Kaohsiung’s beloved stone pot hot pot revolutionized the menu to survive COVID

2023-03-01

The pandemic has been devastating for restaurants. But one family business in Kaohsiung has managed to weather the storm and come out stronger. The eatery continues a proud family tradition of stone pot hot pot. At one point, the business had 42 locations nationwide. But after COVID hit, it was down to just one location. Then the next generation took over, and revolutionized the business. Locals say it’s more delicious than ever.

Rolls of pork are placed in circles, then into the middle goes a final ring to create a dry ice effect, like an overflowing volcano.

Garlic and onions are sauteed in sesame oil to caramelize in this stone pot, before a delicious broth is poured inside. All round the pot is a flying-saucer-shaped grilling tray. Butter is smeared on for an extra punch. This dish might ring bells for lots of our Kaohsiung viewers.

Customer
I ate this before, in junior high. It’s delicious.

Customer
The first time I ate it was probably at university. I know my mom and dad always ate this on dates, years ago.

This much-loved Kaohsiung restaurant has been here 54 years. Their secret family recipe is a traditional stone pot hot pot. When the second generation took over the business, they brought out the flying-saucer-shaped grills, as well as hot pots for two. Then they launched the "all you can eat” model. At the peak of their popularity, they had 42 locations across Taiwan. But consumer habits have changed, and in the last three years the pandemic was a big blow. They got down to just one restaurant left – the family’s own location – struggling to make it work.

Chang Chih-kai
Restaurant owner
We announced that we were going to have to shut down, and my mom wanted to retire. But so many of our customers, folks who are still living three generations under one roof, came and asked if we could stay open. I was quite touched by that. It seemed time to come back home to help out.

Now, third generation owner Chang Chih-kai張智凱 has thoroughly renovated the whole restaurant. The menu has changed, as has the style of dishes on offer. The “all you can eat” option is gone.

Chang Chih-kai
Restaurant owner
In the past we were chasing the “all you can eat” market, but actually that meant we could never upgrade the quality, or bring back the original flavor of the broth. After I came back, the first thing I did was to make a change.

A family favorite has been given a fresh start. The classic hot pot aroma mixes here with buttery grilling in a unique way. For Kaohsiung locals, it’s a nostalgic flavor they don’t want to lose.

火烤兩吃始祖 54年老店走過低潮再出發

2023-03-01

說起火烤兩吃的代表，高雄人第一個想到的，就是以石鍋火鍋起家的五十多年老店。以獨門湯頭、飛碟烤盤帶動起火烤兩吃和吃到飽的風潮，全盛時期全台有42間分店，走過半世紀，差點被疫情擊倒。現在第三代接手，從僅存的一家店面重新出發，吸引老顧客重溫昔日的幸福滋味。

豬肉切片一圈又一圈的舖好舖滿，中間再放上一圈，搭配乾冰的視覺效果，宛如火山爆發。

在燒熱的石鍋中，用麻油將大蒜、洋蔥炒到焦香，再淋上高湯。火鍋旁飛碟型的烤盤，抹上奶油，把食材放上去烤，不少高雄人應該都會被這樣的畫面勾起回憶。

[[顧客]]
“國中時期有吃過，還蠻好吃的”

[[顧客]]
“我第一次吃應該是我大學的時候，我知道我爸爸、媽媽，他們從以前約會，就吃這間”

高雄這間54年的老店，祖傳祕方是最正統的石頭火鍋，二代接手後，開發出飛碟烤盤，開啟火烤兩吃的模式，接著又推出吃到飽，全盛時期全台42家分店。但隨來隨著消費型態改變，這三年又遇上疫情，收到只剩下高雄一家店，努力為老店撐著最後一口氣。

[[第三代老闆　張智凱]]
“原本是對外消息要收起來了，媽媽也打算要退休，非常多三代同堂的客人，他們都會說能不能繼續開下去，那時我感觸蠻深的，好像是時候要回來家裏面幫忙”

第三代掌門人徹頭徹尾把老店重新打造，用餐模式也改成單點，不再是大家熟悉的吃到飽。

[[第三代老闆　張智凱]]
“過度追求在吃到飽的部份，其實我們一直沒有辦法把質感給提升，把湯頭帶回去以前那個風味，我回來之後其實我第一件事情，就是想要做改變”

老店重新出發，火鍋煙氣夾雜著奶油烤肉焦香，老顧客聞香而至，回味著這份乘載著高雄人共同記憶的味道。

US officials advocate for helping boost Taiwan’s deterrence capabilities

China’s growing ambition to invade Taiwan was made clear in a recently published footage of a PLA beach landing exercise. However, U.S. Army officials believe China is still a long way from successfully doing so. They added that what the U.S. should do now is to boost Taiwan’s asymmetric capabilities in order to deter any offensive action by China.

