A new lifestyle destination in Taipei’s Yangmingshan offers a delicious escape from city life

Up on the winding streets of Yangmingshan, north of Taipei, there is an air of calm that cannot be found in any corner of the Taiwanese city below. Among the bamboo groves and hot spring bathhouses that dot the hilltops, the only sounds you’ll hear are birdsong and the silvery rustling of leaves. It’s the kind of bucolic setting that draws birdwatchers, hikers and office cubicle refugees who flock here to shed the afflictions of city life.

It is here, tucked away in a mid-century enclave once home to members of the US military, that you’ll find YMS by onefifteen: A new lifestyle destination that hopes to lure locals and tourists alike with its restful approach to daily living. Spread across five refurbished houses nestled in a historic compound, the site brings together food, art, wellness and nature.

While its accommodation wing, Dwell 8, is still under construction, its fine-dining establishment, Restaurant 12, is already accepting bookings for when it opens in September. To celebrate the restaurant’s launch, the owners invited the team from Noma for a four-night restaurant takeover in early August. Known for their approach to hyper-localism, the Noma team served a meal that loosely interpreted Taiwanese ingredients through their Nordic lens, while also presenting their signature dishes. Beyond marking the milestone, the experience offered a glimpse of what Restaurant 12 hopes to be.

The restaurant is overseen by executive chef Jonatan Motos Ferran, a Madrid native whose resume includes a stint at Mauro Colagreco’s Celebrities in the UAE. His approach blends European culinary techniques with flourishes gleaned from his years working with Spanish chef Angel Palacios. His use of Taiwanese produce translates to an emphasis on seafood, including Mediterranean-inspired dishes such as red prawn and seaweed; smoked eel with caviar, finger lime and beetroot; and lobster with bamboo and saffron.

While on the property, you’d be remiss not to enjoy a drink at the tea lab and casual restaurant, Lab 10. Alexander Moh and his team at SURV Architecture cut generous picture windows into the white-washed walls that frame the verdant landscaping outside, created by Taiyan Design’s founder Wu Shuyuan. The low-slung chairs that front the windows are the ideal spots on which to linger and watch plump night herons peck at the grassy grounds. Few other spaces in Yangmingshan are as stylish or offer an outlook quite like this.