【Foodholic Niko @ Taoyuan】
"Old Man's Hakka Cuisine" has more than one branch, and the branch we are dining at today is located near Longtan, Taoyuan and Sunkeng Old Street. Because the name is quite special, I did a little research and found that "Toubai" in Hakka represents "ancient" or "old times." Therefore, "Old Man's Hakka" indicates a place that has been around for a very long time.
The shop's decor truly reflects this name; it lives up to its reputation. The outdoor area resembles a traditional Sanhe courtyard, giving a feeling of dining in Grandma's home yard. The indoor is styled in a very traditional Taiwanese wooden building design, with separate sections resembling different areas of a home, which naturally forms small private rooms — quite likable.
Hakka Stir-fried Dish $240
I usually don’t like the Hakka stir-fried dishes, but today I enjoyed this one a lot. The pork used is well-marbled with fat and lean, and the tofu isn’t as hard as the usual ones I encounter. Both are stir-fried together and infused with flavor without being overly salty.
Stir-fried Mountain Pork $280
The seasoning is quite good, but the mountain pork pieces are a bit small; I had to keep searching around the plate to find them. I would prefer larger pieces of pork.
Ginger Shredded Large Intestine $240
The large intestine pieces are also a bit small, but they are cleaned thoroughly. The acidity is just right—not too sour but enough to eat a few bites with rice.
Stir-fried Water Lily $210
I didn’t particularly like this dish because it was stir-fried with ginger, which I really don’t enjoy. I had to keep picking out the ginger, so it wasn’t really satisfying.
Pineapple Shrimp Balls $230
There are about 9 shrimp balls, and they are fried just okay, tasting average. They aren’t the delightful pineapple shrimp balls that leave you feeling refreshed.
Sweet and Sour Ribs $240
The sweet and sour sauce leans more towards sweet, and the acidity could be stronger. The ribs have a lot of meat (not just bones), but the meat is a bit tough and requires some effort to chew.
Nine Layers Pagoda Egg $150
The egg is fried to a fragrant oiliness, paired with the aroma of nine layers pagoda, making it a great complement to rice. I really like this dish.
Local Chicken Chopped Platter (Large) $570
It’s quite a large plate. The sauce is made from orange marmalade mixed with soy sauce and chili, providing a mild spiciness, and it’s nice for dipping. The local chicken has no unusual gamey taste, so it’s good.
Hakka Braised Bamboo Shoots $150
These are just braised bamboo shoots, but they taste good. The crispness of the shoots is nice.
Mei Gan Ko Rou (Braised Pork with Preserved Mustard Greens) $240
The pork is evenly balanced in fat and lean meat, and the preserved mustard greens are very flavorful, making it a perfect combination. Eating preserved mustard greens with rice can easily consume half a bowl. Highly recommended.
Radish and Pork Rib Soup $230
I initially thought that at this low price, the portion would be small, but it ended up being a huge pot. There are lots of radishes, and the soup is delicious; I had two bowls!
【Foodholic Niko @ Hsinchu】
"Fu Lin Hotel" is located in the Guanxi Town of Hsinchu. Our group was looking for a set meal restaurant in Guanxi and found this place. Although it’s called a hotel, it actually looks like a very traditional set meal restaurant.
On Saturday night at 6:30, the place was almost full. Both the owner and the staff had rather friendly attitudes, but they only started setting up the chairs after we arrived, so we had to stand and wait for a while.
To summarize: Most of the portions are small, and the flavors are fairly average. If there are other set meal restaurants nearby, it is highly likely that we will not return.
Steamed Chicken
You can dip it in orange sauce, and it tastes quite good, but the portion is really too small. We ordered the largest size (1/2 chicken), and it cost around 700 NT dollars, which is quite shocking.
Braised Pork Knuckle
The meat and skin of the pork knuckle are truly tender and melt-in-your-mouth. The quality of the meat is a perfect score, but there aren't many bites of meat. Most of it is bone, which makes it quite unsatisfactory.
Fried Oyster Fritters
The appearance is different from the usual oyster fritters; they are much larger. The outer layer is fried really crispy, and the oysters are indeed quite big. However, I'm not sure if too much pepper salt was sprinkled on it, as it was quite salty and needed rice to eat.
Hakka Salted Pork
I only took one bite of this dish and didn't want to eat anymore; it was too salty! This cannot be eaten without rice and really made me crave a drink. The seasoning just didn't suit my taste.
Stewed Pork with Dried Vegetables
The pieces of pork were very small; with 9 of us, we barely got one piece each. Most of it was dried vegetables which had little flavor and weren’t enough to accompany rice. I was quite disappointed with this dish.
