de nuit | Kei Koo on keeping the star and creating culinary diversity

published in enya Fashion Queen issue #202, find the original interview in Chinese here

Meaning “nighttime” in French, de nuit, true to its name, offers a calm and subdued dining ambiance, like the tranquility that descents with nightfall, amidst the bustling city of Taipei. Stepping inside, all five senses are instantly embraced by a comforting sensation. With this year’s Michelin Guide selection complete, the one Michelin star restaurant welcomes its new chef de cuisine, Kei Koo, who successfully retains its Michelin one-star status and allows the award to shine bright like a star against the night sky. 

Rising Culinary Star 

In 2022, Chef Koo was awarded the Michelin Young Chef Award and received an invitation from de nuit shortly after his previous contract expired. After returning to Taiwan, he wasted no time and immediately dived into the kitchen to organize ingredients, arrange cooking equipment and design the spring 2023 menu, which accumulated widespread acclaim as soon as it was introduced. When asked how he felt about de nuit receiving its Michelin one-star recognition, Koo candidly replies, “When I’m working in the kitchen I always try to maintain a calm mindset, but to be able to earn a star in such a short time while leading a new team on my own is certainly something I’m very happy about it. I also want to thank my team for their cooperation, for keeping up with my pace and maintaining the usual high standard.”  

Go with the Flow 

Having dedicated over a decade to French cuisine, Koo also gained work experience in restaurants in Hong Kong and Australia. Not only capturing the essence of traditional French cuisine, he also incorporates an understanding of ingredients and adapts to seasonal selections. In Taiwan, importing ingredients is not as convenient as one might imagine. Thus, in order to precisely recreate the taste of traditional French dishes, Koo incorporates local Taiwanese ingredients and tries to achieve the desired flavors as best as possible. “This is definitely a challenge for a chef, but also something that I should learn to be good at.” To present diverse flavors, he also takes the time to visit different fish shops and traditional markets, in the hopes of finding surprises that await to be discovered. With his experience of working with Japanese fish, Koo occasionally adds Japanese culinary elements into his dishes, which serves as a delightful finishing touch for his guests. 

Source of Inspiration 

To provide a complete French dining experience, the careful selection of tableware is essential. When visiting restaurants around the world, Koo always takes note of the tableware used and pays attention to the various brands he encounters during his travels. Shortly after taking over as the chef de cuisine at de nuit back in April, he ordered handcrafted Japanese dinner plates, which took about three months to arrive. At the same time, the landscapes and artistic books he read during his travels also become sources of inspiration for his plating. Besides offering exquisite and delicate culinary delights, the visually appealing presentation of his dishes further enhances the dining experience. 

Journey of Taste

Chef Koo has accumulated work experience in restaurants around the world, including places like Hong Kong and Australia. When he was young, he often couldn’t understand why chefs did things a certain way and even questioned his decision to enter the culinary industry. In hindsight, he is grateful that he didn’t give up because he learned the most and felt most fulfilled during those exhausting times. He also aspires to introduce a more diverse, international culinary system to Taiwan to allow local gourmets to get a chance to enjoy authentic French cuisine. When asked how he believes the changes he’s brought to de nuit have enhanced the dining experience for his customers, he replies with a gentle smile - “I shouldn’t be the one to answer this question, but I set my own standards and hope that everyone can genuinely taste the difference in the details.” All in all, whether you need a delicious meal to sooth your mood or if you are craving innovative, modern French cuisine that will expand your culinary horizons, de nuit will be quietly prepared to fulfill your needs.