Guoxiangyuan Vegetarian Cuisine

Hualien has an abundance of vegetarian restaurants of all different cuisines and price ranges (from cheap-eats counters to sophisticated tasting menus) to cater to all your dietary restrictions and preferences. Even though meat eaters often go on about vegetarians eating "rabbit food," Guoxiangyuan is pleasing veg heads and carnivores alike without serving a single shred of meat. The best part? It’s a restaurant that doesn’t hurt your wallet!

The extensive menu is divided into noodles, rice, soup and hot pots. The spicy noodles are topped with a few chunks of vegetarian meat, and it’s almost like you’re having a real bowl of beef noodles. Not in the mood for noodles? You can opt for a steaming bowl of spicy rice. However, think twice before you order because it's heat hot, it's spicy hot, it's just all up in your face hot. It might be a bit confusing when you take a look at the menu, where you will find dishes that seemingly involved meat, but don’t worry, they are all decent vegetarian food. For example, the soy-stewed pork with rice is succulent and flavorful, thoroughly drenched in the marinade; the mutton soup is something that you’ve never had before, and you must give it a try. The hot pots come with three different kinds of flavors and all boast a heaping serving of veggies, and they are still reasonably priced. What more can you ask for?