Even former presidents love it too! A must-try in Pingtung – Q-textured Wanluan Pig’s Trotter

Text & Photos /Mimi Han

Wanluan Pig’s Trotter is definitely the most famous food in Pingtung, and among them, Mimi’s favorite is this place called “Haihong Restaurant.” Their pig’s trotters have a fragrant yet not greasy taste, and they don’t feel oily when you bite into them. Also, takeout from Haihong is very popular — it’s great to grab some to take home as a side dish. Super delicious.

This time, Mimi was on the way to Kenting with her kids and made a detour here for a meal. Nearby, there's also the recently popular Wanluan Painted Suspension Bridge. After eating the pig’s trotters, you can go check it out for some photos~

It’s said that Haihong Restaurant, established in 1947, is the founding store of Pingtung’s Wanluan Pig’s Trotter. It was originally started by Mr. Lin Haihong selling pig’s trotters. As for whether there are any controversies, I actually don’t know — for me, as long as it’s delicious, that’s good enough~

The shop provides several parking spaces around for customers to use. Weekends are surely packed with people, but on this normal weekday afternoon during off-peak dining hours, we didn’t have to queue and got our meal right away. Lucky~

There are several aunties at the entrance specifically handling the takeout section, and there are quite a lot of customers. Also, about 20 meters next door, there’s another takeout section for Haihong Restaurant — maybe it’s to help disperse the crowd?

At the entrance, there’s also a photo of former President Chiang Ching-kuo coming to eat Wanluan Pig’s Trotter. Given the historical context, having the president visit and say it’s delicious is definitely the highest honor. (It still is now too, of course — it often gets used for promotion!)

Inside the restaurant, there are big round tables like this. You just find a spot you like to sit, and an auntie will bring over the menu.

The must-orders are, of course, their braised pig’s trotters, crispy skin / roasted pig’s trotters, etc., all priced uniformly at NT$450. Other dishes depend on what you want to pair with — there are stir-fries, soups, deep-fried items... you can choose from, and the prices are quite affordable.

Pig’s Trotter Culinary Competition, Taiwan Pig’s Trotter King Culinary Competition... there are even competitions for pig’s trotters, which feels really fun. Chef Xia from Haihong Restaurant is not only the Taiwan Pig’s Trotter King, but also won the Best Presentation Award.

Signature Braised Pig’s Trotter (NT$450 per serving)The portion is a bit big, with both fatty and lean parts. Dip it in the restaurant’s special garlic sauce, and it’s truly a heavenly dish. The texture is neither greasy nor oily, Q-textured and delicious. I sincerely think it’s more to my liking than many other places. But it’s a bit of a pity that there’s no small portion available. Since the kid wasn’t very hungry that day, and we were having a pre-Kenting meal, takeout wasn’t very convenient, so the two of us adults just ate the whole portion — we ended up almost regretting it because we were so full.

I really hate pig’s trotters that are soft and mushy and braised until they’re super greasy, but Haihong’s Wanluan Pig’s Trotter has none of those problems. It’s really delicious (mouth watering…)~

It goes perfectly with rice — you really have to restrain yourself to not just keep shoveling it into your mouth.

Stir-fried Spinach (NT$120)We just ordered some random sides to go with the pig’s trotters since we couldn’t just eat that alone.

Deep-fried Silver Fish (NT$180)The kid really loves this — it has the aroma of basil when eaten on its own, or you can dip it in ketchup or seasoned salt~

Three Fresh SoupKai wanted to order this. It has squid, sea cucumber, and squid tubes inside. Actually, I’m not a big fan of this flavor.

Golden Tofu (NT$170)Crispy outside and soft inside. The sauce is a bit salty, but I actually quite like it~

Overall, I think Haihong Restaurant’s Wanluan Pig’s Trotter is absolutely delicious, but the other dishes are just average. However, the portions are quite generous, so it doesn’t feel like you’re getting poor value.

After the meal, we took a stroll to the recently popular Wanluan 3D Painted Suspension Bridge, which is about a 5–10 minute drive away. It’s a great way to aid digestion after the meal. Just a quick share~

Haihong Restaurant (Wanluan Pig’s Trotter)|Official Website
Address: No. 132, Baozhong Road, Wanluan Township, Pingtung County
Phone: 08-7811220
Business Hours: 10:30 AM – 8:00 PM

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