TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – 85TD Restaurant embarks on a new chapter of modern Cantonese cuisine, blending traditional techniques with innovative flavors from Hong Kong's diverse culinary landscape.
Perched on the 85th floor of Taipei 101, the modern Cantonese fine dining restaurant has been a beacon of exquisite cuisine since its opening in 2021. With its breathtaking high-altitude views and sophisticated interpretation of Cantonese flavors, it has firmly established itself on Taiwan's fine dining map.
In 2025, 85TD welcomed a new chapter with the appointment of Lee Kim-ming (李劍鳴) as its head chef. With over 40 years of experience, Lee brings a profound culinary foundation and composed artistry to the helm.
Lee's culinary philosophy is rooted in the principles of ingredient-first, simplicity in complexity, and cultural infusion. He masterfully adapts to the seasons and sources local ingredients, showcasing a precise command over the five essential Cantonese flavors: fresh, tender, crisp, smooth, and aromatic.
Lee is dedicated to weaving Hong Kong's unique East-meets-West cultural tapestry into his creations, blending international perspectives with contemporary expressions.
85TD's new menu, featuring 34 innovative dishes, is a testament to Lee's vision of Modern Hong Kong Cantonese Cuisine. His creations draw inspiration from Hong Kong's vibrant cultural landscape, where tradition and modernity coexist harmoniously.
Lee highlighted the New Zealand highland lamb rack with coriander pesto, a dish rarely found in traditional Cantonese fare. He explained that while lamb is not a typical Cantonese ingredient, Hong Kong's diverse culinary influences encourage chefs to experiment with different ingredients and cooking methods.
When asked about his most labor-intensive dish, Lee pointed to the Shunde-style fish fillet soup. Crafting this soup demands meticulous precision: delicate grouper fillets are deboned, shredded into rice-grain-sized pieces, and then the fish head, tail, and bones are simmered for hours until the broth turns milky white, forming a rich, flavorful base.
Lee said the dish is not about flashy techniques but about "restoring the essence of flavor." He believes the timeless appeal of Cantonese cuisine lies in its pursuit of rich yet not greasy, fresh yet not crude, with flavors that are restrained and techniques that are precise, leaving a lingering, unforgettable aftertaste.
Lee's personal favorite, and a highly acclaimed dish among guests, is the typhoon shelter style crispy soft-shell lobster. This dish perfectly showcases his mastery of heat and aroma.
Using the classic Hong Kong typhoon shelter technique, he stir-fries crispy soft-shell lobster with a generous amount of fried garlic, chili, and fermented black beans. The result is an intensely aromatic dish, bursting with wok hei, where the savory garlic flavor is locked within the plump lobster meat, delivering a clean, sharp, and powerful Cantonese punch.
Notably, 85TD sources its soft-shell lobsters from an exclusive Indonesian supplier. These lobsters must be harvested and flash-frozen within 30 minutes of molting to ensure their soft-shell quality.
This intricate process requires significant human labor, which is why the supplier relocated their farming operations to Indonesia, ensuring consistent quality. Lee pointed out that many typhoon shelter dishes in Taiwan lack fermented black beans, which he considers crucial to the dish's distinctive flavor, stemming from its origins on fishing boats where garlic and fermented black beans were staple ingredients.
Beyond the laborious fish soup, other highly recommended dishes include the imperial bird's nest and fish maw crystal dumplings, inspired by classic Cantonese dumplings and fish maw soup, and the baked lobster with cheese and sea urchin on E-fu noodles, which blends the nostalgic cheese flavor of old Hong Kong-style baked seafood with the rich superior broth commonly used in Cantonese cuisine.
(Taiwan News, Lyla Liu video)
