Yilan’s Mountain Village Monster Theme Park: Monster Burgers & Hungry Stick Submarines Are Super “Eye-Catching”

Text & Photos /Orange Dog Loves Candy

Every time I visit Yilan, I usually end up at the Luodong Night Market or Plum Blossom Lake—nothing too innovative, you know? Just recently, I saw online that a Mountain Village has popped up in Yilan, which instantly reminded me of Nantou’s Monster Village. After looking it up online, I found out many friends had already visited, so I decided I had to check it out myself...

Coincidentally, I was invited to Lion Travel’s Yilan Dongshan Tea & Rice Festival media tour, and unexpectedly, the final stop was this new popular attraction—the [Wood-Fired Mountain Village]. Although it was a weekday when I went, there were still quite a few visitors.

Why is it called a “Mountain Village”? Haha, because the design concept originates from Nantou’s Monster Village—in Taiwan, this kind of imitation is called “mountain village,” hence the name. But actually, you can’t really tell much from the outside—it’s not like Nantou’s Monster Village, which is an open, large-scale theme park (well... it’s not that big either!), but the wooden buildings and big red lanterns do have quite a nice vibe.


Currently, only the first phase of the park is open to visitors. The whole project isn’t fully completed yet, so the area isn’t very large. However, there are still some unique themed areas to explore, while phases two and three are still under planning and renovation. As soon as you walk in, you’ll see flags fluttering everywhere—haha!! It really gives off that mountain village feel.


But what fills the air is the aroma of bread and baking. Turns out, this place is also part of the Fenfen Tian (A Little Sweet) group—everyone’s probably familiar with Fenfen Tian.


So the entire souvenir section is filled with baked goods, which is quite different from typical tourist parks. Right next to it is a whole row of bread shelves—you can pick whatever you like.


I didn’t check the prices in detail, but they all have very fun names. After all, it’s designed by the team behind the Monster Village. But the smell is so enticing, even I couldn’t help picking up a few (though I put them back because I was too full)...


There’s also this very thoughtful “Evil Stick” bread—it’s actually a baguette!! But they even designed special packaging for it!!


You can just carry it around with you—haha!! Doesn’t it look like Momotaro heading off to Devil’s Island to fight demons!! Time for Monkey, Rooster, and Dog to gear up and go!!


At the entrance, you’ll also see a chair that looks like a portable shrine—this is actually a real portable shrine. As for what it’s used for? You’ll find out later—haha...


There are also some souvenirs designed like egg rolls, with fun illustrations added.


Like this one—it’s the pacifier ring candy we used to eat as kids.


They’ve repackaged and are selling it here, and they even have Fenfen Tian’s famous eggshell pudding.


That’s roughly the souvenir area. There aren’t many monsters here—instead, the theme is giants. So, between the two park sections, you’ll see a giant statue sitting right in the middle.

It has a story too. On a small island in Okinawa, Japan, the island sank due to an earthquake, and the giants living there swam to Taiwan, landing on the northeastern coast and ending up in Yilan. At first, the giants helped build houses in exchange for food provided by the villagers. But things didn’t stay harmonious for long—the giants and the villagers began clashing over uneven labor and food distribution. So, the villagers built this “Mountain Village” as a base to fight back against the giants.

That’s basically the story setup of this Mountain Village. It’s said that part of the inspiration came from “Attack on Titan.”

 
I just feel the theming could be richer—but then again, the Monster Village in Nantou didn’t become what it is now overnight, either. So, I’m really looking forward to how it develops in the future. Of course, after passing through the giant’s legs, you’ll arrive at the dining area—Up!!


This dining area is only open from 11:00 A.M. to 6:50 P.M. daily. And because this is a village fighting against giants, the restaurant even has a captive giant child—XD!! The little red giant looks a bit pitiful—hahaha—but the tables, chairs, and beams are all made of wood.


The dining area is actually pretty spacious, but I heard you still need to make a reservation on weekends. I think theme restaurants like this are something the Monster Village in Nantou is missing.

