Sho

Sho is the southern Taiwan project from the team behind Tokyo's two-star Den. The ten-seat counter runs a single nightly set menu, built around Taiwanese ingredients but unmistakably filtered through Den's philosophy — seasonality, playfulness, and a studied avoidance of cliché.

Expect eight to ten courses over a two-and-a-half-hour meal. The signature Dentucky Fried Chicken has been reinterpreted for the Kaohsiung kitchen; the bowl of rice that closes the menu uses local production and is worth the trip on its own. Sake pairings are thoughtful and restrained; wine pairings skew natural and sommelier-driven.

It is the private dining room disguised as a counter. Two people at seats 3 and 4 can have a completely private conversation while the chef and his team work in front of them — the kind of room that lets two principals talk with nothing on the agenda except a quiet agreement at the end.

Why it fits Close a Deal

Close a Deal belongs here because the Sho counter is structurally designed for focused two-person conversation. The courses keep arriving, the chef keeps working, and the quiet around the counter lets important things get said.