The barbecue stall located in Hualien's Dongdamen Night Market didn’t have much to choose from that day. It was probably too late to go, but overall, the food was fresh. The boss was the only one taking orders, grilling, and clearing the tables, so ordering took some time. We ordered the following items:
1 skewer of grilled chicken thigh
1 skewer of grilled Matsusaka pork
1 portion of grilled scallops
5 grilled shrimp
1 portion of pepper conch
1 portion of grilled oysters
The total price was NT$805. To be honest, it wasn’t too cheap, but it was acceptable. Everything was grilled just right and delicious. 😋
There was seating available, and the service wasn’t slow. There was also live singing nearby. I received one smaller oyster and they added an extra one for me, which felt really nice. No wonder Google Maps reviews it with a rating of 4.8! I suggest going a bit earlier to have more options!
Environment
The environment is similar to traditional snack shops, with not too much decoration, giving a homey feeling. The shop provides a portable gas stove for customers to grill oysters 🦪, but besides grilled oysters, there are also other stir-fry dishes available. There is no specific time limit for dining, but please do not exceed the operating hours.
Dishes
📍 All-you-can-eat oysters 💰199
The size of the oysters 🦪 varies greatly, with some being very large and others quite small. Customers select the oysters themselves from a large basket provided by the store, using a plate 🥏 to help pick them up. Fortunately, the gas stove is very efficient, making the oyster grilling experience thoroughly enjoyable. Pairing them with drinks 🍺 makes them even more delicious 😋.
Parking
The writer took a taxi to the location this time, so there was no observation of nearby parking lots 🅿️, but mopeds 🛵 can be parked in the scooter spaces in front of the shop.
Service
No matter the type of all-you-can-eat scenario, the speed of replenishing ingredients is crucial. The store's speed of serving dishes and replenishing oysters 🦪 is very fast, and they also provide necessary services when needed. The entire dining experience was excellent.
Payment method: Cash 💰
Kaohsiung's long-established charcoal grill restaurant - Tian Ji Fa Ye, is located on Zhongshan Road in the Xinjuejiang shopping district. It has a large number of seats on both the first and second floors, making it one of my favorite barbecue places that I have visited multiple times. This year marks the 18th anniversary of Tian Ji Fa Ye, and they have collaborated with the Minions for a special event, offering a wide range of merchandise that is given away (not for sale) with qualifying purchases.
During this visit, I spent NT$988, and the food was incredibly diverse, with a total of 96 items which was practically impossible to finish! The meat slices are of a certain thickness, and the Australian Wagyu beef has a very even distribution of fat, grilled over high heat with special dipping sauce, making it very tender and delicious.
For seafood, they have oyster and angel shrimp, which are definitely must-tries. They also offer ice cream from two big brands, Häagen-Dazs and Cold Stone, which you can enjoy as well. It really was super satisfying to get to eat and also take home some goodies.
🔸 Spend NT$6,000 to receive a Minions foldable hand trolley
🔸 Spend NT$3,500 to receive a Minions foldable hand umbrella
🔸 Spend NT$1,600 to receive a Minions drink tote
🔸 Spend NT$1,000 to receive a Minions badge
If you want to see more video introductions, feel free to search on IG: ooo.eat
"Is there anyone else like me who spends half of today's small stock profit to treat myself? Hahaha, I went straight to the department store to shop and eat barbecue." by Brother
<About the Meal🥣>
Chawanmushi: Smooth texture, made with chicken broth, with a slight sweetness, but the fish cake is a bit unnecessary. There are two small pieces of chicken at the bottom that are somewhat dry.
Rich Chicken Soup Chazuke: The rice part is a bit hard and flavorless; it feels like the soup is the star, rich yet mild in flavor, super appetizing for me 🤤.
Chicken Heart, Chicken Thigh Heart: This is my favorite skewer; as soon as it arrives, the color, aroma, and taste are impressive. The sauce on them elevates the flavor of the ingredients.
Chicken Liver: Highly recommended! Perfect as a side dish to pair with drinks. The taste of the liver fills the mouth immediately, but luckily the onion helps tone down the intensity of the chicken liver flavor.
Chicken Skin: The outer layer is crispy while the inside is tender. The chef sprinkled a bit of salt while grilling to make the chicken skin even crispier.
🔹Menu
Sausage skewer $30
Chicken butt skewer (4 pieces) $50
I think the barbecue sauce at this shop is delicious; it's sweet and has a nice charcoal aroma.
However, I've been there twice and the food was cold both times because they are almost all cooked and left on the counter. People take them to heat up a bit if they want to buy, unless they happen to be sold out by the previous customers, in which case you would have to wait.
When I bought it the first time, I found everything was cold. The taste was good, but eating cold barbecue feels strange, so the second time I went, I told the owner that I wanted it fresh off the grill. The owner heard me say it was too cold and said it wouldn’t need to be freshly grilled; he would heat it up longer for me. But when I took it home (after 3 minutes), it was still lukewarm when I bit into it...
Actually, the taste is really good, but if it’s not freshly grilled, it’s all just lukewarm. 🥲
Located in Yongkang, Tainan, "Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ" is a well-known chain BBQ restaurant with a decent environment, making it suitable for family gatherings or outings with friends. I've always been a regular at this restaurant (especially for business lunches 😆). This time I invited some friends to have dinner, but we were not very satisfied. The quality of the meat was average; although some names sound upscale, the surprise factor when tasting them was not strong.