The menu here uses local Yilan ingredients and the deep red color scheme of the Mountain Village as the theme for the dishes. While everything introduced below is “giant-sized,” there are also regular portions available if you want to eat more elegantly. Of course, they also serve pancakes, pizzas, and such—not everyone has to challenge their stomach capacity, haha!!


Even the restroom designs are pretty fun—hahaha!!

This is the [Fruit Party / NT$180] and [Fiery Guava / NT$180]. Served in vintage-style clay wine jars, the glasses contain fruit chunks, with a fruit tea base (including watermelon, pineapple, and orange bits), giving it a slushy texture. The sweet and sour taste is super refreshing and appetizing. The Fiery Guava is made with red-hearted guava—it’s especially unique and delicious!!


Then the first giant dish arrives—the [70cm-Hungry Stick Red Champion / Evil Stick Duck / NT$380]. Seriously... don’t complain about the slightly high price—it’s huge in size too!! A 70cm-long baguette stuffed with tons of lettuce, onions, pickled cucumber sauce, mayonnaise...


Plus cheese and slices of bright-red, tender Yilan-local cherry duck meat. The white-and-red slices of duck are so tempting—you’d probably need at least four or five people to finish it. The outside of the baguette is slightly crispy, but the inside has a solid chewiness while still being soft (which Taiwanese people prefer). As you bite in, even amid the hearty bread, you can taste the sweetness of the duck mixed with the slight sharpness of the onions. It’s not just using the ruler as a gimmick—the flavor is well thought out too.


They also include a small basket of crispy fries—it’s really tasty and perfect for families to order together!!


This is the [Giant Hungry Ghost Red Champion Burger / NT$1990 / reserve three days in advance]. And finally, the bell rings—ding dong ding—the bell from under the giant’s crotch... the highlight of the whole place, the giant-level dish makes its grand entrance!! Remember the portable shrine at the entrance? It’s used to carry this burger out!!


It’s not something you can order and get on the same day—you have to book it three days in advance because it takes 20 people to finish it off. How big is it? I really struggle to describe it in words, since I forgot to ask about the weight.


But you can take a look at how even just one-tenth of it sliced off is still big enough to cover a girl’s face—that’ll give you an idea of just how astonishing the size is.


To move the burger from the cart to the table, it actually takes two people to carry it... I tried lifting it myself, and it’s really quite a struggle for one person. Trying to turn it on the table without putting in all your strength is impossible—it’s seriously heavy. And unlike regular giant burgers, the bun itself is mixed with red food coloring to match the theme of Mountain Bandit Village.


Also, it’s made a bit fluffier, so the texture is softer—not as dry as the other giant burgers I’ve had before. The beef inside is mostly similar to Japanese-style N...<饭那样的牛肉，而不是整块厚实的汉堡肉排。


The bottom layer has fresh lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. Actually, the overall taste is pretty good, but the portion is just enormous. My rough estimate is that it would take around 20 people to finish it. I remember the booking price was about 1,990 NT...


Although I didn’t get to try the Sanxing Scallion Pizza, which is a bit of a pity (I’ve been thinking about it nonstop, haha), the giant-sized food at Mountain Bandit Village really opened my eyes—their food design is more distinctive than what you see in Monster Village.

That said, the park area is currently only in its initial planning phase, so it’s not quite big enough to offer a fully satisfying visit. I’d suggest planning lunch here if you’re interested in visiting—otherwise, just coming for a quick look might not take up much of your time with the current scale. I’m looking forward to seeing the full plans for phases two and three of the park in the future.


⟦[Yakibaked Mountain Bandit Village]⟧

⟦Address:⟧⟦No. 140, Meizhou 2nd Road, Yilan City⟧
⟦Contact Number:⟧03-928-9933
Business Hours: 09:00 A.M. ~ 08:00 P.M.

⟦Reminder:⟧
1. There is a large parking lot available.
2. The Giant Hungry Ghost Red Demon Burger requires a reservation three days in advance.
=========================================
⟦Orange Dog Loves Candy Blog⟧ 　⟦Orange Dog Loves Candy Facebook Fan Page⟧