Nantou’s Sun Moon Lake’s Insanely Popular “Salt and Pepper Chicken” – You Can’t Get It Without a Reservation!

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I was supposed to write about our trip to Sun Moon Lake and Hehuanshan first, but all of a sudden, with the cold front hitting this weekend, I felt a salt and pepper chicken food review would be more fitting.

This time, we stayed at the home of a friend of a friend in Yuchi Township, Nantou. They told us there was a salt and pepper chicken stall on Yuchi Street called “Lifeng Salt and Pepper Chicken.” Apparently, due to coverage on the “Foodie Show” TV program, it had become so popular that you had to call ahead to reserve your order before picking it up. We called around 7 p.m. on the first night, but were shocked when the person who answered said we’d have to wait four hours! It scared us so much we froze (literally)! We decided right then to try again the next day, and to call at 5 p.m. The next day, as soon as it hit 5 p.m. and we were still in the car, we called to make a reservation and arranged to pick it up at 7 p.m.

Let’s take a look at what delicious items Lifeng Salt and Pepper Chicken actually offers, shall we? (Image source:Lifeng Salt and Pepper Chicken Facebook)

We arrived at Yuchi Main Street around 6:30 p.m. A few of the girls and I went to check out the stall first, hoping we might get our order earlier.

To our surprise, we saw an auntie next to the stall busy organizing orders. The baskets were lined up neatly, like soldiers standing at attention waiting for inspection, ready to move forward and adjust at any moment. The boss’s wife was at the front of the stall prepping and chopping vegetables, the boss was frying, and there was also someone we guessed was their son helping shell green beans inside, while their daughter was packing the bags. The whole little stall operated like a production line. We asked if we could get our order earlier, and the auntie said there were still three orders ahead of us, so we’d probably get it right on time at 7 p.m.

Lifeng Salt and Pepper Chicken is actually located in front of a gas station. We’re not sure whether they rent the spot or if it’s family-run, but the phone number for ordering is the same as the gas station’s. Before even tasting it, what stood out most about Lifeng Salt and Pepper Chicken was the huge variety of items on display — you could find anything you could think of here, and everything looked super fresh. Especially those veggie meat skewers, packed full, with eggplants that were huge, really mouthwatering.

Our group of five ordered one portion of salt and pepper chicken (NT$100), one portion of squid (NT$100), one portion of king oyster mushrooms (NT$50), one portion of rice blood cake (NT$50), one portion of fish cakes (NT$30), sweet potato fries, fried preserved eggs, and broccoli.

The specialty of Lifeng Salt and Pepper Chicken is that after frying, they brush on a secret sauce, giving it a slightly sweet-and-salty flavor reminiscent of Dongshan duck heads. They also add basil, minced raw garlic, and for those who can handle spice, a bit of fresh chili (not chili powder). For the fries, you can choose to add pepper or plum powder, or even both. The salt and pepper chicken has bones, but because of the sauce, it doesn’t taste too dry — friends who don’t like overly crispy or greasy flavors will probably enjoy it. The fried preserved egg is a junk food favorite of mine — Lifeng coats the egg in a thin layer of batter before frying, adding texture. Broccoli tends to soak up oil, and though tasty, it feels a bit greasy (but hey, if you’ve eaten this much, do you really care about the oil? XD)

However, my absolute favorite and the thing I can’t stop thinking about is the rice blood cake. Lifeng’s fried rice blood cake, partly because of the secret sauce, is anything but dry — it’s soft and Q, just the texture I love. The white one is the squid, which is also very chewy.

This plate is king oyster mushrooms and fish cakes. Personally, I don’t think Lifeng’s fish cakes are outstanding — possibly because it was cold, and within 10 minutes of driving back to our lodging, they had shrunk a bit. Unlike the salt and pepper chicken and rice blood cake, I prefer my fish cakes to be super crispy, so these didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

My friend’s favorite — sweet potato fries.

In recent years, with the rise in camping culture, and because Yuchi Township is close to popular tourist spots, it’s become a popular weekend camping destination. Aside from the boost from TV show coverage, the weekend camping crowds have also brought quite a bit of business to this small town’s salt and pepper chicken stall. No wonder if you want to order on the spot, you might have to wait four hours!

Right across from Lifeng Salt and Pepper Chicken is a Red General Tea Shop — if you’re tired of waiting for your salt and pepper chicken, go take a stroll and enjoy a cup of Sun Moon Lake black tea!

Lifeng (Pinli) Salt and Pepper Chicken
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No. 325, Yuchi Street, Yuchi Township, Nantou County
(049) 2897190 (Gas Station Phone)
18:00–23:30 (Closed Tuesdays)

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