✨ AI Dining Notes
Since starting in 1949, Kao-Chi has become an established name for Shanghai food in Taipei. More than seventy years of history are not just a sign on the wall: fermented starter dough, skillet-fried buns and slow-cooked Dongpo pork are its backbone. After the Yongkang flagship closed, the Xinsheng branch beside Daan Park continued catering to family meals and shared feasts. It is roomier than a small eatery, with everything from Jiangsu-Zhejiang dim sum to substantial mains. For a presentable Chinese meal with older relatives, with more to order than soup dumplings, Kao-Chi's traditional skills remain distinctive.
Starter dough is central to Kao-Chi's pan-fried buns. These are not delicate wrappers that soften at a touch: they must support the meat and broth, then develop crisp bottoms against the skillet. Dongpo pork and flaky pastries bring Shanghai cooking's rich sauces, slow heat and fragrant pastry layers to the same table. Share with a group, or your stomach may declare bankruptcy after just a couple of bites of everything.
● Shanghai Skillet Pan-Fried Buns
Shanghai Skillet Pan-Fried Buns are the skill on which Kao-Chi built its business. Fermented starter dough gives the wrappers chew and a wheaty aroma, while contact with the skillet crisps their bases. The first bite crunches, followed by pork-leg filling and hot broth. Rather than being transparently thin and delicate, the wrappers have substance and support, holding both the fried surface and juices. The skillet is still very hot at the table. Move a bun to a small plate and bite a little opening to release the heat. I would rather wait ten seconds than guess the flavors of the next three dishes with a numb tongue.
● Fugui Dongpo Pork
Fugui Dongpo Pork arrives with old Shanghai's full, rich-sauce presence. The pork belly alternates fat and lean: the slowly braised fat melts readily, while the lean stays tender with some fiber. The sauce is sweet and savory, with lip-sticking gelatinous richness. Folded steamed buns soak up the juices, their dough aroma joining fat and starch for an especially satisfying bite. Delicious as it is, this is no light lunchbox. I suggest sharing it and switching flavors with vegetables or tea. Tackle the whole plate alone and the latter half becomes a fight between your belly and your willpower.
● Honey Char Siu Puffs
Honey Char Siu Puffs wrap sweet-savory roast-pork filling in layers of pastry. The baked exterior is light and fragrant, breaking into flakes without leaving only a greasy sensation. The filling's restrained sweetness combines with buttery pastry aroma in classic Chinese banquet dim sum style. The drawback is honest enough: one bite scatters a ring of crumbs across the table. Bring your plate closer if you want to look elegant. The layers are clearest when hot; left sitting, they absorb moisture and lose their clean crispness. Share them out as soon as they arrive instead of chatting while they quietly soften beside you.
On a first visit, start with Shanghai Skillet Pan-Fried Buns, share Fugui Dongpo Pork, and finish with Honey Char Siu Puffs. Both buns and skillet are hot; the pastries also deserve to be eaten hot. Check side-dish prices before taking them so both your stomach and wallet are prepared.
- Location:台北市大安區新生南路一段167號, about a 3-minute walk from exit 1 at Daan Park (大安森林公園站).
- Type:Shanghai cuisine, Jiangsu-Zhejiang dim sum, family meals and shared group dishes.
- Highlights:Founded in 1949, continuing starter-dough pan-fried buns, slow-cooked Dongpo pork and flaky pastries for more than seventy years.
- Suited to:Meals with older relatives, family gatherings, shared feasts with friends, or entertaining overseas guests.
📌 Editor's Take
高記新生店 (Kao-Chi — Xinsheng) retains more than an old restaurant's reputation: it preserves starter dough, skillet cooking and slow heat, skills that genuinely take time. Shanghai Skillet Pan-Fried Buns offer crisp bottoms and meat juices, Fugui Dongpo Pork delivers fully developed rich-sauce cooking, and Honey Char Siu Puffs finish with flaky layers. Queuing, prices and crumbs may wear you out a little, but for a spread of Shanghai food with history and technique beside Daan Park, Kao-Chi still holds its own.
