The first abalone-themed restaurant in Jiaoxi has opened for business, with prices half of those in urban areas!

The texture of the 24-head Japanese mesh abalone is Q and elastic. It takes a full five days from soaking to cooking, which is quite labor-intensive. (Photo by Yao Shun)

You can now enjoy gourmet dishes made with premium dried abalone at a leisure resort hotel. To carve out a new “blue ocean” in Yilan’s increasingly competitive leisure resort hotel market and to attract guests with delicious food, the Chinese restaurant at Evergreen Laurel Hotel in Jiaoxi has decided to reposition itself as an “abalone-themed restaurant.” Starting this January, it has introduced different types of abalone from various countries such as Japan, Mexico, South Africa, and Australia. These include expensive dried abalone as well as more affordable fresh ones. Under the meticulous preparation of Chef Qiu Longjun, guests can not only enjoy whole abalone served as a single dish but also order Chinese, Japanese, and Franco-Italian style abalone dishes.

To provide diners with a high-end dining experience, Evergreen Laurel Hotel Jiaoxi has set a precedent among domestic leisure resort hotels by introducing abalone from Japan, South Africa, Mexico, and Australia, including many varieties of pricey dried abalone. (Photo by Yao Shun)

The cost of one jin (approximately 600g) of South African dried abalone is NT$15,000. Its shape is rounder, and its texture is softer than that of Japanese mesh abalone after cooking. (Photo by Yao Shun)

Meanwhile, the daily premium set meal, which includes dessert and fruit, features not only whole-cooked flavored abalone, Cantonese-style stewed soup, Cantonese-style preserved meat platter, and sakura shrimp rice cake, but also a half portion of Cantonese-style butter lobster. Each set is available starting from just NT$980, which is half the price of similar sets in urban hotels—great value for money.

Imported Mexican dried abalone comes canned, with three pieces per can. The meat is thick and slightly bulging in the center, with less skirt. (Photo by Yao Shun)

Australian wheel abalone is cheaper than Japanese, South African, and Mexican dried abalone, with a soft yet slightly crunchy texture. (Photo by Yao Shun)

“Resort hotels should also offer fine dining!” said Chen Jianhong, deputy general manager of Evergreen Laurel Hotel Jiaoxi. Many leisure resort hotels attract guests with their hardware facilities and entertainment offerings but overlook guests’ “right to good food.” Therefore, in addition to inviting renowned restaurants from cities like Beijing’s Quanjude and Chongqing’s Little Swan, as well as Michelin-starred chefs to the hotel every year, Evergreen Laurel Hotel Jiaoxi now hopes to offer more choices beyond all-you-can-eat buffets by using premium ingredients in its Chinese restaurant.

Chen Jianhong explained that in the past, premium abalone could only be found in international tourist hotels in urban areas or high-end Cantonese restaurants. Now, the Chinese restaurant at Evergreen Laurel Hotel Jiaoxi adopts the concept of an “abalone specialty store” or “abalone house,” curating various types of abalone and preparing them in diverse flavors. This not only offers guests more variety compared to dining in city hotels but also allows them to understand the unique characteristics of different abalones through taste and flavor.

The dish “Stir-fried Fresh Abalone with Lily and Asparagus” is made by stir-frying diced Australian fresh abalone with asparagus, lily bulbs, bell peppers, garlic, and scallions. (Photo by Yao Shun)

The “Nostalgic Abalone and Taro Congee” is made by steaming marinated abalone, abalone slices, fried taro, shiitake mushroom strips, shredded pork, sautéed dried shrimp, and fried shallots with rice, then simmering it in broth to make congee. (Photo by Yao Shun)

According to statistics, there are over 100 species of abalone produced worldwide. In addition to Japan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Mexico, abalone is also produced in the United States, Europe, China, and even the Middle East. Due to differences in production environments and sea areas, even the same species of abalone can vary greatly in flavor and texture depending on the region. In fact, this is also the main reason for the significant price differences among abalones from different countries.

Abalone is categorized into dried abalone, fresh abalone, canned abalone, and frozen abalone, with dried abalone being the most expensive. The process of making dried abalone involves complex procedures such as sun-drying, salting, boiling, drying, and hanging to dry. After fresh abalone is processed into dried abalone, its weight is only one-tenth of the original. “Time is cost”—this is precisely why dried abalone is so expensive. Among various types of dried abalone, the Japanese “mesh abalone,” “Kippin abalone,” and “Mamako abalone” are highly praised by abalone connoisseurs and are recognized worldwide as the “world’s three famous abalones.”

The Japanese-style dish “Ishigaki-style Cooked South African Abalone” is made by braising South African abalone in a sauce made from kelp, dried bonito flakes, soy sauce, rock sugar, and MSG. After it absorbs the flavor, it is topped with a rich and fragrant thickened sauce to enhance the taste. (Photo by Yao Shun)

The “Garlic and White Wine Braised Abalone,” seasoned with minced garlic, chili, white wine, and a touch of cream, has a slight Italian flair. (Photo by Yao Shun)

Seawater is a key factor affecting the quality of abalone. Japanese abalone experts once told me that the cleanliness of seawater and water flow speed both influence the growth of abalone. The varying firmness of abalone meat is due to the impact of seawater, while the flavor of abalone is closely related to the salt concentration of the seawater.

Among the various types of abalone introduced by Evergreen Laurel Hotel Jiaoxi is the Japanese mesh abalone from Aomori Prefecture. This dark brown dried abalone is oval in shape, with a thin skirt, pearl-like bumps on the bottom, a broad and flat base, and a relatively pointed tail. The meat is very thick, and when cut, the cross-section shows a net-like pattern, hence the name “mesh abalone.” Chef Qiu Longjun soaked it for over three days before simmering it in a broth made from old hens, chicken feet, pig legs, pig skin, and Jinhua ham to infuse it with flavor. Once cooked, the dish is garnished with gold leaf and served whole, looking just like the “Whole Abalone” dish on the menu of high-end Cantonese restaurants.

The abalone set meal at the Chinese restaurant of Evergreen Laurel Hotel Jiaoxi consists of seven dishes, including whole abalone, Cantonese-style stewed soup, sakura shrimp rice cake, and Cantonese-style butter lobster. (Photo by Yao Shun)

The Chinese restaurant at Evergreen Laurel Hotel Jiaoxi aims to establish an “abalone specialty store” image. Chef Qiu Longjun uses abalone from Japan, South Africa, Mexico, and Australia to offer diners dozens of abalone dish options. (Photo by Yao Shun)

Whole abalone resembles a gold ingot in shape, and different types of abalone have distinct textures and flavors. Therefore, Qiu Longjun also uses similar methods and sauces to braise South African dried abalone, as well as Mexican and Australian wheel abalone. Guests can not only compare the differences between various abalones but, more importantly, can enjoy abalone according to their personal budget. For example, a 27-head South African dried abalone costs NT$1,880 each, while a Japanese 24-head mesh abalone costs NT$5,280 each, offering a wide range of choices to suit different budgets.

In addition to serving single whole abalones of different varieties, Qiu Longjun also combines various types of abalone with other ingredients to create dishes with different flavors for guests to choose from. Notably, in addition to traditional Chinese flavors, the menu also includes Japanese and Franco-Italian style abalone dishes. The daily set meal, which includes a whole abalone, half a lobster, Cantonese-style stewed soup, and sakura shrimp fried rice, is priced at NT$980, making it a relatively great value compared to similar sets in urban hotels.

(Business)