HowToTrip’s Guang She Restaurant – A Japanese-style Café in the Mountain City

By TRAVELER Luxe

 

Situated at National Chengchi University in Muzha, known for its serene scenery nestled between mountains and water, the newly opened Guang She Restaurant last September is situated within the familiar Qixian Building, a familiar spot for many NCCU students. With its high ceilings and bright, spacious interior, wooden flooring, wooden furniture, comfortable sofas, and books hanging from the ceiling, it feels like stepping into a stylish Japanese café where you can quietly enjoy a slow-paced life in the mountain city.

Every time I visit NCCU, I love to look up at the especially vast sky and the relaxing green mountains and clear waters. It’s like a secret backyard garden of Taipei — the NCCU campus has an otherworldly beauty. Walking up the gentle slope along Maple Lane and the Wind-Rain Corridor, you can admire the graceful scenery of the mountain campus, as elegant as a beautiful woman. The changing seasons and shifting times flow out like poetic verses from ancient literature, leaving behind beauty in every glance. In spring, flowers of all kinds compete in bloom, accompanied by the sounds of insects and birds, as well as the cheerful sounds of students reading aloud — the most wonderful melody. In summer, cicadas sing non-stop throughout the day, celebrating youth with heads held high. In autumn and winter, the mountains turn from green to red, resembling ink paintings — rich and enchanting, light and elegant — always offering a varied beauty that never gets old. In the evening, clouds drift in through the light, and the romance of a light drizzle often turns classroom moments into misty experiences. And the most delightful thing is to take a walk down the mountain in the evening breeze, watching the slanting sunlight reflect off the gorgeous orange-red sunset, while the fragrance of osmanthus along the path lingers like an echo that refuses to fade. And then, stumbling upon a little café where you can spend the whole afternoon — that’s the smallest yet greatest joy in life.

 

Guang She Restaurant at NCCU is just such an eagerly anticipated haven of comfort. As you step inside, there's almost no sense of walls — just an open, bright transparency. The high ceilings hang with a few books and bulbs, highlighting the theme of a school cafeteria, and from a distance, they resemble flying books, adding fun and a sense of design to the space. Large glass windows let in the outdoor mountain views and the enchanting sunlight, while the light wood-toned tables, chairs, and flooring, paired with beige, black, and brick-red sofas against a grass-green wall, create a lively and airy atmosphere. To the left is a large open kitchen where all cooking processes and ingredient handling are visible, ensuring peace of mind. Additionally, you can closely admire the chefs’ exceptional skills, and if you’re feeling bold, even strike up a chat with them — it’s like visiting a familiar friend’s home, relaxed and without much host-guest formality. It’s the first time I’ve seen American casual style and Japanese minimalism merged so seamlessly and naturally. Too much would feel heavy, too little too light — the balance is just right.

There are several black bookshelves in the central aisle of the store, displaying a few books for visitors to browse freely. Vintage typewriters and movie cameras bring you back to the most beautiful old times. Why is it called “Guang She”? Wu Sijang, the general manager and designer, says that light symbolizes knowledge, and schools are places that pass on knowledge. The dwelling of light also represents the dwelling of knowledge. Furthermore, in the private space partitioned by sliding doors at the back, there is an entire wall of unglazed porcelain, which also carries deep meaning from the designer. It turns out that each white porcelain piece, in its unique shape, is like students when they first enter school — pure and colorless. Through various learnings and experiences, just as porcelain undergoes coloring and firing processes, after entering society, they become individuals with their own distinct characteristics. “The key design point of the whole shop is Simple pleasure.” Often, what makes people happy is the simplest, purest things, not the complex ones. And when you step into Guang She Restaurant, every sense can enjoy the simplest form of joy.

 

The more you stroll around this shop, the more you discover the care and ingenuity in the space. Wu Sijang says the restaurant uses very little real wood veneer, opting instead for eco-friendly panels, plywood, and LED lights to practice energy-saving and environmental protection. At the very back, there is also a VIP private room that accepts reservations for 10 to 12 people. Inside the private room, there is a long wooden table and several pendant lamps, full of Nordic style, and the soft powder-blue walls offer a visual surprise and bring a sense of calm, while several black-and-white floral photos showcase taste and style.

 

Then comes the aroma of food, reminding us it’s time to treat our stomachs. The first dish is the “Pirate King Seafood Pasta.” This seemingly ordinary red sauce spaghetti actually hides a secret — it uses Hungarian paprika along with herbs like rosemary and thyme, plus fresh cream, creating a flavor completely different from the usual tomato sauce. It has a slightly spicy kick with a creamy aroma, making it a uniquely delicious taste. Topped with clams, fresh fish slices, and shrimp, the pasta is a vibrant orange-red with a glossy sheen, making it look incredibly appetizing. Upon the first bite, the spice of the paprika is subtle at first, then gradually intensifies, filling the mouth with an aromatic stimulation that whets the appetite. A mellow creamy aroma balances the spiciness in your mouth. The texture of the flat noodles easily absorbs the sauce, making you want to take another bite immediately. Close your eyes and savor the wonderful fusion of flavors — whether you love spicy food or not, you’re bound to love this. And with such high-quality cuisine, the price is surprisingly affordable, which is truly rare.

The second dish is the “Bitter-Sweet Garlic-Chili Noodles.” It has the flavor of salted egg stir-fried bitter melon — another creative idea from Chef Zhu Xiangming. “Because Taiwanese people have never had their own Italian pasta, I wanted to develop one that’s both healthy and suits Taiwanese tastes.” The crisp and refreshing taste of the green bitter melon hits your palate, with the bitterness still present but followed by a subtle sweet aftertaste. The salted egg yolk is stir-fried and simmered into a sauce, then mixed with garlic, chili, and noodles, and finally sprinkled with crispy fried garlic for added flavor. It’s truly a unique experience you won’t find elsewhere, combining salty, fragrant, bitter, and spicy all in one.

The third dish is the “German Cowboy’s Favorite,” which pairs German pork knuckle with specially made beef sausage. The crispy skin of the pork knuckle is as crunchy as roast suckling pig, getting more fragrant the more you chew — it turns out the pork knuckle is braised for over four to five hours, pan-fried, and then roasted to achieve such crispness and aroma. It is served with a Japanese-style cold sauce seasoned with black pepper and wasabi, which is sweet with hints of pepper and the slight spiciness of wasabi, successfully reversing the stereotype that German pork knuckle can only be eaten with mustard and sauerkraut. It gives your taste buds a new memorable delight. The final dish is the “Old-School Meat Brick,” which at first glance looks like a large chunk of Dongpo pork with its dark, attractive color. In fact, it’s made from extremely thick pork ribs, lightly pan-fried, then marinated in a large amount of red wine for two days until fully infused with the wine, before being braised for six hours. It’s a labor- and time-intensive dish. With one bite, it melts in your mouth, living up to its reputation for tenderness. The rich aroma of red wine lingers, paired with a plum sauce made from Taiwanese black plums, which is sweet and sour with distinct layers. Each flavor stands out yet harmonizes beautifully.