FRASSI — Restaurant in Zhongshan District

Last night the place was empty. We look forward to the new Frassi pasta and soups next year . From, 'Frassi fine dining' to 'Frassi soup and pasta', the leap was short. 🙈 After all, the company has to make money if they don't want to close 'Frassi'. 💁‍♂️ We await news on the new opening of the cheap restaurant🍿🍲🍝

And again this year, no stars! In almost 4 years, despite the ownership, paid food bloggers, and collaborations with other chefs, the star delays! As long as the chef, does cartoons in Ig, the star will always be delayed. It takes more work , and more commitment .

We went last night to eat at Frassi's. We sat at the table in front of the kitchen. I was invited through a friend of mine , who knows the people who work there . Otherwise at the moment , I only saw friends d Jacopo and no one else . I sincerely hope that these days the real customers arrive . Anyway to book the table try to call . I honestly expected more given the context . Totally in disappointment with the dishes and especially the inventiveness of the Chef. The Chef used to work before at Mandarin Oriental, and now he works here , where the owner , and the owner of Lady M in Taiwan wanted to open the restaurant. And he hired jacopo to be the chef as an employee. Definitely they would like to get to get a michelin star, since near him , there are other starred restaurants. I would say a good marketing strategy. But we know very well that it is not enough. The pigeon alla Toscana that so much jacopo explained to me, made with different parts of the pigeon, looks like the same pigeon they serve at the Holt starred restaurant also here in Taipei and I ate a few weeks ago' . The dish changes, but the substance is the same. The risotto and the oyster, they seem to be copied from other chefs. Just do a simple search on the net and out come the same or similar dishes from Bottura and other starred chefs of the world . The risotto and oyster equal to Bottura's I would say very , very similar . The staff is polite , the restaurant yes is nice . It's nice because it's new , but it feels like going into a retro environment , bad taste and heavy . Style 1700 , without a window , not recommended for those with claustrophobia . The reviews , make one laugh. The first one issued by friend ,when the restaurant was not yet open, and the others by friends of the Chef. I seldom release the reviews writing precisely for different food publications. What can I say to spend almost 4000 ntd without drinking , I go to an already starred restaurant The desserts and pre dessert's made with a stencil . The meats are being matured but I would say they are still tough and stodgy at the moment. Behind the restaurant the chef has a garden , a small vegetable garden where the chef says he grows his own herbs and more . I sincerely hope they are indoors otherwise with the acid rain ti Taiwan, the taste is not the best. I see so many articles written for Jacopo about the new restaurant, but we know that in Taipei you only need to pay more or less 20/25,000 ntd to get an article done . Well at the moment the experience I would say was negative. I hope later to change my mind, although stars in Taipei are obtained by knowledge .

As previously written, here is the reality. Other restaurants opened after this one got a Michelin star. This one did not. We went to Italy and tried several restaurants as you can see. The famous pasta, the buttoni that are served here, are actually from the restaurant La Martinatica (which by the way we recommend if you pass by there) and has had them on the menu for years. Like the maccheroncini pasta, which are currently served by Nico Romito , and Massimo Bottura in their restaurants.The risotto, is a revisitation of Osteria Francescana . That said to the Michelin inspectors, they have already noticed . All you have to do is an internet search. Best wishes for next year with dishes that have not been copied, because the Michelin guide, nothing gets away😉, they are not interested in Ig stories, and what the food...

Dining at Frassi was wonderful and it's perhaps one of the most exciting Italian restaurants you can find in Taipei. I highly recommend sitting at the chef's counter to watch the kitchen in action and have a more personalized and intimate service. For those who want to know the details of this experience, here it is:

Starter: 3 bites to start the evening + breadsticks! The first bite is ceviche-esque and quite fresh, the second was a delicate roll containing lobster (my favorite of the three), and the last I think is a creative take on an italian sandwich? The breadsticks were cute, but they were probably my least favorite dish of the night since it was pretty plain and unnecessary in my opinion, because:

Bread: so much bread! Three different breads to choose from (ciabatta, beer bread, and whole grain bread) with a home-made butter that you can eat indefinitely. The bread remained fresh and crunchy throughout the night and was able to get me really full. The butter is on point and unique with subtle hints of garlic and balsamic nuttiness.

Crudo: a pretty straightforward raw fish dish that felt like a sashimi dish at a japanese omakase; not bad.

Antipasto: this dish was a flavor bomb! The abalone was super tender and probably some of the best abalone I've ever eaten, and the ankimo provided a strong umami kick that made me want to lick the plate. The extreme richness of the dish was balanced out by the pairing of the delicate and subtle orange wine.

