Specifically came to Hsinchu to eat at a Southeast Asian restaurant with my family. I had previously tried their Nyonya cake and found it very delicious. After a long wait, I finally visited. Reservations are not allowed for dine-in, only waiting is available. On Sunday, we arrived around 11:50 and had to wait for five groups. Luckily, we were seated after about an hour!
Dining is on the second floor, while the first floor is for waiting and takeout orders. There is tea available while you wait on the first floor. The main dish was beef rendang from Padang. The spiced beef was very rich in flavor and went perfectly with the turmeric rice. I don’t know why I didn’t take a photo of it 🥲.
We also ordered a fragrant Bak Kut Teh, suitable for those who enjoy hot pot. We added some Chendol, and there were plenty of ingredients! I particularly loved the homemade Cendol (pandan rice noodles) inside. The texture was very chewy, and the pandan flavor was very fragrant!
Next time, I might just order extra Cendol directly 🤣, it felt very satisfying. If we had room left for dessert, we had to save some for that! Because the desserts are also highly recommended! I was surprised that the dessert was unexpectedly not overly sweet, which I really loved 🥰.
The pandan taro cheesecake went perfectly together; I enjoy the smooth texture of taro. The combination of pandan and cheese flavors creates a multi-layered experience!
Next time, I’ll want to take the cake desserts home as takeout. When checking out, you can also choose Nyonya cake as a post-meal snack at the counter. Overall, the atmosphere was comfortable, and the natural light by the window was quite nice. The prices felt reasonable as well. No wonder it's one of the must-visit restaurants in Hsinchu highly recommended by many people!
Sharing this for everyone's reference 🫶🏻.
🎉 Hidden Holiday Delicacies in Longgang: Nanyang Cuisine 🎉
🎉 Local Food Known Only to Those in the Alley 🎉
I can't believe it took me so many visits to Zhongzheng to discover this Nanyang restaurant! 😆 If I hadn't randomly seen someone introduce it, I would have never known that there are delicious Nanyang satay rice in Longgang, in addition to the famous mi gan. ☺️
Upon entering, the restaurant doesn't have fancy decor; instead, it feels like you're dining at someone's home. 😁 They also sell some Indonesian condiments, snacks, accessories, and clothing. 😆 I went in feeling a bit nervous for the first time. 😆
It turns out that the owner is an Indonesian Chinese, which explains all the other decorations around. The owner speaks Mandarin with a bit of an accent, but despite that, they are super friendly in introducing the dishes. 👏 The weather was hot, and when I saw that the iced tea was only ten dollars, I was about to order a cup when the owner said the iced tea was on the house! 😳
They even served us four cups for the four of us—super generous! 👏
There were about ten types of dishes available at the counter, and with one bento, you can choose three dishes plus a main dish. 😋 When it was served, they also added a sweet and crunchy bitter melon on the side. 🙌🏻 So that’s four dishes plus one main dish! ✌️
Satay Rice:
You can choose between turmeric rice and white rice. 👍 It was served with a strong aroma of charcoal, and the crispy outer layer surprised me with how tender the chicken was. Who knew chicken breast could be so tender? 😋 The rich peanut flavor from the satay sauce was incredible, and there were actually crushed peanuts in it! 😳 This added another layer of texture. 🤤 For those who love spicy food, the restaurant also provided two kinds of chili—one with shrimp paste and one without. 🙌🏻 Naturally, as an adult, I had to have them all! 🤣 The side dishes had a homely taste. 👌
A La Carte Satay:
Seven sticks for just 100NT! Personally, I think that's a great deal, and the portion is generous! If you love meat, you definitely have to add this dish. 🤤 Otherwise, it might not be enough. 😋
To sum up:
The restaurant is located by the road next to Zhongzheng Market, so it might be easier to find with navigation. It doesn’t look like an ordinary restaurant, so it’s easy to miss. 😆 There are many parking lots nearby 🅿️, but on weekends, there tends to be more traffic and people. 😵 I recommend parking beside Longgang Elementary School to avoid long waits. ☺️
This is my top three Southeast Asian restaurants I’ve tried in Taitung City so far! The overall performance of the restaurant, from the food to the environment, is excellent.
