Adelaide is set to welcome a slice of Taiwan’s everyday comfort food, straight from the alleys of Tainan City, the country’s oldest city.
Formosa Alley is the new Findon eatery founded by Sandy Hsu, a Tainan-born foodie who has called Adelaide home for more than ten years. The restaurant opened its doors for soft opening over the weekend, with plans for a grand on Sunday 22 March, at 137 Findon road, Findon.
“I’ve always missed the flavours of home,” Sandy says. “Adelaide has wonderful food diversity, but authentic Taiwanese options are still quite limited. My vision for Formosa Alley is to introduce genuine Taiwanese everyday comfort food to the local community in a warm, approachable, and high-value format.”
The menu features highlights like the Braised Pork Rice, Popcorn Chicken, and the Peanut Sticky Rice Cake for a sweet finish. Other must-tries include the hearty Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup with beef shank and tendon, Tainan Style Braised Pork Rice (Lu Rou Fan), Marinated Black & White Fungus Salad, Taiwanese Fried Salt & Pepper Chicken, and the Taiwanese Sticky Rice Sausage with Pork Sausage.
Formosa Alley’s interior aims to mirror the vibe of a nostalgic Taiwanese alleyway. Sandy explains, “We have styled the space with a nostalgic red-brick interior inspired by traditional Taiwanese architecture. The concept is to evoke the feeling of walking into an old Taiwanese alleyway, which is exactly where the name Formosa Alley comes from.” The shop is intentionally small and cosy, with around 12 seats available. The primary focus is takeaway and delivery, although plenty of dine-in space is available.
Formosa Alley, Sandy tells us, is also very much a “mum-powered” business. Sandy is currently seven and a half months pregnant. “During my maternity period, my close mum friends will help operate the shop alongside me. This business represents both my passion for food and the resilience of mums supporting each other,” she says.
The journey to Formosa Alley began with Sandy’s first food cart, Yummy Wheel Cake, operating in North Terrace and Rundle Mall from 2019 to 2021. She paused the business in 2022 when she had her first child, but the passion never left. Sandy says, “Late last year, the opportunity came up to secure this small shop, and it felt like the right time to finally bring my vision of Taiwanese everyday food to life.”
The name Formosa also carries historical meaning. Sandy adds, “When Portuguese sailors first sighted Taiwan in the 16th century, they reportedly called it ‘Ilha Formosa,’ meaning ‘beautiful island.’”
Formosa Alley soft opened over the weekend, with plans to open at full capacity on the weekend of 21 and 22 March. The restaurant opens Wednesday to Sunday for dinner and for brunch from Friday to Sunday.
Formosa Alley
Where: 137 Findon Road, Findon
When: Grand opening expected 22 March
For more info, click here.
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