Gēn Creative

Food, taste, presentation, innovation, fresh-everything was amazing. Potions are large-meant to be shared -service was excellent. Chef was very attentive to the kitchen, personally checked every dish that came out. A amazing restaurant. Price is well below what their peer competition is charging.

I hardly give 5 stars on google review. No complaints about this place. Infused with origins of Guatemala, Korea, and Taiwan, the 3 main chefs have formed an unforgettable tasteful combination. The service, the ambience, and the food is and has always been spectacular. The details of the taste is amazing with every dish. This place deserves more than just a Michelin plate. This is definitely one of my favorite restaurants to go. The “Tom Kha” fried soup is a must try.

One of the best restaurants in Taipei! The food was delicious! I loved how creative the menu was and how the flavours just blended so effortlessly. My favourite dishes were the chicken and the chocolate 85 dessert. The onion dip was mind blowing as well! Service was also spot on. We had a lovely sweetheart called Lucy who was professional and polite. Unfortunately, neighboring tables were rather loud and rowdy. I understand it is a small restaurant but the noise was unbearable and I couldn't hear the other person speak.

Really liked this restaurant and would suggest you go with more people like I did (we were 5) so you can pretty much order everything on the menu! For the food and service quality, price is very reasonable. I liked all the dishes especially the dessert. Maybe not so much the fried chicken but overall, highly recommended!

Despite the great reviews I read, I personally found the menu and food ok - once you consider the prices. I heard they change their menu each season so perhaps this is one of their rare off periods? As recommended by the waiter, we shared our food. We ordered 2 starters, a main and a dessert. The fried pumpkin soup was a nice and flavorful twist - the soup was encased in a fried shell. The radish cake was alright. Their 招牌 fried chicken was great, but didn’t justify the price IMO. The chocolate soufflé was very generous and done just right. They served a free amuse bouche before the main (dragon fruit sorbet) Restaurant is very popular so make sure you make reservations well before

This is our kitchen away from home (but WAY more sophisticated) , Gēn Creative has been our go to place for many years. We love everything they put on the menu, from starters to desserts, they really have made good efforts on serving high quality and very comforting foods ❤️ We love & respect them, and have been loyal fans since day one. We don’t normally like sweet things, but we will eat whatever desserts they feed us! Mel (beautiful pastry chef) is the queen of sweetness/desserts and her creations are magical. The cakes and ice creams she makes are out of this world!! So simple, genuine, pleasurable and divine, that makes you wanna go back for seconds and more... (😱) We love sitting at the bar, where the cooking actions happen, and we also enjoy being placed at the private corner, where we could tuck ourselves into another food-indulgence mode, so we could quietly sink ourselves into the wonderful flavors and aromas, and indulge a scrumptious night without much disturbance.

As the name has suggested, it is CREATIVE!! We visited the restaurant in early Oct, kinda last minute. We were lucky to get high chair seats without making any reservation. The menu is sorta a one page, and it's not too difficult to pick what we wanted to have (glanced around and pretty much knew what we wanted while waiting before seated). The "fried soup" was a must-try winner that the soup simply bursted in your mouth upon biting. The fig salad was my favorite because of the amazing combination of the materials/sauces, though the figs were of different sizes/colors/tastes, which I wasn't sure if on purpose. We also ordered soft crab noodles, which was to the standard. The Korean pork belly was my least favorite. Personally I feel the oily texture and taste came too strong, and I didnt expect this after all the great dishes prior to this. They change menu from time to time. Stay tuned with their Facebook updates to know what new dish is to come! Take bar seats if its just two of you. It is an amazing kitchen to watch while enjoying the dishes the chefs prepare for!

Great value for the price. Need a reservation as there's not many seats. Deep fried soup is one bite that bursts in your mouth, make sure you don't try to bite it in half! The dip for the bread has a light onion flavor, so delicious. The porkshop was huge! Loved the beef, it was beautifully marbled, although some of my party though it a bit oily. The waiters were able to describe every dish in English, which was nice for me. I was surprised to love the calamari purple potatoes best, the fresh paramasean slices and olives really brought out the flavor. The pineapple chicken was good, although hard to cut up and share like the rest of the dishes. The soufflé was my favorite dessert, banana and chocolate went so well. I wasn't a fan of the cilantro peanut ice cream because I thought it was a bit savory. Happy to go with a big group (we had 12 ppl) so we all got to try a few bites of everything. Staff were attentive and courteous. I'd definitely go back for a special occasion.

