With a chef creative and bold enough to pair classic Peking Duck with Spanish popping candy in a playfully delicious combination, Chiou Hwa Restaurant reminds diners that it isn't just another Cantonese fine dining establishment. This and many other innovative examples of "New Cantonese Cuisine" are spotlighted at this restaurant, which was founded in Taipei in 1987 and opened this Taichung branch in May 2025 above western dining spot Wild Donkey. The upscale setting includes 8-30 person private rooms, although it aims to be a casual, accessible option with an average per person bill of NT$1,200-1,500.
Table menus can be customized by budget and set lunches and dinners start at NT$2,000/person but I'd suggest sampling the extensive à la carte menu. Wine-raised ducks marinated and air-dried for two days and sliced tableside, the signature GLORIA Signature Peking Duck (1 duck, 2 ways NT$3,280; 3 ways NT$3,580) features four cooking options, from more traditional styles (like lettuce wraps) to the above-mentioned Signature Peking Duck
Wrap with Popping Candy, unlike anything I've tried before as the sweet popping candy complements the duck, cucumber, green onions and sweet ginger in a crackling mouthful.
Another highlight, Taichung branch top-seller Minced Century Egg with Tender Tofu (NT$360) resembles an open book with a cucumber "cover" and exquisitely carved tofu "pages", served with a contrasting, spicier Maqaw pepper-century egg sauce. The meticulously-sliced Matsutake Mushroom Chrysanthenum Tofu Soup is yet another artistically presented dish. Pleasantly piquant sides include crunchy, tangy Pickled Cassava in Passion Fruit Jam (NT$180) and Braised Numb Tingly Spicy Chicken Feet (NT$155). I'm not normally a fan of the latter dish but these giant, 15-centimeter free-range chicken feet, braised two hours until tender with Sichuan peppers, were a pleasingly spicy treat providing more to chew on.
I've always loved Cantonese barbecue dishes and the Woodfire Honey Roasted Char Siu (NT$580) and tender, chewy Braised Chitterlings with Traditional Marinade (NT$420) were both delightful. Other flavorful offerings included seafood dish Deep-fried Stuffed You tiao (NT$590), featuring traditional bread sticks filled with shrimp paste, water chestnuts and shaoxing wine sauce, and vegetable dish Stewed Pigweed in Broth with Fresh Bean Curd and Salangida (tiny dried fish). Two excellent desserts to try are the traditional Warm Honey Pear with Red Dates, and richly creamy, western-style Handmade Duck Yolk Pudding.
九華樓絕非只是一般的高檔餐廳，主廚的精混手藝堪稱一絕，大膽又富創意，極具巧思將經典粵式烤鴨與西班牙跳跳糖巧妙結合，激盪出趣味兼美味的火花。這道創新料理，以及主廚香傳明（Tim Huang），打造的名菜「新派粵菜」，成為餐廳的一大亮點。品牌創立於1987年的台北，並於2025年5月來台中，位於Wild Donkey西餐廳樓上開設分店。高雅請究的用餐空間，設有可容納8至30人的包廂，同時也致力於提供輕鬆、親民的用餐體驗，每人平均消費約為1,200元至1,500元。
桌菜可依預算客製，牛午晚間套餐每人2,000元起，更推薦點的菜單，選擇更多樣豐富。「華泰招牌片皮鴨」（一鴨二吃3,280元；三吃3,580元）選用宜蘭飼養鴨隻，醃製及風乾2天，現場片鴨，提供4種吃法，從傳統的生菜包到創新的「跳舞片皮鴨」。後者將甜
咪跳跳糖與鴨肉、小黃瓜、蔥段與甜薑結合，入口時的爆裂口感，帶來前所未有的驚喜。
另一道人氣料理「馬告松花皮蛋豆腐」(360元)是台中店的熱銷菜，這道菜巧妙做成宛如一本攤開書本的造型，以小黃瓜作為「封面」，精緻雕刻的豆腐為「書頁」，搭配風味濃郁、略帶辛香的馬告皮蛋醬，形成鮮明對比。「松茸美白菊花苗」則以細膩刀工，呈現出極具藝術感的擺盤。開胃小菜同樣精彩，包括爽脆酸甜的「百香果洋地瓜」(180元)與「老滷麻辣蒸鳳爪」(155元)。雖然我平時不特別偏好鳳爪，但這道選用長達15公分的放山雞腳，經兩小時與花椒燜煮至軟嫩入味，香麻帶勁、口感十足，令人驚豔。
我一向喜愛粵式燒臘料理，而「柴燒蜜汁叉燒」(580元)以及「滷水肥大腸」(420元)皆表現出色，前者香甜多汁，後者口感Q彈入味。其他值得一試的還有海鮮料理「百花釀油條」(590元)，將油條包入蝦漿、馬蹄與紹興酒醬，口感豐富又帶有層次；以及蔬菜料理「腐竹小魚炆莧菜」，清爽卻不失鮮味。甜點方面，推薦傳統的「冬瓜紅棗蜜雪梨」，與帶有西式風格、口感濃郁滑順的「手工鴨蛋黃布丁」，為整體用餐畫下完美句點。