Zengji Mochi

Lai-Cheng Pork Rib Noodle Shop on Zhong-Zheng Road in Hualien City is a heritage snack shop founded in 1948, famous for its signature crispy rib pastry and collagen-rich pig trotters. The ribs are fried then steamed so they come out crunchy on the outside, set in a clear sweet-savoury broth; the trotters are tender, bouncy, and satisfyingly chewy. Together they form the must-order classic that food-loving locals and tourists keep coming back for. The shop now has dine-in seating and child seats, and the 2025 relocation made parking much easier, perfect for family meals and group gatherings.

Gong-Zheng Bao-Zi is a long-established snack shop in Hualien City famous for its thick, slightly sweet-skinned small soup dumplings. Each dumpling costs around NT$5 with a hand-seasoned pork filling, and diners who like it punchy can reach for the house chilli sauce. Beyond the dumplings the menu runs to steamed dumplings, soup buns, pork-thickened noodle soup, hot-and-sour noodles, meatball soup, iced soy milk, and red tea. Relocated to the corner of Ren-Ai Street and Cheng-Gong Street at the end of 2023, right across from the popular Miao-Kou Red Tea, the small storefront still pulls long queues of locals and tourists and is a must-eat Hualien institution.

Gong-Zheng Street Bao-Zi is a 40-plus-year Hualien snack landmark, anchored by its thick-skinned small soup dumplings and steamed dumplings. The dough is hand-rolled into soft, chewy, faintly sweet wrappers that hold a simply seasoned, juicy pork filling. The shop also serves steamed dumplings, soup dumplings, pork-thickened noodle soup, hot-and-sour noodles, meatball soup, iced soy milk, and red tea. Even after the late-2023 move, the popularity has held steady - queues are shorter but the dumplings remain a Hualien must-eat. Prices are friendly, with each soup dumpling around NT$5-7, perfect for grab-and-go eating.

Lin-Ji Scallion Pancake on Ming-Li Road in Hualien City has been turning out hand-made pancakes for more than forty years. The signature pancake costs just NT$20, or NT$30 with an egg - a friendly price that never dents the quality. The crust is crisp outside and chewy inside, the oil fragrant but never greasy, and pairing it with a half-set egg and the house chilli sauce brings layered sweet-spicy depth. The shop also serves old-style red tea, and regulars routinely order several at once. Queues are common, but the team works fast and fries each piece to order, so the pancakes arrive hot and crisp - a must-try for street-food lovers.

Rong-Shu-Xia (Under-the-Banyan) Noodle Shop is a half-century-old neighbourhood staple tucked into an alley off Lin-Sen Road in Hsinchu, serving a full spread of traditional noodles and braised sides. The menu covers dry noodles, soup noodles, rice noodles, flat ban-tiao noodles, and wontons at friendly prices, with a meal running about NT$40-100. Stand-outs include Hakka-style dry ban-tiao and dry rice noodles with balanced sweet-savoury seasoning, and the salt-water duck one-duck-two-ways set with pickled-duck soup that needs to be ordered in advance. The shop opens at 6 AM, closes Tuesdays, offers dine-in and takeout, and the dining room is spacious and clean.

Shen-Ma-Ma Bo-Pi-La-Jiao is a Hualien heritage souvenir brand known for hand-pickled crisp peeled chillies. Products range from jarred peeled chillies and peeled-chilli chicken-soup ready-to-cook packs, to garlic-chicken hot pot and handmade peeled-chilli dumplings, all freezer-friendly for gifting or home use. The main storefront sits in a residential house in Xin-Cheng-Bei-Pu, with a branch on Zhong-Mei Road in Hualien City for travellers convenience. The defining qualities are chilli aroma balanced with crunch, fully hand-made preparation, and a versatile range of cooking uses - a must-buy Hualien souvenir.

Niu-Jiang-Tai-Lang at the intersection of Lin-Sen Road (No. 331) and Bo-Ai Street in Hualien City is a Japanese-style flame-torched rice-bowl restaurant built around hearty, generously portioned donburi at friendly prices. The menu lists beef, pork, and chicken aburi options, paired with a free self-serve bar of shredded cabbage, drinks, bone-marrow soup, and unlimited rice refills so diners leave full and happy. The kitchen also turns out ramen, fried dumplings, and Japanese curry, making it a quick-eat or group-dinner pick. A Google rating of 4.8 stars makes it a Hualien lunch and dinner favourite for both locals and tourists.

Lao-Pai Zha-Dan Scallion Pancake is a more-than-50-year-old snack landmark around Fu-Xing Street in Hualien City, founded in 1969. The signature is a crisp scallion-pancake crust wrapped around a half-set egg whose yolk flows out the moment you bite, creating the famous exploding-egg texture; the house chilli sauce amplifies the flavour. The storefront is a blue pickup-truck stall and queues are long, so phone-ahead orders or off-peak visits are wise. Hours run 12:30 PM to 6:30 PM every day of the year, single pieces cost around NT$45, and the snack is one of Hualiens must-eat treats.