Cappaletti: This dish was on the house (thank you chef Frassi) and I can feel the love and care put into these little raviolis. Unfortunately, it is probably my least favorite dish of the night since the raviolis felt a bit dry and some sort of extra moisture or freshness was needed to fully complete the dish.

Taglialini: you can't really go wrong with pasta with cream sauce, egg yolk, and black truffles. This tasted tremendous and was one of my favorites of the night. It is definitely worth spending an extra 650nt to eat this over the cappaletti. My only complaint is that there isn't enough and I want an entire bowl of it :(

Pesce: This fish dish is quite straightforward. The fish itself was quite meaty and was definitely the star of the dish, with a subtle hint of white asparagus to accentuate it. Though it is slightly too bland for me, I can see how the dish is intentionally light to balance out with the other intensely flavored dishes.

Carne: This pork crackling was definitely my favorite dish of the night. The portion size was just right and the pork is cooked to absolutely perfection - the pork is tender and melts in your mouth and the skin was praline-crisp. Haven't had much pork cooked better than this.

Gelato: A tangy and light yogurt gelato as a nice palate cleanser after the rich pork. I enjoyed it!

Dulce: A deconstructed tiramisu that was quite solid. The plating was pretty, but I don't think it tastes any differently from a regular tiramisu though.

Petite Fours and coffee

All in all, I walked out of Frassi stuffed (a feeling I don't usually get from michelin restaurants) and satisfied. The food experience was paced perfectly with moments of flavor intensity and lightness. The waiting time between each dish was spot on (and I could tell the kitchen was matching our tempo) and I was able to complete the meal in about 2 hours. The service was what you would expect from a restaurant of this caliber and each staff member was very thorough and professional in explaining each dish. If there is one aspect for growth, it would be that they refill my water just a little more frequently. With that said, this meal was thoroughly pleasant. I would recommend this restaurant over some other 2-michelin-star restaurants in Taipei, and I hope one day they receive a similar level of recognition that...

I went with my Fiancée to the newly opened Frassi for Valentine’s Day already having high expectations, since Chef Iacopo Frassi is a household name in Taiwan when it comes to fine dining: before this new project bearing his own Family Name, he was head chef of renowned Italian Restaurant Bencotto (Mandarin Oriental). Not only my expectations were met, but greatly exceeded! The whole experience was much more than amazing food, it was pleasure of the senses! The venue has one of the most elegant design that the Taipei restaurant scene has to offer: it feels very contemporary but with a twist of classic Italian features such as arched ceilings and ancient gold decoration. From the entrance to the bathroom, it seems like every detail has been thought of with love and care. The service we experienced during our meal was nothing less than perfection: the level of care and attention to details from all the staff members was absolutely spotless and it’s even more impressive when you factor in the chronic staff shortages issues that recently have been affecting the quality of the service industry in Taipei. One of the many examples that I can make about the staff’s attention to detail, is when my fiancée was offered to have a glass of non alcoholic wine as I went for the set menu with the wine pairing option. My partner doesn’t drink alcohol and sometimes it feels a bit “guilty” to drink in front of her, so having the opportunity to share the beauty of drinking “wine” and cling glasses made the overall experience even more grateful and memorable. A special mention for the tableware, which was some of the most beautiful and tasteful I’ve ever seen! Where can I buy it? Lol 😂

Don’t even get me started on the food: the set menu was original, engaging and outrageously fascinating…in other words it was food art! Chef Iacopo is not merely cooking food for you, but he is “talking” to you through his food: the focus on Tuscan cuisine and seafood are “quintessential Iacopo”, who is from Tuscany and has a deep love for the Ocean. In this menu he’s delivering his best and most personal vision of what food can be and it really shows!! I will not spoil too much about the set menu, as it will be your own discovery journey. Nevertheless let me just say that, as an Italian myself, I couldn’t help but admire the level of craftsmanship and quality of the ingredients: from homemade bread and butter, to homemade pasta, cheese and cold cuts, it seemed like nothing was left to chance and even everyday food was made into a memorable part of the meal. Thank you Iacopo, Omar, Jesse, Andrea and everybody at Frassi who made this experience so unforgettable for us, we left the restaurant with a full belly and a happy soul! Ultimately, I would like to say that this is undoubtedly a Michelin Star level restaurant, there is no question about it. It would be great if Frassi can maintain these standards and become the first Italian restaurant to get such award in Taiwan 🥇. Please remember, once they get the Star(s), that I was the first one who said that! 😂☝️ For now I can only give 5 stars on Google review, I wish I could give more… Cheers!

PS: There’s a clown called “Lai Jack” who posted a 1 star review on this platform from a month ago, when in fact the restaurant only opened last week. It’s obviously fake so please ignore it. I think if you don’t like Frassi’s food you are probably...