{"id":4061,"date":"2026-06-08T08:59:21","date_gmt":"2026-06-08T08:59:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/choosychou.com\/?p=4061"},"modified":"2026-07-12T02:43:02","modified_gmt":"2026-07-12T02:43:02","slug":"taipei-circum-michelin-one-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/choosychou.com\/en\/taipei-circum-michelin-one-star\/","title":{"rendered":"Taipei\uff5cOne Michelin star\uff5cCircum-The luxurious stacking of crab feast, but it has no taste of soul"},"content":{"rendered":"

I specially chose to come to Circum, a one-Michelin-starred restaurant that has been on my pocket list for a long time, on the first day of 2026.
The theme of this season is \"Crab Feast\", with crab elements appearing in every dish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It sounds very ambitious and very suitable for winter.
But after eating the whole game, I only felt one thing.\uff0c
This is not interpreting crabs, but stacking expensive ingredients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Circum Taipei Michelin Taipei Gourmet Michelin One-Star Crab Feast<\/h6>\n\n\n\n

(Dining in January 2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Circum introduction and Dining experience<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Cooking record<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Welcome tea: Big leaf black Tea\uff5cManna Pear\uff5cOsmanthus<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Based on big leaf black tea, it brings out a touch of pear sweetness and osmanthus softness. It is refreshing and light. It is a gentle opening and makes people look forward to the future.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Monkfish Liver \/ Huadiao Wine \/ Monaka Cake<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Monaka Cake \u00d7 Matsuba Crab Drunk Crab \u00d7 Monkfish Liver<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With Japanese-style monaka cake as the shell, the filling is combined with the flavor of Matsuba crab drunk with Huadiao, and it is matched with smooth and rich monkfish liver.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Conceptually, it is a fusion of Chinese and Japanese flavors. The salty flavor of crab, the spirit of Huadiao wine, and the fat of fish liver can indeed complement each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But as soon as this dish was served, a serious hygiene problem occurred: a live worm crawled on the most central cake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not a visual illusion, it is a very clear fact.
Go through the kitchen, serve food, service staff, and deliver food to the table\uff0c
No one even discovered that this was a completely unacceptable mistake for a Michelin restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After changing the plate before eating, only reason is left to analyze the taste, and emotions have long been unable to return to \"enjoyment\".<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Ridgeview Cavendish NV<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

England Sparkling Wine\uff5cPinot Noir Leading Blend<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is light golden, with high clarity, fine and dense bubbles, and good durability.
The first layer is white peach, lemon peel and green apple; then there are red berries (strawberries, raspberries) and white flowers; the background has a touch of yeast, toast and ore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wine itself is a blend of Pinot Noir, with a clean and delicate style, with refreshing fruity aromas and linear acidity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The meal is served with monkfish liver and the most medium cake of drunk crab. Drunk crab is marinated with a wine flavor similar to Huadiao and rice wine, which is oxidized, matured and sweet and salty; British sparkling wine is cold, clean, and fruity. Sour, the two are completely different.Not in the same flavor system. It's a pity that we can't talk to each other.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Lobster \/ Old hen \/ Jinhua Ham<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Bread Crab Crab yellow \u00d7 Shiitake Mushrooms \u00d7 Steamed Egg \u00d7 Soup Sauce \u00d7 Charcoal Grilled Boston Lobster<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the bottom is bread crab, crab yellow and crab meat, and shiitake mushrooms and steamed eggs are added to the middle layer.\uff0c
Then topped with soup sauce made from old hen, Jinhua ham and crab meat\uff0c
Finally, spread a whole piece of charcoal-grilled Boston lobster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If only \"crab steamed egg tower + soup sauce\" is left, this dish will be a delicate, round, and well-layered work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the addition of lobsters instead made the whole out of focus, as if for luxury and luxury, destroying the subjectivity of the original crab.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sea urchin \/ taro \/ horseshoe<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Lirong Crab yellow \u00d7 Sand male and sand female crab meat \u00d7 Red Shanghai gall bladder<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Inspired by the Hong Kong spot \"Taro corner\", the outer layer is made of Dajia taro and horseshoe into crispy fried lirong, the inner filling is filled with sand male and sand female crab meat, the top is stacked with red Shanghai gall bladder, and the bottom is a slightly spicy sauce made from sea urchin and white shrimp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is the only truly established dish in the full set of meals.
The crisp aroma of fried taro, the freshness of crab meat, the sweetness of sea urchin and the sense of fat are perfectly combined, and it is an outstanding work.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Harada Special Junmai Sake Akiagari \"Aki\"<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The aroma of steamed rice, cooked bananas, rice fat, a small amount of nuts and wine meal, the texture is silky, with natural rice sweetness and a slight fruity flavor; the acidity is low, and the tail is slightly warm and alcoholic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sommelier described the water quality in Yamaguchi Prefecture as pure, so the sake has rice fat flavor and banana flavor, and emphasized that it is a \"special pure rice wine.\"
When asked about the use of rice, he said \"nothing special.\"<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the back of the wine label actually clearly says: Yamada Nishiki 100%.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's not that there is insufficient information, but that the wine label has not been read.
In professional meal and wine pairing, this kind of detail omission will greatly reduce people's trust in the overall pairing.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Fish Sauce\/Citrus\/Wuxin<\/mark><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This one is presented in the form of a \"salad\", visually colorful and gorgeous, with layers of elements stacked. The sauce at the bottom is made of fish sauce, fragrant custard and a variety of spices, with aromas of scallions, ginger, garlic and spicy oil, and the flavor is very strong. The crab meat of the bread crab is spread in the middle. It has a delicate taste, but the flavor is relatively mild.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Three more flavored crystal balls are embellished above: the purple one is Basamik, the light red one is mustard olive oil, and the pink one is finger lemon, each bringing different acidity and spice levels.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It seems complicated and exquisite in concept, but after the actual entrance, it is found that all the seasoning completely overcomes the original sweetness and details of the crab meat, making this dish not so much eating crabs as eating a plate of sauce with over-designed flavor.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Andi & Anna Arndorfer Herrengasse 4<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

