A paradise for big eaters – Huayang’s Hong Kong-style dim sum offers a wide variety that will satisfy even the heartiest appetite.

Photos & Text byXiongmao Rudy

Huayang Grand Hotel in China is located on Civic Boulevard (there’s another entrance on Bade Road), making it very convenient for transportation. Take the MRT to Zhongxiao Fuxing Station and it’s just a short walk away, situated right across from Breeze Center. Once you step into Huayang Grand Hotel, you’ll easily spot the Hong Kong-style dim sum dining area, which features an impressively high ceiling. The overall space is not overly crowded with tables and chairs, creating a very comfortable dining environment.

Let me show you the vibe of the venue. The space is designed with a spacious banquet-style layout, so whether you’re walking around or serving yourself, everything feels easy and smooth. There are also grand crystal chandeliers overhead that make a striking impression, and large floor-to-ceiling windows on the other side provide perfect natural lighting. Viewing it from multiple angles, you can really feel the comfort. The deep purple color scheme is paired with pink-purple tablecloths and chair covers, and the staff also walk around regularly—if you need anything, you can just approach them directly.

Let me briefly introduce Huayang Grand Hotel’s all-you-can-eat Hong Kong dim sum experience. There are three main parts to it: first, there’s the dim sum cart service (as shown in the photo below— there aren’t many places that still use carts these days!), then there’s the self-service buffet area where you can help yourself to anything you like, and third, there are hot stir-fried dishes listed on the table stands that you can order as add-ons.

But based on my experience, if you’re interested in the stir-fried dishes, it’s best to order them as soon as you’re seated (they come out faster that way). Each cart offers different delicacies, and the offerings are clearly labeled. The thoughtful service staff, noticing how seriously I was taking photos, even proactively opened the lids to make it easier for me to photograph.

The portion sizes aren’t extremely large, which is actually a good thing for an all-you-can-eat setting—otherwise, eating too much of the same flavor would fill you up quickly, and trying to sample many different dishes could become a burden or even lead to food waste. Every dish is aromatic and tempting.

Now let’s take a look at another cart—the third one is filled with Hong Kong-style roasted meats. After checking out the cart offerings, let’s move on to the self-service buffet area. There you’ll find my personal favorite peanut candy sticks, egg tarts, and peach crisps, along with red bean coconut cakes, a variety of fruits, and more.

For savory options, there are spicy duck blood tofu and curry fish balls, as well as lotus leaf chicken, drunken shrimp marinated in Shaoxing wine, and small bites including honey-glazed taro cubes, passion fruit and green papaya, and Mountain City Spicy Chicken. There are quite a lot of choices here!

As for soup options, there are both savory and sweet varieties. Savory soups include crab meat corn soup and health mushroom braised soft ribs, while sweet soups include black sesame paste and almond soup. Wow—just going through this list once is quite filling on its own.

The crab meat corn soup is light and smooth, and you can actually taste the crab leg meat (photo above left). The wild mushroom braised soft ribs (photo above right)—the soft ribs melt slowly in your mouth as you chew, and the texture isn’t overly tough or unpleasant. Both of these soups are much better than what you’d typically find at many all-you-can-eat restaurants—the ingredients are generous and the flavors aren’t bland. According to the staff, the herbal turtle jelly here is also quite tasty, but I was too full to try it today.

These are the hot stir-fried dishes that you can order unlimited times, but since they’re made to order, they do take longer to prepare. So if you’re interested in any particular dishes, be sure to order them early with the staff!! Wow!! Nearly ten classic Hong Kong dishes arrived at the table all at once—absolutely amazing!

Garlic-steamed pork chops (photo above left)—the pork chops are medium-soft, with decent juiciness and a slightly refreshing flavor.Soy sauce-steamed chicken feet (slightly sweet in taste, probably a flavor that chicken foot lovers will enjoy, but since I and the kitty rarely eat this dish, I don’t have much basis for comparison.Mountain bamboo beef balls (photo above right)—they have a bouncy texture and rich flavor, with the juices locked inside the balls, and they hold up pretty well even when slightly cooled.

Crab roe steamed shumai (not overly surprising in seasoning, but the shrimp inside are fresh and springy, even exceeding expectations. Even the kitty, who usually hesitates to try shrimp, couldn’t stop praising the meal after trying these!!Szechuan spicy beef tripe (photo above left)—recommended for those who love offal; it has a really chewy texture and bold flavor.Shrimp-filled cheung fun (photo above right)—the shrimp are large enough that they don’t lose their bounce.Hanging oven roast duck—this one is fairly standard, as the duck tends to change in flavor once it cools down, but the meat quality isn’t an issue. It would definitely be better if served hot. The sweet-and-sour plum sauce served with it complements the roast duck nicely and enhances the overall flavor.Crystal-clear shrimp dumplings—the pleats harden once cooled, so it’s best to enjoy them while hot. This dish is called Mountain City Spicy Chicken—it’s from the self-service buffet, and since I didn’t get to try it, I can’t comment on its condition.

(I forgot the name of this dish—photo above), but the flavor is also quite good. The shrimp inside are incredibly plump—you can cut into it to see for yourself and really feel the generous amount of shrimp, which is super satisfying and juicy.This is a single-order dish provided by the PR department: crab roe tofu pot (), but the taste is also pretty amazing—the shrimp inside are incredibly firm and substantial. Cut one open and you'll see just how much shrimp is packed in; they're super plump and have an incredibly satisfying bite.

