Top pick for New Year’s Eve feast: High-value Buddha Jumps Over the Wall with shark fin and sea cucumber — 10 premium ingredients packed in

Reported by Hua Shaofu / Taipei

In recent years, many Hong Kong-style cha chaan tengs have opened in Taiwan, including chains like Dim Sum Square and Tim Ho Wan. While this initially raised concerns about the prospects of local Hong Kong-style tea restaurants, the Golden Lion Restaurant — one of the few still offering the traditional dim sum trolley service — has now celebrated its 39th anniversary. Not only does it remain bustling even on rainy days, with customers packing every seat, but its recently launched New Year’s Eve meal sets have also become quite popular, boasting an authentically delicious taste.

▲ Golden Lion Restaurant’s New Year’s Eve meal offerings. (Photo / Reporter Hua Shaofu)

The restaurant currently offers two types of New Year’s Eve meals: a full table set priced at NT$10,000, which includes 11 dishes such as a assorted platter, braised sea cucumber with scallions, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall with shark fin, shrimp balls with XO sauce in a nest shape, shrimp rolls paired with BBQ pork pastry, sakura shrimp rice cake, stir-fried seasonal vegetables with mushrooms, steamed live grouper, chicken stewed with ginseng and dates, as well as refined desserts and seasonal fruits; they also offer a la carte options for New Year’s dishes like sakura shrimp rice cake, premium Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, and sea cucumber braised pork trotter. There are even recommended dim sum items such as fried tofu skin shrimp rolls, delicious BBQ pork pastry, and leek shrimp fritters. If you’d like to take away a whole box of radish cake, it’s just NT$450 — the selection is extremely diverse.

▲ The premium Buddha Jumps Over the Wall contains 10 ingredients. (Photo / Reporter Hua Shaofu)

Premium Buddha Jumps Over the Wall — NT$1,500
This bowl of premium Buddha Jumps Over the Wall contains 10 ingredients, including bamboo shoots, fish skin, chestnuts, shiitake mushrooms, taro, shark fin, chicken, pork ribs, sea cucumber, and tendons. Unlike many other vendors where the broth outweighs the ingredients, this restaurant prides itself on high value with genuine, hearty fillings. For just NT$1,500, you get a whole pot that’s packed to the brim.

▲ The soy-glazed pork ribs have a sweet and savory flavor. (Photo / Reporter Hua Shaofu)

Soy-Glazed Pork Ribs — NT$280
The pork ribs are first parboiled and excess oil is removed, then cooked using a glazing technique before being thickened with a starch slurry. The final dish offers a delightful sweet and savory taste that’s richly flavorful.

▲ Golden Lion Restaurant’s New Year’s Eve menu also features recommended Hong Kong-style dim sum. (Photo / Reporter Hua Shaofu)

Radish Cake, Fried Tofu Skin Shrimp Rolls, Leek Fritters — NT$82–120
The radish cake is made mainly from shredded radish with almost no added flour, so you can truly taste the quality of the radish. The fried tofu skin shrimp rolls mix shrimp with chives and cilantro, then wrap them in tofu skin. The leek fritters are made by wrapping shrimp and leeks in yellow dough, then steaming and pan-frying them — you can really taste the deliciousness of each ingredient.

▲ A box of Hong Kong-style radish cake is just NT$450. (Photo / Reporter Hua Shaofu)

Golden Lion Restaurant
Recommended New Year’s Dishes
Sakura Shrimp Rice Cake — NT$650
Premium Buddha Jumps Over the Wall — NT$1,500
Sea Cucumber Braised Pork Trotter — NT$600
Braised Sea Cucumber with Scallions — NT$420
Pan-Fried Red Snapper — NT$400
Boiled Native Chicken — NT$700
Japanese-style Soy-Glazed Pork Ribs — NT$280

Recommended Dim Sum
Fried Tofu Skin Shrimp Rolls — NT$120
Delicious BBQ Pork Pastry — NT$82
Leek Shrimp Fritters — NT$120
Hong Kong-style Radish Cake — NT$450

Golden Lion Tower Hong Kong-Style Dim Sum

Address: 10F, No. 36, Xining South Road, Wanhua District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2312-2675, 02-2312-2676, 02-2312-2677
Business Hours: 10:00–21:30, open every day

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