\u00d6sterreich<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Light amber and orange peel color. It has aromas of orange peel, dried flowers, smoky wood, tea, and slight spices. Medium-bodied wine, high acid, slight tannins; with white tea, citrus bitter peel and ore finishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This cup is the most personalized liquor in the audience.
Although it is white wine, skin contact is carried out for 8-15 hours, giving the wine a faint orange tone and texture thickness. The aroma has orange peel, smoky, and woody tones, like a gray area between white wine and orange wine.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Tempeh\/Garlic kernels\/two Jing strips<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This dish is based on the idea of fried crab in a typhoon shelter and is designed in the form of \"two meals\". The bottom of the bowl is covered with a base made of garlic, chili and tempeh stir-fried. The aroma is very strong, and the top is matched with snow crab feet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first meal is to dip the crab feet with a small amount of base material into the mouth. It is originally full of expectations, but when you actually taste it, you find that the crab meat itself is abnormally salty. It is not that the base material is too heavy, but that the salinity of the crab meat body is already unbalanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The second meal is to pour the whole bowl of fried crab porridge prepared on the side into the base material and mix well. At this time, the base material blends well with the rice, and the flavor level is enlarged. It becomes a very attractive bowl of typhoon shelter-flavored crab porridge, but the crab meat is still surprisingly salty.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The overall concept is creative, but the execution is unbalanced, making people wonder if the chef has really tried this dish in person.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Yellow pomelo\/Chai fish\/Kombu<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is a dish with Matsuba crab as the main character, complete in shape and full of crabs. The outer layer is a sphere made of matsuba crab meat, the top is covered with steamed matsuba crab legs, the inside is filled with matsuba crab body and stock, and then decorated with slightly sour shredded pickled celery. At the bottom is yellow kombu sauce, and the surface is covered with ginger and cream.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After cutting with a spoon, let the crab meat, soup and sauce be mixed and eaten. The vision is exquisite and the structure is complete, but the overall seasoning is conservative, the level is not really pulled out, and almost no memory points are left after eating.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Domaine Chavy-Chouet<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Meursault Les Casse-T\u00eates 2020<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Burgundy\uff5cChardonnay<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ripe apples, pears, cream, hazelnuts, vanilla and oak barrels. Medium-to-high-bodied wine, round and smooth; the acidity is well supported, and the finish is creamy and nutty. I personally like this cup very much~<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wine itself does show a round, creamy feeling and ripe white fruit flavor.
When paired with Matsuba crab balls, the body of the wine covers the sweetness of the crab meat, and the sweetness of the crab meat amplifies each other. It is the most balanced cup in the audience.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Caviar\/bird's nest\/yam<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This dish is reinterpreted based on the traditional Japanese Shinjo. The main body is made from a mixture of Japanese yam, protein, matsuba crab and crab meat, and then deep-fried at low temperature. The bottom is covered with Malaysian bird's nest and infused with homemade chicken soup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The recommended way to eat is to taste the original flavor of the clear soup first, and then mix Zhenzhang with bird's nest to eat together. The technique and taste themselves are actually good. They are really delicate, fluffy, and crab-flavored, but the addition of bird's nest is superfluous. It neither enhances the flavor nor increases the level. It only makes the whole dish appear deliberately piled up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just like that sentence: \"If you are greedy and greedy, you lose your delicacy.\" \u300d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Wagyu beef\/pepper\/watercress<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