The food includes a selection of dishes from Thai, Indonesian, Vietnamese, and other flavors, and the chefs are all friends from Southeast Asia, so the taste is quite authentic and hasn’t been adjusted to suit Taiwanese preferences. Many dishes are also made fresh, like the Vietnamese grilled pork rice, which features pork that is actually grilled on-site. The freshness when you take a bite is incredible—it’s something you have to experience to understand.
As for the space, although the restaurant is in a single-story building with relatively simple decor, the cooking and dining environment are very clean, bright, and comfortable. This is something that many other Southeast Asian restaurants in Taitung have not achieved. In other words, if you're looking for Southeast Asian cuisine in Taitung, I highly recommend this place.
Additionally, it seems the owner has a habit of catering to cats, as there’s a large cage on the left side of the entrance that houses many cats, so cat lovers can go in and take a look.
Reviewer for Nyonya Cake: This is what takeout Nyonya cake is like, no trips to the restroom.
This is also a place I must visit every time I come to Hsinchu. I got to know its deliciousness during a pop-up event I saw at a department store.
This time I bought Nyonya cake and a pandan chiffon cake. The items are as follows, and I won’t comment on each one, just know the ones with 👍 are good:
All the various flavors of Nyonya cake are delicious. Personally, I feel none of them are disappointing. I really like the pandan flavor, especially the ones with 👍. I’m not a big fan of the rice cake series. Overall, it’s quite nice, and I will return. I want to try their dine-in dishes next time; I've only ever gotten takeout. It looks pretty good too 👍. There are quite a lot of people on weekends, with a good number of dine-in and takeout Nyonya cakes.
Taipei Neihu - A well-known Hainan chicken rice chain. Although the price is high, the quality of the chicken is excellent, claimed to be the best in Hainan chicken.
📍 Hainan Chicken Rice Set A (Main dish + Pork Bone Tea) NT$265
Hainan Chicken Rice (Original Price NT$195)
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗
The most classic version, with several pieces of chicken breast and two chicken wings. The chicken breast is very tender, firm yet pleasantly moist and not dry. And the springy yellow chicken skin is not greasy and has no fishy taste. According to the introduction, the chicken is made from fresh, medium-aged free-range chicken, with precise cooking time. After cooking, it is placed in an ice bucket to cool and enhance the texture of the skin—truly the pinnacle of Hainan chicken.
The cucumbers are cut into thin and thick slices for added crunch and texture.
There are two rice options; I chose pandan turmeric rice, and the other one is chicken oil rice.
🔹 Turmeric rice is moderately soft, not too wet or mushy, and has a bit of texture that I like quite a bit. The subtle aroma of turmeric and pandan pairs very well with the dipping sauce of ginger, shallots, and garlic paste.
Three dipping sauces:
🔹 Ginger, shallot, and garlic paste: My favorite sauce, a perfect match of ginger, garlic, and shallots with rich layers of flavor.
🔹 Chili sauce: Quite spicy, with a hint of lemon acidity and a little sweetness, very distinct flavor.
🔹 Dark soy sauce: A bit on the sweet side, rich in flavor but not overly salty.
Pork Bone Tea (Single Order Original Price NT$130)
🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
The soup is very sweet and balances the flavors of Chinese herbs. It contains fresh shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, and goji berries to enhance the freshness. There are two pieces of pork ribs; unfortunately, the meat feels a bit tough, and the sinew can be difficult to chew.
▶️ Environment
🔹 The indoor space is quite large, with a total of 5 tables for four and 3 tables for two, accommodating 26 people.
🔹 The decor style is bright and simple, and very clean.
🔹 Cutlery does not need to be self-served, a spoon is included with the meal. Chopsticks are pre-set on the table.
🔹 Drinking water is not provided.
🔹 Restrooms are available.
