Train-Chasing Hideaway: Hualien’s No-Menu Dining Restaurant with Must-Try King Crab Milk Pot
Reported and photographed by reporter Tsai Wen-jun, Hualien
In recent years, a number of unique restaurants have opened in Hualien, among which the most popular is the “Huilan Bay View Restaurant” in Xiulin Township. It specializes in no-menu dining and features a vast garden where you can enjoy a fountain show at any time. Aside from its delicately presented dishes, each with its own distinctive features, this spot is also a hidden gem for train chasing. The restaurant has specifically designed its walls and the tracks behind the garden to be at the same height, so visitors can enjoy the view of trains passing by while dining. If you head to the back of the garden, you can even capture close-up shots of speeding trains.
▲ Hualien’s well-known no-menu dining restaurant, “Huilan Bay View Restaurant.”
▲ The garden landscape at the back of the “Huilan Bay View Restaurant.”
▲ The dining space at the “Huilan Bay View Restaurant.”
Covering an area of about 2,000 pyeong, Huilan Bay View Restaurant is Hualien’s first handmade no-menu dining establishment. The restaurant has invited the chef from Yilan Glass House to create dishes using a variety of seafood and daily fresh ingredients. Each dish at Huilan Bay is more than just a meal—not only are the portions generous, but the tableware and plating are also designed to resemble artworks, enriching guests’ visual and culinary experiences.
▲ % Each dish at the well-regarded no-menu dining restaurant “Huilan Bay View Restaurant” is like a piece of art.
The restaurant states that the most iconic dish at Huilan Bay is the Japanese-style milk pot, made with milk, Japanese dashi, and pork bone broth, and filled with various fresh vegetables. Depending on the number of diners, different types of crabs are served. For groups of five or more, you can enjoy spiny lobster and super king crabs. After being cooked in the pot for a while, the sweetness of the vegetables and seafood blends into the broth, adding layers of flavor and making this Japanese milk pot a popular favorite.
▲ The signature Japanese milk pot at “Huilan Bay View Restaurant” (top left).
▲ The oversized king crab is only available for reservations of five or more people.
However, since this is a no-menu dining restaurant, reservations are required in advance to determine the dishes and portions based on the number of guests. The restaurant explains that the cost is NT$1,000 per person for groups of one to four, with about eight to nine dishes served, and NT$800 per person for groups of five or more, with about ten to twelve dishes. The menu is designed by the restaurant based on the day’s ingredients, and you can also discuss your budget when making a reservation.
▲ The garden also offers views of passing trains.
As a scenic restaurant, the views here are not to be missed. At the back of the restaurant is a garden landscape designed by the owner, featuring small bridges over flowing water, pathways winding through rolling hills, and a pavilion beyond the stone path. From here, you can get a clearer view of trains passing by. If you want to watch the Taroko or Puyuma trains go by, you can check the schedule in advance for departure times from Hualien Station. About 7 to 10 minutes after departure from Hualien Station, the trains will pass by Huilan Bay View Restaurant, making it a hidden gem for train chasing in Hualien.
Huilan Bay View Restaurant
Address: No. 6-5, Jiawan, Jingmei Village, Xiulin Township, Hualien County
Phone: 03-826-8888
Share
This article is published by HowToTrip. Sharing and reposting are welcome — please credit the source.
Article URL: https://www.howtotrip.net/views-2872
Related Articles
- Shaoxing's "Grandpa Gourd" hangs the gourds back up: "If there are too many people, we'll interact less — just take a quick look from afar"
- Chinese authorities announce "reciprocal adjustment" to Japan visa fees — single-entry visa jumps from 2,250 to 16,750 yen!
- 旅客携带的“保健石”核辐射超标千倍，同机人员或遭殃！海关提醒！
- 深圳机场深夜通报！出现不明升空物，航班大面积延误！
- “拆盒洗了才说要钱！”高铁200克葡萄卖60元，12306回应！
- 买不了机票？出境被拒？登机被拦？一大波中国游客莫名成了“失信人”
- 不利天气和经济波动影响哥伦比亚咖啡市场
- 海边浴场回应冲脚淡水收费2元/30秒：明码标价！
- 舱门没关好就起飞？机翼出现问题？多个航班途中紧急折返！
- 感受大自然的馈赠！盘点世界十大唯美海岸线