Chienkuo Beer Brewery (建國啤酒廠) was built in 1919 as the country’s first producer of the amber nectar and designated a city heritage landmark in 2000. Located at the junction of Bade Road (八德路) and Jianguo North Road (建國北路), the factory has now become a bustling historical site, visited by evening diners and drinkers who come for freshly brewed Taiwan beer and Taiwanese fare at its warehouse-turned-restaurant.
Beer cases stacked up on the roadside greet patrons as they walk in. Signs reading “346” point the way to the Taiwanese-style bistro at the end of the plant.
Outside, there are several seats. Inside, the interior’s spaciousness is accentuated by a high ceiling and sparse decoration, which lend the place an unpolished, casual charm. The neon-lit stage comes to life on weekends when live bands perform starting from 8pm.
On a recent Sunday night, the restaurant was relatively quiet, though a few tables of intoxicated diners defined the atmosphere with their echoing laughter and horseplay.
The menu offers a wide range of grilled, deep-fried and appetizing items commonly served at roadside seafood eateries. We ordered several of the bistro’s specialties that feature the country’s most celebrated brew: Taiwan beer shrimps (台啤醉仙蝦, NT$180); roast chicken with miso and red yeast rice (烤紅麴味噌雞腿肉, NT$250); and sausages with Taiwan beer and red yeast rice (台啤紅麴香腸, NT$150). All failed to live up to expectations. The chicken and sausages were passable, but the shrimp did not pair well with the beer’s bitter taste.
The only dish that won unanimous approval was the black-boned chicken and clam hot pot with beer (啤酒烏骨雞蛤蜊鍋, NT$850); its complement of fresh-tasting broth and abundant use of vegetables makes it a healthy choice.
However, the food was hardly the center of attention since, like others, we came for the freshly brewed Taiwan beer.
As the brewery resumed production in May after a year’s hiatus, bottles of beer that have been brewed on site are available the very same day they are made.
Bottles and half-liter glasses of beer cost between NT$70 and NT$90. For larger parties, the popular choice is to share a 3.8-liter barrel. The price is a friendly NT$600 each, but unlike the beer that comes in bottles and glasses, the barrels are not freshly brewed.
A couple of barrels into the evening, it was easy to forget about the mediocre food and join in the merriment of the surrounding tables.
Taiwan Beer 346 Warehouse Restaurant’s weekend band lineup can be found at www.nv.com.tw/346beer. For diners and drinkers who are keen to learn more about the brewery’s history, a guided tour can be arranged by calling (02) 2771-9131 X431.
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
On March 13 President William Lai (賴清德) gave a national security speech noting the 20th year since the passing of China’s Anti-Secession Law (反分裂國家法) in March 2005 that laid the legal groundwork for an invasion of Taiwan. That law, and other subsequent ones, are merely political theater created by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to have something to point to so they can claim “we have to do it, it is the law.” The president’s speech was somber and said: “By its actions, China already satisfies the definition of a ‘foreign hostile force’ as provided in the Anti-Infiltration Act, which unlike
Mirror mirror on the wall, what’s the fairest Disney live-action remake of them all? Wait, mirror. Hold on a second. Maybe choosing from the likes of Alice in Wonderland (2010), Mulan (2020) and The Lion King (2019) isn’t such a good idea. Mirror, on second thought, what’s on Netflix? Even the most devoted fans would have to acknowledge that these have not been the most illustrious illustrations of Disney magic. At their best (Pete’s Dragon? Cinderella?) they breathe life into old classics that could use a little updating. At their worst, well, blue Will Smith. Given the rapacious rate of remakes in modern
RSS