German-born Stefan Stiller has led Taian Table to three Michelin stars (first gained in the 2021 Shanghai guide) with tasting menus that marry European precision to Chinese terroir; as chair of Bocuse d’Or Asia-Pacific he mentors the region’s next culinary leaders.
Born on 5 May 1966 in Celle, Lower Saxony, Germany, Stiller began his apprenticeship in 1983 at Endtenfang in Hotel Fürstenhof. After stints at German temples such as Schweizer Stuben and Schwarzer Hahn he opened his own Restaurant Grand Cru in 1999, winning a Michelin star.
Shanghai became his new stage in 2004. He first served as executive chef at Club Shanghai and Mimosa Supperclub, then launched Stiller’s on the South Bund, blending fine dining with a cooking school and quickly earning a loyal following.
His long-held dream of an intimate, counter-centric restaurant materialised in 2016 with Taian Table. The 20-seat space earned its first star five months after opening, a second in 2019 and a third in the 2021 guide—an honour the restaurant has retained through 2025. Signature dishes interweave Chinese produce and European technique, from Jilin smoked eel with koji rice to duck xiaolongbao finished à la minute in front of guests.
In April 2021 Stiller opened Taian Table Guangzhou; the sister restaurant garnered two stars in the city’s inaugural Michelin guide the same year and has held them since. He also relaunched Stiller inside Guangzhou’s Garden Hotel as a flexible bistro-gastronomy concept, and added bakeries and a fresh-pasta lab focused on native Chinese grains and natural fermentation.
As president of Bocuse d’Or Team China and chair of the competition’s Asia-Pacific committee, Stiller has shepherded young chefs through continental selections; in 2023 the Chinese team achieved its best-ever sixth place on the world stage. His culinary credo—Chinese seasonality, European rigour, guest interaction—animates every service, where oxidised Anji teas pour alongside Mosel Riesling to underscore dishes’ layered flavours.
