A gelateria wins a Michelin star for the first time in history

Michelin has unveiled the latest edition of its guide dedicated to Taiwan, where it announced the new star recipients. For the first time in history, a gelateria has earned the coveted Michelin star: Minimal in Taichung, already a Bib Gourmand, received its first star. Of the ten recently awarded restaurants, three were promoted from last year, while the remaining seven, including Minimal, entered the Michelin Guide for the first time.

This establishment is quite different from the typical gelaterias we know in Italy, where cones and cups are the standard offerings. The Taiwanese venue, in contrast, not only serves traditional gelato but also offers entire tasting menus dedicated to the art of cold desserts, with presentations worthy of the finest fine dining restaurants.

A gelateria receives a Michelin star for the first time

As Michelin writes in the 2025 edition, Minimal is "the twin bar of Sur," an excellent modern cuisine restaurant that has already earned a star. The gelateria "impresses with its complex combinations of flavours and textures, both in taste and presentation." The seven-course menu "changes with each season; frozen delights such as gelato and granita are artistically served to express a theme. In line with the wabi-sabi aesthetic, the minimalist interior embraces imperfections with rusted steel cladding, restored roof trusses, and concrete beams. Reservations recommended. Alternatively, you can order gelato to take away."

Minimal is unique in its kind, offering a restaurant experience where guests can sit and enjoy variations of gelato served at different temperatures. The cost is also accessible. The seven-course menu is priced around €34 (1,200 Taiwanese dollars), while gelato in cups or tubs ranges from €5 to €15 (180 to 600 NTD, respectively). Non-alcoholic beverages, mainly teas, are paired with the gelato and are also available for takeaway. In this case, two glasses cost €14.

The temperatures of gelato

The concept of temperature is central to the multi-course menu. "Ice is a very simple state. As the temperature decreases, water molecules condense into ice and then extend and develop from there," the Minimal website explains. "The connection between temperature and ice is completely natural and direct. Beyond condensing water into ice, each temperature has different characteristics, which are also 'cold' temperatures. This creates various structures of ice crystals, expressions of flavours, tastes, and forms."

"We have captured these different characteristics," the Minimal team explains, "and selected and organized them as the main axis of our 'temperature' menu to explore the different sensations evoked by specific temperatures." In essence, the tasting menu is a play on different textures and temperatures, as well as unconventional pairings.

Rare flavours

There's extensive research behind the flavours served at Minimal, which differ from those found in traditional gelaterias. A quick browse through their online shop makes this clear. Some even incorporate alcoholic beverages. Sake is paired with the floral aroma of wild ginger flowers; sorghum wine, a grain distillate, is mixed with lychee and green plums; gin is combined with pine needles, matcha, and juniper berries.

The second series of "cold" dishes is dedicated to tea. Biluochun gelato, made from an ancient Chinese tea, features brown sugar and green apple; the white tea Dongding Oolong, known for its strong oxidation, is paired with barley and sweet potato peel; and finally, a fermented and aged tea—Pu'er—is transformed into gelato alongside camphor wood and herbal jelly.