Decades-old Shilin restaurant serves classic flavors while cooking for charity
Decades-old Shilin restaurant serves classic flavors while cooking for charity
2026-03-24
Small food stands are a Taiwanese staple. Aside from well-known spots frequented by students and tourists, there’s no shortage of hole-in-the-wall joints dishing up local favorites. Take the Shilin area in Taipei for example, where a shop has been selling fish cakes and squid soup for over 60 years. With their distinctive southern shacha flavor and generous portions, the shop has become a hidden gem favored by locals. Even during off-peak hours, the seats are full. Not only that, but the owner is a secret good Samaritan. She provides meals for the underprivileged, and donates her time and money whenever there’s a major natural disaster, joining with other volunteer cooks. Let’s take a closer look at this mainstay of the community...
A chef blanches cuttlefish and squid, careful to get the timing right to avoid overcooking them to mush. It’s a skill honed through extensive experience.
This store has been selling handmade fish cakes, squid soup, and cuttlefish soup for over 50 years. With their deliciously gummy texture, generous portions, and distinctive southern shacha flavor, this spot is a hidden gem beloved by the locals.
Their fish cakes taste very fresh.
The fish cakes are particularly good. The thickness of the soup is also nice. It’s not too starchy.
Chang Wan-chi
Restaurant owner
We use fresh squid, not the fish paste that other places use. As for the cuttlefish, most people just put it directly into the soup. But we don’t do that. Since it keeps cooking while inside, if left too long, it’ll fall apart. Our fish crackers are also different from the ones typical in Spanish mackerel soup. Ours are more like the cracker-like ones sold in Tamsui.
Substituting basil for cilantro gives the soup a distinctive favor that’s won over the local crowd. After nearly 60 years in operation, the shop is now run by the founder’s adopted daughter.
Chang Wan-chi
Restaurant owner
The shop was started by my adopted mom and her partner. When they got older and wanted to retire, I took over. People like this classic flavor. You can’t change it. Most of our customers are regulars. Some families have been coming here for generations.
Apart from preserving classic flavors...
... the owner also quietly does good deeds. Every time a major natural disaster strikes Taiwan, she will donate her time and money, going with her husband to volunteer as cooks.
Lai Yen-wen
Charity meal organizer
When the Mataian River flooded, by 7 I had already decided to go and organized a team to head out there. Of course I’ll go first, but later on we made another trip, and my wife came along.
Chang Wan-chi
Restaurant owner
Most of the time I’ll cover the expenses, like when they go to daycares or nursing homes. I’ll say OK, you go this month and I’ll support you. There really are people who come here saying they don’t have anything to eat. So I’ll make something for them like anyone else. Noodles, whatever they want.
Quietly doing good for their community while preserving beloved classic flavors, this small restaurant is carrying on the legacy of those who came before.
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#restaurant #squidsoup #fishcakes #charity #Shilin #Taipei #GoodSamaritan #community #localfavorite #hiddengem
士林傳承一甲子甜不辣魚羹 夫妻檔義煮低調行善
2026-03-24
台灣小吃遍布全台，除了學生、觀光客愛吃的人氣名店外，其實還有許多’’巷仔內’’小吃，像是台北士林，就有一家賣了一甲子的甜不辣跟魷魚羹，以特殊的南部沙茶口味、用料實在，成為在地人推薦的隱藏版小吃，還不到用餐時間，常常高朋滿座，除此之外，老闆娘低調行善，店內不僅有愛心餐，每當台灣發生重大災情，還會出錢出力，參加義煮團，到處行善，一起來看看這家老店。
花枝、魷魚下鍋川燙，精準計算時間，要避免口感太過軟爛，全靠經驗。
從手工甜不辣，再到魷魚羹、花枝羹，開業50多年的老店，以口感彈Q、用料實在、特殊的南部沙茶口味，成為在地人推薦的隱藏版小吃。
- 它的甜不辣好像很新鮮
- 甜不辣就是特別好吃，羹的濃稠度是可以接受，不會很多粉這樣”
[[台北士林小吃店家 張婠琪]]
“因為我們的魷魚是生魷魚，不是像人家有魚漿的。那我們花枝羹的話，有的人會直接放在羹湯裡面，我們沒有，因為你泡在裡面，泡久了它也是會爛爛的啦。我們的魚酥不是像人家，土魠魚羹那一種，我們是有點像淡水魚酥，餅乾式的那一種”
用九層塔取代香菜，香氣特殊，意外深獲北部人喜愛。快一甲子的老店，如今是乾女兒接棒。
[[台北士林小吃店家 張婠琪]]
“這間店當初其實是我乾媽他們在做的，那他們兩個老了想提前退休了，我就承接下來做啊，客人就是喜歡這個老味道，你也不能去改變它嘛，這裡都老主顧比較多了，而且有的已經都吃了兩三代”
除了堅持老店味道...
其實，老闆娘低調行善，每當台灣發生重大災情，還會出錢出力，跟著老公一起參加義煮團。
[[義煮號召人 賴彥汶]]
“馬太鞍當天發生，我7點多已經決定了，已經號召完畢，我們就出門了這樣子，我一定會最先去，但是在後面，我們還有再去一趟，那我太太就跟著去了”
[[台北士林小吃店家 張婠琪]]
“我大部分都是出錢，像說他們有去幼教院啊，安養中心啊，我就會說好，你們這個月有去，我就贊助這樣子，這邊真的有人來跟我說他沒飯吃，我一樣會煮給他，我說煮麵啊，煮什麼我都可以煮給你”
小吃店一邊低調行善，一邊傳承老店味道，繼續擦亮前一代留下來的金字招牌。
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