Dining at A Joy

Taiwanese love their buffets, especially those offered by higher-end establishments featuring a dizzying selection of exquisite international fare, often located in a swanky mall or hotel with stunning views. These options usually provide excellent value, so avoid rushing your meal. Take your time to appreciate the variety of delicious dishes available. One of the island’s shining examples of an upscale buffet restaurant is A Joy, located near the top of the iconic Taipei 101 skyscraper.

With such creative offerings as “salty soy milk jelly with minced shrimp,” “grilled ribeye with peeled chili peppers cream sauce,” and “mullet roe chocolate cake,” A Joy aims to infuse Taiwan’s unique flavors and ingredients into its sumptuous feast for the senses. The restaurant deconstructs traditional dishes from the collective Taiwanese memory and reinterprets them using different culinary techniques.

This creative undertaking goes beyond the food, manifesting as soon as visitors enter the main space, an artistically arranged landscape filled with plants native to Taiwan’s mountains. A special soundtrack incorporating everyday sounds such as cooking with a wok plays in the background, while the fragrances from the vegetation waft through the air. Even the staff uniforms, created by renowned designer Justin Chou, reflect the island’s natural imagery and incorporate traditional indigo dyeing and banana fiber techniques.

The space, located on the 86^th floor of Taipei 101, is divided into four areas representing the island’s geography – mountain, sea, plains, and city – and is adorned with Taiwanese artworks and appliances crafted by notable artisans. True to its theme, the restaurant is a delicious “love letter to the world” that should be enjoyed with care.

A Joy is not the type of buffet restaurant where gorging your money’s worth is the priority. Take the time to read the labels to see where the ingredients come from, listen to the enthusiastic servers and chefs explain the essence of the dishes, and savor the complex flavors while indulging your other senses. Diners will be drawn out of their seats as certain art installations come to life, and they can also search for the spots where a fixed camera will take their group photo. As the meal comes to an end, every customer is given a postcard that they can mail to anyone in the world, sending the love letter onward.

While A Joy has been fully booked every day since it opened in July 2023, with just 282 seats in the 1,835-square-meter space, there’s plenty of elbow space and diners don’t have to queue too long for the popular items.

This is the latest venture for Feastogether Group, which opened its first buffet restaurant, Eat Together, in 2002 and now runs 11 restaurant brands in Taiwan. A Joy’s Chinese name, 饗, literally means “to entertain with food and drink,” with the character fittingly made up of two parts that individually mean “food” and “homeland.” The English name comes from the words of Sufi poet Rumi: “When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, A Joy.”

After being whisked up to the 86^th floor, patrons exit the elevator to a darkly lit space featuring an indigo-dye display of Taiwan’s layered mountain ranges. A door then opens up to the “mountain” section containing the aforementioned artistic landscape. The windows beyond the interior mountainscape provide sweeping views of the actual mountains encircling the sprawling metropolis nestled in the Taipei Basin.

The culinary feast begins at the “ocean” section, which opens with a ramie-weave art piece in different shades of blue, stretching across a curved wall. Titled “An existence embraced by the ocean,” it is the work of Taiwan indigenous artist Yuma Taru, who strives to preserve the weaving and dyeing techniques of the Atayal indigenous people she belongs to.

Starting with the hand-shucked oyster bar, a sea of fresh seasonal marine morsels such as king crab legs, Chiayi black clams, and assorted top-grade sashimi unfolds as far as the eye can see. The tamagoyaki (Japanese rolled omelet) cooked with broth is a favorite, as well as the hand-rolled sushi crafted on the spot, coming in three varieties: scallop and crab roe paste, bluefin tuna and shiso miso, and uni and sweet shrimp. The vinegar rice used in aburi (“seared”) sushi items is maintained at human body temperature, allowing for optimal enjoyment.

This section also features various appetizers, several of which utilize indigenous ingredients, such as the smoked pork jelly with millet porridge and magao (mountain peppercorn) caesar salad with salmon.

The “plains” section turns up the heat, with grilled seafood and meat, fried delicacies, and painstakingly prepared soups. The earthy decor draws from the rural Chianan (Chiayi-Tainan) Plain, featuring window-grille-inspired lanterns and hand-thrown ceramic warming lamps. The grilled sweetfish packed with eggs is a hit, as well as the deep-fried Taiwanese classics such as popcorn chicken and gaozha, a unique fried minced-meats morsel originating from Yilan County.

Several fusion dishes also feature in this section, including Tainan’s famous eel noodles – but with pasta instead, topped with tiny “flavor pearls” made with black vinegar from the century-old Wu Yin brand.

The “city” section brings diners into the modern era with several futuristic artworks, including TechArtGroup’s hanging “Dream Capsule,” which contains 188 motors that deliver a mesmerizing kinetic light show at set hours. Another light show takes place in the “mountain” section, telling the story of how the indigenous Thao people chased a white deer for days until they came across Sun Moon Lake, which became their new homeland.

The city section offers classic street snacks and simple-eatery dishes such as fried rice and vermicelli, all with a creative twist. Highlights include a “Buddha jumps over the wall” dish served French-style in a puff pastry, and Peking duck flame-roasted with aged wine. Try to catch the chef setting the bird on fire; it’s a spectacle. Cantonese dim sum is also offered, featuring xiaolongbao (steamed broth-filled dumplings) with truffle and crab roe varieties.

Save room for dessert – there’s ice cream created in collaboration with local favorite Double V, and also pastries assisted by Le Ruban Pâtisserie. The offerings, which include dried persimmon pumpkin cake and a red guava mousse, change according to season. The chocolates stand out, with improbable Taiwanese ingredients such as fermented bean curd, fried shallot, as well as parsley and peanuts. There’s also a selection of traditional sweets, including a mini tortoise-shaped glutinous-rice cake and dragon beard candy.

The drinks section goes full local – the only sodas available are the timeless HeySong Sarsaparilla and Vitali, which are also used in the Taiwanese-themed cocktails by the famed Perry Palate Plan. The refreshing offerings include Peanut Cacao Passion Paradise and a Smoky Wax Gourd Shot.

The only beer is of course Taiwan Beer, but it’s the popular 18-day draft variety delivered straight from the brewery as soon as it’s ready. The coffee is provided by world champion Simple Kaffa, which consistently attracts long lines just for takeout.

Finally, cleanse your palate with selected Taiwanese teas from Zen Zen Thé, or if you still have room in your stomach, try the popular red oolong bubble milk tea.

A Joy’s elevated vantage point, offering sweeping panoramic views, is a key attraction. On New Year’s Eve, the restaurant hosts four dining sessions: two for lunch and two for dinner, each accommodating a maximum of 282 guests. The dinner session begins at 6pm and extends until 1am on New Year’s Day, providing an opportunity to savor delectable cuisine, fine wines, and live music as we bid farewell to the old year.

For those attending the late-night session, a truly unforgettable experience awaits. As the clock strikes midnight, guests can witness the dazzling Taipei 101 fireworks display from the comfort of the restaurant, immersing themselves in the vibrant spectacle.

A Joy
(饗A Joy)
Add: 86F, No. 7, Sec. 5, Xinyi Rd., Taipei City
(台北市信義路五段7號86樓)
Tel: (02) 8101-0111
Website: www.ajoy.com.tw