TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Food enthusiasts in Taipei are in for a treat as Le Meridien Taipei welcomes Doughroom, Seoul’s popular Michelin-recommended Italian restaurant, for its first-ever pop-up in Taiwan.
Until Aug. 31, Doughroom will take over a dedicated section of Latest Recipe restaurant in Le Meridien Taipei hotel, offering an all-you-can-eat feast of over 10 handmade pasta dishes and other Italian classics, blending Korean creativity with Italian soul.
Leading the charge is Chef Jun Lee. After graduating from Kyunggi University’s Culinary Arts program in South Korea, he honed his skills at New York’s Michelin three-star restaurant Per Se, under chef Jonathan Benno at Lincoln.
In 2015, Lee founded Doughroom in Seoul, quickly gaining fame for his hand-kneaded fresh pasta. His dedication has earned Doughroom a recommendation in the Michelin Guide Seoul for eight consecutive years, and it is recognized as one of “South Korea’s top eight must-visit restaurants for pasta lovers.”
Beyond Italian cuisine, Lee also helms the Michelin two-star contemporary Korean restaurant Soigne, constantly pushing culinary boundaries in Asian fine dining.
“Doughroom,” meaning “dough room,” symbolizes the restaurant’s extreme dedication to artisanal pasta making. At its core is the philosophy of daily hand-kneading, transforming simple ingredients like flour, eggs, and water through intricate processes into a myriad of pasta shapes.
Each pasta type is then paired with the most suitable cooking method, resulting in unique and flavorful handmade dishes.
During this limited-time pop-up, Doughroom will showcase five of its signature pasta creations. Among them is the shrimp and squid ink angel hair pasta, highly praised by Time Out Seoul. This dish features squid ink pasta served with garlic butter sauce and fresh shrimp, offering a smooth and rich flavor.
Another favorite is the Italian potato gnocchi, a creative reinterpretation of the traditional classic. Lee innovates by boiling, then chilling, and finally pan-frying both sides until golden and crispy, giving them a surprising resemblance to seared scallops. They are served with a layered base of celeriac puree, black olive tapenade, and breadcrumbs.
Expect other exciting flavors like the spicy Calabrian red sauce pasta, a wide, flat pasta paired with a classic Southern Italian sauce made from roasted bell peppers, tomatoes, dried chillis, capers, and crushed cashews, complemented by baby octopus. The rich beef and pork ragu with lilies pasta and the creamy carbonara nest pasta will also be on rotation, demonstrating Lee’s profound dedication to Italian pasta.
Beyond pasta, Doughroom’s appetizers and main courses are equally impressive. The signature Jun Lee Caesar salad draws inspiration from Korean kimchi, featuring a whole crisp romaine lettuce drizzled with homemade Caesar dressing, maple bacon bits, and cured egg yolk crumbles for a unique twist.