The rustic-looking country
interior decor is one of Hou
Zhuang Art Restaurant's most
distinctive features and
includes antique furniture and
a
spacious dining environment
that help customers feel
relaxed.
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Rustic setting, exquisite cooking make Hou Zhuang Art Restaurant a hit
By Douglas Habecker
Translated by Angel Pu
30, Alley 72, Lane 467, DunHua Rd, Beitun District
(04) 2426-9699
Hours: 11 am-2 pm, 4 pm-1 am (closed Mondays)
Credit cards not accepted.
Parking available.
Although this restaurant is only about three minutes from the busy ZhongQing Road, a turn onto its lane from DunHua Road brings visitors to a totally different rural setting. Hou Zhuang Art Restaurant, which has been open since 2005, continues to draw many gourmands with its reputation for great food. This fact, plus its very experienced chef, rural scenic surroundings and convenient location are all reasons it has a good following of regular diners.
Perhaps because of its central location near the freeway interchange and a number of business hotels, Hou Zhuang Art Restaurant presents itself as a "tea art" restaurant that offers delicious entrees requiring a fair bit of preparation. Whether it is the business set meals targeted at nearby office workers during weekdays or the healthy daily vegetable set meals (starting at NT$199), the food here is up to the standards of diners wanting exquisite cuisine.
 The restaurant's chef previously worked in the UK and Japan and you can enjoy his specialties, like the Shanghai-Style Roasted Carassius Fish with Spring Onions. The owner notes that choosing a good-quality fish is very important. It has to be a female full of roe so that it won't
shrink during cooking, and also has a distinctive flavor when consumed cold.
 The restaurant has thoughtfully designed a variety of meal sets for diners. The most popular Yuan-Qi Set (NT$399) includes beets, thin Chinese sweet potato noodles, sliced beef, papaya fish rolls, shredded scallop mixed rice, asparagus with lily bulbs, and fresh fish soup, plus sweet soup with tremella and lotus seeds for dessert. The owner makes a point of using high-quality ingredients to help ensure patrons have a satisfying dining experience. With the arrival of winter, hot pot sets are also available, with two options coming with different kinds of broth (NT$420). Take-out new year meals will also be available during the Chinese New Year period.
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January 2011 
