Nostalgia is a small boat ticket—
The story of TSAI WAN XING begins with a boat ticket. During the Chinese Civil War, a young man from Ningbo named Cao Guo-Cai sought refuge from the conflict. Grateful for the generosity of his former employer—the owner of Shanghai’s "Tsai Wan Xing" restaurant—who provided him with a ticket, he safely fled to Taiwan. He later married Zhou Xia-Zhen, a fellow provincial met in Taiwan. To make a living, the couple pushed a small handcart through the streets, selling sweet fermented rice and dry goods from their hometown.
In 1953, "TSAI WAN XING" officially opened its doors. The restaurant was named to honor that life-saving boat ticket and to hold fast to their memories of home. Huzhou rice dumplings, osmanthus fermented rice, Ningbo rice cakes, and black sesame glutinous rice balls—these handmade Jiangnan delicacies became a warm comfort for countless displaced souls.
"There are no shortcuts to flavor—only slow, painstaking craft," Mrs. Cao insisted. Even with elaborate preparation methods, the kitchen remained devoted to uncompromising care in every detail. Guided by this family rule, TSAI WAN XING has spanned over 70 years across three generations. Grandmother, mother, and granddaughter—three generations of "Zhejiang flavor matriarchs"—have watched over Southern Taipei. From a pot of masterfully braised Dongpo pork to time-honored private dining specialties, this table of authentic Jiangnan heritage has become a shared nostalgic memory for generations of Taipei residents.
.jpg)
