Restaurant A | Alain Huang on Interior Design, Artistic Plating, and Midwinter Menu Launch

published in enya Fashion Queen issue #206, find the original interview in Chinese here; cover photo © 2024 enya Fashion Queen, all rights reserved

Stepping into Restaurant A, you will enter a space enveloped in pristine white and experience the meticulously crafted interior design. Next, take a seat at the wooden dining tables to be inspired by an array of pleasant but surprising flavors. Finally, as you are immersed in the dishes, follow the steps of Chef Alain Huang to create your own artistic plate. Restaurant A is not only a cultural venue built by artists, but also a dreamland where young chefs can materialize culinary fantasies and a kingdom of delicacies that takes gourmets on a journey of flavorful explorations. 

Ceremonial Aesthetics 

Restaurant A is best known for its snowy white design. In the shades of white, the blue-white gradient installation art captivates the eye, while the wooden tables and greenery bring a touch of warmth to the restaurant. The metal grille behind the Alcoholiday champagne bar breaks visual barriers and makes the entire space brighter and more transparent. Starting at the lounge, guests are served with a range of Upcycled Appetizers extended from the previous season’s menu. An array of flavors - salty, sweet, acid, spicy, bitter, fresh - awakens the taste bud, as the artworks on the wall and the guests share a joyful moment over some drinks. As if being greeted by friends and family before officially starting a meal, we move through the artistic corridor and into the formal dining area, where the atmosphere radiates with a cozy, comfortable ambiance that feels like home.

Artistry Plating 

This midwinter season’s menu is titled Apart from White, in which Chef Alain turns the colors of the ingredients into his palette and draws inspiration from artistic creations from three Taiwanese artists – Leroy Lee, Shao Yen Chen and Ping-Cheng Liang – to decorate the white restaurant interior with plates of warm winter hues. The cold appetizer, Escabeche, takes note from Liang’s woodwork piece, Like A Book 2023, and sets the vibrant orange and yellow shades of fruits and vegetables as the main visual. From the fresh sweetness of autumn mushrooms, delicate fibers of the fish, to the soft, buttery texture of the amaebi and sea urchin, coupled with the tangy, sweet, Latin-flavored Escabeche sauce, the cold dish is refreshing and rich at the same time, presented vividly in a transparent container. In comparison, a tribute to Chen’s Pistol, the warm salad Salade Noire consists of abalone liver pâté at the base and shredded squid pasta in the middle, topped with purple leaf lettuce and mustard sprouts – an echo to the dynamic black, gray and white lines of the painting. Despite lacking bright colors, the combination of warm squid ink vinaigrette, garlic chili crisps, grilled octopus and white asparagus is cooked with French techniques to satisfy Taiwanese tastes. It is almost hard to imagine such strong flavors can be turned into a salad, a rare dish that can only be found at Restaurant A. The highlight of the menu, the entrée Agneau Tonnato takes inspiration from Over The Horizon by Lee. From the sauces’ texture, placement to eating order, the chef considers each aspect to continuously refine this unfinished artwork. When served, guests can use utensils and bread as their brush and create their own interpretation of Over The Horizon on the cloud-like canvas plate. This unique culinary experience not only satisfies the five senses, but also evokes emotion and contemplation.  

Apart from White 

Due to its all-white interior, any color, texture and emotion found at Restaurant A appear to be more vivid. The midwinter menu, Apart from White, demonstrates how the restaurant can put on a vivid performance beyond the absence of color. From the meticulous service, well-balanced beverage pairings, elegant plating to surprising flavor presentations, the place captivates its guests through its attention to detail. Though named “A,” it aspires to be more than just a restaurant, as Restaurant A signifies limitless possibilities…