I have been wanting to come to Gen Creative since I visited Taiwan last year and finally got to go this time during this visit. This restaurant has three chefs from Taiwan, Korea, and Guatemala, and they serve world inspired dishes with Taiwanese ingredients. Overall - the flavors were great but the texture was just OK in two of the dishes. I liked the service here. We ordered the fried soup, burrata, truffle grains for appetizers and the fish and duck for mains. For dessert we got the beignets and the soufflé. The fried soup was tom kha, and it was a fun bite that burst (literally) with flavor. Also, it wasn't too hot to burn so that's an important note. The burrata had a sour but refreshing flavor from the tomato treatment. The barley & mushroom dish was my favorite and though I don't always like foam - in this case it was a good use and add of flavor. The texture concern I mentioned were the two mains. I was fine with the duck but my parents found the meat to be too large and therefore chewy. Our fish was a tad overcooked and tough to eat. The flavors and sides that went with the main protein were all great though. The desserts were great, neither too sweet and both fun mix of sweet and fruit flavors.

This Michelin recommended restaurant blew me away. There were four in our party. It was recommended that we order two items from each category. We had had a full day of food already so we weren't really hungry. But we thoroughly enjoyed each dish we ordered and took leftover back to our hotel to enjoy the next day! There were some of our favorites: Onion dip and flatbread. A sweet onion dip. We had to order more flatbread because we had so much dip left. So tasty and creamy! Amber jack fish. Lightly seared. A meat fish. Tasty with the Dijon and potatoes. Purple Cabbage. Cooked to perfection. A wonderful vegetable dish. So flavorful. Pork Neck- pork prepared two different ways on top of pads of crispy rice. Tender pork and the crisply rice was a great compliment.

There is a lot to like about this restaurant, modern space, inventive dishes and friendly staff but there are small detail that can be improved. I love that they partnered up with local brewery and a New Zealand winery for collaboration. The apple pie cider actually tasted like an apple pie and the Pinot Noir was tasty too. My favourite dish was the fried pumpkin soup, little bites of heavy popping in your mouth. The onion dip was their signature dish but since I don't like mayo, didn't care for this dish. The portion of bread to the bone marrow was off, 2 small pieces of bread for 2 bones. Was definitely not enough and they charge $100NT for 2 more pieces. I like that the amberjack was not farmed and transferred from 澎湖. Radish cake was beautifully decorated but the taste didn't pop for me. Barley was nicely cooked but quite heavy. Lastly, bossam was just ok for me. Overall I would give 3.5 stars because there are small details they can improve on 1) lighting is awkward and too bright 2) music, they were playing pop music which was odd for this type of cuisine and space 3) service can be more attentive. Dirty dishes sat too long and waters were never topped up.

Was tempted to give 5 stars but when I thought about it, only two dishes stood out for me, the rest were good, but not amazing. I've read so much rave about this place and had high expectations. Was sad to see the short ribs were no longer on the menu, so got the waitress to recommend a few dishes. The fried soup - points for creativity - I'd recommend trying it just for the experience, but would not get it a second time. The two dishes that I LOVED were: The PEACH!! served with burrata, lavander and basil pesto. It's a crazy flavour combo that worked spectacularly well together!! The lightness of the peach and the heaviness of the pesto balance each other out, and the burrata just brings it all together in heavenly mouthful. The SOUFFLE - dark chocolate souffle with rum and young ginger - OMG - totally worth every single calorie!! The souffle is cooked perfectly, but what impressed me the most was the layers of flavours - chocolate, rum and ginger - they got the proportions spot on. Atmosphere/deco was nice but nothing special. Service was standard. Beer and wine list (and staff knowledge of the two) was not impressive. They recommend getting several dishes to share. Serving sizes were on the small side, so it can end up being a bit pricy (especially as I thought the dishes were main sizes). We spent ~$2000 per person + additional for alcohol for dinner.

