Scallops with snow crab roe and sea urchin — this seafood bar doesn’t skimp on ingredients

▲ The area near Section 4 of Civic Boulevard in Taipei City is a hub for barbecue shops, yakitori spots, and izakayas. Recently, a new hybrid bar called “1978 Yi Jiu Qi Ba Barbecue Seafood Bar” opened here.

Reported and photographed by Huang Shiyuan, Taipei

The area near Section 4 of Civic Boulevard in Taipei City is a hub for barbecue shops, yakitori spots, and izakayas. Recently, a new hybrid bar called “1978 Yi Jiu Qi Ba Barbecue Seafood Bar” opened here. To stand out in the market, it specializes in fresh and delicious grilled seafood dishes as well as creative offerings. In addition to the head chef going to the fish market after work every morning, the Thai shrimp served here are all alive before cooking, ensuring the freshest possible meals for guests.


▲ Specializes in grilled seafood dishes.

In addition to the fixed menu, there’s a large glass panel at the entrance that lists seasonal and inventory-dependent seafood dishes, which is one of the shop’s highlights — such as salt-grilled local mackerel and salt-grilled green grouper jaw. As for the signature dishes? Shop manager Xiao Bei recommends the Snow Crab Roe & Sea Urchin Scallop Burger, Magic Clam Porter, 1798 Snow Red, American PRIME Boneless Short Rib with Truffle Salt, and Salmon Parent-Child Cheese Roll.


▲ Snow Crab Roe & Sea Urchin Scallop Burger.

The Snow Crab Roe & Sea Urchin Scallop Burger (NT$300) uses Hokkaido sashimi-grade scallops, with snow crab roe in the middle and topped with horse dung sea urchin. One bite releases an explosion of umami. The Magic Clam Porter (NT$380) plays on the homophone of the word “clam” sounding like “Harry,” making it a pun on Harry Potter. The restaurant heats up a stone in the pot, places the clams on top, pours sake over them, and heats until the clams open fully. Aside from sake, no other seasonings are added — it’s all about the natural flavor. Finally, the waitress pours out the clam broth for guests to drink.


▲ Magic Clam Porter.

The 1798 Snow Red (NT$780) doesn’t reveal much from the name alone, but it’s actually salt-grilled shrimp. Bright red, fully cooked shrimp are arranged on a bed of salt, resembling “red in the snow.” This dish uses live Thai shrimp, with only the legs and long antennae removed, then placed in a salt-covered pan. After covering with a lid and steaming the shrimp, a splash of sake finishes the dish. To ensure guests enjoy fresh Thai shrimp, the owner even bought a fish tank for the storefront, where the daily live shrimp are kept.


▲ 1798 Snow Red.


▲ American PRIME Boneless Short Rib with Truffle Salt.


▲ Salmon Parent-Child Cheese Roll.

Although 1978 Yi Jiu Qi Ba Barbecue Seafood Bar specializes in seafood, manager Xiao Bei also highly recommends the American PRIME Boneless Short Rib with Truffle Salt (NT$680). Simply grilled over charcoal, sliced, and paired with truffle salt, it’s delicious. The Salmon Parent-Child Cheese Roll (NT$360) is also a popular item, with fried shrimp in the center, wrapped in salmon on the outside, grilled, and topped with roe.

Aside from the tasty food, manager Xiao Bei also says her front-of-house staff are all very good-looking and enjoy chatting with customers, helping everyone relax and enjoy their meal more.

1978 Yi Jiu Qi Ba Barbecue Seafood Bar has three floors: the first floor is general seating with a minimum spend of NT$300 per person; the second floor has private rooms — for 6–7 people, the minimum is NT$6,000, and for 10–14 people, it’s NT$10,000; the third floor is a VIP room that accommodates over 10 people with a NT$20,000 minimum spend.

Address: No. 179, Section 4, Civic Boulevard, Songshan District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2578-8879
Business Hours: 18:00–01:00 (Closed Mondays)


▲ The good-looking manager and front-of-house staff.


▲ Live Thai shrimp at the entrance.