NantouEat Recommendations

Feeling18 LAB Bakery Research Institute at No. 69, Tao Nan Road in Pu Li Township, Nantou County is the flagship dessert cafe created by the 18°C Chocolate Workshop. Designed around a laboratory concept with industrial styling, large glass facades and wooden eaves shape a fashionable, spacious interior, while outside there are camping inspired seats and bald cypress scenery perfect for photos. Signature items include 18°C chocolate, 70 percent chocolate ice cream, French croissants, a range of creative desserts, and handmade pull apart loaves, alongside souvenirs and coffee. A free parking lot makes it a convenient rest stop on the way to Sun Moon Lake.

YAKINIKU.MEN on Section 2, Zhong Shan Road in Pu Li Township, Nantou County is a popular yakiniku restaurant. The menu centers on set meals for one, two, or more diners, with couple sets starting around NT$1,398. Portions are generous and the kitchen slices fresh whole cuts of meat to order. Recent renovations have given the space a stylish, comfortable look that suits photo worthy meals. Side dishes and rice can be refilled for free, and guests can upgrade to scallion egg yolk rice for a heartier and more varied dining experience.

Bu Kao Hai is a Japanese indie curry shop tucked in a residential alley in Pu Li Township, Nantou County, offering curry rice, fried egg set meals, ramen, and beef burger set meals as its signatures. The shop is small but cozily decorated and draws steady crowds that often mean queuing on site. Service is lunch only and runs for roughly four hours a day, with lines frequently forming before the 11 am opening. The dessert changes daily, the curry is laced with pumpkin, and the broth is light yet full bodied, all at friendly prices, making it a must try local bite when visiting Pu Li.

Leng Dong Dou Hua Yao Yao Bing sits in the Cao Tun Image Shopping District of Nantou County and is a long standing local dessert shop with more than forty years of history. The signature hand made douhua is paired with shaved ice, mung beans, red beans, and chewy tang yuan to create the refreshing shake shake ice douhua, priced at just NT$30 and beloved by locals and travelers alike. Hours run Tuesday through Sunday from 12:00 to 21:30, takeout is available, and parking lots are nearby. With its budget friendly pricing, springy texture, and cooling relief, it is a Cao Tun must visit for dessert.

Chu Xu Curry in Pu Li Township, Nantou County is a popular Japanese style curry restaurant. The kitchen uses 10 to 16 spices, toasted twice and ground twice, then matured for 14 to 16 days to create a rich curry sauce that is fragrant and gently spicy, drawing steady praise from locals and visitors and often requiring queuing or advance booking. Beyond the signature curry, the menu includes house made chili oil, distinctive drinks like the Geographic Center Cup and Pu Li Sugarcane Green, and Japanese desserts. The Japanese inspired decor and pet friendly policy make it a must visit for lovers of curry and Japanese cuisine.

Bao Ye Kou Zai Die on Nan Ying Road in Nantou City, near Zhong Xing New Village, is a beloved hidden snack shop. The kitchen specializes in traditional fried bites, and its signature is fresh leaves such as sweet potato leaves wrapped around oysters or minced meat, then battered and deep fried until crisp outside and tender inside. Prices are friendly, starting at just NT$10. Without flashy decor, the consistent ingredients and unique handcrafted frying style draw streams of locals and a steady trickle of travelers to queue, making it an unmissable taste of Nantou's street food scene.