If you enjoy a comfortable dining experience and the art that goes in to a dish, you will very much enjoy this place. I am impressed with the creativity and the pairing of fresh flavors. Sometimes I just want to enjoy the simplicity of ingredients and this place definitely does that without digging a hole in your wallet. Table seating would be suitable for family or friend gatherings but if it's only the two of you, I suggest sitting at the bar. You get to see the chefs work their magic in the open kitchen and every dessert being served. Their menu slightly changes based off seasonal and chef choices so catch them while you can! My favorites are the Fig Salad, Fried Beef Tendon, Bossam, Short Ribs, and GFC. As for dessert, you honestly cannot go wrong with any choice! However if you are lucky to catch their ginger ice cream - it is amazing! Many people choose the Dark & Stormy but last night I tried the Banana Cream Pie - a better choice for a sweet tooth like me - it's nicely layered and the little chunks in the banana ice cream is enough WOW to want to bring a whole tub home. The only slightly downside is I wish their hostess and servers were friendlier so when you are filled with so much joy from a dish you are not then reminded of the dull attitude of their speedy service. Other than that, I have nothing but good things to rave about. It's very clean, classy, and fun dining at Roots Creative. P.S. Their special occasion openings such as their Mother's Day Brunch - HIGHLY suggest not missing - a special menu will make you grin like a child on Christmas morning.

I was really looking forward to this dinner and the high ratings on yelp set high expectations for the restaurant. Sadly, they fell short on all aspects. Food: -Food is indeed creative but fails in execution. -Fried tendon: this tasted good and good plating, but really this dish was just a plate of glorified "pork rinds". -Onion dip: tastes like stuff I could buy at the grocery store and the flatbread that came along with it was stale. -Clams Casino: served cold / lukewarm and the most disappointing dish of the night. Clams slightly overcooked. -Octopus: tough and hard to chew, bland in flavor, overall still edible and not horrible (and I love anything octopus), but just not up to par with a high rating restaurant -Bossam: probably the best dish of the night -dessert: Aiyu Ice - creative dessert, guava sorbet that accompanied it was full flavored and good, but the rest I could pass on. Service: -when we complained about the temperature of the Clams casino dish, nothing was done to rectify or replace the dish -servers polite and took time to explain every dish, but they hovered waaaaaaay too much. It was quite stressful and we felt very rushed because they kept clearing things away in a lightning fast paced. It was super annoying. Servers standing around and just watching you. No one likes being watched while they eat, even if you are trying to be attentive. More discretion would be better and put the diners at ease. -gave us the bill before we asked for it...disguised in a fortune cookie, no less! (Did you want us to leave after only 1.5 half!?!?!) What's the RUSH? I think overall, if the service was better and less frantic, I would have enjoyed the food more or rated this place higher. The service really destroyed my impression of this place. Unfortunately, I would not return nor would I recommend this place to someone else. Highly disappointed that I wasted calories on this restaurant.

Wait...what just happened guys? I think I just had one of the top 10 best restaurant experiences of my life? And I most definitely found my favorite restaurant in Taipei! I came by Roots Creative with my friend a Thursday night, our expectations weren't too high, I just knew there had been some good reviews. And boy am I happy we were fortunate enough to get seats, and even better - by the bar! Bar seats are usually not my preference, I'd rather sit as far away as possible, so I was at first a little disappointed. Now what happened between the moments of walking in and completing our order was first confusion, then astonishment, then some more confusion and finally contentment. You see, the menu is a little confusing if you don't know what to look for, but just give the waitors a little wink and they'll gladly help you out with how many dishes to opt for etc. Now during this process I kept feeling as if my eyes were getting blinded...BECAUSE SWEET MOTHER OF CLEANLINESS! That kitchen...it was so shiny and clean it nearly hurt my eyes, or maybe it was because I couldn't stop staring at it. Whichever it was...I mean come on, there's only so much you can do to keep a busy kitchen clean!? I don't think my own kitchen has ever been that spotless, not even when it was compressed in IKEA cardboxes. Anyhow, after some chatting and looking around at the other guest's dishes we split four between the two of us: the ricotta salad, octopus, chicken and Bossam. Like Sonny & Cher all the flavors were as if made for each other; good by themselves, but even greater as one. My personal favorites were the Ricotta Salad and octopus (oh and did I mention I've never really liked octopus?) The searing was done to perfection, creating perfect texture and flavour. All these flavors, the pairings, the plating, the atmosphere...it must be experienced. Roots Creative is changing their menu in October 2015, and these items will no longer be available by then sadly, but I'm excited to come back and try their new creations. I have full trust in the creation of a new masterpiece of a menu, with the unpredictable, but yet so fulfilling, bold flavors. What I particularly love about Roots Creative, however is how everyone seems to love their job. The owners are the chefs you'll see in the kitchen, and with great care and passion they have brought this wonder to Taipei. We were so lucky to get to know these three fantastic souls, shared some desserts with them (I'm no desserts person, but Melanie..you rock my world!) and even got an extra fortune cookie to go! Did I tell you about the amazing fortune cookies!? No. Well, they taste fantastic, and inside you'll find a little surprise or two. This is a place I'll take anyone who wants the little extra; someone who wants the culinary experience, and one of the best nights of their lives. Bring your mom, your date, your sister or your brother, your best friend or your boss. Whoever you want to treat or impress, this is the place. Can I give an extra star?!

