Wan Yue Lou (萬月樓日式料理店, also called 萬月樓懷石料理) is a long-established Japanese kaiseki restaurant at No. 1, Lane 95, Zili St, West District, Taichung. It serves seasonal set courses with no fixed menu. Blog reviews record the Hana kaiseki at NT$1,000 and the Ga kaiseki at NT$1,500; a 2019 review lists a minimum spend of NT$680 at lunch and NT$1,000 at dinner, plus a 10% service charge. Closed Tuesdays. Reservations: 04-2378-1311. Google rating 4.4.
What kind of restaurant is Wan Yue Lou?
Wan Yue Lou is a Kyoto-style kaiseki restaurant in Taichung. A WalkerLand review (February 2014) says the owner visited century-old restaurants in Kyoto several times, and that the cooking stresses seasonality and the natural flavour of ingredients; the restaurant was then at No. 63, Wuquan W. 1st St, near the art museum. According to the owner's wife, quoted in an iFoodie review (April 2019), it moved to the current address about five years earlier, into a building that was once a Chang Hwa Bank executive dormitory. Seating includes tatami and wooden chairs, and window seats face a Japanese garden (noted in 2018 and 2019 reviews).
What is on the Wan Yue Lou menu?
The restaurant centres on kaiseki sets and has no fixed menu; dishes change with the season. A 2014 review lists the course order as appetizer, sashimi, steamed dish, grilled dish, simmered dish, sushi, soup and fruit. A November 2018 review describes a seven-course Hana kaiseki: seafood in a persimmon with salmon roe, sashimi, crab with sesame tofu, braised beef, fried fish, sushi with clam miso soup, and red bean mochi for dessert. The 2019 iFoodie review mentions grilled sweetfish (ayu), sesame tofu, and a choice of Iberian pork or Japanese Wagyu as the main. There is also a set meal at weekday lunch, and reviews mention a vegetarian set.
How much does Wan Yue Lou cost?
WalkerLand (2014) recorded the Hana set at NT$1,000, the Ga set at NT$1,500 and a lunch set meal at NT$380; a 2018 review also lists the Hana kaiseki at NT$1,000. iFoodie (2019) recorded a minimum spend of NT$680 at lunch and NT$1,000 at dinner, each plus a 10% service charge, with an average spend of about NT$1,100. À la carte costs more than the sets. These figures come from 2014–2019 reviews; call to confirm current prices.
Wan Yue Lou opening hours and closing day
The 2019 iFoodie review lists lunch 11:00–14:00 and dinner 17:00–20:30, closed Tuesdays. Another listing page gives 11:30–14:00 and 17:30–21:00, also closed Tuesdays. Because the sources disagree, call before you go.
How do I book Wan Yue Lou, and is there parking?
Book by phone at 04-2378-1311. The iFoodie review recommends booking ahead for holidays and special occasions; Japanese Wagyu is not available every day and must be ordered in advance. The same review notes that credit cards are accepted and parking is easy. Wan Yue Lou has no official website.
What occasions suit Wan Yue Lou?
The WalkerLand review describes Wan Yue Lou as a long-established Japanese restaurant where many business and political figures host guests; the reviewer celebrated a birthday there. With course-by-course service and garden views from the windows, it suits hosting guests, birthdays and quiet conversations. Order Wagyu in advance if you want it. Google rating 4.4.