TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The famous Shanghai-style restaurant chain Kao Chi (高記) has returned to Taipei's Da'an District after its previous location was shut down by order of the city government.

Last August, the restaurant's main branch on Yongkang Street was forced to suspend service after 70 years in business due to its violations of the Building Act. The Taipei City Government had categorized the second and third floors of the restaurant as "collective resident units" and said they could not be used for commercial purposes.

At the time, many longtime customers were shocked at the sudden closure of the Shanghainese restaurant. Now, Kao Chi has set up a new branch near Da'an Forest Park, just 400 meters from where the Yongkang Street branch was located.

With festive red lanterns hanging outside its windows, the two-story restaurant will start trial operations Saturday (Feb. 6) just before the Lunar New Year holiday. According to a member of the Dongmen Yongkang Business Circle Development Association, the monthly rent for the new building is somewhere around NT$1 million (US$35,724).

Founded by Kao Su-mei (高四妹) in 1949, Kao Chi was the first Shanghainese restaurant on Yongkang Street. It is famous for its pan-fried buns (生煎包) and Chinese pastries and is widely seen as the perennial runner-up to its rival Din Tai Fung.

Kao Chi shut down its main branch on Yongkang Street last August. (CNA photo)