Hualien Xiang-Bian-Shi is a long-running shop on Zhong-Shan Road in Hualien City that specialises in hand-folded wontons and chilli-oil chaoshou. Three flavours anchor the menu - pork, jade (chive), and fresh shrimp - with the shrimp version keeping a whole grass shrimp inside each dumpling for a bouncy, generous bite. Alongside the wontons, chilli-oil chaoshou, soup noodles, spicy noodles, and meatball soup draw loyal crowds, and the shop is often packed. Close to Zhi-Xue Train Station, it is a convenient stop for travellers chasing traditional Hualien snacks.

Cai-Ji Dou-Hua, beside the Hualien Cultural and Creative Park, is a classic local dessert shop whose small storefront regularly draws long queues. Signatures include the job's-tears milk, grass-jelly milk custard, and traditional dou-hua, with variations that add tapioca pearls or milk. A favourite of locals and tourists alike, it is the perfect cooling stop for a Hualien summer afternoon.

Jiang-Jia Guan-Cai-Ban is the star snack at Hualiens Dong-Da-Men Night Market, famed for thick toasted bread loaves split open and stuffed with creative fillings. The shop first rose to fame in Zi-Qiang Night Market and later moved with the market to Dong-Da-Men, becoming a must-eat for locals and tourists. Flavours include satay beef, three-cup chicken, butter crab, and peeled-chilli pork, with a crisp shell and rich fillings inside. Variety is broad and delivery is offered, making it a creative thick-slab snack you should not skip at the night market.

Feng-Chun Ice Shop in Shou-Feng, Hualien, is a 70-plus-year local landmark that sells its old-style sugarcane shaved ice only during summer. The base is house-boiled sugarcane syrup, topped with seven house-made fixings - red bean, mung bean, adzuki bean, taro, pineapple, grass jelly, and lotus seed - from which customers pick two for a fixed NT$60 per cup. The friendly price and refreshing taste keep the shop packed on holidays, making it a must-stop cooling treat for Hualien-Taitung travellers.

Chen-Jia Shi-Tang in Hualien City began as the late-night Chen-Jia food cart on Nan-Jing Street and moved into a storefront that still keeps the old Taiwanese flavours. Hours run 4 PM to 1 AM, and the menu lists fried pork rice, fried noodles, braised pork rice, and mushroom chicken soup, all at coin-friendly prices. The house-made green-chili dried-fish condiment and herb wine are the signature seasonings that lift each dish. Affordable, late-night, and uniquely flavoured, the shop draws locals and tourists alike - a high value midnight snack stop in Hualien.

E-Rou Xian-Sheng (Mr. Goose) on Zhong-Shan Road in Hualien City is a 40-plus-year restaurant famed for its tender, juicy goose dishes. The room is spacious - with arcade seating, a second floor, and a Lin-Sen branch over two floors - that suits solo diners, couples, and large parties alike. The signature goose is served with a garlic-soy dipping sauce, the meat soft and succulent; it pairs with local long-bean greens, goose-blood cake, and rice noodles in small or medium portions at friendly prices, beloved by locals and tourists alike.

Yellow-Truck Bomb Scallion Pancake at No. 102 Fu-Xing Street in Hualien City is a local favourite built around crisp-skinned, soft-layered fried-egg scallion pancakes; with a half-set egg and house sauce folded in, each bite delivers an exploding-egg rush. Hours run 12:30 PM to 6:30 PM, and the shop has earned nearly ten thousand Google reviews holding a 4-star rating, propelled by word-of-mouth and a Top-Ten-Food-Heroes recommendation. Visitors queue on site, or park further away and walk in to avoid tying up traffic - a Hualien must-queue snack.

Stone House Yakiniku & Hot Pot in Hualien County is an all-you-can-eat restaurant that combines charcoal grill and hot pot in one meal. The menu features wagyu beef, assorted seafood, raw oysters, freshly poured beef soup, and Haagen-Dazs desserts, in an industrial-style room where staff can grill for you and peel shrimp so your hands stay clean. Dining is capped at two hours; price tiers run from NT$599 to NT$899 plus a 10 percent service charge, and children under 90 cm eat free. The wide-ranging menu spans cold plates, beef, pork, chicken, seafood, lamb and duck, vegetables, desserts, and hotpot ingredients - a strong choice for gatherings and birthday dinners.

Stone House Yakiniku in Hualien County is an all-you-can-eat grill that gives diners a full two-hour window. The restaurant recently reopened after a renovation with an industrial-themed room and a tableside steak-cutting ceremony for a sense of occasion. The self-serve bar stocks side dishes, slushie machines, beverage dispensers, and unlimited Haagen-Dazs, while the meat selection covers Australian marbled wagyu, seafood, and assorted cooked dishes. Tiers run from a NT$599 weekday lunch up to NT$749 and NT$899 sets plus a 10 percent service charge, with children under 90 cm free of charge.

Ba-Fang-Yue Pot, Hualien Zhong-Zheng Branch at No. 477 Zhong-Zheng Road in Hualien City, sits beside the Hualien Cultural Park and a car park, offering a hot-pot buffet. Plates rotate through fresh beef, live shrimp, hotpot ingredients, frozen tofu, clams, vegetables, popcorn, soft serve, and braised pork rice, with broth and toppings served separately so diners can build their own bowl. The room is spacious and comfortable for parties or family meals, the Google rating lands at 4.8-4.9, and the average spend is about NT$430 per person. Opening hours are not posted, so phone (03-833-1665) or book online ahead.