Hidden gourmet gems at Yongchun Market: fresh sashimi and sesame oil chicken rice

Text & Photos /Sangao Eats Han

Yongchun Market is a place I’ve long wanted to visit. On this early December afternoon, due to time constraints, I only managed to stop by some shops on the first floor that I’d bookmarked ages ago before heading out quickly after my purchases. The Alishan Sashimi on the first floor is a name I’ve heard a lot about—I was told their old stall used to be near the restroom, but they’ve moved this year. It didn’t take long to find their current spot at stall 86 once I walked in from the main entrance. Around 4 pm that afternoon, I got lucky with not too many customers around to “disturb” me~

Not being very familiar with the place on my first visit, I wanted something mixed but not just the basic trio. So I told the boss, Ah Wan, that I’d like 500 NT worth of sashimi and asked him to recommend the fish. He asked if I’d been here before, and when I said it was my first time, he wondered how I knew about the place. I replied, “You’re pretty famous, you know... haha..”

Ah Wan recommended the season’s white swordfish and wild red grouper, giving me a small slice of each to try on the spot~ (The photo below shows the white swordfish.)

He advised me not to dip it in soy sauce, so I followed his advice. I picked up a slice of white swordfish, took a quick photo, and then put it in my mouth to chew slowly. It had a slightly chewy yet tender texture with a delicate aroma that grew sweeter the more I chewed.

I grabbed a box of sashimi with an ice pack, walked a few steps to stall 17, Chunhe Rice, which won the title of “No.1 Rice Stall in the World” at the 2011 Taipei Market Festival, and then the “No.1 Cooked Food Gold Award” in 2014. Those titles sound a bit intimidating, lol~

This longstanding shop with over 30 years of history sells not only rice but also a variety of rice-based dishes. That’s often how it is with market stalls—you’re spoiled for choice. A pound of rice costs just 80 NT, not expensive at all. The boss lady recommended the sesame oil chicken rice at 130 NT per pound, which seems to be only available on weekends? In any case, I bought one pound of each to take home, along with a meat roll.

Back home, it was time to dig in. The sashimi was cut generously—there were close to ten slices of each kind~

For the white swordfish, I just lightly dipped it in a bit of soy sauce or added a tiny bit of wasabi. It was sweet, smooth, and incredibly addictive—one slice after another.

The wild red grouper retained its crispy skin, and the flesh was firmer, giving off a sense of vitality...

Oh, and the meat roll I brought home—just pop it in the oven for a bit and you get that crispy skin. Inside, there’s simple pork, water chestnuts, onions, and familiar spices.

The ground pork was on the leaner side but not dry. The sweet, crisp onions were just my taste. As a chicken roll, it didn’t have any standout features, but it was decent and tasty overall.

I scooped some of each type of rice into a bowl, microwaved it, and made a sort of “tai chi rice”—the plain version included pork, mushrooms, dried shrimp, and crispy shallots, and it looked really appetizing.

The flavor combined ginger and crispy shallot notes, with the mushroom and pork aroma not being particularly strong. The rice was slightly soft. As I ate, I wondered if pan-frying it might have better matched what I was hoping for? For now, I still prefer the Lin Hefa Rice from Yongle Market.

The sesame oil chicken rice, however, got better with every bite. They stir-fried minced ginger in black sesame oil, then added rice wine and cooked imitation native chicken. The aroma was rich. People who enjoy the taste of rice wine would probably find it especially delicious. There weren’t many pieces of chicken—the focus was definitely on eating the sticky rice.

Yongchun Market is open from morning all the way until dinnertime, with the busiest and most lively atmosphere in the evening. Surrounding vendors are also out in full force during that time. Maybe I’ll come back again sometime to slowly explore what other tasty treats Huilin Street has to offer?

Alishan Sashimi
Address: No. 194, Songshan Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City (Stall 86, 1st Floor, Yongchun Market)
Business Hours: 3:00 PM–7:00 PM (Saturdays & Sundays also 10:00 AM–1:00 PM, closed Mondays)

Chunhe Rice
Address: No. 194, Songshan Rd., Xinyi District, Taipei City (Stall 17, 1st Floor, Yongchun Market)
Business Hours: 8:00 AM–6:00 PM (closed Mondays)

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