Even the president loves it！ A highly talked-about French restaurant hidden in the mountains of Miaoli

(The sole main course at Cacasonne)

Text and photos by /Kuni

I had put Cacasonne on my must-try list as early as February 2016, mainly because of its high profile. In August, President Tsai Ing-wen visited the jujube orchards in Gongguan Township, Miaoli, and had a private lunch at Cacasonne, making the news again.

I finally made it there this year and took the opportunity to visit Dahua during strawberry season. The strawberry farms in the mountains are far superior to those on the plains—the strawberries are bright red and plump. It was quite hard to find the way to Cacasonne in the evening, so I drove around extra. When I arrived, the door was closed, and I had to call them to let me in.

(Cacasonne in the evening)

(Parisian Eiffel Tower installation art)

(Very romantic when viewed through the heart-shaped archway)

(Cacasonne amidst the garden)

(The entrance)

It was my first visit, so I went with the chef’s recommended NT$1280 set menu. For the main course, I chose the American sirloin, and went with the recommended medium-rare doneness.

What we ate:

French savory tart and shrimp cucumber rolls
Red wine braised pears
Garlic-infused milk温泉蛋 (hot spring egg)
Chestnut soup
American sirloin
Dessert

(Chairs that are perfect for photos)

(Paris-themed decorations all around)

(Wall clock)

(The wooden snail is, of course, not for eating)

(Dining table)

(Table setting)

(Chef Lin Chang-sheng)

Overall, the experience wasn’t too bad, but the main course was a letdown. Let’s start from the beginning. Here, if you don’t ask the server, you’re given plain tap water for free—completely different from Taipei restaurants that often charge extra for water. The French savory tart was good, the cucumber rolls were average, filled with avocado salsa. The bread served before the meal was just plain toast, which was a bit odd. The butter provided was very cold and hard, making it difficult to spread—it seemed like it had just been taken out of the fridge. The next three dishes before the main course were completely unmemorable, so I’ll skip those.

My friend had the sole for the main course, but unfortunately, it was lacking in both portion size and flavor. My American sirloin looked much better at first glance, but the doneness was uneven, with some parts being way too rare, and the meat had a lot of tough sinew that was hard to chew, so I couldn’t finish it. At this price point, you can’t expect too much, but I do wish the knives were sharper—the steak knife we had today was worse than those at many Taiwanese-style steakhouses up north.

(French savory tart and shrimp cucumber rolls)

(The pre-meal "bread")

(Red Wine Braised Pears)

(Garlic-Infused Poached Egg with Fresh Milk)

(Chestnut Soup)

(American Sirloin)

(Friend’s Main Course: Halibut)

(Steak Cross-Section)

(The doneness is way too rare)

(The halibut was too dry)

(The risotto was no good either)

(Dessert)

The flavors of the meal weren’t particularly mind-blowing, but it gave me plenty to think about. Chef Lin Chang-Sheng returned to his hometown after studying at Le Cordon Bleu in France, and I’m sure there are many ideals and aspirations behind his efforts. Forget how difficult it is to open a refined French restaurant in Miaoli — even New Taipei City, where spending power has been rising in recent years, would find it hard to imagine.

A certain French cuisine chef once complained: "No one even orders beef bourguignon anymore. How can we not serve steak as well?"

"If the restaurant isn’t making money, what’s the use of talking about lofty ideals?"

Absolutely true.

Château de Carcassonne French Restaurant
Address: No. 6, Zhongping 99, Ln. 7, Zhongping Village, Tongluo Township, Miaoli County
Phone: (03)722-8800
Hours: 12:00–13:30, 18:00–19:30

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