Stewed Bamboo Shoots
The bamboo shoots tasted pretty good and were one of the few praised dishes today, so I would recommend this one.
Braised Tofu
This dish should be one of the few with a sufficient portion; there were many pieces of tofu. It had a texture similar to firm tofu and tasted pretty good. I probably had about 3-4 pieces.
Cabbage
The seasoning was tasty but also a bit greasy; after one bite, I needed to wipe my mouth.
Herbal Chicken Soup
The chicken soup had a herbal aroma, but since I personally don’t really like that herb, I just felt it was a soothing chicken soup without any special impression. The chicken meat was rather tough and not very enjoyable.
🍚 Restaurant Name: Pin Guan Hakka Bistro
📍 Address: No. 4, Lane 9, Section 5, Nanjing East Road, Songshan District, Taipei City
▫️ Business Hours: ❌Closed on Mondays
Tuesday to Sunday: 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM / 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM
▫️ Service Charge: No
▫️ Minimum Consumption and Dining Time: No special regulations
▫️ Reservation Required: It is recommended to make a reservation in advance!
▪️ Interior Environment and Atmosphere:
The lighting in the restaurant is bright, but the distance between tables is somewhat narrow.
Most of the servers are aunties, and their attitude is excellent!
The speed of food service is quite fast, so there's no need to worry about going hungry!
Each dish has its own特色‼️
Most importantly, they provide complimentary fruit plates and sweet soup! ❤️
▪️ Ordering and Payment Methods:
📝 Place orders with the service staff.
💰 Only cash payments are accepted.
———————————————————————————
🔖 Food Records:
▪️ Hakka Salt-Baked Chicken $288
▪️ Old Skin Tender Meat $196
▪️ Pineapple Shrimp Balls $388
▪️ Garlic Chive and Cured Meat $258
▪️ Seasonal Vegetables (Cabbage) $98
▪️ Kung Pao Chicken $238
▪️ Thai Basil Omelette $136
▪️ Hakka Stir-fry $238
▫️ Fruit / Mung Bean Soup (Complimentary)
▫️ Cold Tossed Shredded Onion (Complimentary)
💡 Food: 5 | Service: 5 | Atmosphere: 4 | Environment: 4
[Foodholic Naoko @ Miaoli]
"Fucaiyuan Hakka Cuisine Restaurant" is located in Dahu, Miaoli, near Wenshui Old Street. The "Shibi Hot Spring Resort," "Shifeng Hot Spring Castle," and "Shitang Bathhouse" are all operated by the same owner. When we settled our bill today, the staff also gifted us 4 hot spring coupons.
There are many Hakka cuisine restaurants in this area. After checking online, I found that some users recommended this restaurant for its affordability. The dining environment also looks quite quiet and comfortable, so we chose to gather here for a meal.
The dishes here can be ordered individually or selected as a multi-person set. If dining on weekends or choosing a multi-person set, it is suggested to place an order in advance.
Today, we had 10 adults dining together, and we ordered 14 dishes, 1 soup, a pot of white rice, and three drinks, with a total cost of $4840, which is truly quite affordable.
P.S. Since the portion sizes vary, we slightly overestimated, so it is recommended to order 10 dishes and 1 soup. We ended up taking home a lot of leftovers for dinner.
Seasonal vegetables: $100
We ordered a plate of cabbage and a plate of water spinach. I recommend the water spinach, which is thick-stemmed and not too salty; the cabbage has a distinctive taste that I’m not fond of.
Crispy Tofu: $180
This is completely different from the fried tofu I imagined. The tofu is chopped and mixed with some scallions before being fried, and it’s in large chunks, but the bean flavor is quite strong, which I personally don't prefer.
Kung Pao Chicken: $260
The numbness outweighs the spiciness, and the flavor of the Sichuan peppercorns is rich, with tender chicken; this was my favorite dish today.
Ginger Shredded Intestines: $220
This dish is super sour and very refreshing; my family polished it off completely.
Preserved Plum Pork Belly: $220
It’s quite salty and definitely needs to be eaten with rice or accompanied by a cut bun; one bite is pretty overwhelming.
Hakka Salted Pork: $220
All I can say is it’s really quite salty…
Pineapple Shrimp Balls: $240
The batter is quite thick; I love pineapple shrimp balls, but I thought this dish was just average.
Plum Spare Ribs: $420
The plum flavor isn't very prominent, so it's a bit disappointing; but this dish is quite large.
Hakka Oil Chicken: $300
The chicken is quite oily, but the meat is tender enough; this dish is worth ordering.
