Happened to be in Taoyuan checking out the moon rabbit and stopped in at the H.O.P. for dinner and was pleasantly surprised. Here is their facebook.
You will see the nice pizza oven as you walk in the front door, but what you may not immediately notice is that you have come home.
First, the food. Great pizza and buffalo. The crust on the “deep” pizza was nice and chewy and the application of toppings was more than generous. The pizza alone is worth a visit. The buffalo wings were actually prepared correctly not like the typical over-saturated sauce type usually given here but crispy like what you want. Both delicious. And lots of beers to choose from in the fridge.
But then we get to the service where they really outdo themselves. I haven’t experience such comfort in a very long time. Friendly, helpful, and responsive to your needs with a genuine smile. From the servers to the owner Nathan, all make you feel like a friend.
And finally, the clientele. Felt like I just got here. For you old timers, remember when you were a new arrival and actually had conversations with people you just met? :roflmao: Big bonus, met a lot of new people and felt young again. Has that “Heping Road”-of-yesteryear-vibe.
I don’t get out to hangouts much anymore so it was an eye-re-opener for me. If you live in Taoyuan it is a must and you probably already go. If you are in Taipei it is only 30 minutes by train with a fare cheaper than a subway ticket (NT$32 slow train 30 minutes). They are less than 10 minutes walk or 3 minutes taxi from the train station.
Go.
I used to go there a few years ago for trivia night when it was Feebie’s, but haven’t been back since they changed owners. It’s good to know they still have the pizza oven; I’ll have to check it out. Coincidentally, I just drove by there yesterday and noticed that the funny billboard is still on the corner.
Night and day Steve. In a good way.
It sure is. :roflmao:
We had an appointment right next door and accidentally stumbled in here. Now my New York and Chicago friends will go to great lengths to extol the virtues of their home town slices, but unless you’ve had a Montreal pie, you just don’t get it.
The HOP’s deep pie brought me straight back to late nights after tending the wood and stopping in at my local joint for a pie and some “cold tea”, and then further back to my tweens when I’d stay in the city with my grandmother and she’d send me down to her local joint with 5 bucks. Just simply the best pizza I’ve had in Asia.
Also had a nice conversation with the very cool owner, a hard core baseball man and awesome Dad. His 10-year-old son knows more about baseball than many of my adult friends. The EBH also loved their wings as you could smell them enter the room. As it is owned by a Buffalo, native son, they’d better be bang on. And they were.
Oh, and they had The Rangers game on without any prompting from me.
Now I am looking for excuses to go to TaoYuan.
What is this wondrous place in Taoyuan you are all raving about?
Are you implying that there is actually some thing worthwhile outside the Taipei City gates?
I feel my head is about to explode.
Guy