Hi-Lai Celebrity Cuisine TWTC Branch — Restaurant in Xinyi District

Made a reservation for a Friday at 12:30. There are some menu dishes that you need to order in advance, so be sure to check the menu online.

We were quickly seated at a window table with a great view. The restaurant was about 70% full. They had a really good selection of teas and we ordered the chrysanthemum. It came with the traditional rock sugar and there was already soy sauce and two kinds of chili sauce on the table.

We ordered quite a few things including the roast pork and duck platter (pre-ordered), their special jumbo shrimp dumplings, steamed ribs, baked bbq buns, asparagus in broth, vegetarian spring rolls, daikon cake, daikon fried pastry and ca few other things.

The roast meat platter was okay but not worth the price, same with the asparagus. The stand outs were the special dumplings, steamed ribs, shrimp rice rolls and daikon cake.

The service here really made it a nice experience. Tea was poured and refilled without asking, sauces and condiments were all brought to the table, dirty plates were cleared and clean plates brought. It was very attentive and proactive.

If you're in the area I...

Starting with the good: Fantastic location, exclusive setting, very high-quality ingredients, and preparation. Great duck!

However, this restaurant falls short in many ways. Upon entering, we were greeted by frowning staff, and throughout our visit, it seemed like the service staff were more interested in playing games on their phones than caring for customers. It felt as if they were hired based on nepotism rather than skill. Don't expect your wine to be refilled, or even for it to be readily available for self-service. Our requests for food orders were repeatedly ignored, and the basic task of replacing dirtier plates was neglected. Even though the soup had great flavor, it was carelessly dumped in front of us.

As closing time approached, it was clear from the staff's attitude that they wanted us to hurry up and leave. The price of this place is high, but the service is disappointingly low, a simple ratio that does not favor this establishment. There are numerous better places in Taipei where the staff genuinely care about their...

I love the food here; it’s delicate and full of flavors. From appetizers to main courses and desserts, everything was delicious. The flavors aren’t overwhelming but are thoughtfully crafted, creating excitement in every dish. For example, the radish puff 蘿蔔酥餅 has a beautifully delicate, layered outer texture, and the filling is rich, with a natural sweetness that’s light, topped off with a fragrant layer of white sesame seeds at the very bottom of the outer layer— so brilliant.

The roasted duck has crispy skin and tender meat, with the soft, chewy dough wrapping it being unlike anything I’ve ever had before. The seafood is fresh, crispy, and sweet, and the crispy pork is perfectly salty and flavorful. Even the desserts are amazing.

Everything was tasty, but the service could use some improvement for a restaurant of this caliber. For instance, a staff member spilled tea on me while refilling, and I had to raise my hand several times to get their attention, as they weren’t very attentive...