Salted Egg Squid: $320
Again, I felt the batter was too thick and the seasoning was a bit salty, making it somewhat heavy to eat.
Steamed Grouper: $550
The fish was quite large. It had no fishy taste and a slightly sweet flavor, which justifies the price.
Now, talking about the areas I was less satisfied with:
📍Location: Taipei, Taiwan
Today I came to eat Hakka cuisine at a restaurant that Huang Renxun has visited. You can tell the owner is very happy, as they printed a large photo of him and put it on the front door, fearing that the passersby wouldn’t know that Huang Renxun had been there.
The restaurant even released a menu called the "CEO Set Menu," so we referred to what he had eaten, otherwise, with a thick menu that boasts over ten to twenty dishes, it can be tough to decide what to order.
(Selected by the CEO with a star) This time, dining with four people, we ordered:
-✨ Kyoto Spare Ribs (Small, $330)
The Kyoto spare ribs are tender, with a sweet and sour taste and a hint of soy sauce flavor, well-seasoned and delicious—great for pairing with rice. Highly recommended! 👍
-✨ Hakka Braised Pork (Small, $490)
The Hakka braised pork was rather tender, with more lean meat, probably a ratio of 1:2 of meat to pickled mustard greens 😂. I believe this dish is a bit pricier, but it's tasty.
-✨ Shredded Pork Stir-fried Water Lily (Small, $240)
Water lily stir-fried with fermented black beans was something I hadn't had often, and it was crunchy and savory, quite delicious.
Signature Tofu (Small, $190)
This should be considered red-braised tofu! Very tasty, with a tender inside that’s infused with flavors.
Crispy Intestines (Small, $330)
Fried until very crispy, it's a dish that makes you want to keep grabbing. Eating it alongside the shredded cabbage below makes it refreshing and can balance out some greasiness.
Overall, every dish was delicious and there were no misses. Although it's called Hakka cuisine, only some dishes are actually Hakka; most are Chinese dishes. There’s a wide variety of choices, from any big dish to homestyle dish you can think of, making it quite suitable for dining with elders.
They charge a 10% service fee, but the staff is quite busy, and sitting in a corner can make you feel overlooked; requesting more water takes a bit longer. The business has become very good thanks to Huang Renxun's endorsement, but we went for dinner on a weekday evening and were still able to book a table by making a reservation that afternoon. However, the seats were all filled, so I’m not sure if there would be seats available just by walking in; I recommend making a reservation before heading over. I highly recommend this place to everyone!
The First-Class Noodle Shop in Beipu is located next to the Beipu Township Office, not in the well-known Beipu Old Street. While the crowded old street is nice, the shops outside are actually the places where local residents usually enjoy their meals. This shop has been serving the local community in Beipu for over thirty years and is now run by the second generation.
Today, I enjoyed their Soup Noodles, Meat Ball Soup, and Hakka Tangyuan, which totaled 175 NT dollars.
Soup Noodles:
A standard delicious dish; although I feel that the noodles are not the type I am familiar with. However, the rich pork bone broth, combined with ingredients like fungus, pickled mustard greens, and leeks, creates a very harmonious flavor with the noodles.
Meat Ball Soup:
This is a simple Hakka home-style dish that consists of ground meat stewed with scallions, ginger, and a bit of greens. The compatibility of the pork bone broth with these ingredients is excellent, warming not only the stomach but also the heart.
Hakka Tangyuan:
The small rice balls have a nice texture and feel quite filling. The soup base is flavored with a generous amount of leeks.
Overall, it's a standard local delicacy. The marinated dishes in the shop look quite tasty, but since I have plans for later, I decided not to order too much. The marinated dish includes "po cai," a Hakka dish, but it is only available on weekends.
I recommend it to everyone.
The Guava No. 2 Snack Bar is located on Xinyi Street, and parking is not easy here. The restaurant is a remodeled old house, and the space is actually quite large, with tables for 4 and 10 people, as well as a Japanese-style private room that can accommodate 15 people. Many people are looking for private room restaurants in Hualien.
The red sleeve squid is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, a must-have for pairing with drinks.
The golden silk tofu has a strong salted egg yolk flavor, with the tofu's tenderness enhancing the taste of the salted egg yolk.
You must try the champion of Hakka stir-fry competition, which is Hakka stir-fry.
I highly recommend the pineapple shrimp balls, which are actually whole shrimp, perfectly fried to complement the flavor. I’m really afraid I might eat too much.
The boss warmly welcomes guests and often chats with them; he is very friendly.
The decor in the store is clean and unique, and the air conditioning is sufficiently cold, making it super comfortable in the summer.