However, the service at this restaurant is worth mentioning, especially one female intern with red hair, whose attitude was very enthusiastic. She frequently came around to ensure that guests had a pleasant dining experience, which left a good impression of the dining process.
In comparison, I actually recommend their business lunches more, as the cost-performance ratio is significantly better than dinner. To say the least, in terms of normal dinner, the old Gyu-Kaku was simply an all-you-can-eat concept, which felt very straightforward and simple, but the current menu seems more refined. However, there hasn't been much fundamental change—the prices have just gone up.
Overall, the food quality at Gyu-Kaku Japanese BBQ is average, while the service attitude is a plus. As it stands, I would only recommend the business lunch.
Located in Tainan's Little West Gate, "Old Kanpai" is a high-end Japanese barbecue restaurant that offers table-side grilling service, allowing customers to easily enjoy perfectly cooked Wagyu beef and other ingredients. However, I definitely can't afford the usual prices 😢. But if it's a business lunch, I can just barely manage it!
This time, I ordered their claypot rice business lunch, and the beef tongue in the set, paired with a special green onion salt sauce, was exceptional—crisp and juicy with a strong meaty aroma, truly a standout. The table-side grilling service was professional, ensuring each bite reached the perfect doneness.
It's worth mentioning their chawanmushi (savory egg custard), which had edamame puree and mozzarella cheese hidden below—a very unique combination with a smooth texture that left a lasting impression. Their vegetables, such as shiitake mushrooms, yam, and baby corn, were also grilled very well, cooked just right to preserve their natural sweetness.
I also tried their eel claypot rice, which required an additional charge of 100 NT dollars. The fragrance of the eel was rich, and it was embellished with a bit of beef tendon, which I thought was quite special—it tasted even better when mixed with soup-soaked rice. However, I was a bit disappointed that my favorite shrimp claypot rice wasn't available for some reason; I remember it wasn't on the menu six months ago either, even though I filled out a survey back then expressing my hope for its return, but it seems hopeless.
For dessert, the caramel pudding was also a highlight, with a smooth texture and just the right level of sweetness, perfectly capping off this rich meal. Overall, "Old Kanpai" offers high-quality service, ingredients, and a dining experience that is above average—definitely worth a try.
April the Mid-Autumn Festival BBQ month, I brought my boyfriend to eat barbecue. We arrived twenty minutes early, and my boyfriend asked the shop owner if we could wait inside until opening – a friendly shop owner +1.
Once we went in and sat down, the owner brought us the menu to choose from, without any fuss. We went for the 899 option and ordered by scanning the QR code. After scanning twice, the table was completely full. The Angus 16oz came up and was juicy after grilling, which made my boyfriend very satisfied. Fortunately, the shop gave us a table meant for four people, which was very spacious. Both my boyfriend and I could sit comfortably on the sofa – another plus! The air conditioning wasn't too strong, so my boyfriend's military haircut was safe, avoiding any headaches – another plus!
The self-serve ice cream bar had vanilla and strawberry, which is awesome as it caters to popular tastes. This is a place I will definitely visit again. I really liked it! 😘
#Penghu #YuanYuanFoodDiary
A newly opened charcoal grill restaurant near my house
I heard the chicken cutlet is quite good, how could I pass on that?
#Charcoal Grilled Chicken Cutlet
The skin is thin and crispy, paired with grilled sauce,
After grilling, it isn't too moist, with a slightly sweet flavor
The chicken meat is solid and tender, one bite and your eyes will light up! 😍
#Charcoal Grilled Rice Blood Cake #Charcoal Grilled Layered Tofu
Both are first fried, then brushed with sauce and grilled
They have a more layered taste!
The flavor of the chili powder is quite strong; it feels like there’s a bit too much for my mild spice preference
It masks the flavor of the sauce, so if you want to taste the sauce
I suggest not adding chili, it might be better that way
#Charcoal Grilled Chicken Skin
I won’t order this again; I can tell it wasn’t fried enough
And there’s no sauce brushed on, it has a strong oily and gamey taste
Not crispy, and hard to bite through; I only took one bite and said goodbye
I haven't been to an all-you-can-eat in a long time, and I really feel underpowered 😤. On weekday nights, dining isn't too crowded. I like steak and wagyu, and you can pay extra to have the highest-priced options. For $1299, you can enjoy unlimited alcoholic beverages, which is great for those who love to drink.
I find the boneless short ribs and marbled beef quite delicious. My personal favorite is the scallion salt beef tongue and Iberico pork ribs! The pork here is surprisingly amazing and very fragrant. The sashimi-grade scallops that I had cooked to medium were just right and very sweet and tender 💕. The yam here is also really tasty, and it's a refreshing complement to the meats 🥺.
As for seafood, I personally highly recommend the shrimp. If you like shrimp, you should order a round of it since you'll want to save some appetite for other dishes 😆. Besides the barbecue, the menu is quite rich with options. There are fried items, salads, and a variety of vegetable sides to choose from. I think the salt-grilled rice balls are really good! Next time, I think I’ll try the tea-infused rice!
