Orchid Restaurant

Orchid Restaurant serves contemporary cuisine by using Taiwanese ingredients and international technique. Chef Nobu Lee defines his culinary philosophy as ‘clean, simple, and focus’. His cuisine provides a delicate and assured balance of flavors.
We listen to rhythm of seasons, handle with care, cook with precision, most importantly bring the culture and people together.

We believe the cuisine is the reflection of seasons which tight the land, people and history which forms our culinary culture. We listen to the whisper of nature, capture the hidden message from the produce and proudly present the diversity of each region of Taiwan. Less is more, at Orchid Restaurant we believe in simplicity, we focus on the highest quality of produce and continue to search for more possibilities of what it has to offer.

Orchid Restaurant is home to an 8-meter tall dining space decorated in mainly classic black and gold. The gold materials used to create sense of layers and fluidity in terms of space design, modern French monochromatic that feels cozy and chic. The round marble bar table at the center of the restaurant acts as the core of visual design, while mostly used for the display of dishes, the table also plays a role as the platform for the interaction of guests and display of culinary skills of chef.

Chef Nobu Lee of Orchid Restaurant describes his style of food as ‘clean, simple and focused’, in tune with the rhythm of the season. Not to show off, he insists that food should come very naturally. With flawless and precise execution of contemporary technique, he implements culinary culture from Taiwan, Japan, Australasia into his work at Orchid, chef Nobu Lee creates dishes that are boldly flavored and embody the philosophy of showcasing local ingredients.

With Japanese father and Taiwanese mother, chef Nobu Lee was born in Taipei and grew in Tokyo. Emigrated to Christchurch where, upon completion of high-school, he worked his way through kitchen hierarchy. In 2003, he set off in search of knowledge and opportunity and worked in international restaurants and hotels in Asia. He was trained with chef Wolfgang Puck in Tokyo then Joël Robuchon, Yannick Alléno in Paris, and assist them as sous chef when opening a restaurant in Asia.

Chef Nobu Lee continued to improve his chef pedigree with a stint at Vue de Monde in Melbourne and then became head chef at Marque in Sydney for two and half years. After the closure of Marque in 2016, he returned to Vue de Monde as head chef where he held 3-hat status in the ‘The Age Good Food Guide’.
In 2018, Chef Nobu Lee took over Clooney restaurant in Auckland. Clooney had secured 3-hat status in the ‘Cuisine Good Food Awards 2018’ (one of only four 3-hatted restaurants in the country).