Young entrepreneur at 28 collaborates with Chiayi hotel to open a “yakiniku restaurant” in the lobby

Reported and photographed by You [name obscured] / Chiayi
 
Taiwan’s diverse array of hotels and inns almost all come equipped with restaurants to provide convenience for travelers. The types of restaurants are countless, covering everything from Chinese and Western to Italian cuisines, but upon closer thought, the option of “yakiniku” seems oddly missing. Indeed, the idea of a hotel-run yakiniku restaurant just brings to mind clouds of smoke. However, in Chiayi, there’s a business hotel that has gone against the grain, creating its own branded yakiniku eatery — and even setting it up right next to the guest lobby. This bold investment has sparked quite a bit of discussion.


▲The interior of the restaurant features a wine cabinet, and the seating is designed mainly with private booths in mind.


▲The owner, Chen Jung-chieh, is just 28 years old.

“Yakiniku Kanzutei,” located inside the business hotel “Chiayi Kanzutei,” is a rare example of a “hotel-style yakiniku.” Peering through the glass floor-to-ceiling windows connected to the lobby, the nearly two-meter-high wine cabinet doesn’t look like something you’d find in a yakiniku shop, but more like a wine-tasting bar. The space doesn’t have many seats either — around 20 seats are arranged in a booth-style design, scattered throughout the overall space in a well-spaced and private layout.

Running “Yakiniku Kanzutei” is 28-year-old owner Chen Jung-chieh. With no prior experience in running a yakiniku restaurant, he was simply passionate about eating yakiniku and wanted to promote chilled meat. After multiple tests, he managed to secure a collaboration with Chiayi Kanzutei to operate this rare hotel-based yakiniku spot. “Most of our partners have food and beverage experience, but not much yakiniku experience.” After numerous trials, they finally decided on the cooking method and timing for each type of meat, “We want to convey the best possible texture to our guests.”


▲%The meat used is chilled and sliced in-store. (Note: Text appears corrupted; preserving placeholder.)


For first-time visitors to “Yakiniku Kanzutei,” sitting at the counter is a great choice, as you can watch the cooking process up close. The reporter experienced the “Kanzutei One Night Three Meals” package, which includes one night’s stay plus breakfast, afternoon tea, and a yakiniku dinner. Starting with the first dish, smoked scallops, you can see the chef sear them and infuse smoke into a glass jar before plating them on the table. The delicate process unfolds step by step right before your eyes, almost like a culinary performance.


▲Wagyu combination.
%You can also make a day trip or choose other options. (Note: Text appears slightly unclear; preserving meaning.)



▲Each cut is grilled to a different level of doneness.

The second course is a pork crackling salad with a sauce made using a soft-boiled egg. Then the main event begins with the “Wagyu combination.” Featuring cuts such as flat iron steak, ribeye, flank steak, wagyu belly, and the rarer diaphragm, each type of meat is served in an order based on its fat marbling — starting with lighter flavors, moving to richer ones, and finishing with sweet umami juices, ensuring the palate isn’t overwhelmed. Chen Jung-chieh, the owner of Yakiniku Kanzutei, explained that all the beef used in the restaurant is chilled meat. “There aren’t many places in Chiayi where you can try chilled meat, so we hope to introduce more people to it.”


▲Dry-aged beef sirloin.


▲%A combination of wagyu and Iberico pork in a cheese burger patty. (Note: Text appears corrupted; preserving placeholder.)


Next up is Taiwanese pork cheek, along with one of the restaurant’s highlights: the dry-aged beef sirloin. The 21-day dry-aged meat has a rich smoky aroma. There’s also a cheese burger patty that combines wagyu and Iberico pork, and the meal concludes with bamboo rice that’s surprisingly fragrant. The set also includes Japanese rice paired with premium chilled meat — a delightful surprise.

%The bamboo rice is also highly recommended.


Address: 1F, No. 467 Zhongxing Rd., Chiayi City
Phone: (05)281-3355
Price: Special offer — Summer limited “One Night Three Meals” package, starting at NT$4,500 per room, with only 3 rooms available per day