Caogen Chufang Restaurant — Restaurant in Hsinchu

Purportedly an excellent, authentic restaurant renowned for its acclaimed roast duck, I was taken aback by the food's impressive flavors but disappointed by the service. The highly praised duck, however, fell short, with dry meat and excessively thick skin. The leek wasn't finely cut, and the unconventional use of mayonnaise as a dipping sauce for the duck surprised me. The lamb ribs lacked flavor, seemingly forgotten in the marination process. A standout was the steamed prawn on glass noodles, while the steamed Garoupa was decent but somewhat bland. The fried bean sprouts with shredded duck meat, offered a unique taste. The highlight was the soup with assorted mushrooms and fried fish meat. The famous local vermicelli and duck meat a great way to end our meal. Although dessert was impressive, it proved too much to finish. The staff's service was lacking in attentiveness, notably in delays for a clean plate. An amusing rule prohibited taking leftover tea but allowed taking unopened...

The food here is just amazing. Each dish we ordered was not salty, too sweet. Their service was great. I was so surprised that price for 6 adults and 2 kids was just NT $4000. Highly recommend!! Updated on 11/09/23: It wasn't as good as it used to be. The duck skin was quite chewy and the dock meat was very dry. The taste of some dishes were off. After talking to a couple staff, the entire kitchen crew was replaced about a year ago. It is unfortunate that the restaurant used to be the best Peking...

Some dishes are great while couple were just ok. The duck wasn't up to par compared to other places we visited. The skin wasn't crispy and it was room temperature when it served. The corner room was quite hot and it was difficult to enjoy food when you are sweaty.

Love the decor from the entrance to the main dining area though. Really enjoyed those old furnitures and the vibe here. Hopefully the food and AC improve soon before...