Location: Hsinchu Chenlan Cafe (Free Style Cafe)
Travel notes: It had been a while since dining with friends from ITRI. One night, we planned to try the relocated Yunnan Feng, but found the owner out buying ingredients. Disappointed, I took them to nearby Chenlan Cafe. I'd been here two or three times, the first almost three years ago: Hsinchu City---Free Style Cafe. The exterior hasn't changed much, still blue and white, creating a relaxed vibe. Back then, the German pork knuckle was 220 NT; now it's 250. Yixin, Qijun, and I all ordered the pork knuckle, while Changyu got grilled chicken cutlet. The German pork knuckle here is, in my opinion, a great value-for-money main dish. Usually in Western restaurants, it's hard to find under 350-380 NT. Here, though the portion is slightly smaller, the main course is just over 200 NT, and it comes with a full set: salad, soup, dessert, and drink—really a good deal. Cutting a slice of freshly roasted pork knuckle, dipping it in mustard and sauerkraut, the slight sourness brings out more flavor in the meat. If you suddenly crave German pork knuckle in Hsinchu and don't want to spend too much, this is a place to consider.