New Taipei City offers authentic indigenous-flavored meals—Q-textured Maqaw-garlic salt-baked Taiwanese sea bream

Text & Photos by /Evan

Today, I’m introducing a signature dish that I often ate as a child. Back then, I lived in the eastern part of Taiwan, so I had many indigenous friends around me. My impression of them was that they were incredibly warm. During the Annual Harvest Festival, I would join them in their celebrations, and the biggest impression I got was that everyone had to drink a cup of millet wine before joining in—haha, as a way to feel included.

Besides millet wine and festivals, there are also delicious dishes~ The skills of our indigenous friends are really impressive, which is why you can find so many indigenous dishes in tourist areas~~~ Alright, enough chit-chat~ Let me introduce today’s star right away: the Hunter’s Field Indigenous Cuisine, located in New Taipei City.

The exterior of the restaurant

The interior decoration has a strong indigenous vibe

Aside from dining, you can also play darts

Sometimes there are even resident singers performing here—everyone knows how amazing indigenous people are at singing, right~

These are the dishes we ordered today

Appetizers for you (they’re just so welcoming~~~)

1. Shrimp Rice in a Wooden Barrel

This is one of the restaurant’s signature dishes~ All the ingredients are uniquely seasoned, so it’s not bland at all—it’s not just about the rice flavor~ It also has a rich shrimp and dried bonito taste. Paired with the distinctive seasoning, it’s really refreshing and not greasy. The best part? The portion is huge, enough to go with all the dishes today.

2. Hunter’s Field Wagyu

Another signature dish, and it’s even the newest addition to the menu~ Hunter’s Field Wagyu is seriously impressive~ The texture is somewhat like sashimi~ Honestly, I’m not usually a big fan of beef because poorly cooked beef can be too tough, but Hunter’s Field Wagyu melts in your mouth—it’s incredibly delicious~ This is the first time in my life I’ve fought to finish a plate of beef XDD So it’s definitely worth ordering~

3. Maqaw-Garlic Salt-Baked Taiwanese Sea Bream

Maqaw is a special seasoning spice used by indigenous people, paired with sweet and fresh Taiwanese sea bream~ The combination is absolutely perfect. Because it’s salt-baked, the natural sweetness of the sea bream is locked in, and the texture is Q-textured, not too tough. Thanks to the salt-baking, the flavor isn’t overly salty either—it’s really delicious.

4. Greens—Today it’s Water Spinach

Water spinach can sometimes be too tough, but when the ingredients are fresh and stir-fried, it becomes super crispy and tasty !

5. Clam and Luffa Stir-Fry

They say this is a must-order dish for women, but I saw [name] enjoying it immensely XDD~ Because the clams are super fresh, their sweetness melts into the luffa, making it very fragrant~ And these aren’t those shriveled clams. The clams alone are already this good~ Then their oysters must be amazing too~ I’ll definitely have to try them next time XDDDD

6. Premium Beef Ribs

Steak lovers can go for this~ The texture is hearty~ but not too tough, and when you bite into it, you can even hear the sound of the fat sizzling~ (pretty vivid, right?)

7. Mentaiko Chicken Fillet

This is a really unique dish—I never thought about what mentaiko paired with chicken would taste like. The umami of the mentaiko fully blends into the chicken, creating an unprecedentedly delicious flavor through some kind of magical chemistry. Paired with the tender juiciness of the chicken, the texture is completely satisfying~~~

8. And now, the grand finale—the must-order Hunter’s Field signature King’s Leg

This needs to be grilled fresh for about twenty minutes—because good food always requires a little wait XDD When it’s freshly taken out of the oven, I was completely stunned~ the portion is huge~ how could two people possibly finish it XD After taking photos, the staff cut it into pieces for us to make it easier to eat. This King’s Leg~ is divided into three parts: a crispy outer layer, a juicy fat layer, and Q-textured lean meat~ One bite and~ it’s like three wishes granted at once. Super delicious~ The skin is super fragrant, the meat quality is top-notch, as if you’re dining in heaven XDDD If you don’t like the original flavor, you can also pair it with the sauce provided by the restaurant~ If you can’t finish it, you can take it home—the next day, steaming it in a rice cooker gives it a different texture~ still just as delicious

My Thoughts:

After introducing so many dishes we had that day, are you suddenly feeling hungry~ XDD Even I’m salivating while typing this blog post XDDD
What I love most about this place, aside from the indigenous cuisine, is their fresh ingredients~ The ingredients are so fresh, you’d think they hunted them themselves that very morning XDD

The freshness of the ingredients locks in their natural flavors and sweetness, and with the skillful hands of the indigenous chef, the entire meal becomes a five-star experience. Oh, and I almost forgot—this place also offers 18-day brewed craft beer~ It pairs amazingly well with these dishes~~~XDD

● 《ETtoday News Cloud》 reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive after drinking.

How to get there?A five-minute walk from Nan Shulin Station

Hunter’s Field – Indigenous-style cuisine, skewers, Wagyu beef, seafood
Reservation phone: 0286859366
Address: No. 190, Zhonghua Road, Shulin District, New Taipei City

Evangeline-Evan
Hello everyone, I’m Evan, someone who’s timid and easily scared,
but through independent travel, I’ve slowly found courage,
and each solo trip has helped me discover a different side of myself.
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