A borderless restaurant in Taoyuan’s alleys – a diverse mix of Chinese, German, and Japanese cuisine with plenty of choices!

Text & Photos／Dakou

Since Koume got pregnant, we’ve been visiting Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital frequently for prenatal check-ups, so nearby food options have naturally become one of our top priorities. Little did we know there was an amazing creative restaurant right across from the hospital. Tucked away in the alleys of Wenhua 1st Road, “Huachao Handcrafted Cuisine” is located in the A8 Mall area near Chang Gung Metro Station. There’s parking available nearby, and since the metro is now operational, getting here by either public transport or car is super convenient!

Head chef Brother Ah Di has over 20 years of culinary experience. With his modern techniques and deep understanding of ingredients, he has created a variety of innovative dishes. Here, you can enjoy signature dishes that defy expectations and indulge in a feast for both the eyes and taste buds. In addition to the surprising dishes, even their homemade desserts are exceptional – it’s totally worth a visit just for afternoon tea!

“Huachao Handcrafted Cuisine” is located in the A8 Mall area near Chang Gung Metro Station, tucked inside the alleys of Wenhua 1st Road. You’ll find it by walking down the small road next to Taipei Plaza Taoyuan A8. There are two dedicated parking spots available, and if those are full, there’s also a large paid parking lot nearby. Once the metro is fully up and running, you can also take the train here – transportation is quite convenient overall.

The signboard of “Huachao Handcrafted Cuisine” has a slightly weathered industrial look, with a low-key and minimalist style that makes it hard to guess what delicious treats await inside before you step in!

The seating area on the first floor is relatively small, suitable for small gatherings. But it’s bright and well-lit, so we chose to sit Up on the first floor. Next to it is an open kitchen, where you can watch the chefs bustling about while you dine.

This place breaks away from the usual noisy and chaotic kitchen style of traditional Chinese restaurants. It looks clean, tidy, and busy in an orderly way – a nice vibe!

Currently, only the first and second floors are open for dining, but the fourth floor will soon offer a menu-less dining experience – very exciting indeed. Then we headed up to the second floor, which has more spacious seating, perfect for larger groups or private rooms. It gives off the illusion of an art gallery café, not really like a Chinese restaurant at all. (By lunchtime, it was completely full – very popular!)

On the wall hangs a profile of Chef Ah Di. With 20 years of culinary refinement, Chef Ah Di has ventured from Western cuisine and Japanese cuisine to Chinese cuisine. Leveraging his deep knowledge of cooking, he mixes various types of dishes using innovative techniques. Here, you can enjoy a visual treat and your taste buds will be in for endless surprises!

The walls are also covered with Chef Ah Di’s certificates and medals, clearly showing that his exquisite cooking skills have earned widespread recognition.

There are also medals awarded by Auguste Escoffier Culinary Academy and Le Cordon Bleu Shanghai, honoring the outstanding Chef Ah Di. He looks seriously impressive!

There’s also a full wall of photo displays, chronicling not only moments from Chef Ah Di’s life but also his culinary journey – it’s rich and heartwarming.

Private rooms are also available here, suitable for gatherings of all sizes and for guests who prefer a bit more privacy.

The restaurant also offers tables for four and larger groups, meeting all kinds of dining needs. The space features wooden textures paired with metal chairs and tables, giving off a strong industrial vibe with a unique design flair.

Once seated, the tableware is already set, and there’s a pitcher of water on each table for self-service. The cups are designed like non-spill tumblers, and the atmosphere still feels a lot like a café. Then the staff will hand you the menu Up!

Here, they also offer weekday business lunches, takeaway meal boxes, and afternoon tea – perfect for office workers. There are also great value set meals, including vegetarian sets, duo sets, and quartet sets, ideal for first-timers or anyone unsure what to order, allowing you to try their signature dishes all in one go!

Also, their dish names are quite interesting. Just reading them might leave you a bit puzzled, but that adds a sense of mystery!

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Little Sun Chicken Rice (NT$40), Black Lulu Fragrant Mixed Rice (NT$45). The Little Sun Chicken Rice is a twist on the traditional pork lard rice, using semi-raw egg combined with chicken fat and soy sauce, topped with some fried shallots for aroma. The Black Lulu Fragrant Mixed Rice is inspired by Taiwan’s beloved braised pork rice, made with century egg, braised pork, and pine nuts, creating an unexpectedly harmonious blend with the century egg and pine nuts, adding fragrance and texture that burst with flavor in your mouth!

