如意小吃

Item: 如意小吃
Rating: 4
Author: 一刻又一嗑

嘉義縣 • Street Food

7 months ago

Breakfast1 pplNT$270

If you come to Budai in Chiayi and don't know what to eat for breakfast, I recommend a bowl of seafood porridge 😋!

Budai in Chiayi, just like Dongshi, still has an oyster fishing industry. It's also close to Tainan, an area known for its milkfish. Eating oysters and milkfish here is almost like having it cooked fresh right from the source. It's quite a treat 🤩!

This time, I found this little eatery called Ruyi on the map 👀.

The boss and his wife are local country folks, always wearing warm and friendly smiles. After finishing the cooking, they chat with nearby neighbors and friends.

They mentioned that they've been running this small shop since they were young, and it has been 37 years now since they started their business!

I was lucky this time; the boss said I caught the oyster season just right! After checking online, I found out that the oyster season lasts until the Mid-Autumn Festival. I happened to taste the last batch of oysters for this year that were freshly gathered during the Mid-Autumn Festival—each one was big and sweet! They are delicious no matter how you cook them!

The little shop isn’t big; it’s not a large stir-fry restaurant, but it's perfect for a small group to come here and enjoy some porridge and dishes!

🅿️ Parking Information:
I visited on a weekday, so there weren't many parking issues.
🚗: There are no parking spots right in front of the shop, but there are other places nearby where you can park; just walk a short distance.
🛵: In the countryside, it's pretty much acceptable to park right in front of the shop... as long as it’s not too excessive, it should be fine.

Fish maw + oyster porridge $200 I was originally hesitant about whether to order fish maw porridge or oyster porridge. The owner recommended combining both, so I could have the best of both worlds! He said it’s the right season for both, so it would be a shame not to try them 😍 When this bowl was served, my eyes lit up 🤩 The fish maw is huge, and there are plenty of oysters 👍 It’s also the type of porridge I love 👍

The fish maw is thick and substantial! This should be half a piece of fish maw, but it’s still quite a large piece! It takes up half the size of the bowl! The entire bowl of porridge is not overly seasoned, it's very simple: the freshness of the fish maw and the sweetness of the oysters!

Every oyster is so big! There are about 15-20 oysters in the whole bowl! Every bite is either fish or an oyster; it's really satisfying!

The fish belly was cooked just right, not tough, easy to pick up, and there were no bones! I was initially worried that picking out the bones would be a hassle, but by the end, there wasn't a single bone in the entire bowl of porridge. 🥹 That’s how fish belly is, mixed with meat and fish fat, making it more and more flavorful with each bite!

While eating meat, it's still good to have some vegetables! So I ordered a plate of steamed greens for $70. However, it's more of an oily style of cooking, so this plate is quite greasy. But they give a lot! For $70, it’s about the level of a stir-fry place, and the portion feels like 1.5 times what you’d get outside. 👍

Having breakfast for $270 is actually the price of brunch already 🥹 But there's nothing wrong with having some Taiwanese-style brunch, right?

The part of the store (facing outside) The store is small, but it's relatively clean! Inevitably, there are still some oil stains on the floor.

Some parts inside the store (facing in) It seems they still sell tea inside? (I don't know, but the owner and friends are there brewing tea and chatting) One side has plastic covering the table, while the other side does not.