Shan Hai Lou specializes in handcrafted exquisite Taiwanese cuisine, using fresh local ingredients to recreate the banquet-style dishes from the 1930s. It has won a Michelin star for six consecutive years and a Michelin Green Star for four years, making it the only restaurant in Taiwan to receive both awards.
Shan Hai Lou is located on Ren'ai Road in the Zhongzheng District of Taipei City. The nearest metro station is Zhongxiao Xinsheng Station, Exit 8, which is about an 8-minute walk away.
The restaurant's decor reflects the style of a 1930s banquet hall, with wooden windows made from repurposed antiques, adorned with famous paintings and antique tables and chairs, creating an understated yet elegant atmosphere.
Today, two people dined here. Upon entering, a staff member guided us to our seats, provided a tablet to view the menu, and we ordered verbally from the staff. After the meal, we settled the bill. Payment options include cash, credit card, and multiple payment methods; invoices can also be issued with a registered receipt, and there is a service fee.
We were seated on the first floor, which accommodates 2-4 people. For larger parties, seating is at the back of the first floor or at round tables on the second floor.
Today, we ordered the "Mei" personal set meal, which costs $2380 plus 10%. Photos and thoughts on the dishes are below.
There was a bit of a wait between each course, and the servers briefly explained the name and characteristics of the dishes without being overly intrusive. The service was good, and the dining environment was quiet and comfortable throughout the meal, providing overall good value for money. The only thing to note is that the set meal does not include drinks; tea costs an additional $120 plus 10% starting price. Plus, I accidentally ate too much salty popcorn chicken this afternoon, so I can't guarantee whether the portion would be filling.
I found out that you can get regular dishes to take out at a stir-fry (Taiwanese izakaya) restaurant, so I decided to give it a try!
【Atmosphere in the Restaurant】
It was a Friday night, but there were no people dining in the restaurant, and only a couple of groups were there for takeout. The menu was extensive, and the photos of the dishes posted on the wall looked delicious, which made it very hard for me to decide 😓 I handed in my order slip, and it was served within 10 minutes ◎
【Food Evaluation】
Since there were so many items on the menu, I thought I would challenge myself by trying something I don't usually order, so I ordered "滑蛋蝦仁燴飯" (scrambled eggs and shrimp over rice)! Literally translated as "egg and shrimp risotto," it was a thick, savory dish resembling porridge, with egg and shrimp in a gravy. It was quite mild in flavor, just enough to go with the rice, but I felt a bit unsatisfied; however, the shrimp was plump and delicious!
I was a little disappointed for ordering something unfamiliar this time, but the prices were reasonable and there were many appealing dishes based on the pictures, so I would like to go back again✨
First, let’s address the most important thing: please be sure to call ahead to place your takeout order!
There's a salt and crisp chicken place on Yongzheng Road that may not seem special at first glance, but you always have to wait at least half an hour, with my personal record being an hour and a half... So I recommend that anyone wanting to eat here should definitely call ahead to order and ask the owner how long it will take (and whatever time the owner gives you, add about 10 minutes or so~).
As for the fried items, I personally find the prices very reasonable. Having tried many salt and crisp chicken shops in Zhongyonghe, I ordered NT$260 worth and couldn't finish it 🫠🫠🫠, so I had to save it for late-night snacks the next day. The portion of the hundred-layer tofu is particularly large, and the prices for other types of fried food are also not high.
The biggest feature of this place is that they are very generous with the scallions and garlic, so if you're not a fan of those, make sure to tell the owner ahead of time, otherwise, you'll end up with an overwhelming amount of scallions and garlic that you can't finish!
This time, I ordered: salt and crisp chicken, squid, chicken skin, chicken heart, chicken butt, and hundred-layer tofu.
The innards are fried just right, retaining the juiciness of the ingredients without being too dry. Other fried items are also cooked just right and won’t turn out too tough or dry.
The only drawback is that you really have to wait quite a while, so I strongly recommend that anyone interested in eating here remember to call ahead to make a reservation.
🚩Geographical Location🧭
Located near the intersection of Section 2, Yimin Road and Xirong Road in Dali District, Taichung City, directly opposite the side entrance to the basketball court of National Chung Hsing University Affiliated Senior High School. Parking at the entrance is a matter of luck; if it’s full of motorbikes, do not park in line. Dali is known for issuing parking tickets.
🪑About the Overall Atmosphere🎡
The sign is a striking yellow, simply stating "Budaiko Oysters Omelette," with a red canvas below that reads "Directly Operated from Budaiko Fresh Oysters Production Area"; it seems to emphasize that the oysters are their main offering. In front is the cooking area, and the indoor seating space has only three tables, which is not very large and cannot accommodate too many customers.
💰About the Pricing💰
Pork Fried Rice $70; let's try the basic flavor of fried rice.
🍴About the Dishes☕
The fried rice is well-defined, with the pork cut into smaller pieces, and interestingly topped with pork floss. Overall, it’s flavorful without being overly salty, which is quite nice. Last time I had the oyster omelette, but it didn't taste like what I remembered; I think it was the sauce that was just average, so I decided not to order the oyster omelette this time.
🤨Conclusion♥
Their specialty is the oyster omelette, but I find it just okay. The fried rice is delicious and deserves a spot on my list!