Chinese state media CCTV released footage of a PLA beach landing exercise, the target obviously being Taiwan. At a think tank discussion on Tuesday, U.S. Army General Charles Flynn said that crossing the Taiwan Strait is not as easy a feat as China may think. Also at the event, Army Secretary Christine Wormuth says that even Chinese leader Xi Jinping may have reservations about a successful amphibious invasion of Taiwan.

Charles Flynn
US Army Pacific Command
The complexity of a joint island landing campaign is not a small matter. You have to be an incredibly professional, well-trained, well-led force. And they’re working on it, but I will tell you that from my perspective, they’re not ten feet tall. They have work to do.

Christine Wormuth
US Army secretary
So I would imagine President Xi may have questions about how successfully the PLA could do that. I personally am not of the view that an amphibious invasion of Taiwan is imminent, but we have to obviously prepare. When I think of the Army’s role in the Indo-Pacific, I really focus on deterrence.

Wormuth said the best way to avoid land war is to boost Taiwan’s asymmetric capabilities and help Taiwan become a porcupine that can deter an invasion. Meanwhile, at a webinar hosted by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, U.S. Ambassador to China Nicholas Burns said his country has a unique responsibility to help Taiwan deter any Chinese offensive action.

Nicholas Burns
US ambassador to China
The United States has a unique responsibility here due to the Taiwan Relations Act. It is our obligation, obviously, to maintain our own military strength in and around Taiwan in this part of the world to make sure that the Taiwan authorities have the ability to deter any kind of Chinese offensive action. It’s also, I think, our responsibility to galvanize the rest of the world to make sure that the Chinese cannot get away with coercion or intimidation against Taiwan itself.

Burns added that the U.S. and its allies want to see Beijing respect the status quo of the Taiwan Strait, and underscored the necessity of a peaceful solution to cross-strait differences.

2023-03-01

Democratic representative that visited Taiwan received warning letter from China

2023-03-01

Pros in full-time work take on extra freelance jobs to boost income

As inflation continues to rise, but salaries stagnate, many households feel a pinch on their budget. Now, figures suggest more and more professionals in full-time work are turning to freelance jobs, to boost their monthly income. The number of full-time workers taking freelance jobs grew by 20% in 2022. That’s according to a popular online platform matching freelancers to clients. We spoke to some of those professionals to find out more.

Mr. Lee stares at the screen. Speed is the name of the game, whether he’s applying special effects to a client’s video, adding subtitles, or editing the footage.

Mr. Lee
Editor
My salary now is NT$35,000-NT$40,000 a month. I rent an apartment in Taipei, so I have rent, I pay for all my own meals, and then there’s things like insurance, leisure… It all adds up to a lot of expenses.

Professional video editor, Mr. Lee, says inflation is making his living costs spiral. Now, alongside his full-time job, he’s started taking on extra freelance work.

Mr. Lee
Editor
One video is about NT$6,000. I usually do one a month. But sometimes when there are more jobs available, I do more – I once did three in one month, and earned NT$18,000.

Mr. Lee takes on as much work as he can, and his earnings fluctuate from month to month. Another creative professional in the same situation is Miss. Chiu.

As a graphic designer, Miss. Chiu’s full-time job pays her less than NT$40,000 a month. She earns an extra NT$10,000 to NT$20,000 each month with freelance gigs. Pay rises have lagged way behind inflation in the last two years. According to data from this freelancer’s platform, more and more professionals with full-time jobs are turning to freelance work to supplement their income: the demographic grew by 20% in 2022. Most can make NT$5,000-NT$15,000 a month through freelance projects.

Lu Hao-ting
Freelancer platform owner
Right now, we can see that the number of people in full-time work who take freelance jobs on the side has grown particularly. Last year the demographic grew by about 20%.

In this precarious economy, many employees are not holding their breath for a pay rise. More and more professionals are concluding that the freelancing lifestyle is the best bet to balance their budget.

