Japanese cuisine delight for fans – Yilan’s “Lin Bei Kao Hao” skewer izakaya

Photos & Text /Xiaohu’s Food Dream Net

Xiaohu has said many times that beyond the Greater Taipei area, Yilan has always been a place I really love—whether it’s the culture, architecture, or even my favorite foods, especially the snacks that always keep me coming back. But skewers were never really on my list of things to eat when I went to Yilan. Yet I kept hearing from my good friend Penzi that there was an amazing skewer shop in Jiaoxi. Because the name was so special, I’ve always remembered “Lin Bei Kao Hao.” What a catchy and catchy “good” name...


Thanks to the Hsuehshan Tunnel, travel between Taipei and Yilan has become much more convenient. You can even drive there after work for dinner and still have plenty of time left for a late-night snack. That day, the sky over Taipei was gray, and I was wondering what to have for dinner when I got a call from a friend: “Xiaohu, we bought some fresh catch from Daxi Fishing Port. Wanna come to Yilan for dinner, chat, and then hit the hot springs?” I wasn’t too keen at first, but then I was surprised to hear the place we were going to was “Lin Bei Kao Hao.” Well, if someone else is paying, I might as well check it out—even if it’s a total flop, it’s not on me (laughs).

Seeing this photo, viewers might have the same question I had when I was kicked out of the car that night: “Aren’t we in Jiaoxi?” It turns out Lin Bei Kao Hao is doing so well that they recently opened a new branch near Yilan’s Dongmen Night Market. There are even plans to open one in Luodong... Clearly, business is booming.


As everyone knows, I’m a Japanophile, and small shops with such a strong Japanese vibe really hit the spot for me. Even though I don’t drink much, I often think back to that year when two childhood friends and I huddled together in the freezing cold near Tokyo Tower, drinking until we were in tears.


The chef diligently grilling the meat is apparently the owner himself… which reminds me of the saying, “A man who’s serious about his work is the most handsome.”


If anyone asks me what my favorite skewer flavor is, I’ll definitely say “green onion pork belly skewers”—the ones currently on the grill. I’ve always believed that this flavor is the basic benchmark of a good skewer shop.

The dining space at Lin Bei Kao Hao has the feel of a Japanese izakaya. Though the skewer grill section isn’t huge, it still retains a warm, Japanese atmosphere. Whether you’re dining alone at the counter or hanging out with three or five friends, chatting, drinking, and biting into skewers, it’s all very fitting.


There’s also a small upstairs area with quite a Japanese style, but it wasn’t open that day, so Xiaohu couldn’t go up to take photos for everyone to see.


At the back of the shop, there’s a small table that feels like a private booth, thoughtfully decorated in the style of a Japanese izakaya. There’s also a coat rack on the wall for guests to hang their jackets—very considerate. Xiaohu has noticed that over the past couple of years, many Japanese-style skewer and izakaya shops offer this kind of service, while other types of restaurants rarely do.

This corner is covered with various small metal signs advertising Japanese sake, along with what looks like a festival kimono. This adds even more Japanese flair.


That day, we happened to run into reporters from FTV News doing an interview. That’s when I truly saw how hard journalists work—a mere three- to five-second shot took them dozens of minutes, and it might not even make the final cut... Compared to us who just snap photos and write casually, our job is way easier (laughs).


Inside the shop, there were surprisingly a whole lot of Japanese sakes. Though I don’t drink, I love taking photos of sake bottles—I don’t know why I have this quirk...

Some sakes are best served ice-cold, so the fridge is stocked with many different brands and varieties from various regions. One thing that stands out is that the wooden tags for the sake are all hand-cut and nailed together by the owner using scrap wood... even the wooden shelves inside are handmade. They may look a bit rough, but they have a certain eye-catching charm.


Xiaohu, who doesn’t drink, unexpectedly found an old friend he hadn’t seen in ages in the fridge... which instantly reminded me of that ad: “You have one bottle, I have one bottle, American? Country soda...”


As usual, the blackboard on the wall lists the shop’s popular dishes, but since we were with a familiar friend who was treating us, we just left it all up to him to “punish” us with orders.


But the dedicated Xiaohu still remembered to snap a photo of the menu for everyone to see.


First up, these are fresh fish caught that day by my friend from Daxi Fishing Port. When grilled, only a light sprinkle of salt is added to bring out the flavor, fully preserving the fish’s natural freshness. At this point, even lemon and pepper salt seem unnecessary.


These little squids were also brought by my friend from Daxi. After being lightly grilled as-is and served with a specially made mustard sauce, they were a perfect match. Tender, slightly chewy, and delicious, the mustard sauce further highlights the natural sweetness of the squid. A slight spice, a hint of sweetness—it’s really tasty.

The beef skewers with cumin flavor are pretty good in both meat quality and level of doneness. They’re delicious, but to be honest, these three skewers aren’t enough to fully showcase the reputation of “Lin Bei Kao Hao.”


The Japanese-style cod liver with shredded onions is one of the two small dishes I ordered. The cod liver is super fresh, with absolutely no annoying fishy smell. The slightly tangy Japanese-style sauce, along with what I assume were pre-soaked shredded onions, create a delightful combo—the melt-in-your-mouth cod liver and the slight crunch of the onions are exactly why I fell for this appetizer.


This plate of skewers comes in two flavors, both flagship items of “Lin Bei Kao Hao.” They’re made with “Pancetta Black Pork,” the same breed as Japan’s “Rokushiroku Pork.” This pork has the rich marbling of fatty belly meat. When grilled, the oil that seeps out eagerly clings to your taste buds the moment it hits your mouth. Then the lean and fat meld together beautifully in your mouth—it’s seriously delicious. The chef only sprinkled a bit of salt for seasoning, and it’s insanely good. This skewer is highly recommended and a must-order.

