Man opens enigmatic rice ball stall in Taitung to protect his health

Man opens enigmatic rice ball stall in Taitung to protect his health

2023-07-05

A rice ball maker in Taitung has an unusual approach to business. Yu Chieh moved to Taitung to open a rice ball stall, to get out of the smog of the big city, and escape the digital career that was damaging his health. Now his stall is a perfect snack spot for neighbors. It’s so popular that he often packs up before his opening hours end. That can lead to disappointed customers. But he has an enigmatic system to let neighbors know, from far and wide, that the rations are all gone for the day.

Triangular rice balls sizzle in the deep-frier. The stall owner is flipping them over constantly, until both sides have a crispy golden skin. Then he lifts them up and sprinkles on some flavorings.

The little stall has been running here in front of this house for four years. It’s a must-visit among locals. The owner, Yu Chieh, comes from Kaohsiung. He moved to Taitung with his child to escape the big city.

Yu Chieh
Rice ball stall owner
It was all about health problems. One is my child has respiratory allergies, another is my eyes. So that’s why we decided to move here, and I switched into a different lane, not staring at screens anymore.

The owner previously worked in bridal photography in Kaohsiung. But during a health checkup, a doctor told him that continuing his line of work could lead to macular degeneration. Meanwhile, his child was frequently getting allergic reactions to the air pollution of the city. So he decided to quit his job, move to Taitung, and open a rice ball stall. At first he just made cold rice balls, but he kept on improving them over two years, and gained a loyal clientele. Sometimes he’s so busy that he sells out before the day is over. He doesn’t want customers to come down to the stall and be disappointed, so he came up with this signaling system…

Yu Chieh
Rice ball stall owner
We haven’t put up a sign. Seventy to eighty percent of our custom is local. When the neighbors look from far off, if they can see the red chair, that means there’s rice balls left. If they look from far off and see I’ve put the chair away, that means they needn’t come down anymore.

This giant red camping chair initially served as a temporary stall sign. Now it’s become a popular spot for taking selfies and an attraction for customers. And as long as the red chair is out, there’s enough for everyone.

父子檔為健康前進台東炸飯糰創業闖出名號

2023-07-05

為了孩子的健康，當父親的決定離開家鄉！台東一間炸飯糰店的老闆，本來是一名婚紗攝影師，後來因為眼睛不適，加上兒子呼吸道過敏嚴重，因此，離開高雄，到空氣相對清新的台東，做小吃生意，由於老闆只要有營業，就會在門口擺一張大大的紅椅子，也成為民眾拍照的打卡點。

一顆顆三角飯糰，經過高溫油炸，滋滋作響。老闆翻面的手沒停下來過，直到表面都穿上金黃色酥脆外皮，立刻起鍋、加上配料。

位在民宅前的小小店面，營業四年多來，成了在地民眾，必吃的美食。但老闆，其實是高雄人，落腳台東，藏著一個，父親帶著孩子，逃離都市的故事。

[[老闆毓傑]]
“其實都是健康問題，一個是兒子呼吸道過敏，一個是我的眼睛，所以我們才會決定直接來這邊，我也轉換個跑道，不要再盯著3C螢幕”

老闆原本在高雄從事婚紗攝影，卻在一次健康檢查中，被醫生警告，繼續工作，恐怕黃斑部病變，再加上兒子不適應都市的空氣，頻頻過敏，於是他辭掉工作，來到台東。一開始，還只會捏冷飯糰的老闆，用兩年的時間，創意發想、不斷改良，終於擄獲饕客青睞。還因為太夯，賣完就打烊，怕客人白跑一趟，想出一個絕妙法子。

[[老闆毓傑]]
“我們也沒有立什麼招牌，街坊鄰居，我們這邊70%到80%是在地客，街坊鄰居遠遠看，有看到紅椅子代表還有飯糰，如果遠遠看椅子已經收起來了，就不用再走過來了”

門口擺上大大的紅色座椅，原本是充當招牌的存在，卻意外成了打卡亮點。這一顆顆黃金三角飯糰，會繼續在好山好水的台東飄香。

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Lai credited the outstanding local leaders with the success of government initiatives. He named the many tasks they undertake.

Lai Ching-te
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In his remarks, Lai also called on local leaders to support the government’s Long-term Care Plan 2.0.

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This involves the personal ethics of the manufacturer, because it’s about the personal data of the customer.

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Our current age is an age of materialism. In ancient times, firing a bowl was an extremely difficult thing.

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