Ask any traveller why they love visiting Taiwan and chances are, food will be at the top of the list. While everyone’s obsessing over night market crawls (I get it, they’re amazing), I want to share another side of Tainan’s culinary delights—the dining experiences at Silks Place Tainan Hotel.
Breakfast: Local Favourites Meet International Comforts
For those who crave street food flavours, Silks Place Tainan has you covered right at breakfast. At the hotel’s banquet hall, guests can find Taiwanese staples such as meatballs, radish cake, and sticky rice balls—dishes that instantly bring the energy of Tainan’s night markets into the morning. If you prefer something more global, head to Robin’s Grill for a full international breakfast spread.
(Read: Discover my stay at Silks Place Tainan)
The Culinary Offerings at Silks Place Tainan
The hotel takes pride in its diverse food and beverage offerings, with two main restaurants and two bars/lounges:
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ROBIN’S Grill & Teppan: Premium Western-style steaks alongside Japanese teppanyaki.
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Silks House: Refined Cantonese and local Taiwanese cuisine.
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T-Bar: A cozy lobby lounge serving hand-brewed coffee, tea, and light refreshments.
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Glass House: A poolside bar offering cocktails infused with Taiwanese flair.
During my stay, I had the chance to enjoy dinner at these two signature restaurants:
1. ROBIN’S Grill & Teppan
Robin’s Grill & Teppan is a dining experience where Western steakhouse classics meet Japanese teppanyaki theatrics. Picture sizzling steaks, fresh seafood, and live culinary performance in one refined experience.
Robin’s menu rotates by season, so no two visits are ever quite the same. This time, I was lucky to catch their Summer Set.
The evening began with a procession of starters that felt less like courses and more like a meditation on summer’s finest offerings. There was seared bonito paired with red wine onions, pan-fried rock oysters topped with sea melon seeds served in a light broth, and a delicate course of fish served with Hokkaido kombu seaweed and Okinawa mozuku. Each plate was light yet layered, building anticipation for the main event: a perfectly grilled USDA Prime Ribeye.
Every course was vibrant, fresh, and a true celebration of summer flavours. You can also opt for other mains like lamb steak, pork, chicken, or fish, making the experience versatile for different tastes.
The set continued with comforting signatures like beef fried rice, seasonal vegetables, and a sweet finish of flambéed banana with hazelnut and mulberry. It was a dining experience that truly delivered on both spectacle and taste.
To top it all off, the nine-course teppanyaki set also includes a self-serve salad and dessert buffet—a fantastic bonus, though I was more than full by the end.
Then again, they told me the the best gelato in Tainan is available so I had definitely had to try it. It turned out to be an ultra-creamy almond soft serve by 蜷尾家 (Chuan Wei Jia), a beloved local brand. Light, nutty, and perfectly smooth.
In Taiwan, teppanyaki isn’t just dining—it’s theatre. And Robin’s takes it to the next level, earning its place as one of the country’s top-tier spots. With flames, flavour, and just the right dose of luxury, this is a foodie experience you won’t want to miss. If Tainan is on your itinerary, make sure Robin’s Grill & Teppan is too.
(Read: Planning your Taipei itinerary? Don’t miss this guide to dining in Regent Taipei)
2. Silks House
Silks House is doing something clever—taking classic Cantonese dishes and giving them a distinctly Taiwanese twist with local ingredients. It’s the kind of east-meets-east fusion that actually works, which explains why Tainan locals have made it their go-to for special occasions. The result? Applause-worthy presentations that bring out Tainan’s flavours.
The menu at Silks House reads like a feast of traditions—from delicate appetisers such as Mullet Roe, Steamed Chicken with Salty Egg Yolk Roll, and Eight Treasures Meatball, Black Soy-Glazed Barbecue Pork, Pickled Cherry Tomatoes with Plum, to more luxurious creations like Sake-steamed Abalone and Roasted Cherry Duck.
Here’s one of Silks House’s most applause-worthy presentations: the Steamed Sake Abalone. It arrived encased within an ice sphere, like a glistening jewel. Diners are invited to crack it open at the table, releasing the tender abalone infused with sake—an elegant blend of spectacle and flavour that felt truly memorable.
Next up was the Roasted Cherry Duck, one of Silks House’s signature dishes. The Cherry Valley duck, raised in Yilan County—a region celebrated for its farming methods—was roasted until perfectly crisp and then sliced with precision. Served with a delicate scallion wrap, each bite was juicy, fragrant, and completely satisfying.
As you can see, the menu goes beyond duck and if that’s not what you’re craving, the Giant Grouper with Five Willow Sweet & Sour Sauce is another excellent choice.
Another highlight was the Soak-Cooked Rice in Soup with Lobster and Seafood. The chef presented the fresh ingredients, then prepared the dish right at our table. The fluffy rice sizzled as it hit the rich, umami-packed broth, soaking up the sweetness of the lobster and seafood. It was a dish that was both comforting and luxurious, a flavour that lingered long after the meal was over.
Desserts wrapped up the experience on a nostalgic note, it was every bit as delicious (and sinful) as the savoury courses before it. The custard tart with mochi completely took me by surprise—flaky pastry, creamy custard, and that chewy mochi inside made it impossible to stop at just one bite.
The radish and Jinhua ham pastry was something like a dim sum treat. The flaky pastry wrapped around a filling that was savoury from the Jinhua ham and subtly sweet from the radish.
And then came the traditional shaved ice—such a fun way to wrap up the meal! I got to customise my own bowl with toppings like green beans, yam cubes, and glutinous rice balls, then drizzled it with the sweet condiments of my choice. Refreshing, playful, and distinctly Taiwanese, it was the sweetest ending to a truly memorable dinner.
If you’re heading to Tainan and food is high on your travel list (as it should be!), make sure Silks Place Tainan isn’t just where you stay, but also where you eat.
All photographs were taken by Discoverist.sg unless otherwise stated.
