Taoyuan’s small skewers shop hidden in the alleys serves Japanese charcoal grilled chicken leg rice!

Text, photo/Little Dot Paine

This small Hokkaido snack (yakitori skewer shop) tucked away on a quiet side street is somewhere I’ve visited several times already. At first, the shop followed a Japanese-style yakitori concept, serving mainly grilled skewers, and the interior was also decorated in a Japanese style. However, since this area is primarily residential and home to a school district, there wasn’t really a customer base for that type of business. As a result, the shop later pivoted to become a casual eatery, specializing in grilled chicken leg/rack lunchboxes, braised pork rice, squid noodle soup, and other snacks—but you can still order skewered items. It’s a pretty diverse little eatery.Start is a Hokkaido snack spot not located on the main road, right in front of the OK convenience store on Zhongyi Road.

This shop is really unassuming, but there are quite a few cars passing along this road. Also, the nearby Ah Xin Stinky Tofu is a popular spot among locals—cheap and generous portions—but the taste is rather average and not particularly outstanding. However, this Hokkaido snack shop is the one that made me want to write about it as a heartfelt recommendation.

They sell charcoal-grilled chicken leg rice, grilled ribs, and focus mainly on grilled items. All lunchboxes are just NT$75.At noon, the business is so good it will amaze you. Delivery calls come one after another, and the takeout customers are also non-stop. I sometimes really find it hard to believe that Start started out so low-key and in such an out-of-the-way location, yet it has gained so many loyal repeat customers through word of mouth.Besides the bento boxes that many people buy, there are also grilled items sold here. You should try them for dinner, but they are only available until eight o’clock (Vshu?

My most frequent order is the grilled chicken leg rice. I prefer grilled chicken legs over fried ones—after all, they’re healthier (?) and less greasy. The side dishes always come with three items, and there is no soup inside the store, but you can order soup.Especially the squid soup—I see quite a few people ordering it.But for a girl, just the chicken leg rice is already enough.Also, unlike most snack shops that use disposable utensils, this place actually has pretty decent tableware, and the chopsticks are super nice to use!

I’ve eaten here a few times and almost always get different side dishes. They even take their sides seriously — look at these green peppers, arranged so neatly.

The grilled chicken leg uses Japanese grilling methods, with a slightly sweet teriyaki flavor—it’s really delicious.

The chicken leg is even cut open at the top, allowing the sauce to penetrate more deeply. The boss actually paid attention to this little detail too.

The braised pork rice here is also ordered by quite a few people. More notably, the owner doesn’t just cook rice casually—it’s really made with care. The grains are distinct and not at all like the broken rice you get at cheap bento shops. I really admire this place. Every time I think I’ll just eat a few bites of rice, I end up finishing the whole thing.

Later there's a record from another time (I actually come often, but don’t often take photos, haha), look at those side dishes~~~

The roast chicken leg is fragrant and delicious—I highly recommend it!

Wonton soup, 45 NT dollars.

Ordinary bento shops may not put much effort into side dishes, and even if they do, they might not pay attention to plating on the utensils. A 75-yuan grilled chicken leg bento (used inside), made me feel the commitment to work, wanting to do everything the best, most beautiful, and most dedicated. From the owner of this small shop, I saw it.

Hokkaido Snacks (Bento)

Phone: 03 3594 653
Business Hours: 11:00–20:00 (closed in the afternoon)
Address: Guangfeng Road, Guishan District, Taoyuan City, near Zhongyi Road (next to Maple Tree Hollow Bridge)

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