By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Network, reported by Chen Guanxin
Once celebrated across the country, Beitou home-style dishes gradually declined as the prosperity of the Beitou area became a thing of the past, but have regained their charm in recent years. These dishes fuse Japanese, Sichuan, and Cantonese cooking styles, challenging the limits of luxury. Whether it's the grand presentation, knife skills, or plating, every detail is meticulously crafted. For instance, using the art of food carving to depict dragons and phoenixes, adorning dishes with floral touches, or arranging ingredients so exquisitely they resemble paintings—achieving a realm where “there’s a painting within the plate, and a plate within the painting.” Not only do hosts impress their guests, but diners are also constantly delighted. What was once exclusive to dignitaries can now be enjoyed by all at the 3rd Taiwan Beitou Home-Style Dishes Cultural Food Festival, starting May 17th. Various restaurants will join forces to offer traditional Beitou home-style dishes, recreating the refined aesthetics of exquisite plating with lavish yet approachable prices.
What was once exclusively for the elite can now be easily sampled for just NT$10 at this year’s Beitou Home-Style Dishes Cultural Food Festival. (Photo provided by Kagle Public Relations)
The 2013 Taiwan Beitou Home-Style Dishes Cultural Food Festival will be held grandly from May 17th to 19th on the south side of the Xinbeitou MRT Station in Taipei. Featuring nostalgic nostalgia music, open-air screenings of classic films, as if stepping into a time tunnel to relive the retro charm of grandma’s era, the original singer of “Kiss and Tears,” Chou Tzu-han, will also make a comeback performance.
Home-style dishes, once the favorite of the elite, have transformed into a more accessible, people-friendly cuisine. This event specially invites Huang Dexing, hailed as the “master of Taiwanese cuisine” and a national treasure of home-style dish cuisine, along with food expert Liang Youxiang, to guide the plating techniques. They’ll teach the public how to use decorative skills to transform ordinary ingredients into stunningly beautiful dishes. A parent-child creative plating competition will also feature “cute girl” Qiao Qiao and her dad giving a demonstration at the opening. To give back to consumers, the organizers have invited hotel chefs to prepare home-style dishes in small, refined portions, available for just NT$10 per dish. What used to require NT$10,000 to NT$18,000 to host a full home-style banquet at a restaurant can now be enjoyed in its entirety for just NT$100.
During the 3rd Taiwan Beitou Home-Style Dishes Cultural Food Festival, the venue will also feature hot springs and a “Sales Carnival” with booths set up by hotel operators, as well as a “Cultural Exhibition Area” with traditional folk arts such as dragon beard candy, candied haws, and cotton candy. There will also be a charity sale of yukata and second-hand items. On May 18th, enthusiastic participants will join in cleaning up the century-old Beitou Park. Those interested can gather at the event service booth on the south side of Xinbeitou MRT Station before 14:30 that day. Additionally, those interested in a guided tour of Beitou culture can join a professional guide from the Beitou Culture Foundation for a visit on May 18th and 19th. Interested individuals can gather at the event service booth on the south side of Xinbeitou MRT Station before 14:30 to await departure.
● Further Reading: Following the Footsteps of Beitou Nostalgic Music, Stepping into the Beautiful Old Times of the Hot Spring Town
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