Among the aboriginal cuisines, “barbeque grill” is a very common way of cooking, such as the charcoal grill of the Amis tribe and the smoky method of the Taroko tribe, all of which feature distinct indigenous flavors. The two new slow food spots in Hualien introduced in this issue both focus on barbecue, so come with traveler Yoti to taste the gamy BBQ flavors.
Text, images by / Yoti (Yung-Ting Hsueh)
Special smoked pilaf rice｜Eat Like a Local Grill Restaurant
The traditional Taroko cuisine is often smoked to prolong the shelf life of meat. At the “Eat Like a Local Grill Restaurant” (Ru Jing Sui Su Restaurant), owner Xiao Ma has inherited traditional smoky method and combined it with the pilaf rice dishes that the Xiao Ma’s wife, Hobi, remembers from her childhood to create a unique set menu of grilled pilaf rice set dishes. The restaurant is located in front of Hualien Xincheng Station on Xinxing 1st Road, and there are robots inside the restaurant to deliver food, with a very interactive experience.
The restaurant is known for its Tomahawk pork chop with pilaf rice. Grab a big portion with your hands, and take bite. The soft, tender and fragrant meat, seasoned to perfection with sea salt and maqaw mountain pepper unleashes the grilled flavor and the original taste of the food, with a combination of grilled vegetables, tender rice, and a bowl of wild vegetable soup for a very fulfilling meal. Other appetizing options include the giant pork ribs, chicken thighs, maqaw sausages, and squid. The restaurant has also been awarded as the newest location of the Hualien Indigenous Slow Food Restaurant, attracting many foodies to pick up delicious meals with their hands and enjoy indigenous-style food.
INFO｜Eat Like a Local Grill Restaurant
Address: No. 96, Xinxing 1st Road, Xincheng Township, Hualien County
Telephone: 0911-694446
Business hours: 11:30-14:00、17:00-19:00(Closed on Sundays)
Lavatory:Yes
Best Indigenous Tribal Flavors｜Yuan Yan Grill
Located on a street lined with indigenous restaurants in Hualien’s Dongdamen Night Market, the owners of “Yuan Yan Grill,” Chih-Kai and Yu-Mei, who are both Amis, have been operating since the night market’s inception in 2015. The restaurant features charcoal-grilled crispy pork, flying fish roe sausages, maqaw mountain pepper sausages, rice in bamboo tubes and other special indigenous dishes.
Two prominent ingredients featured in Taiwanese indigenous cuisines, flying fish roe and maqaw mountain pepper, are mixed with mountain boar to make flying fish roe and maqaw sausage, which not only has the flavor of juicy meat but also the sensation of bursting flying fish roe. Adding the unique lemon aroma of maqaw mountain pepper makes the simple sausage taste even more layered. The house special rice in bamboo tube comes in four flavors: white rice, purple rice, Sakura shrimp, and mountain boar. The rice is aromatic and delicious, and you can taste the faint aroma of bamboo. Another popular dish is the charcoal-grilled crispy mountain boar. The pork skin is crispy with a light charcoal-grilled aroma, and the pork is tender and buttery. Don’t forget to dip it with a special sauce made with a dash of white vinegar and garlic for a refreshing and delicious taste.
INFO｜Yuan Yan Grill
Address: D7, Street of Indigenous Cuisines, Dongdamen Night Market, Hualien City
Telephone: 0910-724898
Business hours: 17:00-22:00
Lavatory:Yes