The Place One meal I was really looking forward to during my Kaohsiung trip was my meal at Liberté, a Two Michelin starred modern Japanese-French dining restaurant in Taiwan opened since 2021. Liberté is French for “freedom”, and it reflects Head Chef Takeda Kenji’s ethos here with the freedom of imagination and no boundaries. The restaurant is also No.72 on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022. 

The restaurant is located in the heart of Kaohsiung and in fact, a mere ten minutes’ walk from Intercontinental Kaohsiung where I stayed. It is a minimalist setting in the main dining hall, with a view of the open kitchen. There is also one private room for a big dining group. 

The Food With only one seven-course tasting menu (5,200 NTD per person), you can expect reinvented French cuisine using Japanese produce and techniques, along with Taiwanese ingredients. 

My dinner started with a trio of snacks featuring Tuna, Silverfish and Squid. 

Tuna / Dashi (鮪魚/ 日式高湯) 
This snack is freshly diced tuna in dashi broth, kombu and a wasabi drop. 

Silverfish / Eggplant (白帶魚/ 茄子) 

Squid / Trout Roe (基隆透抽/鱒魚卵) 
This is my favourite snack as it is the most flavourful for me in terms of the crispy tart texture and the addition of sour cream to the roe tart. 

Eel / Celeriac / Red Wine (彰化鰻魚/ 芹菜根/紅酒) 
The second course is an eel dish which uses local Changhua eel in a mashed potato mousse with red wine reduction, celeriac and a crisp fried bread layer for added texture. I also thought that the eel texture is quite different from what I am more used to in Japanese unagi where it is harder as compared to the softer Japanese unagi. 

Turnip / Shungiku / Shellfish (蕪菁/春菊/貝類) 
This course features Japanese turnip which spots a smoky taste along with Japanese scallop and Hazelnut foam. Unfortunately, this dish did not leave much impression on me. 

Mullet / Fish Maw / Sea Cucumber (烏魚腱/花膠/刺參) 
The next course is chef’s signature dish, and I was served a ballooning puff pastry. Underneath the crisp pastry is a rich soup of mullet, fish maw, sea cucumber and a tinge of Shaoxing wine.

Good comforting flavours, and I must say the puff pastry elevated the soup. You can have the pastry on its own or dip it into the soup. 

Abalone / Crustacean (鮑魚/甲殼類) 
This dish is quite unique in the sense that there are strands of delicious Japanese onions amidst the abalone. A green broth of abalone, clams and vanilla is then added to the dish. 

Changhua Duck / Savoy Cabbage / Port Wine (彰化玫瑰鴨胸/皺葉甘藍/波特酒) 
The main course of the meal features local Changhua Duck along with a meat patty from duck leg. The tender and flavourful duck meat is paired with fermented cabbage, and port wine jus. 

Muscat Grape / Dill (長野麝香葡萄/ 蒔蘿) 
The first dessert is a refreshing Muscat grape with dill. 

Kanocha Squash / Chestnut (栗之藏/栗子) 
The main dessert is a delicious combination of pumpkin ice cream along with chestnut and pumpkin mousse. I love pumpkin and chestnut and these two ingredients gel very well together as a dessert. 

Petit Four (茶點) 
Last but not least, Petit Four bites feature a caramel madeleine and daifuku along with a pot of lemongrass tea. 

Rants The semi-circle open concept dining means little dining privacy if that is something you do not mind.

Will I Return Again? Overall, it was a decent meal at Liberte for me. There is no particular dish which stood out for me. You can expect good service, good flavours but at the end of the meal, I do find it quite forgettable. Am I missing something?

TheRantingPanda says:
Taste bud: 4/5
Hole in the pocket: 4.5/5
Ambience: 4/5
Overall Experience: 4/5

Liberte 
No. 802號, Zhonghua 5th Road, Qianzhen District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 806 
Tel: +886 7 334 7810 

Opening Hours 
Wednesday to Sunday: 6:30pm to 10pm 
Closed on Monday & Tuesday 

Ranted by The Ranter