Taichung enjoys 100% seafood congee served by former Air Force pilot

Taichung enjoys 100% seafood congee served by former Air Force pilot

2023-04-19

Seafood dishes are among Taiwan’s favorite foods. And at one small restaurant in Taichung, seafood congee is the big attraction. The restaurant is run by a former Air Force pilot, who brings all the discipline of his military training to the job. Fresh seafood is delivered to the eatery every single day. And each bowl is only served up when he’s satisfied that it’s 100% perfect.

Oysters, whiteleg shrimp, slices of perch and clams: all go into this seafood soup.

The soup is simmering with a broth made of perch bones. The rice soaks up all the goodness from the broth, and combines with all the varied fish to create a thoroughly satisfying congee. The chef, Yang Chia-pin, is a former Air Force pilot.

Here he is in the cockpit of a Black Hawk military helicopter. Yang was in the Air Force for over 20 years and undertook numerous missions before retiring and turning to the restaurant business. The discipline and rigor that he brought to the Air Force are visible in how he prepares ingredients and serves food.

Yang Chia-pin
Restaurant owner
Actually, I follow the standards 100% for every dish as I would apply to flight safety. I want to give every customer a dish that meets standards 100%. Otherwise I don’t want to serve it.

This nearly overflowing dish is a favorite for many locals, including a former city councilor and a local school principal.

Chang Yao-chung
Former Taichung City councilor
Although it’s a small seafood congee, it’s packed with love and integrity. When it’s made with love and integrity, then it really touches us when we eat it.

Tsai Cheng-hsien
Nan-Tun Elementary School principal
It’s all flavors of nature. And the most important thing is – we were just stressing this – they don’t add any artificial flavorings. We feel great after eating this.

To ensure the highest quality, Yang gets fresh seafood delivered straight from the harbors every day. That’s his commitment, and maybe it’s connected to his Air Force training. He says he puts in 100% for every dish every day.

退役飛官賣海鮮粥鮮度堅持如顧飛安

2023-04-19

台中有一間粥品店，老闆堅持食材每天從產地直送，因此熬出來的海鮮粥充滿著鮮甜味和大海的味道，老闆創業前，其實是一名駕駛黑鷹直升機的飛官，退伍後，斜槓創業，把軍人性格發揮在餐飲業上，以飛行安全的高標準，來煮每一碗粥。

蚵仔、白蝦、鱸魚片和蛤蜊，這些都是要入粥的海鮮食材。

開火煮粥，這海鮮粥的湯底用鱸魚骨熬製而成，白米在高湯內吸飽來自大海的精華，再加上滿滿海鮮料，成就一碗海鮮粥。而煮粥的楊嘉彬，其實做生意前是一位飛官。

穿上飛行服駕駛黑鷹直升機，楊嘉彬從事軍職20年多，出過大小任務，退休後，轉戰餐飲業，對食材堅持和出餐品質，幾乎以飛安的概念，當成最高標準。

[[老闆　楊嘉彬]]
“其實我是用掌握飛安100分的水準，來看待我的每一份餐點，每一份食材，我一定是要給客人一個，我認為要到100分水準，我才願意去供給”

用料澎湃的海鮮粥滿滿一大碗，地方民代和學校校長，都是饕客。

[[台中市前議員張耀中]]
“雖然是一碗小小的海鮮粥，但充滿了感情跟誠信在裡面，人家用感情、誠信在做，我們吃起來特別有感情”

[[南屯國小校長蔡承憲]]
“它所有都是大自然的味道，還有一個最重要是說，剛剛有特別強調，沒有添加任何人工調味料，我們吃完這個，是很舒服的事情”

老闆說，為了顧及海鮮品質，食材天天產地直送，他說這是他的堅持，也是軍人性格的養成吧，飛官退休賣粥，退而不休，傳遞好味道。

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