▶️ Thoughtful Reminder
🔹 For dine-in, please inform the staff, find a seat directly, and the menu will be brought to you, ordering via QR code on your phone.
🔹 Line Pay and electronic payments are accepted.
▶️ Overall Assessment
🔹 Ruiji Hainan Chicken Rice has a relatively high price, with a not-so-high cost-performance ratio. I think it is considered mid to high price for Hainan chicken rice. However, I really have to give high marks for the quality of the chicken, paired with those three dipping sauces, making the flavors very distinctive. I usually wouldn’t come often, but I’d make a special trip if I want something better!
Yuejinjin Taiyue Food is located in the bustling Tonghua Street Night Market, but its business hours are from noon to night.
There is no break in the afternoon, so you can visit at any time.
What I enjoyed today was Thai-style pepper and sesame chicken drumstick rice, priced at 150 yuan.
Stores use QR codes to order food, and night markets are finally becoming more and more intelligent.
Thai spicy chicken leg rice:
The store can add meals for free, but you must inform them in advance.
It's quite a lot of food after adding rice, so please choose carefully.
The side dishes include green vegetables, fried mushrooms, and a sun-cooked egg.
The vegetables (I can't remember what kind of vegetables they are at the moment) are naturally slightly bitter and go well with rice, but they have a bit too much fiber.
The stir-fried mushrooms and cucumbers mixed together are quite satisfactory.
Surprisingly, the yolk in the middle of the sun-cooked egg is perfectly cooked and has a paste-like consistency.
The main dish, the chicken thighs with sesame seeds, has a very crispy skin, and the aroma of sesame seeds is the finishing touch. Shredded cabbage and crispy peanuts also add a lot of texture.
Maybe it’s because I eat a lot of spiciness, so I can’t really taste the spiciness of the peppercorns, but other than that, the sour and sweet sauce is quite delicious whether it’s paired with meat or rice.
The store's self-service bar offers three types of chili, namely fish sauce chili, vinegar chili, and spicy dregs.
As far as peppercorn chicken is concerned, the first two kinds of peppers are quite suitable, which can make up for the lack of spiciness of the original seasoning.
Overall, it's a decent Thai cuisine.
Thai-style cold green papaya is sold in front of the store during night market hours. I would like to take it out if I have time.
Recommended to everyone.
Today I suddenly wanted to eat Sing Ma cuisine and drink laksa soup, so I went to the newly opened "Sing Ma Thai" near my home.
The store has a large area of green color, with a large picture output of Southeast Asian street scenes, and the warm greetings from the clerk wearing a floral shirt, making people feel like they are at a roadside stall in Southeast Asia.
There are many meal options, including Singaporean, Malaysian and Thai cuisine.
What are we ordering for dinner today?
-Patong Curry Beef Nasi Lemak $248🌶️
The menu says spiciness level 1, but it's not spicy at all. The clerk said it's not spicy enough and you can add more. The classic Indonesian nasi lemak, the beef cubes are very soft and tender. I think it tastes good, but the sauce is a bit lacking. The waiter said that if the sauce is not enough, you can add more, so we didn't add more.
-Padong Curry Beef Laksa$258🌶️🌶️
The menu indicates spiciness level 2, but it is hardly spicy. It must have been adjusted to suit Taiwanese tastes.
The ingredients are rich. The beef part is the same as the curry beef nasi lemak. In addition to the tofu and bean sprouts balls, there are also several large pieces of potatoes, so it is a very filling bowl of noodle soup.
The noodles are a mixture of rice noodles and oil noodles, which is very special. What's a pity is that the laksa soup tastes a bit bland to me, has a watery taste, and feels ordinary.
-Roti canai $80
It was served in a large piece full of visual effects, with curry sauce and condensed milk on the side. Like it dipped in condensed milk even more than curry sauce. The pancake itself is very thin, so thin that it transmits light. It is quite impressive to be able to do this.
It tastes very crispy, different from the thick and filling Indian pancakes you usually eat.
