Text & Photography / Chen Shuping

In the quaint alleys of Gongguan Township, Miaoli, there’s a Hakka cuisine restaurant called “Heshan Restaurant.” Its dishes carry on the heritage of traditional Hakka flavors while incorporating creative twists. It has even been served at state banquets. Just looking at the photos and signatures on the walls, you’ll know this restaurant has been endorsed and recommended by many celebrities.

As soon as you step into the restaurant, the classic vintage atmosphere makes you feel as if time has suddenly turned back. Amidst the simple and rustic color scheme, many old items are displayed—like vintage wall ornaments, earthenware jars, and ceramic pots. The walls are adorned with local Hakka cultural elements, and the dining area gives off a cozy, homely vibe. There are also many calligraphy works by well-known artists that add a refined touch to the space. This place is a popular spot for travel enthusiasts seeking authentic flavors.

A Taste of Nostalgia Passed Down from Grandmother

What used to be everyday home-cooked meals have now become the deeply missed flavors in the hearts of many. Originally, to take care of the elderly in the family, owner Chen Fuguang and his wife Liu Ruixia returned to Heshan in Gongguan to open a restaurant. The husband manages the front of the house, while the wife runs the kitchen, working together to pass down their grandmother’s cooking techniques, allowing many to rediscover the tastes of their childhood. Moreover, even the tableware here is carefully selected, featuring traditional hand-thrown bowls and dishes, which add to the dining experience.

Heshan Restaurant serves food very efficiently. As soon as guests are seated, they are served a steaming cup of purple perilla plum tea, which is slightly sour with a sweet aftertaste, warming the stomach and cutting through greasiness. Classic dishes include Hakka radish cake, trotter pasta, and plum sauce sweet and sour fish. Unlike many commercially made radish cakes that use “powder,” the radish cake here is made by grinding rice into a paste, then adding shredded radish, dried shrimp, and fried shallots, and steaming it. When cooked, the exterior is golden and crispy, while the inside remains soft and tender, making it hard to stop eating.

The “Trotter Pasta” uses black-haired pig trotters from free-range pigs. After two days and multiple labor-intensive processes—including blanching and icing to enhance the texture—followed by hours of braising in a proprietary sauce and a long simmering process to remove excess oil, it is not only delicious but also comes in generous portions. It always surprises guests when it’s served. The final dish is a healthy sweet potato, sweet and smooth in texture, and incredibly filling—it leaves no room for anything else. Be warned: bringing just a small appetite here is definitely not enough.