If you are like me, you might have wondered what the term “New American Cuisine” means. After a few minutes of research – and by research, I mean Google (nervous laugh*) – I have come up with the best definition of New American cuisine from this 2015 Chicago Tribune article by Bill Daley:

“New American is the catchall term for any cuisine that defies categorization,” according to Phil Vettel, the Chicago Tribune restaurant critic.

As America is a huge “melting pot of ethnicities and cultures”, it is not surprising that classic recipes have been given an exotic spin with a French gravy, Caribbean spices or a spot of soy sauce. You could call it ‘fusion’ but on a larger scale.

This is the concept that Gen Creative brought to Taipei a few years back and now, the restaurant (originally named Roots Creative) is a thriving business that sees multiple sets of customers in a night.

We start the night off with a delicious deep fried miso soup (pictured above). I was very happy to see that they had not removed this one from the list. Do not attempt to slice into these diced pieces of heaven. Rather, pop the entire thing in your mouth and feel your taste buds orgasm.

Next we have a Gen Creative twist on traditional Taiwanese radish cake which I found was a rather pleasant surprise. Sadly, I have always felt that radish cake tastes quite bland but it was an admirable attempt.

The Parisian gnocchi was a dish compliments of the chef. The texture of the gnocchi was chewy yet soft and sat on a bed of greens that freshened the dish considerably.

My only request was that we get the Amberjack tartare and the dish did not disappoint with its zesty, tangy and slightly spicy seasoning. To be honest, am still not sure what that piece of cracker/bread thing is made of but it sure did go well with the tartare!

This delicious jumble of squid and eggplant (divinely cooked – I find that sometimes eggplant cooked incorrectly can easily lose its taste; is it just me? shrug*) may look like one of the least appetising in terms of visuals but was definitely one of my two favourite dishes that night. Can you guess which the other is?

Last but not least, we have the local trout with peas and an almond vinaigrette. Delicious but not striking. The fish was beautifully cooked, its flesh feathery and the peas were sweet but it is an easily forgettable dish. Still, really appreciate the incorporation of local ingredients!

Once again, Gen Creative has managed to put together a gorgeous dining experience and congratulations for making it on to the Michelin guide of 2019.

To see what’s on offer currently, click here for their menu.

For a culinary experience, find them here.

Address: No. 24, Lane 63, Section 2, Dunhua South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, 106
Google maps: https://g.page/gencreative?share
Tel no: 02 2707 3348