RAW

Raw has been on our list of places to go for a while. Reservations are still in high demand so it is recommended to go with a group of friends. Larger tables are easier to reserve. The restaurant itself is gorgeous. The blend of carved wooden table tops and metal gives a place a sophisticated yet comfortable feeling. The food this season was good but not really as mind blowing as I would have hoped. The main dishes that stood out were the shrimp dish and grilled pineapple ice cream desert. The shrimp dish hit all the right notes both taste-wise and texture-wise. The ice cream was amazing as it was a great use of Taiwanese flavors used in a western style desert. The other dishes fell a bit flat such as the porkfloss roll and the duck/cabbage dish.They were executed perfectly and I really liked the new take on classic ingredients but it just came off as too many bells and whistles. The staff were always attentive and explained every dish well. Overall a nice experience.

After 8 months since last visit, the menu is spring menu as compared with last summer. The foods are totally different. Spring menu may fit white wine better. However, we brought Opus One with corkage fee of NT$1000 that is expensive. The presentation of food is good and the service was slightly worse than previous one. Previous one was at Chef’s table and servers were much more experienced ones. Overall experience is good.nnThe experience with Raw this time is better than last time from the beginning of booking. It was always a bad experience of booking since the opening of the restaurant. It improved a lot as compared with before. The experience of dinner is better than lunch. Raw introduced a lot of green into the spring menu. The meat is very limited but the price is not less. Overall experience is very good especially the manager knows how to handle the food with wines that we brought ourselves. The corkage is expensive.

It was a fun, delightful dining experience. But mostly, it had nothing to do with the food itself. Presentation, presentation, presentation, I did enjoy three or four of the dishes out of a 12-course set menu but I wouldn’t call it mind-blowing or revolutionary either. None of the creative cuisines stuck with me after I walked out of the restaurant but it was a joyful ride, entertaining to say the least. Given the price, I’d say no wonder it was such a hot spot. The staffs were properly trained to bear with one too many Kodak moments from almost every single diner. Been there, done that, appreciated the effort and the spirit, but it just wasn’t for me.

We were lucky to book this place and were excited to try this place, despite the mixed reviews.nnFood definitely lives up to its Michelin 2 stars. Creative, artistically presented and delicious. Every dish was designed with attention and detail.nnThe restaurant really drops the ball with the service, hence the two star rating. When we first arrived, the servers were very friendly and warm. After sitting and placing our orders, I then found out we were sat right by the entrance of the bathroom (originally thought it was an area for private dining rooms). Entrance did not have a door, so our table would the first table to absorb all the wonderful air coming out of the bathroom.nnNaturally I requested to change tables. Our server said they would need to check the availability of the other tables and other reservations times. Which is fine and understandable. However she repeated this twice, as if we didn't understand the first time? When she came back to inform us we could change, she told us that we need to make sure we put our requests at the time of the reservation. This comment really ticked me off. So this was our responsibility? Told the server it was our first time at the restaurant (since reservations are near impossible) so we do not know the layout of the restaurant. How was I supposed to know a Michelin 2 star restaurant would put a table by the bathroom entrance?nnAfter we switched tables, the same server continued to serve us. Luckily not for long because everyone in our group could tell she wasn't happy (because we didn't like her unnecessary comments). She was more rude to us than we were to her. I wouldn't accept this level of service at any restaurant we go to, let alone such a high profile one like Raw. Another server became our main server (we didnt get a chance to request the switch, maybe the original server did?) and her attitude was drastically different, for the better.nnThis is such difficult place to book. It would be nice if people working here could show more appreciation towards the customers. Food was definitely Michelin quality but service was not.

Mediocre but I probably need to give it another try when they offer new seasonal menu!nnThe theme was consistent throughout the courses but it’s just not my cup of tea.nnOverall experience was great; the service was professional and attentive!