Chiayi's Wenhua Road Night Market is a culinary paradise, attracting countless gourmets. Among the plethora of delectable dishes, one stands out for its unique "wok hei" and masterful stir-frying technique, captivating taste buds far and wide: the wok-fried snails.
When it comes to Dalin's food, many people first think of "Dalin Stinky Tofu." This stinky tofu stall in front of the train station became quite popular after being recommended on PTT, attracting many tourists. As a stinky tofu lover, I was also eager to try it after seeing others' recommendations. However, after visiting, I found it less impressive than expected. The sauce, tofu, and Taiwanese pickled cabbage were all just okay, nothing special. Any random stinky tofu stall I've had in Taichung recently is tastier and cheaper.
When you come to Chiayi, besides chicken rice, there's another local favorite for late-night dining that you absolutely have to try: "Zheng Lao Pai Grass Carp Soup"! Located on Bo'ai Road, this old shop is famous for its fresh grass carp dishes. The soup is sweet and the fish portions are generous, all at an affordable price. It's no wonder that it attracts crowds every evening. It's the top choice for many Chiayi people for a late-night snack or even breakfast!
Last weekend, I had the chance to help World Chef Champion Chen Wei-Chiang host his friend, Mr. Wang, from Singapore. This gave my family an unexpected, in-depth rural tour of Chiayi. Although the full-day itinerary was quite tiring, enjoying all-you-can-eat fresh-picked cherry tomatoes, pushing hay bales, and having a seafood feast in Dongshi was a rare and precious experience!
除了採蕃茄,謝大哥也帶我們到他另一個叫做「百果園」的溫室。外頭的稻田農人剛好把割下來的稻草紮成草捲,小人們推草捲都 High 了!百果園採生態工法維護,裡頭還有養許多土雞幫忙除草抓蟲。因為自己種好玩的沒有灑農藥,各種果子都可以直接摘來吃,像是生鮮的無花果,信手捻來就可以大快朵頤,真爽!
大家知道這是一朵什麼水果的花嗎?答案放在文末喔!
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In the greenhouse, we met bumblebees imported from the Netherlands, responsible for pollinating these delicate tomatoes. These cherry tomatoes are vine-ripened, with thin skins, crisp flesh, and a sweetness level approaching 12 Brix! In Japan, a sweetness of 9 is considered high quality, so we can proudly say Taiwan has the best cherry tomatoes in the world.
We also visited another greenhouse called "Hundred Fruit Orchard." We had fun pushing hay bales in the fields outside. Inside, the orchard is maintained ecologically without pesticides, and free-range chickens help with weed and pest control. We even got to eat fresh figs right off the tree!
Next to the seafood restaurant in Dongshi is a temple called "Fu'an Temple." It looks like a normal Taiwanese temple, but it houses a very special deity. The statue is wearing a police uniform! This deity is "Yi Ai Gong" (Morikawa Seijiro), a Japanese policeman during the Japanese colonial period. He took great care of the local people and advocated for them. After his death, the villagers deified him out of gratitude, setting a precedent for a Japanese person becoming a Taiwanese deity.
The highlight was the seafood feast at Minghua Seafood Restaurant. It’s an inconspicuous shop, but the waiting line never stops. The dishes have zero plating but are incredibly fresh and generous. We had Steamed Virgin Mud Crab full of roe, Sashimi, Thick-cut Mullet Roe, and tender Mullet Milt (which tastes like soft tofu without any fishiness).
We also enjoyed blanched squid, fresh oysters with vinegar sauce, and a unique Oyster Vermicelli cooked with yellow chives instead of the usual thick soup style. The Sesame Oil Mullet Vermicelli and Deep-fried Mi-iuy Croaker were also fantastic. The finale was an Oyster and Dried Radish Soup—an unexpectedly perfect flavor combination!