This is a bowl of Mapo tofu rice that combines a variety of high-end ingredients. The bottom layer is moonlight rice, the top is covered with Shagong crab meat, and the side is served with Mapo base sauce made with bean paste. The main protein is A5 wagyu leg of beef, and the white tempura is added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In theory, it should be a \"luxury version of Mapo crab and beef rice\", but in fact, all the expensive ingredients are mixed together, but none of them become the protagonist. Everything is very good individually, but after being placed in the same bowl, there is only a mess of grease and sauce left, making people completely unaware of what the point is, and even the crab meat has become a superfluous decoration.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Twomey Anderson Valley Pinot Noir 2022<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Aromas of black cherry, blackberry, licorice, violet, and light vanilla, with fine tannins, medium and high acidity, and medium body; the aftertaste is fruity and spicy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sommelier chose Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley in the United States, and emphasized that this is the elegant style of French winemakers, with aromas of licorice, cherry, and blackberry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is no problem with the wine itself, but it is completely out of focus when paired with Mapo tofu rice.
Spicy, oily, white seeds, crab, and wagyu beef, this is a dish that requires oxidized, salty, or strong-structure wines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At this moment, I thought of what the teacher said in class: This kind of dish, you can actually try sherry.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Pineapple\/winter melon\/pumpkin (dessert)<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before entering the dessert, first serve a cup of purple rice ginger tea. It is prepared by mixing big leaf tea with purple rice and stir-frying with ginger sugar. The flavor is warm and warm. The original intention was to balance the physique of \"crabs are cold\". However, there were also dessert wines at the scene, which made people completely unaware of how to match them, and it also showed that the design of the wine list had not been thoroughly thought out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three desserts are Taitung Golden Diamond Pineapple with brown sugar and ginger, pineapple cake with brown sugar and ginger filling, Mizushingen Cake with tender ginger flavor and brown sugar winter melon tea jelly, and pumpkin puffs with chestnut pumpkin filling and brown sugar powder sprinkled on the outer layer. The three desserts are complete in concept, but the flavors are all flat, and none of them really become the end of the impression.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Sigalas Apiliotis 2016<\/mark><\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Santorin\uff5cGreek air-dried grapes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Made from air-dried grapes, the water evaporates and the sugar is concentrated. The aroma is like mulberry jam, ripe fruit, and overripe dessert. The sweetness and ripe fruity fragrance are quite charming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It's just that when I served a cup of hot tea at the same time as dessert, I didn't know which one to drink first, showing that the matching rhythm was not designed well.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Final Thoughts<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Circum, I won't come again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This night started with the appearance of live insects in the first dish, but it only stopped at changing dishes. There was no follow-up remedy or sincere treatment, which has laid an indelible shadow for the whole experience. After eating the whole crab feast, there was no truly amazing main course, and there was even a situation where the seasoning was obviously unbalanced and too salty; the description of the dishes was also scribbled, and it was not even clear which kind of crab was used. The professionalism of the sommelier is also disappointing. The wine label clearly states \"Yamada Nishiki 100%\", but the rice information cannot be correctly responded to. What is even more puzzling is that the price of dinner is higher than that of lunch, but the restaurant's signature \"tangram\" is missing. Under the inquiry, only a vague response of \"come back after the season\" was received.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not a feast about crabs, but an unbalanced performance that has been \"over-designed\" to devour the essence of the ingredients. The first thunder of 2026 is dedicated to Circum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Rating and Cost<\/mark><\/h2>\n\n\n\n