The Little Sun Chicken Rice has the rich aroma of chicken fat and the smooth, silky taste of a semi-raw egg, sprinkled with perfectly seared fried shallots for fragrance – it’s sweet and savory without being greasy, great on its own or with other dishes.

Ginger-Ginger Stiff Fish Sauce Fish (NT$380). This dish uses sea bass that’s been deep-fried crispy, then paired with old ginger, young ginger, and a special sauce. It’s finished with a sprinkle of scallions and red chili slices. Be sure to eat it together with the toppings!

The fish, when eaten with old ginger, young ginger, scallions, and red chili, is crispy outside and soft inside, with a tangy-sweet taste. The old and young ginger surprisingly aren’t spicy at all, but rather have a mildly spicy, salty-sweet flavor that blends with the refreshing and aromatic scallions for a perfectly balanced taste.

Kung Fu Two Liang Meat (NT$290). Besides delicious food, this place also pays great attention to tableware and plating. The utensils are all brought back by Chef Ah Di from abroad, and they pair beautifully with the creative dishes!

It looks a bit like Hakka stir-fry, but the taste is quite different. Made with salted pork, green beans, tofu, chili, and pickled melon, it strikes the perfect balance between salty and sweet, and keeps the salted pork tender and Q-textured – not too tough or hard. Great on its own or with rice.

Sichuan-Style Pig’s Trotter (NT$390). As soon as it arrived at the table, we couldn’t help but exclaim – it looked absolutely amazing!

This dish is adapted from the German-style pork knuckle. First, the trotter is deep-fried until crispy, then simmered in a special sauce, and finally sprinkled with Sichuan spice powder. It looks completely different from a typical German pork knuckle!

It retains the soft and Q texture of the skin, while the meat inside is tender and not chewy. Most importantly, it still has juicy meat, paired with the mildly spicy aroma of the spices, resulting in an incredibly fragrant and flavorful dish that’s richly savory.

They even provided knives and forks, which not only gave off a sense of having Western food in a Chinese way but also allowed everyone to share the meal together — it felt especially nice. The texture was exceptionally tender and juicy, with a very mild level of spiciness, making it an agreeable flavor for most people!

Tianma Running Chicken (NT$290): At first glance, this dish looks somewhat like Kung Pao chicken, but you can’t quite put your finger on why it feels different? Grab your chopsticks and find out for yourself~

Made with boneless chicken thigh meat that's first deep-fried until crispy, then quickly stir-fried with other ingredients, it has a savory, slightly spicy taste along with the aroma of Sichuan peppercorns. But it also gives off a vibe similar to San Bei Ji (Three-Cup Chicken). It turns out the chicken is prepared using the three-cup method, and is then finished with basil to enhance the fragrance. The chicken is tender, flavorful, and well-seasoned — this single dish had us eating several extra mouthfuls of rice!

Soaked Tofu Old Skin (NT$250): When it arrived, the serving dish had a somewhat Japanese aesthetic, making us even more excited about the dish inside!

This soup dish is adapted from Japanese cuisine. The tofu is first deep-fried to achieve a texture similar to that of bean curd skin, then simmered in a broth made with milk and vegetables, and finally enhanced with goji berries and red dates for a sweet touch.

The old skin tofu has a crispy outer layer while still retaining a soft interior texture. It soaks up the rich and aromatic broth, offering a blend of milky and vegetal sweetness. When you bite into it, there’s a burst of juice — it’s also pretty great as a soup on its own!

Lime Shrimp Combo (NT$380): Specifically made with Blue Diamond shrimp, simmered with lemon, spring onion, garlic, and French mustard. The line-up of plump shrimp looks both impressive and delicious.

Each shrimp has been butterflied, which not only allows the flavors to penetrate better but also makes it mess-free to eat — it's all very thoughtful!

The taste is lightly sour, fragrant, and sweet, with a hint of Thai cuisine but also a touch of French aroma. Paired with the Q-textured, fresh, and tender shrimp meat, it's a real treat in the mouth. It’s a perfect match for summer!

Pride Truffle Wild Mushroom Soup (NT$280): Made with a mix of three or more types of mushrooms, along with French truffles, goji berries, and red dates. The soup has a naturally sweet flavor, with the distinct aroma of truffles occasionally coming through. Paired with the tender mushrooms, it's smooth and refreshing. After all those bold-flavored dishes, having a light and refreshing soup is really a great choice!

