RAW, Restaurant André, Burnt Ends, Bincho, MeatSmith, Porte 12, The Bridge, Zen, Sichuan Moon, One Tree Hill, Jaan par André, and Bon Broth.
Chiang is also known for his famed “Octaphilosophy” which constructed the menu for Restaurant André. It represented Chiang’s eight elements of gastronomy: salt, texture, memory, purity, terroir, south, artisan and uniqueness.
Over the years, Chiang amassed prestigious culinary awards for his restaurants. Besides countless stars from the Michelin Guide, he also appeared on World’s 50 Best, and the Top 100 Chefs lists. These achievements made him the only Chinese descent to appear on all three lists so far.
In 2018, he received the Diners Club® Lifetime Achievement Award during the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants ceremony.
(Feature and hero image credit: Raffles Hotel Singapore)
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia Singapore.
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