Super-popular family restaurant near Xihu MRT Station: hot pot, afternoon tea & more!

Text & photos byXiaohu’s Dream Food Blog

In the past, we always had low expectations for the "food" at "family restaurants," and I was no exception. That’s exactly why I had my doubts before stepping into the quite famous "HO'ME Kitchen" near Xihu MRT Station—but thankfully, the experience turned out great, both in taste and visuals. So I’m here to share my thoughts on my first-ever "family restaurant."

After getting off the MRT, I quickly found this place—whose exterior resembles a casual breakfast café—within seven or eight minutes by following the map. I also noticed a small food stall called "Fried Boss" outside in the evening.

Upon entering, it really did resemble a casual breakfast spot, with a touch of minimalist afternoon tea style.

The overall dining space is larger than I expected. Perhaps because it’s positioned as a "family-friendly" restaurant, the décor everywhere has a "cute and warm" vibe.

This wall in the middle is quite interesting. For one, the sofa doesn’t seem to be for dining, there's a coin-operated candy twist machine on the left, and on the right is… “Mantou’s” den?

After staring at it for a while, I still couldn’t figure out if this somewhat retro-style candy machine actually works… but the candies inside do look edible...

This rabbit is probably named "Mantou" and is a buddy to many kids, though it sheds like crazy—just holding it for a bit left my whole outfit covered in fur. That’s when I learned rabbits molt too, xd.

The upstairs area is more like a regular casual restaurant, while B1 has a much wider dining space, serving as the main area for "family" meals. The bookshelves on the walls are filled with "family magazines."

Since this place is fairly spacious, it’s also often booked out for private events, especially family-oriented activities.

Meanwhile, B1 also has plenty of safe toys for kids, as well as plastic utensils designed for children.

There are also cute high chairs for the littlest ones!

There’s an indoor play park where kids can play after meals—it’s apparently a popular afternoon tea spot for moms in Neihu.

The disinfection area in front of the play zone.

After checking out the family area on B1 and returning to the first floor, I took photos while browsing the menu—which offered a surprisingly wide selection, quite different from your average family restaurant.

Although it’s billed as a family restaurant, the regular meal options available during normal hours are also quite varied.

Especially at lunch, there are business set meals and small hot pots.

During the meal, I kept seeing and hearing the woman who I assume is the manager discussing private bookings with customers. It sounded like menus could be customized based on customer preferences—this seems like a family restaurant that frequently hosts events.

British Royal Set Meal (NT$169) comes with a drink. The overall dishes and presentation are quite rich, featuring crispy German sausages, thick and chewy bacon (not greasy at all), soft-scrambled eggs, fried potatoes, fruit salad, and honey pancakes.

Overall, this set meal—whether in portion size, price, or even visual and taste appeal—completely overturned my impression that family restaurant food isn’t tasty. I wouldn’t say it’s amazing, but it’s definitely much more delicious than the average family restaurant, and the cost-performance is high.

The Chef’s Signature Set had over ten options, all NT$189 (soup included). We chose "Stir-fried Chicken with Alpine Mushrooms," served with three daily side dishes. The loofah was particularly good; two of the sides were more average, about the level of a regular bento shop, but less oily.

The chicken was fairly tender, seasoned with the differing sweetness of onion and mushrooms, plus occasional bursts of sesame flavor. Again, nothing mind-blowing, but it definitely defied the notion that family restaurant cooking is weak.

The rice was a healthy sweet potato rice sprinkled with a bit of black sesame—good-looking, tasty, and nutritious.

"Herbal Medicinal Hot Pot" for NT$199—looks like there’s a lot of ingredients, probably too much for one person to finish, xd.

No exaggeration—when you scoop it up, it’s packed with greens (two or three types), plus lots of healthy Chinese herbal ingredients. Since both the ingredients and broth follow a healthy route, it tastes very refreshing and light, yet super filling.

The soup looks clear but is full of the simple sweetness of vegetables, with a hint of the mellow taste of herbs. It’s delicious. The ingredients are generally modest, focusing on health and simplicity. Those who prefer strong flavors can pair it with the provided dipping sauces.

Freshly blended fruit juice, though I forgot how much it costs. Besides the kiwi aroma, I also tasted a bit of apple’s tartness, along with some pulp at the end. It’s a simple, healthy drink.

I heard this is homemade cheese from the restaurant. I’m not sure if it comes with the set meal or is ordered separately. It’s drizzled with a lot of chocolate sauce, which I’m not a huge fan of, but I bet kids would be absolutely thrilled to see it xd. The cheese itself is rich in milky flavor, not overly bouncy or rubbery, and actually quite tasty.

It was finished off with the honey star diamond toast. At first, I didn’t think a place like this could serve a good version of honey toast, and when it arrived, it didn’t look particularly impressive either. But when I took a bite, the bread was delightfully crispy on the outside and soft inside. The best part is that it wasn’t overly greasy. The fresh cream also had a surprisingly smooth texture, unlike the usually overly oily and sweet versions you get in stores. It came with plenty of fruit and a scoop of chocolate ice cream. The overall experience far exceeded my expectations in every “flavor” way.

Ho'Me Kitchen & Kids Restaurant:
No. 79, Wenhu Street, Neihu District, Taipei City
Phone: 02 2799 7200
Business Hours: Monday to Friday 09:00 - 21:00 / Saturday to Sunday 08:00 - 21:00

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