2023-03-01

Outcry after KMT councilor suggests Taipei should not hold 228 memorial events

Controversy continues over the apology that Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an offered yesterday at Taipei’s 228 Incident memorial event. Critics say his apology fell short, as he focused on his identity as city mayor and not as the great-grandson of authoritarian ruler Chiang Kai-shek. They also say he only apologized for the trigger of the massacre, and not for the brutal crackdown that followed. Amid the controversy, one KMT councilor says that Taipei should just not hold memorial events for the victims of the massacre. Her comments have sparked outrage from DPP councilors and from associations fighting for transitional justice.

Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an met with clamor from reporters upon arriving at a meeting room on Wednesday morning. One day before at Taipei’s 228 Incident memorial event, he had given a speech that did not go down well with critics.

Chiang Wan-an (Feb. 28)
Taipei mayor
As the mayor of Taipei, I would like to express my most sincere apology for the crackdown on cigarette sales near the Tianma Teahouse in Taipei’s Dadaocheng neighborhood 76 years ago, an incident that led to the 228 massacre, the pain of which has transcended history.

Yang Chen-lung
National 228 Memorial Museum
It was perfunctory, and he missed the main point. Did he mean to say that if there had been no crackdown on cigarette sales it would’ve been fine? Because that’s not the case, a 228 Incident would’ve broken out regardless. He’s playing down the matter, and it’s not in good faith.

The head of the National 228 Memorial Museum says the cigarette crackdown was just the tipping point. He says the real discontent came from the authoritarian KMT government’s suppression of Taiwanese people

Yang Chen-lung
National 228 Memorial Museum
The surname Chiang comes with certain political advantages, but it should also come with some responsibilities. I do not feel he was sincere.

Tsai Shi-ping
Taipei Department of Cultural Affairs
The National 228 Memorial Museum is a central government entity. We respect their reading of the situation. We can’t simply say that what Mayor Chiang said was bad or wrong because of his unique status. The incident is something all leaders should learn a lesson from.

Several protesters, some more disruptive than others, made their voice heard at the memorial event. KMT Taipei City Councilor Chung Pei-chun says she will bring up a proposal to stop holding the event.

Chung Pei-chun
KMT Taipei City councilor
As long as these troublemakers take the day to amplify their own voices, the 228 Peace Memorial Day will remain a turbid day, as there is no way for anyone to find out what really happened. So what’s the point of making it a memorial holiday?

Chen Yi-chun
DPP lawmaker
If Taipei stops holding its memorial event for the 228 Incident, the only thing that will happen is the people of Taiwan will think that the KMT and Chiang Wan-an do not want to face up to what really happened. What happened to transitional justice?

Liao Chi-pin
Memorial Foundation of 228
I understand the motive, but I think there is no need to get so nervous to the point of canceling it altogether. But it doesn’t matter. If department head Tsai Shih-ping really considers the advice from that councilor and Taipei doesn’t hold a memorial next year, we’ll hold it. We’ll do our own event.

Chung’s proposal has met outcry from DPP councilors, and even the honorary chair of the Memorial Foundation of 228. Some say that calling off the city’s event would only give rise to more controversy, and not be conducive to healing the scars of the massacre.

2023-03-01

Taiwanese shooter Yang Kun-pi bags gold at Asian Shotgun Cup in Kuwait

2023-03-01

Kaohsiung sets up drought response center as water shortage continues

Kaohsiung has set up a drought response center with the central government, as water levels run low. The city says 50 more water wells will be installed around the city, to provide more than 130,000 tons of water a day. But with Southern Taiwan seeing its worst dry spell in 30 years, major challenges could be coming and not just for agriculture.

Kaohsiung is experiencing a severe shortage of water for irrigation. At a pumping station on the Tsao-kung Canal, water levels have reached a new low, having dropped 1 meter from where they usually stand.

Lu Chia-chiang
Irrigation Agency
Right now there is about 134,000 cubic meters of water, in contrast with 144,000 in previous years. The shortage is quite severe. Farmers in the irrigation area, especially downstream and in higher areas, are not receiving enough water.

The Water Resources Agency is concerned that rains won’t arrive in time for the irrigation season in March and April. Just half a month ago, farmers reported some of their fields had already dried up, requiring immediate irrigation assistance. With even more severe water shortages on the horizon, Kaohsiung and the central government have established a drought response center, to jointly coordinate water resources and administration.

