Among the 20 or so top seafood restaurants in Tungkang (
The owner, Chang Tai-fang (
PHOTO: COURTESY OF PINGTUNG COUNTY GOVERNMENT
Chang does not offer a regular menu, instead he offers his guests the "excitement of treasure hunting," by which he means his guests may not know exactly what dish-of-the-day awaits them but they will always be pleasantly surprised.
Speaking of treasure, Chang is proud of his restaurant's reputation for preparing what are known as the town's specialties, the "three treasures of Tungkang."
The first of these is the tiny sergesgid shrimp (
Second, are the ribbon fish eggs (油魚子), which are usually three times the size of mullet eggs (烏魚子) and are a well-known Taiwan delicacy among Japanese sake lovers. The eggs are liberally marinated in Shaohsing wine (紹興酒) and served, thinly sliced and garnished with wafers of turnip. If you are feeling adventurous, try the eggs with thinly sliced apple for a unique taste sensation.
The piece de resistance at Chang's Family Restaurant, however, is Otoro (
Chang's philosophy has always been to offer the freshest and best quality produce available and therefore the menu changes with the seasons.
While food and pricing at the restaurant is adjusted to suit the family budget, the key to winning over clients' regular patronage is communication, Chang said. He consults his guests before suggesting a menu, so that the resulting dishes cater to individual tastes and can be guaranteed to please the most discerning of palates.
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