The Future: Taiwan’s most beautiful train

(CNN) — Taiwan’s first-ever gourmet dining train has just hit the tracks — and this stunning creation is earning fast fans not just for its food, but for its appearance, too.

The unveiling of the Moving Kitchen took place at Taipei’s Nangang train station platform in March 2022 — a surreal moment for Johnny Chiu, founder of Taipei-based J.C. Architecture.

Looking at the chic orange and black train, it’s difficult to believe that when it first debuted in 2019, its original appearance was referred to as an “aesthetic catastrophe” by local media.

Chiu redesigned the entire train, including the new gourmet dining cars, and is the main reason this former “catastrophe” is now affectionately referred to as “most beautiful train in Taiwan.”

The letter that started it all

“In Taiwan, train travel has always been a big part of our life,” Chiu tells CNN Travel.

“From on the way to joining the army (military service is compulsory for men in Taiwan) to going home for the Lunar New Year celebration, to meeting our girlfriends or grandmothers, train travel is in everyone’s memories.”

“The kitchen bar almost felt like a hospital, with plastic white countertops and rubbish bins you could find on the streets. And with the loud flowers painted on the wall — it really wasn’t tasteful. Everyone went nuts. The photos were on every media site and every social media account,” recalls Chiu.

Designed by Johnny Chiu, the Moving Kitchen made its debut in March 2022.

Lee Kuo-Min JC Architecture

Sad about the situation, Chiu wrote an open letter, inviting everyone to see this as an opportunity for Taiwan’s railway to modernize, and hoped that someone would pass his message to the TRA.

In response to the criticisms, the TRA enlisted a group of creatives to find a more eye-pleasing solution. One of them saw Chiu’s open letter and reached out to him.

“I got an email reply saying, ‘Johnny, great. We’re happy you have this positive response. I’ll give you guys two weeks and please present to us your ideas,'” recalls Chiu.

Two weeks of sleepless nights and whiskey-infused brainstorming sessions later, Chiu and his team presented the TRA with a plan for the makeover. Soon after, they were awarded the project.

Making over a 50-year-old train

Architect Johnny Chiu and his team were tasked with transforming this 50-year-old train in 2019.

Lee Kuo-Min JC Architecture

But the real challenge…