🚩 Location 🧭
Located near the intersection of Lide Street and Zhongxiao Road in the East District of Taichung City, close to Taichung Elementary School.
🪑 About the overall atmosphere 🎡
In front of the shop, there’s a simple yellow signboard food truck. Next door, you can also buy a giant cup of iced red tea. Parking in front is based on luck, as there aren't many vehicles here. The shop supports various mobile payment options, using TW QR Code.
💰 About the prices 💰
Wavy fries $30+ French fries $30 + popcorn chicken $50 = Total $110
🍴 About the food ☕
It's recommended to call ahead for freshly fried items; the owner will tell you when to come back to pick up your hot, freshly fried food. It's really indulgent to eat fries at night, but freshly fried fries are truly delicious. The popcorn chicken is also crispy and tasty. However, the portion size feels a bit small.
🤨 Conclusion ♥
When I visited, there was no line. Next time, if I pass by and see no one, I might try their signature chicken cutlet. I deducted a point for the portion size.
Near xingtian temple station, there is a street bustling with restaurants.
【Atmosphere inside the restaurant】
Even close to closing time on a weekday night, it was lively with customers! You write what you want on an order slip and take it to the counter, with payment made at the end.
【Food Evaluation】
The Four Gods Soup and Gua Bao seemed to be popular, but I was attracted to the Braised Pork Rice that had the same meat as Gua Bao, so I ordered the Four Gods Soup and Braised Pork Rice. The two dishes cost 150 TWD (about 700 yen?), and I was incredibly full!
The Four Gods Soup was full of ingredients and had a herbal taste, which seemed very good for the body. It felt more like a soup you eat rather than drink, and since the ingredients made my throat feel scratchy, I recommend drinking extra water, haha.
The Braised Pork Rice had large pieces of meat that were so tender I could cut them with chopsticks! The pickled side dish was also well-flavored, which made the rice go down easily! There was quite a lot of it, haha.
Next time, I want to try the popular Gua Bao!
First, let's mention the most important and regrettable thing: you can't make a reservation! You have to come and queue in person.
I originally planned to meet friends at 6:30, but fearing there might not be a seat, I arrived at 6:00. At that time, there were still plenty of empty seats, but by 6:30, it was completely full, which was really surprising.
This restaurant is part of a chain, so the flavor isn't much different from other locations. They use real charcoal to cook their ginger duck, but the downside is that the air circulation indoors is really not very good.
I personally think the must-order items are definitely their noodles and duck meatballs, especially the noodles, which are really great when paired with a bit of broth.
The other dumplings and side dishes are also good; I highly recommend the chrysanthemum greens as they are truly the best vegetable pairing for ginger duck.
Another small downside in the restaurant is that the seats are not very comfortable. After eating, my backside really hurts, but I guess that's why the table turnover rate is so high!
The total for this meal was around 500 NT dollars for one person, and there was so much food that it felt a bit wasteful to leave some behind. Overall, I think the prices are quite reasonable, and there are little alleys nearby where you can park your motorbike easily.
If you're going with someone who drinks, remember not to drive afterward!
Lin's Fried Dishes is located in the Pingtung Night Market and is a very popular fried food stall in the area, with thriving business. Especially on weekends, customers continuously flock to dine, usually having to wait over half an hour for a table. One of the restaurant's signatures, the eel noodle dish, is a must-try for many diners. The flavor is acceptable, and the seasoning is fairly standard, but the portion is relatively small, which may not be enough for those with a large appetite. Overall, Lin's Fried Dishes has a lively atmosphere, making it suitable for travelers who want to experience the local night market vibe, but if you are looking for large portions or particularly stunning flavors, you might want to consider other options.
Every time I pass by this store, I wonder why it's called 190. Is the owner very tall? Later I found out it should be the house number. 😅
Because of a colleague's group dinner, it was my first time stepping into this place. At first, you might think you went to the wrong place when you walk in because the style of the first area looks very much like a stir-fry restaurant, and there's a hot air balloon for bar beer. You have to open a second door to get into the actual dining area of the restaurant.
Now back to the food, their dishes are a mix of Taiwanese and Japanese cuisine, so don't expect authentic Japanese food. However, in terms of value for money, it’s quite high because you only need 2 bills of the Father of the Nation to get salmon fried rice, swordfish fish cake sides, chawanmushi, miso soup, salad, fried pork cutlet (depending on what meat you order), and so on. You can really eat a lot. If you don’t mind the level of refinement, it’s definitely a fulfilling and tasty option for a regular lunch.
The company is nearby, and Erhu has recently become everyone's favorite. This weekend, I specially brought my family to try it out. First of all, they open at 10:30 in the morning, so you can enjoy chicken cutlet early, which is fantastic! The staff is friendly, and we didn't have to wait for more than 10 minutes before 11 AM on the weekend. Usually, if you come during the weekday lunchtime, there tend to be more people, so you have to wait longer.
Today, we ordered the Find Fault Chicken set, which includes toffee black tea and oat fried chicken. If you want a drink, it's more cost-effective to order the set. The aroma of the toffee black tea is noticeable, and even if you order it without sugar, it won't be bitter; it's smooth and delicious. The oat fried chicken has an incredibly crispy coating, and the meat is tender with a great marinated flavor.
Additionally, the added zucchini was just as juicy as expected, and the same oat batter was also very crispy, making it a satisfying brunch set.