Hmm, rarely do I give out a 5 star rating to a restaurant so new as I always feel like the quality changes but Roots Creative is definitely rave worthy. I don't think there was a dish I tried and didn't like. Very impressive work guys! Definitely want to put extra emphasis on the soufflé and the fried chicken and the short ribs. Must get! The best part is that they do seasonal features so the fried chicken we had has a summer twist to it with the dressing. The beets salad was absolutely stunning - golden beets paired with regular beets purée made the dish an art form. Will be back to try next quarter. Keep up the great work Roots Creative team! You're off to a great start!

Enjoyed a nice dining experience here in Taiwan. Went with two friends after making reservations on the web site. It is necessary to book and leave a deposit. This seems to be occurring at three other restaurants in Taipei at the moment. We went and found the place empty so I thought it was not true, it turned out that it did fill up. The waitress explained the process to my Chinese friends, they were very confused. We went with a few suggestions. Found the food to be western style prepared well and presented well. Would not go again but sure worth the evening. Taiwan is a foodie place galore and hard to miss in almost anyplace.

This is a must try! (I wish I was in town one more day to try their other dishes).Whether you're from out of town (like myself) or you're a local here in Taiwan. All the dishes from the salad to the dessert were full of flavors you'll find no where else in Taiwan. It's a new American fusion between the local flavors of Taiwan and the background of its chefs. I had the pleasure of speaking with the chefs/owners and what I learned is that all the ingredients are purchased fresh daily same day before they open for dinner. I recommend this restaurant to everyone whether you're looking for a great date place or a family dinner, you can't go wrong. Go and enjoy the delicious food, enjoy the cleanliness, the exterior and interior decor, the friendly service, just go and enjoy. PS: This place is a must try over and over again. Try it soon before they decide to increase their prices! They're also booked for weeks in advance so you better make your reservation today!!

Every time I think about my amazing experience here it brings a huge goofy smile to my face. It was definitely our standout meal in Taipei. We made reservations which was smart because even though it was a week night the place was packed. We got great seats at the counter which was super fun to have a view of the kitchen and see all the food magic happening. Everything on the menu looked divine and it was hard to decide but we started with the Octopus with squash blossoms and the Radish Cake with okra and chorizo (a MUST order) then for our mains ordered GFC-fried chicken with pomelo and eggplant and the superstar of the night the Bossam- the pork belly was to die for and all the fixings uber fresh. Every single thing we ate was phenomenal and thoughtfully prepared. I kept thinking after each dish it couldn't get any better and it did. The meal ended with a giant fortune cookie with the bill inside such a unique and tasty presentation. And last but not least the service was absolutely fabulous!! Thank you for making my first visit to Taipei soooo tasty and unforgettable.

