Chinese cuisine can also be very "trendy" — Fan BAR Weifeng Xinyi Branch is like a cozy café

▲ With a mission to bridge the generational gap between classic Chinese food and younger diners, Fan BAR's Weifeng Xinyi Branch opened on October 14. (Photo / Provided by Fan BAR)

Reported by Huang Shiyuan / Taipei

With a mission to preserve the flavors of traditional Chinese cuisine and bridge the generational gap between classic Chinese food and younger diners, "Fan BAR" has opened its third branch, Weifeng Xinyi, which officially debuted on October 14. Different in style from its first two locations, the new outlet features an elegant yet fashionable interior that soothes the mind. In addition to the original menu offerings, the restaurant has introduced 8 exclusive dishes available only at the Weifeng Xinyi location.


▲ Beauty tea paired with Dongpo pork, priced at NT$479. (Photo / Taken by Huang Shiyuan)

Fan BAR’s head chef, Leo, previously worked at several Shanghai restaurants, making Shanghai cuisine one of his specialties. However, Fan BAR doesn’t limit itself to just Shanghai dishes — many beloved Taiwanese dishes such as Sichuan and Hunan cuisine are also on the menu. But to make Chinese food more accessible to younger generations, Leo has made slight adjustments to the flavor profiles, using less rock sugar, vinegar, and soy sauce, and toning down the spiciness of Sichuan and Hunan dishes.


▲ Wushan Qincheng Lian Grilled Fish, priced at NT$498. (Photo / Taken by Huang Shiyuan)

In addition to its distinctive space design and adjusted flavors, Fan BAR Weifeng Xinyi also infuses creativity into its dishes. For example, “Ai Ling Shang Yu Pin Jiao Ji” (Eileen Chang’s Fish & Spicy Chicken) was inspired when the restaurant’s partner Dennis learned that Eileen Chang loved chicken while in Shanghai. He asked Chef Leo to create a chicken dish, which is then served atop a transparent fish tank. The fishtails in the tank resemble Chang’s dress swaying gracefully in flowing light, evoking her poetic image by the pond in Shanghai’s People’s Park — one character, one fish, one bite of chicken at a time. Another dish, “Zhi Mo Ta Xue Xin Tai Ruan” (Lu You’s Soft-Hearted Snow), is a classic Shanghai snack, but it’s sprinkled with a layer of frosty white powdered sugar. When served, staff recite Bai Juyi’s poem “Questioning Liu the Nineteenth.”

Fan BAR Station Weifeng Xinyi Branch has 130 seats and 2 private rooms. Its menu includes 11 categories, with classic dishes starting at NT$138, and larger main courses ranging between NT$600–700. In addition to à la carte options, the restaurant also offers set meals for 3, 4, and 6 people, consisting of 7, 9, and 11 dishes respectively, priced from NT$488 to NT$5,380.


▲ Ai Ling Shang Yu Pin Jiao Ji — featuring live goldfish underneath. (Photo / Provided by Fan BAR)


▲ A salad bowl with soft-shell crab, priced at NT$437. (Photo / Taken by Huang Shiyuan)


▲ Zhi Mo Ta Xue Xin Tai Ruan.

Address: 4F, No. 68, Section 5, Zhongxiao East Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City