Cinjing Restaurants
Besides known for its cooling and windy weather and environment, Cinjing is also known for having one of the most unique looking restaurants and almost every restaurant in Cinjing offers magnificent views while you dine. Below is a list of restaurants you can try out when you visit Cinjing.
Carton King
Carton King is a unique looking restaurant that builds its reputation around the theme that focuses strongly on corrugated paper or fibreboard and it is also one of most popular theme restaurants in Taiwan. The restaurant is located exactly next to Small Swiss Garden, another famous tourist attraction in Cinjing. Be prepared to be amazed in the world of cardboard as almost everything in the restaurant from tables, chairs, lights, curtains, ceilings, lamp shades, statues, plates, napkin holders to cup holders are made from corrugated paper or fibreboard. Although the chairs and tables are made from corrugated paper, they are surprisingly sturdy but I would not recommend you to sit on it for long hours. Carton King serves hotspot and some western dishes but you are recommend to try out the hotpot because the cool weather in Cinjing is perfect for having it. The hotpot set costs New Taiwan Dollar 380 and you can choose from 3 different types of broths; Japanese style soup, tomato kimchi soup and Hokkaido Concentrated Milk soup. One of the food bloggers said that the Japanese style soup broth is sweet and delicious while the Hokkaido Concentrated Milk Soup is fattening and it tasted a little bit like the Italian dish carbonara. You can choose the meat dish from 4 different types of meats; boneless short rib meat slice, Taiwan snowflake pork slice and sirloin beef slice. For drinks, there is a choice of honey tea, hot oolong tea and honey green tea. The drinks served here are packaged in an interesting way using cute looking cardboard boxes that you can also take home as souvenir. After finishing your drink, you can ask the staff to help you flatten the cardboard so you can bring it home and use it as a coin box. A blogger has also mentioned that you are entitled to get a free ticket to Small Swiss Garden worth New Taiwan Dollar 120 if you spend more than New Taiwan Dollar 300 per person at Carton King. After completing a sumptuous meal at the restaurant, you can then proceed to visit the Carton Creativity Park where you can purchase souvenirs like paper models for Eiffel Tower, Leaning Towers of Pisa and other architectural wonders around the world to build at home and look at creative cardboard pieces that are on display. The restaurant is open from 11AM to 8PM every day and they serve 3 sessions; lunch, tea and dinner. Each person will have to spend a minimum of New Taiwan Dollar 80 excluding 10% service charge at the restaurant. The souvenir shop opens from 9AM to 9PM every day.
Cinjing Lumama Restaurant
Besides Carton King, Cinjing Lumama Restaurant is also another unique looking restaurant. Cinjing Lumama Restaurant is housed in a nice looking stone mansion and it looks wonderful at night when the mansion is lighted up with lights from the inside. Situated at 2044 metres above the sea level, it can be very cold especially during the night so remember to visit here with light sweater and long pants. It is located just off the No. 14 Jia Provincial Highway and above the Cinjing Farm and it offers dining experience overlooking the scenic view of the Central Mountain Range. The restaurant has two levels and it is owned by Mama Lu, who was originally from the Bai Yi Tribe. Mama Lu and her veteran husband who fought alongside Chiang Kai-shek’s Nationalist Forces then chose to settle down in Cinjing and open a restaurant here that features Mama Lu’s Bai Yi’s cuisine. The restaurant serves authentic Yunnan recipes that are made using local produce from nearby farms and this ensures fresh ingredients and unique taste that cannot be found elsewhere. It is also popular among the locals and tourists. They are famous for their Crispy Stuffed Fish, Crispy Deep Fried Bamboo Worms, Pig Head Skin Appetizer, Spicy Mung Bean Cake, Home-made Yunnan Preserved Meat, Cold Pork Jelly, Tang Kwei Chicken Soup, Thick Vermicelli in Soup, Yunnan Chicken Stew Pot, Fried Minced Meat with Preserved Sour Vegetables, Fried Local Cabbage, Yunnan Pepper Chicken, Minced Pork with Herbs Wrapped in Cabbage, hotpot and Preserved Papaya and Chicken Soup. A set meal consisting of some of the specialty dishes mentioned above with cost you around New Taiwan Dollar 3500 for 12 dishes and a soup. The opening hours are from 11AM to 9PM every day. However, it is important to note that the kitchen will close at 8PM and some of the specialty dishes will require an advanced order.
Margarita’s Garden
Margarita’s Garden is yet another nice looking restaurant with unique purple colour interior and offers stunning scenic views of the valley. It has a nice and warm romantic atmosphere as the restaurant is thoughtfully decorated with lovely figurines and flowers and it is furnished with structures that are made from tree trunks. There is also an indoor swing decorated with cute teddy bears and big plushies. From outside, Margarita’s Garden looks inviting in the daytime and it looks fantastic in the night. The restaurant serves authentic Yunnan cuisine and creative dishes like Waffles with Potato or Taro Balls. Margarita’s Garden is also famous for their specialty drinks such as Rose Milk Tea and Lavender Milk Tea.
Inako Scenic View Cafe Restaurant
Inako Senic View Cafe Restautant is one of a kind restaurant that provides free transportation to their restaurant. To get there, simply get your hotel to call up the restaurant to arrange for the pickup. True to its name, the restaurant offers magnificent view while you dine and it was also featured by local Taiwanese magazines and visited by Taiwanese celebrities. The restaurant is famous for its Wood Fire Roast Chicken and Stir Fried Highland Cabbage. If you dine here in a group, there are also many different set options to choose from depending on the number of people. The skin of the chicken is crispy and the meat is juicy and tender. It is served with chilli and pepper for you to dip in and you are provided with a pair of plastic gloves. Some customers claimed that it was the best roast chicken that they have ever tasted. The restaurant is also famous for its Steamed Live Trout, Stirred Fried Chicken Soup Bamboo Shoot, Crystal Shrimp, Stirred Fried Mountain Vegetable with Mountain Pork Meat, Live Trout Head and Tail Soup. Inako Senic View Cafe Restaurant is open from 10AM to 9PM every day.
Wu She Shan Zhi Xiang Diner
Wu She Shan Zhi Xiang Diner is said to be in operation for more than 30 years. The restaurant serves authentic Yunnan food and the prices are cheap and reasonable.
Ta Luo Wan B & B
Ta Luo Wan B & B is a restaurant that serves good steamboat. The restaurant was previously destroyed in a fire in 2014 and they have only reopened back in 2015. The signature dishes are the roast chicken in a kiln and fish slice soup. The skin of the roast chicken is crispy and the meat is tender and juicy. If you come in a group of 7 to 10 people, the restaurant has different set packages for you to choose from. It also offers a magnificent view overlooking the river and mountain.