Chen Chi-mai
Kaohsiung mayor
In Kaohsiung we use about 1.4 million to 1.5 million tons of water every day on average. We launched a preventative plan two years ago, and set up 62 wells around the city that can provide 136,000 tons of water a day. This year we will install another 50 wells, providing 132,000 tons of water a day.

The city’s Water Resources Department plans to install an additional 50 wells along the Gaoping River, which will be able to provide water by the end of April.

Over in Chiayi, water is also running low. Since early February, water levels at Lantan Reservoir have dropped to below 50% capacity.

Car washer
Recently we’ve been getting less and less rain. It’s been a real headache for businesses. If there is a water shortage, that will impact carwashes.

Water is scarce in Southern Taiwan, which is facing its driest spell in 30 years. Local governments are doing all they can to conserve water, but if the weather doesn’t cooperate, big problems are on the horizon for farmers and every day life.

2023-03-01

Taiwan reports first two local infections of monkeypox

2023-03-01

British expats bring taste of UK to Taiwan with hand-made baked goods

Immigrants from all over the world come to Taiwan where they find work, start families, and contribute to making the island so special. In today’s installment of "An Immigrant Story," FTV reporter Stephany Yang takes us to meet two British expats who have opened up shop in Taipei. There, they sell handmade British-style sausages and freshly baked goods like sausage rolls, Scotch eggs, and steak and ale pie. Over the years, they have won many loyal patrons from the expat community and even have many local Taiwanese followers. Let’s take a look!

First, flour the soft-boiled egg to allow the sausage to stick better.

Then, flatten out the sausage and wrap the egg into the sausage.

After that, put the ball into the egg yolk and coat the sausage with panko bread crumbs. It’s finally time to fry it for six minutes. This is the weekend special here, called a Scotch egg. It’s a popular dish that originated in the town of Whitby in 19th century England.

Lee Thomas
Co-founder
We are not limited to just doing sausages; we do a range of British style meat pies, we do ready meals that are microwavable that a very easy. We do things like chicken codron bleu and chicken Kiev. We do stuff that that is basically the full package. We are a one-stop shop.

Dom Grant
Co-founder
Apart from the sausages, all of our other products are hand-made. The same with the sausages, it’s all very natural. We use very good quality ingredients; we don’t put any preservatives. It is good, well-made food and these kinds of products are not widely available either.

Besides Scotch eggs, steak and ale pie is another bestseller, and is a classic dish found in most pubs around England. All of these goods are hand-made daily by Lee and his son, Curtis. They say they make at least 50 to 60 steak and ale pies daily, and around 2,000 pies a month.

Lee Thomas
Co-founder
For example, with the meat pies, they are easy to make. It is really simplistic. But, it is time-consuming. Each pie is going to take approximately two minutes to make. At the moment, we are probably making in excess of 2,000 pies a month. Plus, all the other products. As Dom just said, these are all hand-made. There is no machine to make them. It is quite a laborious job, but the end product is worth it.

Dom and Lee are from the U.K. After stints in the finance industry and as an operations director for a nightclub abroad, the two moved to Taiwan and decided to bring a taste of home with them by opening up a store. In the beginning, they simply made sausages. But later on, they transitioned into making other British delicacies such as Scotch eggs, steak and ale pie, sausage rolls, shepherd’s pie, and more. Aside from making all their goods by hand, they also don’t add any preservatives. Over the years, they have won many loyal patrons from the U.K., the expat community, and even the local Taiwanese community.

Dom Grant
Co-founder
We saw a gap in the market for sausages that we missed the flavors from home. The brand was launched in 2015, and we are in a number of different supermarkets now.

Lee Thomas
Co-founder
Our customer base is probably 60% Taiwanese and 40% foreigners. But again, that has changed. When we first started it was mainly foreigners that came in. Because they say, "Wow, you got the homeland food in." But now, as I mentioned to you before, a lot of the reasons I think is that a lot of Taiwanese study overseas and they pick up the culture of the food. When they come back to Taiwan they want to find that food again and they found it here.

The team hopes to keep churning out even more British baked goods and offer their patrons a taste of the U.K. in Taiwan.

2023-03-01

Almost 7,000 factory workers put on furlough by the end of February

2023-03-01