Text by MOOK Travel Life Wei Rwei | Photography by TAO CHEN, Wang Mingwei

 

Situated just a five-minute drive from Taoyuan International Airport, the China Airlines Novotel Hotel enjoys a prime location for watching planes take off and land. This unique geographical advantage, along with thoughtful soundproofing, provides transit travelers with a high-quality and distinctive accommodation experience. It is also Taiwan’s first “family fun” hotel, offering free breakfast and no extra charge for an additional bed when two children under the age of 16 stay with their parents. On the first floor, there is also a “Children’s Play Area,” allowing parents to dine or socialize in peace. During holidays, many locals enjoy coming here for an “airport mini-trip,” visiting the nearby Aviation Science Museum, grabbing light bites at the first-floor “Q Bar,” or dining at “The Square (Pin Fang)” or the second-floor “Weifang.” Some prefer to spend the night here to soak in a different ambiance—enjoying the heated swimming pool, jacuzzi, and 24-hour fitness center to unwind, recharge, and get ready to go again.

Novotel Hotel – Must-Try Hotel Cuisine

‘New Shanghai Cuisine’ at Weifang

Different from traditional Old Shanghai cuisine (Shanghainese cuisine), which tends to be sweet and salty, “Weifang” Chinese restaurant specializes in a refined version of Shanghai cuisine that draws inspiration from other regions — what is known as “New Shanghai Cuisine” or “Haipai Cuisine.” The restaurant’s fashionable and minimalist Eastern-style interior was also one of the filming locations for the idol drama “It Started with a Kiss.”

 

The menu at “Weifang” blends exquisite dishes from Shanghai, Hangzhou, Huaiyang, Yangzhou, and Suzhou. The highlight is the “Poached Tender Wagyu Beef,” made using a broth simmered for two days with 70–80 spices including Sichuan peppercorns and chili peppers, along with big bones, chicken feet, and pork skin. The dish uses Australian Angus snowflake beef. When ordered, the staff will cook the beef tableside. The aroma wafting through the air not only gets your stomach growling but is also irresistible to nearby diners. Though you might expect this to appeal only to spice lovers, the dish is surprisingly easy to eat despite the spice — the numbing and fragrant flavors keep you going back for more. Paired with ingredients like bean sprouts and mung bean starch sheets, the overall flavor is well-balanced, appetizing, and leaves you wanting a second bowl.

 

Other popular dishes include Osmanthus Glazed Sticky Rice Lotus Root, Suzhou Braised Abalone, Hangzhou Spicy Fish, Cloud Bamboo Shoot Sour Soup Mountain Spring Fish, and Luffa Xiao Long Bao... Each à la carte dish costs around NT$180–640, and there are also set meals priced at NT$1,280 and NT$1,580.

 

In addition to open seating, the restaurant has six private rooms, with the largest able to accommodate 20–25 people and featuring a separate living room and restroom. It often attracts foreign travelers looking to sample Eastern cuisine and is also a favorite venue for business banquets.