Located inside the Miaoli Carrefour, Yang Cheng Italian Restaurant is a budget-friendly, family-style Italian chain brand. The environment is spacious and comfortable, making it suitable for family dinners or casual gatherings with friends. The menu offers a rich selection, featuring salads, hearty soups, pasta, baked dishes, as well as drinks and desserts. On weekdays, some dishes come with a free upgrade to set meals, which is quite attractive for consumers who value cost-performance ratio.

"Wooden Bowl Pan-Seared Chicken Salad"
Generous portions with fresh and crispy lettuce, and a good amount of chicken, leaving no feeling of skimping on ingredients. The dressing is thoughtfully served separately, which is a big plus for those who are calorie-conscious or dislike sauce. However, the flavor of the dressing is subjective; personally, I prefer tangy or vinegar-based dressings, while this salad dressing is on the sweeter and richer side, which doesn't quite suit my taste.

Weekday Upgrade Set: "Fisherman’s Clam Pasta"
The set comes with a creamy soup, bread, and a drink (we chose raspberry fruit tea). The creamy soup is a common flavor found in chain restaurants, leaning more towards a central kitchen profile; it’s thick but somewhat monotonous. The bread is average, with a pleasant hint of nuttiness. The fruit tea is pleasantly sweet and tangy. As for the main dish, the aroma of the pesto sauce is quite nice, and the clams are relatively fresh, but unfortunately, the pasta is overly soft and lacks the expected al dente texture of Italian cuisine. If they could improve the control over the pasta’s doneness, the overall presentation would be better.

"Basil Tomato Sauce Veal Pasta"
This was a small regret; my family originally wanted to choose another main dish, but ultimately changed their selection because this dish came with an upgrade option. They even added a baked dish, which turned out to be a downfall; the bake didn’t seem very fresh, the tomato sauce was ordinary, and when paired with the beef slices, there was nothing remarkable about it. The veal itself, being thinly sliced and common, was neither particularly tender nor problematic, just bland.

Yang Cheng's positioning is clear: affordable, generous portions, and convenient for family customers. If you're simply looking for a straightforward meal and enjoy a spacious environment, it can be an acceptable option. Although the weekday upgrade sets are a bonus, careful selection of the main dish is still necessary to avoid sacrificing flavor for the sake of an upgrade.

Located inside the Carrefour in Miaoli, "洋城義大利麵" (Italian City Pasta) is a Western-style restaurant that attracts families and shoppers with its affordable prices and diverse menu. The overall dining environment is bright and spacious, and the staff is friendly. It primarily features pasta, risotto, salads, and a variety of beverages, making it a good choice for a short break and meal after shopping at the warehouse store. However, this dining experience wasn't particularly great.

Firstly, the appetizer “Wooden Bowl Pan-seared Chicken Salad” performed quite well. The lettuce was fresh and crispy, paired with sweet peppers that added layers of flavor. Although the chicken wasn't particularly tender, it wasn't dry either. Overall, the texture was stable, the portion was sufficient, and the amount of meat was generous, making it an appetizer that can satisfy a hungry stomach. 🥗

For the main course, the “Fisherman’s Clam Pasta” had a sauce that leaned towards a milky flavor, with a mild pesto taste that would be suitable for children or customers who prefer lighter flavors. Unfortunately, the pasta itself was too soft and lacked elasticity and chewiness. For those who prefer al dente pasta, this might be disappointing.

Another main dish, the “Basil Tomato Beef Pasta,” was the most disappointing item. The tomato sauce itself was decent, and the beef was just ordinary thin slices. The issue was with the cheese that was added (and charged extra). I am a blue cheese enthusiast, but the cheese here lacked the expected rich dairy aroma, instead emitting a strange “stinky smell.” It was neither as charming as blue cheese nor as salty and fragrant as Parmesan, which made the entire dish unappetizing. The strange flavor ultimately forced me to remove all the cheese, which was a pity for a dish of pasta that could have ended well. 🍝

The set meal came with “Creamy Soup,” which was standard—smooth but unremarkable.

The “Dinner Roll” was good, with nuts added for texture, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, making it a humble yet commendable part of the meal. 🥖

As for beverages, the “Raspberry Fruit Tea” was refreshing and sweet and was the highlight of the meal.

The “Lychee Black Tea” was a bit astringent but packed with lychee aroma.

In summary, "洋城義大利麵" is a budget-friendly option suitable for family gatherings or a break while shopping, but the quality of the main courses varies. It is recommended to consider others' experiences before ordering. If adjustments can be made in cheese selection and pasta doneness, it would make for a more ideal dining experience.