A restaurants that reminds me of my favorite restaurants in the States! ( the decor, the New American style of mixing flavors, the english-speaking crowd etc.) Came here on a Saturday night, couldn't get a reservation, but was able to get bar seats for 2 for walk-in. (Probably safer to walk-in earlier to get seats). It came up to about NT$1300/person for us. We ordered fried soup, salad with 奶酪, octopus, the pork, and souffle. Every single dish is good, but we especially loved the: -fried soup -octopus -souffle! The souffle was a VERY generous portion and plus it came with delicious ginger (yes, ginger!) ice cream. (I was also distracted by the clams, the 牛小排 and the chicken dishes as well, so that's probably what I'm going to try my next time!) Bonus: Service was great, constantly checked up on us, 上菜 is pretty prompt and the open kitchen concept allowed us to see the food-making process. The receipt was actually stuffed inside a pretty good tasting fortune cookie (lol) and the chef that night was a nice caucasian lady who was nice and gave us palette cleansers! Would definitely love to return, I think it's a great place for friends meeting up or family gathering (saw a few families at the bigger tables), very safe bet for a good food/good night!

Technically enthusiastic, one of the best I had in Taipei. It's truly the taste of California at its finest. From the common ingredients placed in very creative ways to the unusual combination of fried soup, this place was exciting and fresh as can be. I'll definitely be back soon.

LOVE love love this place. My top 3 places in taiwan for sure (top 3 are: Raw, Roots and Mume for me fyi) But more importantly - My top ONE, numero uno, #1 place for the BEST korean short ribs you will ever eat in taiwan or anywhere in the world. I used to live in LA for 7 years and marinated kalbi is my go-to-dish. And never have I ever (not in LA, or Seoul or TPE or anywhere else in the world) have I had such greatly flavored dish as Roots has. Created by one of the three extraordinary chefs at Roots - Chef Han. Everytime I go there, I thank him for making my life so much better with this dish. The fried soup is also a must get. Along with the soufflé. AMAZING.

Nice and Cozy restaurant! My wife and love and have been coming here for some time. When we don't know where to go, Roots Creative is the go to place! Their menu changes with the season so we at least come back at least once or twice a quarter. Try it, you WON'T regret it!

Wow. Mind-blowing. This is a hidden gem. The flavor and creativity blast me away. World-class cuisine in an unassuming atmosphere. You thought you entered a neighborhood restaurant yet they provide you with the highest quality food. Fresh from the farm to the dining table. Elegant food infused with high-creativity. A magical blend of local ingredient and international sophistication. Highly recommend it.

Best I've had in months in Taipei. Definitely going back soon. Love the fried soup, Korean pancake and fried chicken. The humongous fortune cookie with the bill hiding inside is a cute touch, and a very tasty one too!

The ambience is really good and casual, perfect for meeting up with friends after work. I love the open kitchen setting, you can see all the chefs preping your food. We ordered the fried soup. It's one of the must order here. The soup is bit size, full of flavor and lukewarm. The Korean pancake is a bit too spicy for my taste. We ordered pork loin as main dish and it was AMAZING! Love this place!

The food was creative and delicious but I'm not sure if it was worth the price tag, I visited 4 months ago and have not felt the need to visit again.

Amazing soul food place in tpe.. Their fried chicken might be the best in town! Also the dessert called American breakfast.. With waffle, maple-glazed bacon and ice cream. Moreover.. A salad with panne cotta past perfect for hot summer time in taipei!

Have been here two times and chefs always surprised me.Every dish is great,won't let u down!Roots creative is one of my favorite restaurants in Taipei.Would definitely visit soon!

Oh Roots, oh my my. I have all positive things to say about this place! Their food is a piece of art! I loved loved every bite of everything I've tried. Its truly one of the best restaurants in town!

Food was outstanding, highly recommend this for a nice dinner in Taipei! Price was also great, was ~$50 USD for 2 of us for dinner, considering the meal was as good as really nice restaurants in SF, NY, LA or other big metros in the US. Selections were inventive and mix of flavors/cuisine nicely. The pork belly was so good! The chocolate soufflé with the kavalan anglaise was delicious. Chef sent out a couple of small bites between courses also - really nice touch. Was fun to get the giant fortune cookie at the end - with the bill hidden inside! Go to Gen Creative for a nice dinner!