This is a single-order dish sent over by the public relations department: crab roe tofu pot (Top left of the image), thanks to the thoughtful team at Huayang. There were plenty of crab legs paired with a rich crab roe flavor, and the texture with the egg tofu was absolutely perfect (I really wanted to find some rice to go with it). Phoenix Nest Lychee Glutinous Rice Dumplings (a very unique name, but they’re actually taro dumplings,Top right of the image), Xiong really enjoyed the rich taro flavor inside, but because it goes for a strong taste, whether you’ll like it might be a matter of personal preference.

Fengcheng Salted Dumplings (top left of the image), this dish performed above standard — even when cold, they remained springy without being too tough to bite (more filling would make it even better). Taro Salted Sponge Cake (top right of the image), also bursting with taro aroma, but this one is best enjoyed hot, paired with a not-so-light soy sauce paste that stood out quite impressively.

Salad Shrimp Balls (Top left of the image), Huayang’s shrimp dim sum is quite good — after all, shrimp is the soul of Cantonese dim sum, and as long as that part’s right, it’s hard to go wrong. This one is probably the Hundred Flowers Fried Dough Stick (Top right of the image), though it didn’t seem to appear in the stir-fried dishes, but after trying it, I thought it was pretty good. The whole shrimp remained fresh and juicy. One of the best things about coming for Cantonese dim sum is definitely getting your fill of fresh shrimp.

Century Egg Char Siu Pastry, as the name suggests, has century eggs added inside, but the flavor isn’t too strange — overall, the char siu flavor is still more prominent. Honey Glazed Char Siu Buns (Top left of the image) are fairly large, with two in each basket. The sweetness of the filling is slightly on the higher side, and the name of this dish is a bit ambiguous. It’s basically a savory-sweet milk-flavored tart with the appearance and texture of an egg tart, seemingly with a hint of pumpkin flavor. It’s delicious when eaten hot and is a favorite among mayonnaise lovers. Golden Lava Buns (Top right of the image), do they really lava? You’ll know right away — well, they live up to the name of a lava bun. The richness is fairly pronounced. Once you take a bite, you’ll taste both the sweetness and the aroma of salted egg yolk, but the lava here is on the sweeter side, lacking the intense, solid salted egg yolk richness of something like Sun Gang Café. Those who prefer sweet aromas will probably order these multiple times. Milk Custard Layer Cake, the texture is somewhat similar to the lava bun, essentially a square version of it, but with beautifully distinct layers — that’s quite thoughtful!!

Kung Pao King Oyster Mushrooms (Top left of the image), savory and flavorful, but could be more deeply seasoned. Golden Sand Tofu (Top right of the image), the exterior has a rough mouthfeel from the salted egg, but the inside is soft and tender tofu. The seasoning is above average. Bacon and Chinese Cabbage — a bit more flavor infusion would enhance the texture a lot. Pine Nut Stir-Fried Chicken Rice, this is one of Xiong’s personal favorites — fragrant and super oily pine nuts paired with chicken rice and diced vegetables, offering both aroma and texture. But because there’s quite a lot of vegetables, it’s not too easy to get tired of it (adding some lettuce to make a shrimp-floss-style wrap would be nice too). Apricot Slice Shrimp Rolls, decent-sized, and when eaten hot, you can taste the crispiness of the almond slices, along with the mayo flavor and the juice of the shrimp.

Now onto the dessert section, White Fungus and Longan Soup (Bottom right of the image), not overly sweet, quite suitable for cleansing the palate after the flaky Cantonese dim sum; Sesame Paste (Bottom left of the image), the flavor here is on the lighter, more refreshing side, with not too high sweetness or thickness, so it doesn’t leave much of a taste bud burden afterward.

Almond Paste is rich and fragrant, slightly sweet but quite pleasant to drink, with a slight aftertaste of sweetness, but this one is also something you’ll either love or not — those who dislike almond flavor might not enjoy it. Lychee Tapioca with Taro Flavor, this one is arguably the best dessert of the day, balancing sweetness with taro aroma — a sincere creation. Ending with this also helped boost Xiong and Miao’s impression of Huayang’s all-you-can-eat Cantonese dim sum experience quite a bit.

To be fair, in terms of price and food quantity, 399 NT plus 30 NT for tea, and then an additional 10% service charge, it’s quite cost-effective with plenty of choices, including the dim sum cart and buffet sections, all fairly sincere. So if you’re someone who values high cost-performance and has a big appetite, Xiong and Miao suggest you give it a try. But if you prefer refinement over quantity and aim to eat smart rather than stuff yourself, then this style might not be quite as suitable!!

Author of this article: Xiong Miao RudyA couple passionate about food, who occasionally go wild spending lots on eating, drinking, and playing, but generally stick to the principle of “limited money, endless appetite.” They run a blog under the same name."Bear & Cat: Devouring the World"Updated simultaneously.

[Huayang Grand Hotel Zhong Branch]

Address: G Floor, No. 209, Section 3, Civic Boulevard, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Phone: (02)87729666
Business Hours: Lunch is served from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM. The price is NT$399 per person plus NT$30 for tea, and an additional 10% service charge applies.
Recommendation: For those with big appetites, this is a very economical place for gatherings. With lunch lasting three and a half hours, it's perfect for food-loving chatterboxes who want to eat and talk at length!!

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