Not wanting to cook is our family's regular choice for eating out. Not only are the prices reasonable, seats plentiful, and transportation convenient, but the dishes also align perfectly with our family's taste, making them very delicious. The overall atmosphere of the place is somewhat noisy, but that adds to its character.
The sign says Hakka noodles, which immediately brings to mind rice noodles, flat rice noodles, dumplings, and rice vermicelli. However, the restaurant also offers rice dishes, regular yellow noodles, and mung bean vermicelli, among other items. Almost all menu items allow you to choose your preferred main ingredient/flavor, such as beef, duck, shredded mushroom with meat, shredded pork, and plain options.
This time I came with my mother, and we ordered three portions of cold appetizers and two main dishes.
The salted egg with bitter melon is refreshingly crispy, and its vibrant green color is quite appetizing; the aroma of sesame oil is even more tempting, though if you keep eating, it might feel slightly salty after a while.
Dragon beard vegetable is also a delicious side dish, though occasionally the quality can vary, and this time it was somewhat tough, which was a bit disappointing. Aside from that, this refreshing and slightly sweet dish is indeed a great vegetable option.
The dried small fish with tofu has a saltier flavor, but it is very tasty; the tofu is a bit firm with a nice chew, but that does not diminish its deliciousness, and the dried fish adds umami as a side ingredient. The red and green chili garnish makes it visually appealing.
Now moving on to the main dishes, we ordered flat rice noodles with shredded mushroom and pork as well as the signature dumplings, both using the same broth (similar to the broth used for Hakka savory dumplings). The flat noodles and dumplings have a standard texture that is generally tasty, requiring no additional commentary. The shredded pork is savory with a bit of texture, definitely not bland or mushy. Each bite of the main dish accompanied by a spoonful of warm soup (and a big portion of chives) is quite enjoyable.
After eating so many dishes, I felt very satisfied, and the variety prevented it from becoming boring. There are about a dozen options for the appetizers, allowing for different selections each time I visit. Moreover, most items are priced as reasonably as possible, making frequent visits stress-free.
Dining at noon on Sunday
The business is very good 🤣
It's recommended to make a reservation in advance
There is a first and second floor – there is no elevator in the restaurant
If there are elderly guests who find it inconvenient to walk up the stairs
It's suggested to inform the restaurant in advance for arrangements 😀
The menu in the restaurant features Hakka cuisine
And there are no prices indicated 😂😂😂
But personally, I found it not expensive after two visits!
Also, usually, the restaurant will serve larger portions for groups of 6 or more
Otherwise, the portions will be smaller～
Stir-fried Dragon Beard Veggies
I think this dish is quite standard
It's on the lighter side
I feel it would be better if fried with a bit of ginger
Braised Pork
This dish is something I order almost every time I go 🤣
You can ask the restaurant for leaner meat
The meat is very tender and flavorful
Free-Range Chicken
Free-range chicken is a must-order every time
It also comes with soy sauce and Hakka orange sauce
The chicken is very tender and not gamey
Delicious 😋
Pan-fried Tofu
It's quite a large serving
Tastes just average～
Fish Fragrant Eggplant
The color is beautiful～
The eggplant doesn’t get mushy
Goes very well with rice
Pan-fried Basil Egg
It’s a pretty good egg dish 🤣
Scallion Beef
I think this dish is too salty
And it completely lacks the fragrance of scallions!
Such a shame…
Overall, the price isn’t high
Only a bit over 2000 TWD～
If you're unsure what to eat, you might consider coming here!
🚩 A humble old shop, the chef's home-cooked dishes are delicious.
📍 Location and Transportation: The "Cabbage Chicken" small restaurant is located in the district of Xindian, New Taipei City. The nearest MRT station is Qizhang Station, Exit 2, which is a 7-minute walk. If driving, you can park at the nearby Dafeng Youhuo parking lot, which is a 3-minute drive away.
🏠 Space: The restaurant has been open for a long time and has no elaborate decorations, but it is clean and bright inside. It has 4 tables for 10 people and 2 tables for 8 people. Today, during lunch on a holiday, there were only two groups of customers.
💰 Ordering and Payment: The server takes orders verbally at the table, and customers pay after their meal, with cash payment only.
🍽️ Dishes:
We ordered quite a few dishes today, with the details written below ⬇️
💭 Summary:
This restaurant has been around for decades, and I've always wanted to try it. Normally, with just two people, we cannot come here to eat, but since we had a rare gathering with elders, we chose this restaurant. The staff feels like family, giving a sense of stepping into the boss's living room 🤣. However, the dishes are of a certain quality, with only one dish not very good. I think I will come again for the cabbage chicken soup when winter arrives 😋.