Famous Hong Kong dish spotted here: "Straw-Scented Beauty Beef" with a grassy aroma

Text and photos byXiaohu’s Dream Food Blog

Changju – if I remember correctly, I came here once when it first opened, but to be honest, that time left little impression on my taste buds, which is why I never got around to writing about it. Until early this month when I visited again. This time the experience was great, so I immediately wrote this up to share with everyone. Especially the dish “Straw-Scented Beauty Beef,” which was truly unforgettable.

Changju is located on Ren’ai Road, not far from Zhongxiao Fuxing Station. Its sign isn’t very prominent, and it’s easy to walk right past without noticing.

The entrance also feels somewhat hidden, tucked away in an office building, very low-key.

The restaurant is basically in the basement, but the dining space is quite spacious and comfortable.

Golden kimchi. The texture is delightfully crisp, and after chewing, there’s a pleasant mix of spiciness and sweetness that’s really tasty and quite appetizing. Another pickled radish dish (which I forgot to photograph) looks a bit dry, but it’s not when you eat it. It seems to be simply salt-pickled, offering that pure, mild saltiness with the natural sweetness of the radish. Cut thick, the texture is really good.

Duck tongues have never been one of my favorite dishes, but Changju prepares them in two distinct flavor styles. One is primarily spicy oil-based – while the flavor is bold, aside from the heat, it didn’t leave much of an impression. The other, infused with wine aroma and a hint of herbal sweetness, was absolutely delicious. The crisp texture with a slight burst of juice upon biting, and the natural taste of the duck tongue isn’t overpowered by the spice. For the first time, I found duck tongues enjoyable. It’s also one of the more memorable dishes from my visit.

The dim sum dishes from the first visit – whether shrimp dumplings or another type of vegetable dumpling – were only average. While the whole shrimp in the mouth were pleasantly firm, the flavors were pretty much what you’d expect.

The shrimp shumai with added small abalone was one of the more flavorful dim sum dishes from my first visit. The braised abalone had a mildly sweet fragrance that was quite appealing upon first bite, and the warm, juicy filling from the shrimp paste was satisfying, with just the right level of sweetness. Delicious.

The crispy roast pork was served on both visits, and the texture was fairly consistent both times. Overall, it’s tasty, but still falls a bit short of my all-time favorite version from Yigong. The main issue is that the outer sugar crust isn’t as crisp or flaky. However, some friends actually prefer Changju’s version, as it’s not as sweet as Yigong’s.

Wrapped in egg wrapper with cuttlefish roe, cucumber, white radish, and scallions, it’s extremely refreshing. The cuttlefish roe isn’t overly strong in flavor either, but instead has a touch of pleasant sweetness and saltiness. The cucumber and white radish add juiciness, making each bite especially moist. The varied textures – from different levels of crispness to the layered melt-in-your-mouth sensation of the cuttlefish roe – all work wonderfully.

The sweet anchovy dish is not too salty and has a slight kick of spice, making it perfect for drinking.

The savory-sweet stir-fried cured meat is quite delicious, though for some reason, I always find the scallions and cashews – infused with oil, sweetness, and meaty aroma – even more enjoyable XD. The addition of squid also gives it a hint of Hakka-style side dish flavor.

The stir-fried greens that were gone before I knew it... must’ve been pretty good XD.

This is a rather unique version of chicken rolls. The outer skin is quite thin with a nice, slightly crisp texture, and the filling is very generous, mostly made of fish paste with a slightly sticky consistency. The mushrooms and minced meat offer layers of flavor, a refreshing change from the more monotonous traditional chicken rolls. But honestly, this feels more like what a chicken roll should be. After all, traditional versions used to be whatever leftover ingredients were in the fridge rolled up – "chicken" (slang for leftovers in Taiwanese) rolls. Even back when ingredients were scarce, they wouldn’t have had such quality fillings.

Also, this dish might just be the best mapo tofu I’ve ever had. It’s mildly spicy yet incredibly enticing, with a sauce that has just the right amount of Sichuan peppercorn numbing and fermented bean paste fragrance. The saltiness doesn’t overpower or clash with other flavors, and the finish is an unexpectedly delightful sweet aftertaste. Absolutely delicious. But I only found out afterward that this dish was prepared that day by guest chef “Chef Weiqiang” – absolutely amazing.

I’ve heard about “Straw-Scented Beauty Beef” from a foodie friend for ages but never had the chance to try this famously beloved dish from Hong Kong. Bone-in beef ribs are wrapped in straw and then braised in sauce. When it arrived, it wasn’t just visually striking – the aroma of the sauce was irresistible.

When the server cut open the straw at the table, a subtle, slow, but captivating grassy aroma wafted out. The first bite brought an incredible, almost scream-worthy grassy scent – reminiscent of smoked caramel. Absolutely phenomenal. Then there’s the tenderness of the beef ribs, so smooth and sweet with fat, yet still retaining the rich umami of the meat. It’s ridiculously delicious. Just for this dish, I’d want to organize a food tour XD.

A friend said it’s even better with a drizzle of sauce, but personally, I thought it was great on its own. The sauce is sweet, somewhat like sweet bean sauce, and may have been seasoned with some extracted meat juice – very fragrant.

I didn’t get to try the pig’s trotter noodles, but the plating was very unique and quite beautiful.

Aside from Cantonese cuisine, seafood is also a key part of Hong Kong cooking, especially crab stir-fried with rice cakes. Changju’s seasoning is a little different – it’s not overly salty, and even has a touch of pleasant sweetness. The rice cakes are soft, sweet, and sticky just right, and the crab – full of roe – is absolutely delightful. Especially the finger-licking satisfaction after eating the crab.

The spicy and numbing boiled fish features very tender fish, where the numbness and spice don’t overpower the natural sweetness of the fish – a rare and wonderful delicacy.

The roast duck that seemed just okay on the first visit completely changed my mind on the second.

Whether it’s the crispness, oiliness, or sweetness of the duck skin, the difference is huge. Especially that hint of lightly charred roasted duck fat aroma – absolutely captivating. It’s one of the mid-to-high-tier roast ducks I’ve had.

The Fuzhou crispy pastry, filled with scallion fragrance and a hint of meaty sweetness, was very satisfying and likable in flavor. But the outer crust, while flaky, had a slightly off-putting powdery softness. Still, overall it’s quite delicious.

The shredded radish pastry is truly excellent and, in my opinion, a must-order. On the first visit, I felt the radish paste inside was too mushy and even a bit watery, but on the second visit, it was adjusted to just the right texture. The mouthfeel is that of radish paste melting into a slightly sticky consistency, and the sweetness is just phenomenal. The outer layer is also crispier than before, with a richer fried texture that’s super delicious.

The mango ice cream–topped mango sago pudding is quite good. But it’s quite different from what I’ve had before XD.

Frequent Gathering Cantonese Cuisine
Address: B1, No. 25, Section 4, Ren'ai Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-27516116
Business Hours: 11:00-14:30, 17:30-22:00

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