CHAO — Restaurant in Da'an District

During our recent trip to Taipei, we stumbled upon what we thought was a fantastic vegetarian spot for lunch, but after trying Chao, we knew we had found a true gem! We are thrilled to rank Chao as one of our top choices for vegetarian dining.

The food was simply divine! It beautifully captures the essence of local cuisine while being entirely plant-based—how amazing is that? The atmosphere was vibrant, with a diverse crowd that reflected an international appeal. The staff were not only friendly but also welcoming; they even encouraged us to help ourselves to the selection of alcohol from the fridge, which added a fun, communal vibe to our experience.

One standout feature was the user-friendly ordering app. It allowed us to customize our meals according to our dietary preferences, whether vegetarian, vegan, or egg-free, making it easy for everyone to find something delicious.

If there’s any reason to return to Taipei, it would definitely be to explore more of the incredible vegetarian restaurants like Chao.

My personal favorites included the stinky tofu, which was flavorful, and the Hakka stir-fried dish that was bursting with taste. The herbal duck soup was also a highlight, rich in flavor and incredibly satisfying. Overall, Chao exceeded our expectations, and I can't...

I really like this place but I feel like it’s slightly too expensive for the portion size. Especially considering that they don’t provide free rice and water (Update 2024: they’ve started to provide free water).

Update August 2024: Somehow, my rating for Chao keeps dropping with each time I go. I used to love it when I went for the first time in 2022. But ever since then, their quality has deteriorated. The food just isn’t as tasty anymore. We ordered the Kung Pao Chicken today, and it wasn’t crispy at all. Just soft and tasted like flour.

We also ordered some string beans and pork intestine. They ran out of string beans and instead of advising us of this and asking if we would like to order something else, they just replaced the string beans with fried basil leaves. I had ordered this dish before, and what we got today had nothing to do with what it used to look like. We confirmed with the waitress that the order was right. Not only that, but the ‘pork intestine’ we got was fried for too long and hard to chew. They didn’t even give us a discount for a mistake that was obviously on their side.

I really used to love this place, but I don’t think I can recommend it to anyone anymore. There are other restaurants with similar dishes, at a more reasonable price point, and with...

CHAO Stir-Fried New Asian Vegetarian Cuisine is a delightful all-vegetarian stir-fry restaurant that's sure to surprise your taste buds. Located in Taiwan, it's the first place in the country to use plant-based meat to create delicious dishes. What's even more reassuring is their strong commitment to eco-friendliness and sustainability. They refuse to sell plastic-bottled drinks and opt for environmentally sustainable sanitary paper. Not only are they promoting a vegetarian lifestyle, but they're also actively practicing environmental conservation.

"Chao・炒炒蔬食熱炒" opened its doors in April 2021, specializing in all-vegetarian cuisine. Every item on their menu is plant-based, making it a perfect fit for vegetarians. The founder, Carrie, has been following a vegetarian lifestyle for over a decade. She used to dine out at late-night stir-fry places after work but, being a strict ovo-vegetarian, she often encountered dishes containing eggs. This led her to the idea of opening her own stir-fry restaurant where she could enjoy her meals without worries.

The "Sweet and Sour Fish Slices" is a dish that will truly amaze you. If you don't pay close attention, you might not believe it's purely vegetarian! This dish features plant-based meat from abroad that's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, paired with a perfectly balanced sweet and sour sauce. The unique cooking method involves deep frying and stir-frying, allowing the ingredients to soak up the flavors while maintaining a crispy texture. The plant-based meat in this dish absorbs the sauce so well that it tastes just like authentic tender fish slices. Even picky eaters, including kids, will be reaching for second helpings. It's irresistibly delicious!

One of the highly recommended dishes is the "Can't Find Stinky Tofu." If you visit this restaurant and don't order this dish, you'll be missing out big time! Stinky tofu, a classic Taiwanese snack, has a love-it-or-hate-it reputation. However, Chao・炒炒's version is unlike the usual preparation. They crumble the stinky tofu and stir-fry it with a special sauce and plant-based meat over high heat. Once plated, they add crispy fried dough sticks on top. You'd never imagine that stinky tofu and fried dough sticks could be such a perfect match!

These are just a few of the exciting choices you'll find on CHAO's menu. This restaurant offers countless surprises for food enthusiasts, and it won't disappoint. Whether you're a vegetarian or not, it's a great place to satisfy your taste buds. If you're interested in vegetarian and creative cuisine, you definitely shouldn't miss this unique restaurant.

CHAO 炒炒新亞洲蔬食是一家令人驚喜的全蔬食熱炒店。這家店位於台北，是全台灣第一間使用植物肉來製作美味料理的地方。而更令人欣慰的是，他們的經營理念非常注重環保和永續性。這家店堅決不售賣塑膠瓶裝飲料，並使用環保永續衛生紙。他們不僅僅是在推廣蔬食生活，還在積極實踐環境保護的理念。

「Chao・炒炒蔬食熱炒」於2021年開業，專門提供全蔬食料理。這裡的菜單上的每個品項都是以植物為基礎的，絕對適合素食者。創辦人分享她已經持守素食生活超過10年以上了。在她下班時間比較晚，常常去熱炒店吃飯，但由於她是五辛素食主義者，所以常常會遇到食物中有蛋的情況。這促使她產生了開一家屬於自己的熱炒店的想法，讓自己可以盡情享受美食。

「糖醋魚片」是一道令人驚艷的料理，如果你不仔細品味，可能都不會相信它是純素的！這道菜以酸甜適中的糖醋醬汁搭配外酥內軟的國外進口植物肉製作而成。植物肉經過油炸和翻炒的特殊烹調方式，讓食材充分入味，同時保持了外脆內嫩的口感。這道料理的植物肉吸附了大量的醬汁，讓人感覺就像在享受著正宗的軟嫩魚片。即使是那些挑食的小朋友，也會因為這道菜而多吃幾碗飯。這樣美味令人難以抗拒！

強烈推薦的菜品之一是「找不到臭豆腐」。如果你造訪這家店卻沒點這道菜，那可真是一大遺憾！臭豆腐作為台灣的經典小吃，接受程度相當兩極。然而，Chao・炒炒的臭豆腐與一般的做法截然不同。他們將臭豆腐壓碎，然後與特製醬汁和植物肉快速翻炒，最後再撒上酥脆的油條。你絕對想不到原來臭豆腐和油條可以如此完美地結合在一起！

這些只是 CHAO...