Taipei, Oct. 11 (CNA) Taiwan-born and French-trained chef Andre Chiang announced on his website Tuesday that that he will close his two-Michelin-starred Restaurant Andre in Singapore Feb. 14 next year and return to Taiwan.
In Chiang's official statement, he explained that the reason for closing the restaurant is that he wishes to "re-prioritize his professional life from early next year" and is preparing for a "significant transformation" in the near future.
Restaurant Andre was established eight years ago and became famous for its French nouvelle cuisine, ranking consistently near the top of the World's Top 50 Best Restaurants list.
After closing Restaurant Andre, Chiang will return to his birthplace and concentrate on reinterpreting Taiwanese flavors through his award-winning restaurant in Taiwan, RAW.
Knowing that Michelin will soon publish new editions of its restaurant guide for Bangkok and Taiwan, Chiang requested that his restaurant not be included in any future Michelin Guides for Taiwan.
He said he simply hopes that RAW can be a pure place for him to pass on his experience and knowledge to the next generation in Taiwan and China.
In an interview with CNN last Friday, the star chef shared his passion for combining Taiwan's "humble yet high quality ingredients" into brand new dishes.
"Taiwan's cuisine has always been underestimated," said Chiang.
"As a Taiwanese, I feel that I have a responsibility to have something in Taiwan that really redefines our generation of Taiwanese flavors," he added.
Chiang trained with several eminent chefs before opening his own restaurants, including Pascal Barbot, Pierre Gagnaire, Joel Robuchon and Michel Troisgros.
