Life only moves ahead. This simple but profound saying is appropriate to describe Kai, the owner of Taiwan Little Eats, a famous Taiwanese snack bar in Madison. His life is a story of a drifting childhood, a confused adolescence and a reflective and exploratory adulthood. It is also these adverse situations and experiences that give him the motivation to go forward and allow him to find his true self along his life journey. 

Arguably, Taiwan Little Eats is the result of Kai's effort to remake himself and meticulously cultivate his business. With his inner sincerity and persistent pursuit for betterment, he has successfully established a unique and broadly loved Taiwanese snack restaurant. 

Taiwan Little Eats 

(608) 251-8529 

320 State St., Madison, WI 53703

Unique Cuisine 
Kai, a native Tainaner, has an almost obsessive love and deep understanding of traditional Taiwanese snacks. Upholding the concept of going back to basics, he manages to bring the most authentic old-time flavors to diners in a perfect way. Every dish offered by the restaurant is prepared with the most basic seasoning to highlight the original flavors of ingredients. The most popular offering is Tainan Braised Pork Over Rice. The pork interspersing fatty and lean meat is braised in brine for a long time, resulting in a oily bright and aromatic texture. Served with distinct grains of rice, fragrant marinated egg and refreshing Daucus carrot, the dish provides clearly different layers of tastes. The Crispy & Salty Popcorn Chicken and Giant Fried Chicken Cutlet that are crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, as well as gentle and mellow Milk Tea with no additives, are also top choices among diners. 

Life Story 
Kai's life is an inspiring story of hardships, challenges, transformations and eventual success. Spending his childhood in family misfortunes and drifting life, he was not defeated by the unfairness of his fate. Instead, these adverse experiences made him realize the cruelty and difficulty of life itself. To survive, the 15-year-old Kai decided to study in a catering school, where his catering career began. 
At the age of 19, Kai set his foot on the American soil along with his dreams and courage. What he faced was an entirely new world and greater challenges. Originally, he was somewhat resistant to the catering business, but the reality of his life forced him to confront his difficulties. He tried to learn from others but failed. After that, he had the chance to work in a restaurant operated by his relative but felt exhausted due to long commuting hours. 

He felt he was stuck in life. It was at this moment that he heard some words on TV that transformed his life, “You’ve got to find a way to be a man that cannot be easily replaced”. These words hit him like a bolt of lightning. By that time, he started to change his habit and attitude and actively learn new knowledge and skills at a Japanese restaurant that he worked lately, even though he got a low salary. His attentiveness and persistence won him admiration from the top chefs of the restaurant. Under their guidance, Kai learned a lot. After a year of hard work, Kai stood out from the four apprentices and became a go-to person for his instructor. 

However, fate did not stop testing him. As soon as he was promoted to a leading chef, the restaurant he worked was suddenly out of business due to the financial crisis in 2008. That means Kai lost his job. After that, he tried to find new opportunities from other Japanese restaurants, but their concepts conflicted with his insistence on good quality and his pride as a chef. Amidst his disappointment and struggle, he switched his career to a casino where he felt empty and at a loss despite a high salary and welfare. 

It was not until 2016 that Kai found new hope due to the appearance of his childhood friend from Taiwan, who he had seen for more than 10 years. Invited by the friend, he decided to take a risk to open a Taiwanese snack bar named Taiwan Little Eats. Together with his childhood friend, he devoted himself to the decoration and preparation of the restaurant by paying attention to every detail. His effort and sincerity eventually paid off. The restaurant took off as soon as it was launched. 

But Kai refused to be content. He insisted on innovation and improvement to bring a sense of freshness to diners. By simplifying procedures and improving productivity, he aligned his restaurant to the operating mode of McDonald's in his pursuit of standardization, industrialization and process-oriented operation without chefs. Such stringent requirements enable the restaurant to offer a high standard of food.  

Despite the withdrawal of his partner and the shocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kai has maintained his passion in the restaurant business and the pursuit of his dreams. He constantly adjusts and optimizes the operating strategy of the restaurant and constantly innovates and changes things according to new developments of the market. Over the years, the restaurant has won stable customer bases and consistently positive ratings. 

Today, Taiwan Little Eats has become a renowned catering brand in Madison and has attracted countless diners. With respect to the future of the restaurant, Kai envisions a chain brand for his restaurant so that more people will have the opportunity to fall in love with Taiwanese roadside cuisine, thereby making his own part in promoting Taiwanese cuisine culture. 

Kai's story tells us that we should not complain in the face of an unfair fate. As long as we have dreams and courage and are willing to persist, we will be bound to regain our success and fulfill the values and goals of our lives.