Over the years, I’ve gotten pretty tired of hearing the name “cherry duck,” but the more I eat, the more I realize how many are just riding on the name. This time in Yilan, I had to try the authentic, original version—and besides, my friend insisted it’s the best-tasting cherry duck skewer he’s had at this price point.

Xiaohu took a bite and immediately understood what my friend meant. In the past, many so-called cherry ducks I’ve tried were either a bit dry, lacking in fat, or overcooked to the point where the duck fat had disappeared. But this skewer was clearly grilled to perfection—the cherry duck’s fat and sweetness were just right when it arrived at the table. The moment it touched my mouth, the sweetness of the duck meat instantly satisfied my cravings. It was seriously delicious beyond words, especially for those who love duck fat... Plus, the duck meat itself was incredibly tender.


Those who have followed Xiaohu’s food reviews for a while know that I’m a big fan of mentaiko dishes (not the bright red, marinated kind). Whether it’s in nigiri or skewers, I always have to order at least one to check it out. Lin Bei Kao Hao combines it with premium chicken thigh meat. When it arrived, just watching the mentaiko still gently bubbling and moving told me it would be delicious.

Once it was in my mouth, the aroma and sweetness of the mentaiko and mayonnaise melted perfectly, hitting all the right spots on Xiaohu’s taste buds. The tender, sweet deliciousness, paired with the well-marbled chicken thigh meat, made it even better. This skewer is another must-order in Xiaohu’s book—if you skip it, you’ll definitely regret it.


Autumn fish (sanma) prepared as overnight-dried. The belly of this overnight-dried fish had more oil than I expected, but somehow, even though I usually love oily food, I found myself a bit underwhelmed. To put it simply, the oiliness had a slight hint of fishiness. But a squeeze of lemon juice solved that issue.


Since the mentaiko thigh meat earlier was just too good to resist—leaving a lingering deliciousness on my palate—I asked Xiao Hu to add some shiitake mushrooms, which I also love pairing with mentaiko. If you’re a mayo-mentaiko fan like Xiao Hu, just looking at this would be enough to make you swoon, right? =)

Compared to the mentaiko thigh meat from earlier, the egginess of this mentaiko is taken to another level. The main reason is the juicy shiitake mushrooms, which make the mentaiko juices released during chewing feel like an ocean, rushing and swirling in your mouth—it’s insanely delicious. Plus, the shiitake mushrooms were of great quality and not over-grilled. Even though the mentaiko was overwhelmingly amazing, the unique flavor of the mushrooms still held its own and refused to be outshined. Delicious, delicious, absolutely delicious—so good you can practically imagine how good it is (laughs).


The grilled green peppers, brushed with a slightly sweet sauce, offer a refreshing taste without losing that grilled essence. They’re perfect for a palate transition between meats and seafood, and a few skewers are highly recommended. The sprinkled black and white sesame seeds show the chef’s care and attention to both cooking and ingredients.


Finally, the star of the day: the grilled salmon belly. I wonder if any of you are like Xiao Hu and love salmon belly but only enjoy it as sashimi or nigiri? Because every time I see people grill premium, fatty salmon belly until all the oil is gone, leaving it dry and chewy, it drives me crazy. But “Linbei Grilled Good” served me the most moving grilled salmon belly I’ve had so far.


This grilled salmon belly was seasoned with nothing but a sprinkle of salt. The moment it was served, I couldn’t help but gulp several times just looking at its golden, shiny color. After quickly snapping a photo, I picked up a piece with my slightly trembling right hand and took a bite—immediately, my heart cried out: “Whoa whoa whoa!” What a moving experience. Oh my god, the salmon belly was so rich and sweet with fat. The tender, melt-in-your-mouth fish was followed by a hint of lightly charred, grilled-oil aroma, along with tiny bits of coarse salt that blended the oily saltiness with a slightly lingering texture. It was just insanely, ridiculously delicious.

It was absolutely, without a doubt, the best grilled salmon belly I’ve ever had. If you come to Linbei Grilled Good and don’t order this dish, don’t even say you know Xiao Hu....

This taiyaki, supposedly a popular item many people order here, didn’t do much for me. But it’s not that it was bad—it just tasted like the standard version you’d find at any regular grilled skewer stand.


In comparison, the shiitake mushrooms, without the boost of mentaiko, seemed a bit less impressive. But they were still delicious, no doubt. It’s just… you know how it is—hard to go from luxury back to simplicity.


Pepper-salt beef short ribs. They weren’t mind-blowingly good, but at a skewer joint like this, having beef short ribs this decent is actually pretty rare. Just looking at the tender pink color of the meat when sliced should give you an idea of how soft and tender it is. It was lightly dusted with pepper salt, with a slightly charred exterior, juicy beef, and the aroma of scallions that followed. It might not be jaw-droppingly amazing, but it was definitely delicious.


This is a candid shot of “Uncle Camera Guy” setting the lighting for the “clams.” Pretty tempting, aren’t they?

Overall, my expectations were quite high, but this meal not only met them but also brought a bit of a pleasant surprise. No wonder Linbei Grilled Good has gained such a reputation in such a short time.


【Linbei Grilled Good】(Yilan Branch)

Address:No. 15, Xinxing Road, Yilan City
Phone:0913-051-491
Business Hours:17:00 - 3:00

Xiao Hu’s Food Dream Net
If “eating” is just about filling your stomach, then “food” would be far too boring~~~