In addition, because the pie crust itself is very thin and crispy, it will break into many small pieces when clamped. If dipped in sauce, it will break into pieces and cannot be clamped in the sauce, making it inconvenient to eat.
This pancake can only be regarded as fun to eat. It tastes good and special, but it feels a bit empty after eating it.
-Seasonal vegetables mixed with secret sauce $65
It is a slightly soft and moist fried cabbage, and the performance is quite satisfactory.
Overall, I can only give this restaurant three stars, and I wouldn’t particularly come here to eat there. However, it may be that I have a strong taste, so I think the food is bland, otherwise there would be an endless stream of customers during dinner time! For your reference!
🪄One of the recommended delicacies in Nanyang Street🍚
/ environment /
People with mysophobia may be very repulsive and not very clean.
But I personally don’t mind~
There is almost a big long table inside, and it will definitely be shared with other guests.
In addition to selling meals, I think they also sell some daily grains, sauces, etc.
Then the boss and his family are very cute, and you can feel the atmosphere of three generations chatting in the dining area💬In addition to the bosses, there are also cute shop cats🐱
/ Meals /
○ Pea flour $70
It doesn’t look delicious at first
The result is that it tastes inexplicably delicious. It has a soft and tender texture that will break when pinched.
It’s delicious when paired with the sauce below🤣
It will definitely taste better if you add chili pepper. It is very refreshing to eat in summer~
○ Braised pork rice $120
I'm impressed with this dish, it's to my liking
Although the batter is oily, it is very flavorful when stir-fried with chili peppers.
Must be eaten with rice!
The side dishes on the side taste a bit oily
But those two pieces of fried pea flour taste very much like egg tofu
I will order a bowl of fried pea powder next time I come here🤣
○ 嚚嚤咳喳喳 $50
My impression of this bowl of dessert is that it tastes like coconut, so I don’t dare to eat it.
There are many ingredients in it, including sago, Luo Wangzi, and pigment jelly.
There are also spy ice cubes 🧊At that time, I thought I was eating the toppings
When I bit into it, I found it was super hard and made of ice🤣
Overall it tastes pretty good, with a light coconut flavor
But I won’t order it next time, just experience it ( ¯꒳¯ )ᐝ
The environment is bright and clean. Use QRCode to order. After ordering, a clerk will confirm it. The food is served very quickly and the tableware is available in the seat drawer.
This time I ordered Hainanese chicken leg rice (clear chicken oil rice)/220 yuan:
You can choose clear chicken oil rice or pandan turmeric rice. This time I chose clear chicken oil rice. It tastes very fragrant and delicious with a little bit of chicken oil. The chicken leg meat is very soft and tender, and it is paired with three special sauces. It went very well with the meal. Among them, I liked the freshly ground chili sauce the most. It tastes very different from the bean paste chili sauce commonly eaten in Taiwan. It is not so salty and has a little bit of chili aroma. It is very worth trying.
Rui Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice has also opened a branch in Ximen. I haven’t eaten in Ximen for a while. I originally wanted to eat ramen, but I had to wait for a long time. I found that Hainanese Chicken Rice was opened across the street, so I came in to eat.
🍽️Environment
The environment is clean and tidy, there are about 7-8 double tables inside, and the air conditioning is very strong
Order food using QR Code
🍚Meals
#Hainan Chicken Leg Rice $220
This time I ordered Hainanese Chicken Leg Rice, and the rice to go with it was chicken oil rice or pandan turmeric rice. I chose the latter and it tasted pretty good.
You can choose between a small amount of rice, a normal amount, or a large amount of rice. The price is the same.
The side dishes include half a cherry tomato, cucumber and green vegetables, and the portion is not large.
The chicken thighs are tender and chewy, and you can have different taste experiences with the three accompanying sauces: dark soy sauce (black), ginger, onion and garlic paste (green), and fresh mushroom chili sauce (red). I prefer the chili sauce and ginger, onion and garlic paste. It’s also good to have with rice🤣.
Overall, the performance is good, you can try it.