Can't believe how talented these chefs are to creative such amazing dishes, we went there to celebrate a close friend's birthday, sat at the bar seeing chefs making food professionally, I could taste the passion in their food, every bite surprised me completely!!! This is one of the best restaurants I'd recommend to you all, make sure you call in advance to make reservations otherwise you'd probably end up with waiting for hours!!! Go give a try you'll be amazed!!!

Very creative ways of preparation. My colleagues and I were quite impressed and we have sampled cuisines in major US and European countries. A gem in Taipei.

A restaurant that if it existed in New York would be just another restaurant. I expected the service to be much better (and less snooty) for a pricier restaurant such as this (and for such a small restaurant as well). The food is fine, we went to get a break from eating chinese food everyday on our trip. I had the general tso's chicken and my girlfriend had the roast chicken. Both meh. The roast chicken could've been had anywhere (the waitress recommended it) and the general tso's chicken was just fried chicken with sauce on it. Had the chocolate souffle with coffee dessert. Again, not anything i haven't tried before. Only recommend if you need a break from chinese food, but otherwise way better things to spend your money on in Taipei.

If you visit from the USA, you'll notice this is not an American Traditional style restaurant. If from USA, you'd consider it Taiwanese Fusion or Asian Fusion. Service is not what you're used to in USA at a high-end restaurant...best way to put it is they won't check with you to ask whether food is to your expectation. Or see if you want more drink or food. They will patiently explain menu and make personal recommendations. They will promptly clear the table and make sure your water glasses are filled. I will say that most of wait staff are quite fluent in english so if you don't speak Chinese, you're a-ok. You won't escape without a $50pp (USD) tab, which is very high for Taipei, but not unusual for a big US city. If you down a couple of alcoholic beverages and dessert, this is easily $75pp. Also, you have to NOT want to go to the Tonghua Night Market which is just a couple of blocks away. This was the only non-Taiwanese place I ate in Taiwan for lunch or dinner and it was fantastic and reminded me of SF. I found a Ballast Point IPA which reminded me of home. It was ~$10USD (so I felt like I was paying SF prices!). Soft shelled crab was fantastic as was the pork belly. Highly recommend if you want something different from Taiwanese food in Taipei. Check comes in an oversized fortune cookie (which again reminds me of SF), half of which had a fortune and the other half of which had the check.

The very best example of creativity meets solid execution! We had just about every single dish on the menu and everything tasted and looked like artistic comfort food. The chefs used local and seasonal ingredients. You can tell they have a deep understanding of not only the culinary but also the cultural palettes of their offerings. The "comfort" side of our dining experience also came from the simple yet comfortable dining room. They do have high chairs, kids utensils, etc. For the kids in our party, they "discovered" rather than gulping down. All in all, a great restaurant to discover and rediscover!

My husband and I stopped for dinner in Taipei during an 8-hour layover, and it was well worth the 40 minute cab ride from the airport and back. I had made a reservation several weeks in advance, thanks to their comprehensive website, and it worked out nicely, despite a flight delay and us arriving 15 minutes late. We started with mixed olives, and we were also given a complimentary hummus, which was probably the best hummus I've ever had; it was slightly sweet, and I couldn't get enough. Our main courses were Australian wagyu, mushrooms with poached egg and potato "chips," and pork belly served Korean fusion style, with lettuce and Korean style sauces and kimchi, to make lettuce wraps. The wagyu was tender and flavorful, served with a mole sauce, which didn't overpower, and cornbread, with baby corn in its husk. These components complimented each other nicely. We enjoyed the pork belly more without making lettuce wraps out of them, since wrapping them with the herbs and condiments, while very tasty, sort of overpowered the deliciousness and melty-ness of the pork belly. But the beauty of the dish is that you can eat it any way you like. I can't remember exactly what was in the sauce/spice combination on the mushrooms but it was pretty amazing, after breaking the poached egg and mixing it all up. What impressed me was that everything the Gen Creative crew came up with that evening was a little different than anything I've tasted, as far as combinations of flavors go. Each item on each plate was not neglected, and we felt that attention was given to each flavor and texture to bring out their best.

Taiwan is very lucky to have these three amazing talent broadening the culinary horizon of the locals and visitors. They have great vegetarian options and the chef customized a few dishes that were off the menu. The desserts in general are too good to be true!