臺灣餐飲老店 Long-established Restaurants in Taiwan

During early 1960s, the cross-strait relationship was tense and the U.S. 7th Fleet was deployed to Taiwan using Zuoying, Kaohsiung as the naval base. At the time, the so-called American clubs were used by the U.S. Armed Forces for recreation and vacation. Several chefs who originally worked here learnt a wealth of culinary skills from the Americans, therefore they decided to start their own businesses in collaboration with the uncle of the current restaurant owner Wan-Hong Chen. In 1963, their restaurant was opened in an international market inside the well known black market at the time – Juejiang Market in Yancheng (now known as Old Juejiang) under the name of “International Restaurant”. The following year, the restaurant was relocated to the more bustling Jewelry Street at the intersection of Qixian 3rd Rd. and Xinle St. It was renamed as “New International Restaurant (N.I.R.)” and 24 years later, it was moved to the current address. 

After completing his studies in Japan, Wan-Hong Chen’s father Guo-He Chen returned to Taiwan to teach. Since both of his older brothers passed away in succession, he decided to take over the business his brothers had created. In the era where imported beef was a rarity, it presented a tremendous challenge for the steak-house oriented N.I.R. Guo-He Chen insisted in handpicking the finest beef from Taiwan Sugar and his meticulous demand in quality has successfully taken the restaurant to prosperity, with five branch restaurants in its heyday. Former President Ching-Kuo Chiang also dined here when he visited Kaohsiung.

The major characteristic of the restaurant is the set menu approach that was learned from the U.S. Armed Forces previously. The A Set Menu includes: appetizer, salad, bread, soup, starter, entrée, dessert, fruits and beverage. The menu was launched in the 1980s to make N.I.R. the first Western restaurant offering full course cuisine, and it took the Western restaurant market in Kaohsiung by storm and started a new culinary trend. Furthermore, N.I.R. has not simplified the course cuisine with the changes in trend over time. The kitchen adopts a master-apprentice system where the chef position is passed down the generations. For the past 5 decades, every employee is required to start from the most basic position and work their way up the hierarchy. Reaching the chef position usually takes at least 10 years; the current chef has worked for 25 years in N.I.R., nearly half of the restaurant’s history. 

Faced with competition from numerous new steakhouses, the sustainability of N.I.R.’s tradition is attributed to the current owner Wan-Hong Chen. Originally reluctant to carry on the family business, he eventually quit his job 7 years ago because he didn’t want to see the half-century-old restaurant that his father worked so hard to establish disappear forever. Mr. Wan-Hong Chen indicates jokingly that at the time, the restaurant’s business could only be described as bleak, because with changes in trends over time, the younger generation is attracted more by the newer steakhouse chains rather than traditional Western restaurants. Confronted with the dilemma of very few patrons and staff, Mr. Wan-Hong Chen decided to give his restaurant a complete overhaul. 

First, he replaced old crockery with brand new ones, but in order to preserve the old patrons’ memories, iron plates used since the navy fleet era are still used to serve steaks. Next, he renovated the kitchen, retrained the waiting staff, and redecorated the façade and interior space. In addition, business lunches were launched in conjunction with a salad bar cafeteria-style dishes. The opening of Kaohsiung MRT has also attracted a large number of tourists from outside Kaohsiung; with geographical advantage and support from the patrons, N.I.R. is once again resurrected. 

Speaking about the future goals, Wan-Hong Chen believes that a formal Western restaurant is a rare breed in the modern era, thereby he hopes to let the new generation of young people experience old fashioned, Western restaurant ambiance in order to tell the difference between traditional and popular Western restaurants. He also aims to cultivate sufficient talents so that N.I.R. can expand from Kaohsiung to the rest of Taiwan and perpetuate the restaurant’s heritage.

The restaurant’s interior adopts a red/white/gold color scheme. The French chairs are at least 30 years old. 

Australian tenderloin steak： With the steak’s exterior wrapped in a layer of bacon, this was the favorite combination among the U.S. Armed Forced at the time. Moreover, the side dish must consist of starch (potatoes) and seasonal ingredients (red pepper, gumbo, eggplant) that are changed through different seasons.

German pork knuckle sauerkraut：500g of meticulously selected pork knuckle is immersed with vegetables and left to chill before it is placed inside the preheated black pot for roasting to give a crispy texture on the outside. Excess fat is squeezed out and the pork knuckle is garnished with homemade sauerkraut and honey mustard sauce. This is an extremely popular dish on the menu. 

Proma gelato ice cream：When founder Guo-He Chen was learning wagashi in Japan, he introduced the Japanese technique to Taiwan. Besides learning the craft from his relative in the ice cream business, he also went to Pennsylvania to learn the Italian way of producing ice cream using local ingredients while emphasizing low fat and low calories. 

Onion soup：The three main ingredients of this dish include: fried julienne onion, onion paste and julienne onion. The onions are stir-fried in a pot and reduced to roughly the volume of a bowl and until the color changes to brown before beef stock, paste and onions are added and stewed. The soup can be served with bread. 

Starter – Abalone with shell garnished with tuna and onion：Thanks to Kaohsiung’s proximity to a harbor, the city is endowed with abundant seafood. Since the people of Kaohsiung love seafood, therefore the starter always consists of seafood ingredients that are altered through different seasons.

Address：No.76, Minsheng 2nd Rd., Qianjin Dist., Kaohsiung City
Telephone：07-2618121    
Business hours and closed days：11:30-14:00；17:00-21:00；Closed on Chinese New Year’s Eve  
Signature dishes：US prime tenderloin steak, grilled pork knuckle sauerkraut, Italian handmade ice cream
Website：www.nir.com.tw
Transport and directions：Take the MRT at Kaohsiung Train Station and disembark at Central Park Station. The restaurant is within 5 minutes walking distance.