New Korean Flavor Hits Taiwan – Shanggao Korean House Offers Mild, Non-Spicy Dishes

Photos & Text /XiongMiao Rudy

Shanggao Korean House, with its fashionable Korean vibe, has a nice environment. The overall style is varied, though it’s slightly disappointing that it lacks a strong, authentic Korean feel.


This Shanggao Korean House has opened near Xiong’s place, where the previous tenant was Duoyuan Curry. It had been open for a while, but Xiong and Miao’s to-eat list was simply too long, so they finally found a weekend gap to visit with family. From the outside, you can instantly sense its Korean style (though it’s more of a modern take on Korean cuisine).


The cute Korean girl illustration at the entrance is quite charming (the signboard keeps emphasizing “Japan’s largest Korean restaurant,” so it seems to be a chain).


The interior has a fresh vibe, featuring wooden tables and chairs paired with a black ceiling and white walls—simple yet with a touch of design.


There are very prominent signs on the walls.


After a quick look, it seems that due to the location, most of the diners are from the younger crowd.


The very Korean-style lanterns are also simple, eye-catching, and stylish.


Since it was their first visit, Xiong and family decided to go all out with the ordering (after all, Xiong was paying…), so for the recommended popular dishes, Xiong’s brother ordered a Army Stew (480 TWD), Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps (390 TWD), Iron Plate Cheese Tteokbokki (360 TWD), and Vegetable Pancake (250 TWD).


They didn’t skimp on the BBQ either… how could the Xiong family pass that up? So in the end, they also picked Grilled Beef Ribs (390 TWD) to really satisfy their cravings.(Top left image)Plus a Korean Stir-Fried Squid with Vegetables (260 TWD)(Top right image).

There’s also Korean Cold Noodles, perfect for hot summer days (or you can have many servings…). A more unique aspect is that Shanggao Korean House actually offers quite a few cocktails and alcoholic drinks.


As for soups and rice-in-soup dishes, those can be saved for another visit. For lunch, you can enjoy a hearty meal for just 280 TWD (which is fairly reasonable, though slightly on the higher side for the East District).


There are plenty of stew options, but this time they only tried the Army Stew. Next time, they should definitely go for the Spicy Cheese Tofu Stew (320 TWD) and another Vegetable Pancake (250 TWD).

%The meat section was quite good, though this time they only had one dish, which was a bit of a letdown since they wanted to try more.


Next, looking at the tableware setup, overall the long flat spoons and dark chopsticks are classic Korean style.


The side dishes here are also unlimited, with about five types (though they may vary). Overall, the pickled vegetables are the closest to authentic Korean flavors, but both the sourness and spiciness are quite mild (so friends who dislike sour or spicy food can eat more, but those who love traditional Korean flavors might be slightly disappointed); the small fried tofu (this one isn’t bad, but it feels a bit like a Taiwanese snack).


The spicy radish has a refreshing texture, not too salty or spicy (overall, the flavors at Shanggao Korean House are all mild takes on Korean cuisine); the seaweed is smooth, but has a slight Taiwanese side-dish feel (probably because it’s not very sour or spicy).


The Grilled Beef Ribs (390 TWD) immediately made Dad and Brother Xiong very happy—the first impression was a big success. The taste is savory with a hint of fruit sauce, not overly greasy (tastes even better when hot). It’s not too salty on its own, and the meat quality is average, though Xiong thinks it could be a bit more tender.




Overall, Korean BBQ is best enjoyed with veggies and garlic—it’s just right this way (roll it up and take a big bite, so satisfying).


The Stir-Fried Squid with Vegetables (260 TWD)—hmm, this dish may look spicy at first glance, but the flavor is rich without being too spicy (great for those who can’t handle heat). It has a good chew and isn’t too tough, and tastes even sweeter when eaten with the veggies. This dish was very popular, and Dad Xiong’s choice was spot on.



Hehe, next up are the star dishes all served at once!! Brother Xiong and Dad Xiong’s favorite Salad Pork Belly Lettuce Wraps (390 TWD), paired with Vegetable Pancakes (250 TWD), plus Iron Plate Cheese Tteokbokki (360 TWD) and Army Stew (480 TWD)—just looking at it feels super lavish.


This is the Iron Plate Cheese Tteokbokki (360 TWD), probably also one of Shanggao Korean House’s signature dishes and spirit. Hmm, the aroma and richness are great—that’s a plus.

Okay, the cheese-topped tteokbokki may look a bit odd at first, because whether it’s just the cheese or the spicy rice cakes, both are strong-flavored foods—but these two seemingly hard-to-pair ingredients actually create a delicious synergy when combined. The tteokbokki is slightly sweet but not spicy (not sweet-and-sour), with an ultra-Q texture, and when paired with the rich cheese, it offers both a filling and blissful experience.


Next up was the wild vegetable pancake (250 TWD, per serving). To be honest, the texture here was pretty average—slightly damp and a bit lacking in mouthfeel (maybe the seafood pancake would have been the better choice?). Both Bear and our family agreed that the pancake itself was a bit too thick, which didn’t really add much (it was just for filling you up), but the batter really was a little thin and lacked chew. It might have been better if it were just a bit drier.

Next, the salad leaf-wrapped pork belly (390 TWD, per serving) was really lovely to look at—and taste even better. The pork belly, which looks a bit dark, actually had a great flavor. It gave off the vibe of the pork belly you get in Japanese ramen (and wasn’t greasy at all), paired with the pickled vegetables in the middle—it was just right (and made us want to order another serving right away).


Finally, we had the Korean cuisine classic—and the one everyone was most looking forward to—the budae jjigae (480 TWD, per serving). It really had everything: instant noodles, tofu, wood ear mushrooms, rice cakes, and veggies. It’s a super representative Korean dish.