Colorful Fruit Salad (NT$250): Wanting something lighter here? No problem at all. Served with wispy dry ice, it looks dreamy and adds a refreshing coolness!

Made with a variety of seasonal fruits, combined with lettuce, wild berry sauce, and homemade yogurt. They serve a generous portion of fruit — in addition to common choices like apples, guava, pineapple, and oranges, there are also air-flown Washington cherries, pickled tomatoes, and green grapes. The colorful array of fruits is really appetizing!

The taste is sweet, sour, and fragrant. With the natural sweetness of the fruits complemented by the wild berry yogurt sauce, it’s refreshing and delicious. Paired with crisp lettuce, it’s a real delight on a hot summer day!

After filling up on savory dishes, it’s time to take care of the sweet tooth too. Time for dessert — it’s rare to see Western-style desserts offered at a Chinese restaurant, and the creative plating has us even more excited!

Black Diamond Brownie (NT$98): A unique combination of brownie and ice cream, served with a spatula — it looks like you're doing some gardening. It’s cool and refreshing, with bits of chocolate and cocoa aroma, rich yet not overly heavy — what a delightful surprise. Best of all, it’s only NT$98, which is more than enough for two people!

In addition, they also offer an afternoon tea set. Since our sweet tooth wasn’t satisfied yet, we quietly ordered another one for a sneak taste. We went for the Single Dessert Set (NT$250), which includes four chef-made desserts and a choice of either coffee or freshly squeezed juice. We chose the juice — it’s refreshing and sweet, with a perfectly balanced flavor and smooth taste. The juice is made from seasonal fruits purchased that day, so the flavor may vary each time!

Ta-da~ Here comes the dessert plating. Honestly, the presentation is just too refined and dreamy. It’s like it’s been brought straight out of a fairyland!

Chef Ah Di even specially ordered this mirror-frame plate as the serving dish, adding an even more mysterious and fantastical feel!

There are four different kinds of desserts in total, and the selection might differ each time. This time we had baked pudding, black diamond brownie, golden cheese concentric rings, and handmade cookies. Each one is carefully crafted by the shop, looking delicate and beautiful.

The pudding is smooth and creamy, with a delicious blend of milky and caramelized flavors. The black diamond brownie is also a signature item of the shop, specially made with Japanese flour, eggs, French butter, premium 65% bitter-sweet chocolate bricks, cocoa powder, and baked with walnuts. No baking powder or preservatives are used — it’s labor-intensive and made with great care. It’s rich and intense, with the aromatic bitterness of chocolate and cocoa, a solid and full-bodied texture paired with the crunch of walnuts. It’s very satisfying. Fans of this treat can also take a box home as a gift for family and friends!

Golden Cheese Concentric Rings: Made with ingredients such as New Zealand cheese, British light cream, and Korean fine sugar. The middle has a texture similar to a dense cheese cake — rich, milky, and sweet, with a touch of vanilla and fresh milk adding a light, non-greasy note. The outer ring is a layered, soft sponge cake that balances out the richness of the cheese. Together, they’re a perfect match. This cake is also available in a gift box for takeaway — anyone interested can check it out!

“Huachao Handcrafted Cuisine” not only has an environment full of industrial style and design flair, but its bright and spacious seating area makes dining here relaxing and comfortable. There are plenty of dishes to choose from, and we suggest starting with a set meal to try their signature handcrafted dishes all at once. Here, you can temporarily let go of traditional notions of what a meal should be and fully enjoy the surprises and sensory impact on your taste buds and eyes. Also, dessert lovers shouldn’t miss their homemade sweets — not only are they exquisitely plated and delicious, but they’re also super creative. You’re sure to fall in love after just one bite. Interested friends, come give it a try. The uniquely creative dishes at “Huachao Handcrafted Cuisine” might leave you just as wanting more and savoring the memories, just like I did!

Huachao Handcrafted Cuisine
Address: No. 43, Lane 42, Alley 10, Wenhua 1st Rd., Guishan District, Taoyuan City (The store provides two parking spaces — please call ahead to check availability. There are also large paid parking lots nearby)
Phone: 03-3181528 (It’s recommended to make a phone reservation in advance)
Business Hours: 11:30–21:30 (Monday to Sunday)
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