Old Street 248 Kung Yi Road, Taichung. (04) 2328-5968 Hours 11:30am-3pm, 5:30pm-1am

ADD YOUR RATING & REVIEW | VIEW VISITOR RATINGS & REVIEWS

By Victoria Augustine Translated by Rita Lin

It's no wonder Gu Jie, or Old Street is doing a bustling business at its recently-opened Taichung outlet. The Szechuan and Hakka home-style cooking, great service and reasonable prices are sure to keep customers coming back time and time again.

In light of an ever-growing number of newly-opened restaurants that are going overboard on interior design and the creating of atmosphere, but forgetting that their main purpose should be food, Gu Jie is a welcome addition to Taichung's dining options. Unlike the competition, Gu Jie stands out from the crowd in its sheer simplicity.

From outside, one will notice its bright interior lights spilling out through large windows onto the dark street outside, and a bright yellow neon sign hanging over the heads of numerous customers lining up at the door. At first glance, it actually looks as if the wait for a seat could exceed an hour or so, but remember looks can be deceiving. Gu Jie has service down to an art form, allowing customers to be seated, served, and shuffled back out the door with record-breaking efficiency.

If the restaurant is full and you need to wait for a seat to open, don't fret. At the door, the host or hostess will supply menus in exchange for your name and the number in your party. Soon after, he or she'll return to take your order. Within minutes, you'll be seated and seconds later, your food will begin to arrive. At Gu Jie, it almost seems as if you're better off having to wait at the door than getting a seat right off the bat!

Once inside, there is much to see...but it's more in the hustle and bustle of the people who bring this place to life than in the actual restaurant dé cor itself. Simple wooden tables and chairs can seat up to 120 people at any one time. Large black and white photos of Taiwan in days gone by decorate the walls. Customers all around laugh and enjoy the delicious food that is trademark of Gu Jie.

Onto the food choices available: Gu Jie's menus are all in Chinese, so non-Chinese speakers will want to be sure to ask the wait staff for the fully-illustrated English/Japanese version hiding behind the counter where bills are paid. The menu is divided into categories of Noodles (NT$80-NT$160), Rice (NT$120-NT$160), and Other Dishes (NT$100-NT$350) on the front and various types of Soups (NT$100-NT$250) and Hot Pot (NT$200-NT$450) on the back.

Manager Huang Chian-Liang suggests that first-time visitors try at least one of the following specially-prepared dishes : Clam Noodles, Oyster with Fried Twister Cruller, Ke Jia Xiao Chau (Hakka stir-fry), Dou Su Xue Yu (crispy haddock filet) and/or San Bei (three cups) dishes. In addition to the above, there is also an assortment of small side dishes at the back of the restaurant that you can help yourself to.

Located at the corner of Kung Yi and Ching Cheng Roads, Gu Jie is serving up just what Taichung has been missing. Though it's only been open for nine months, this family-owned business has 6 different locations throughout Taipei (under the name Jiou Jie) that have given them all the training necessary to make your dining experience memorable.

From the number of people lining up at Gu Jie's door, it seems the word is already out.