Yangming Spring — Restaurant in Shilin District

Yangming Spring (陽明春天), Taipei: A Refined Vegetarian Oasis Yangming Spring (陽明春天) stands as a unique and highly regarded Michelin Green Star restaurant in Taipei, celebrated for its exquisite vegetarian cuisine and its deep commitment to sustainable practices. Offering a tranquil escape within the bustling city, it presents a dining experience that is both nourishing and aesthetically pleasing.

Culinary Philosophy and Highlights Yangming Spring's core philosophy revolves around refined vegetarian (or "蔬食") cuisine, emphasizing fresh, high-quality ingredients and artful presentation. The restaurant offers seasonal prix-fixe menus, allowing the chefs to showcase the best produce available. The dishes often draw inspiration from Japanese culinary techniques and aesthetics, blending local Taiwanese ingredients with international flavors to create something truly unique.

Diners consistently praise the creativity and delicate flavors of the multi-course meals. Each dish is thoughtfully constructed, demonstrating meticulous preparation and a deep understanding of vegetarian gastronomy. While specific dishes rotate with the seasons, common themes include vibrant vegetable compositions, delicate soups, and innovative interpretations of plant-based ingredients. Reviewers often highlight the freshness of the produce and the beautiful plating, which elevates the dining experience into an art form.

As a Michelin Green Star recipient, Yangming Spring is recognized not only for its high-quality cooking but also for its exceptional commitment to sustainable gastronomy. This means guests can enjoy their meal knowing that the restaurant prioritizes environmentally friendly practices, from sourcing ingredients to waste reduction.

Ambiance and Service Yangming Spring offers a serene and elegant ambiance. The decor is often described as refined and harmonious, providing a calm backdrop for the culinary journey. For its main location nestled within Yangmingshan National Park, it offers a sense of being a "hidden paradise," away from the city's hustle.

The service at Yangming Spring is generally highly regarded as attentive and professional. While some reviews occasionally mention a disconnect between service expectation and price point, the overall consensus points to a staff that is friendly, knowledgeable, and dedicated to ensuring a pleasant dining experience. The focus is on providing a seamless and peaceful meal, allowing guests to fully appreciate the intricate flavors and textures of the plant-based creations.

In essence, Yangming Spring offers more than just a meal; it's a holistic dining experience that celebrates the beauty and versatility of vegetarian cuisine, underscored by a strong ethical commitment to sustainability. It's an ideal choice for those seeking a tranquil setting and an innovative plant-based gastronomic...

Gorgeous scenery and flowers at this hard-to-reach restaurant. Overall, food is vegetarian fine-dining that is delicious but not particularly special. A couple dishes did stand out as Michelin-level, but otherwise just a solid vegetarian meal with a lot of pretty floral decorations.

I highly recommend the regular 2000NT meal instead of the 4000NT Michelin-rated meal based on taste. As another review mentioned, the Michelin meal had slightly more truffle but the taste is a little more one dimensional. The Michelin meal has prettier presentation but worse taste in my opinion. They share a similar main dish (monkey-head mushroom that is almost reminiscent of a vegetarian meatloaf) with a truffle gravy and different sides. However, the standout dish to me was in the 2000NT set meal: a savory tart made with vegan cheese, banana, and green veggies with some truffle flavor —- the flavors were creative and melded together well. The other star of the meal was the Pu-er tea — light without bitterness or strong smell.

As for service, the server recommended not sharing the meal, comparing the meal to a movie with many scenes. I felt like that was fairly pretentious —- food is a very social event, oftentimes enjoyed more when shared. Also, I typically expect to be told what we are eating — however, before the second dish, the server went in depth to describe the philosophy behind the dishes (which is fine) and what felt like a lecture on being vegetarian. As an omnivore that’s already splurging on quite an expensive vegan meal, I didn’t appreciate the speech about why we should eat vegetarian.

Definitely give yourself 2 hours to really savor the food and enjoy the serene surroundings. Also the flower arrangements were among the most gorgeous I’ve ever seen. Note there is a 10% service fee with the meal, which I was not expecting. Overall a good experience albeit a little expensive for the taste of the meal. Probably won’t...

One of the top overall dining experiences ever in my life. From the moment you arrive, you can feel the peace and calming energy of the beautifully kept grounds, inviting you to slow down and savor each moment of the marvelous culinary experience that is to come.

I had their original tasting menu, which has been their staple for 17 years and what has made Yangming Spring famous. Each dish was a spectacular treat for the senses. From the presentation, explanation of the meaning and intention behind each component, and finally the taste, I found each bite to be an experience I never wanted to end. I found the course to be the perfect amount of food for my appetite.

I am not a vegan or vegetarian, and I never thought I could ever be one. In fact, I’m known as “the meat guy” and grill master back home. But if I could have a course from Yangming Spring every day, I’d gladly never have another bite of meat in my life.

I came back the next day for tea in their private tea room, which was also a wonderful treat.

Yangming Spring is a new “must-visit” for me on every future trip to Taiwan. Highly...