We wandered into Umai Royal Garden on a typhoon day, and surprisingly, it wasn't crowded. We arrived just before 2 pm, and we were seated immediately—a nice start to our lunch date.
One of the unique things about Umai Royal Garden is their attention to detail. Before seating us, the staff asked if there was any special occasion we were celebrating. Little did we know, this question would play into a sweet surprise later on.
We decided to splurge on the A5 Japanese Wagyu Beef set meal, priced at TWD 3180. The portion size was so generous it could have easily satisfied a party of three.
But let's talk about the food. The chicken soup was delightful—authentic in taste, and the best part, it was bottomless. Grilling was a bit of a DIY affair, but staff were always on hand to help if needed.
Now, the Wagyu beef was a show-stopper. It melted in the mouth, and the flavour was perfectly balanced, not too strong, not too light. The side dishes, soy sauce, and lettuce were unlimited, allowing us to customize our meal to our liking.
We upgraded our meal with the luxury seafood porridge, and boy, was it worth it! Filled to the brim with seafood, every spoonful had bites of abalone and scallops.
The staff went above and beyond, grilling prawns for us and arranging them into a heart—such a creative touch.
And the grand finale—the dessert. Recall the special occasion question? Well, they used that information to create a personalized, adorable drawing. It was a heartwarming end to a fantastic meal.
In short, Umai Royal Garden in Taichung offered an exceptional dining experience. High-quality food, attentive service, and little surprises made it a perfect place to celebrate special occasions with...
Read more9/28/2022 update. NEVER AGAIN! Beware!! Non Taiwan credit cards or forms of payment are accepted here!!
They claim VISA is accepted here but foreign credit cards are NO LONGER accepted so save yourself the embarrassment of taking family out to dinner and not being able to pay. One was rejected last year but the other went through. Now they do not accept any non Taiwanese credit cards. Who walks around with 13,000NT of cash?? They obviously do not welcome foreigners to dine here. Their reply to try them again after last review was a nice gesture but it was all just to prove they do not welcome or want me to dine there ever again. Thanks for thoroughly shaming me and ruining my night.
February 2021: This branch is vastly different than the other store I was at the first time I visited uma. We sat there with no meat for so long, it required a grill change and the store manager gave us free drinks but somehow I still got charged for an additional drink. The grill was turned up so high, the A5 Japanese beef all burned as the fire was so big with the dripping fat. No server noticed and the fire didn’t get turned down until towards the end of the meal. One pot of congee came in the middle of the meal, the other at the end which left some of us waiting for carbs. Then we had to wait for dessert too which was Haagen daz ice cream cups. Don’t think it’s worth the $73 a person to eat...
Read moreThis was my first meal in Taichung and I was blown away by the service of the staff. The waitress assigned to my table was GJ (No. 73) and she is very friendly and helpful. I am impressed by how she would take the initiative to remove dirty plates or change the grill without my husband or me requesting to do so. This is by far the best service we have received at any barbecue restaurant (in all countries we've been in) and I hope the company recognises GJ's effort in upholding Uma's reputation!!
The food is also fantastic and the set meal for 2 has such big portions that it felt more like a meal for 4 😅 For the portions and quality of food, the price is very reasonable.
Cleanliness and hygiene of the restaurant were fantastic too. 10/10 would recommend to any tourist interested in a protein-filled meal when...
Read more