豪 (Hao) — Review by Blondie in China
Qingtian, China — Italian / Chinese-Western Fusion
This charming restaurant in Qingtian serves as a time capsule of Chinese-Western cuisine evolution over 30 years, run by a young owner trained in Austria who studied at authentic Naples pizzerias. While the traditional dishes carry sentimental value, the newer offerings like the Napoli pizza and handmade pasta showcase genuinely impressive quality and technique.
What was great: Napoli-style pizza with high-quality Iberian ham, handmade pasta with black pepper sauce, traditional tofu dumplings with sweet potato starch skin, glutinous rice bowls, Basque cheesecake with balanced sweetness and salty cheese flavor, the restaurant's evolution from retro Chinese-influenced Western food to authentic European cuisine
What could improve: The retro fruit salad with mayo and mixed fruits (though acknowledged as nostalgic), the overly well-done steak lacking the pink center of proper medium-rare beef, tomato sauce squeezed directly on pasta
The Dishes
The meal began with the restaurant's signature teppan steak plate, a classic representation of 1980s Chinese interpretations of Western food, featuring a whole steak drizzled with black pepper sauce, Italian pasta with tomato sauce, fried egg, and broccoli all crowded onto one hot plate. While flavorful, the fully cooked steak lacked the proper charring and pink center expected in authentic beef preparations. The black pepper beef stir-fried noodles proved more successful, with the pasta achieving excellent chewiness and the robust black pepper flavor complementing sweet peppers and onions beautifully. The signature fruit salad represented the restaurant's earliest menu item, combining banana, orange, dragon fruit, grape raisins, and mayo in a combination that challenges modern sensibilities but carries deep nostalgic meaning for long-time customers. The restaurant's evolution became evident with the napoli-style pizza featuring authentic Spanish Iberian ham, where the owner had traveled to Naples to study at L'Antica Pizzeria da Michele and adapted techniques to suit local preferences by reducing the char on the crust. The Basque cheesecake showcased refined technique with perfect balance between sweetness and the subtle saltiness of cheese, modified from the original to appeal to Chinese taste preferences with less sugar. Traditional local dishes rounded out the experience, including tofu wrapped in sweet potato starch with mushroom and shrimp filling, and glutinous rice bowls served with rich broth that perfectly complemented the sticky rice.
The Experience
The restaurant operates as a bridge between generations of overseas Chinese returning to their hometown. The young owner, born in Budapest and raised in Austria, recently returned to help his father manage the business and has been introducing more authentic European dishes alongside the nostalgic retro menu items. The atmosphere perfectly encapsulates Qingtian's unique culture as a county town with nearly 40 percent of its 500,000 population being returned overseas Chinese who spent decades in Spain and Italy. The service was warm and welcoming, with the owner personally delivering the pizza and engaging in genuine conversation about his culinary journey and philosophy. The restaurant maintains a menu spanning three decades of cultural evolution, from the traditional water-based Western cuisine to modern Neapolitan pizza and handmade pasta.
Value & Pricing
While specific prices were not mentioned in the video, the restaurant appears to operate at a mid-range level typical of local Qingtian establishments. The owner explained that premium cuts of steak would significantly increase costs, which local customers are reluctant to pay, so the traditional teppan steak remains the best-seller despite being an outdated interpretation of Western cuisine. The quality of imported ingredients like Spanish Iberian ham and proper pasta makes the pricing reasonable for the value provided.
Notable Moments
When discussing the retro fruit salad, the reviewer remarked: You know the complex feelings Chinese people have when they see General Tso's chicken and Tangerine chicken? Now you can understand. This perfectly captures how Chinese diners view these adapted Western dishes, and how Westerners might feel seeing pizza with tomato sauce squeezed directly on pasta.
The owner shared his reasoning for keeping outdated dishes on the menu: We could choose better quality steak, but that means higher costs and higher prices. But customers don't buy it because they think why would we spend so much money on a steak. So this old-fashioned steak remains our number one seller.
The Verdict
This restaurant deserves recognition as both a cultural landmark and a genuinely competent dining establishment. It serves best those seeking nostalgic experiences of 1980s Chinese interpretations of Western cuisine, as well as those interested in experiencing how returned overseas Chinese have integrated their European experiences into their hometown. However, those seeking purely authentic European cuisine should focus on the newer offerings like the Napoli pizza and handmade pasta, which showcase legitimate culinary training and technique. The Basque cheesecake and pizza represent the restaurant's future direction and demonstrate impressive quality, while the older menu items like the teppan steak and fruit salad preserve important cultural memories for the local community.