Must-try old shops in Fangyuan, Changhua: crispy oyster fritters and old-fashioned coconut ice pops!

Text and photos by /Little Beluga

Changhua’s Wanggong is the hometown of oysters. Along the coastal reclaimed land, hanging oyster racks are a common sight, creating a unique fishing village scene. The most popular activity for visitors here is taking a sightseeing oyster-picking vehicle out to sea to explore the intertidal zone, harvest fresh oysters, and dig for clams. Once a simple snack for Wanggong fishermen, oyster fritters may look plain, but they can also become state banquet delicacies. When you visit Wanggong Fishing Port in Fangyuan, Changhua, don’t miss the widespread oyster fritters and the third-generation old ice shop: Quanfang Coconut Ice.

You’ll always see grandmas skillfully shucking oysters under roadside shelters and piles of oyster shells stacked high—this is a unique street scene in Wanggong.

Turn right after the Wanggong Fishing Port archway, and you’ll be drawn to the eye-catching sign of “State Banquet Hong Weishen Oyster Fritters Seafood Delicacy.” I had originally been following my GPS to “Alleyway Oyster Fritters,” but halfway there, I was lured by the bold characters reading “State Banquet” on the sign.

Ever since it was featured on shows like “Variety Big Brother” and “Food Safari,” the 60-year-old “Hong Weishen Oyster Fritters” has been bustling with customers at all times.

Tour buses bring visitors from all over who come to Wanggong for seafood. A set meal for a table costs between NT$2,000 and NT$3,500, which is still quite reasonable.

If you’re just here with a small group of friends or family and don’t want a full set meal, you can also pick a few plates of authentic seafood dishes based on your preference.

This plateof stir-fried noodles for NT$60has a few more plump and tender pearl oysters compared to typical Taiwanese stir-fry, though tastes may vary.

Oyster fritters (small portion) for NT$150are oysters coated in batter and quickly deep-fried, sealing in their sweet and briny flavor. I only wish they’d give you a few more!

How can you come to Wanggong without trying oyster fritters? At [Hong Weishen], the must-try is their oyster fritters made with specially selected Changhua Xihu leeks and Wanggong pearl oysters.

You might often eat oyster fritters, but have you ever tried shrimp fritters—where you can actually crunch down on whole shrimp?

I love squid, so I had high hopes for the squid fritters. After a few bites, I found the exterior to be fairly crispy, though the filling could be a bit more generous.

Pork fritters, when dipped in the shop’s special garlic sweet soy sauce with chili, offer a simple yet authentic taste of traditional Taiwanese snacks.

Online reviews of [Hong Weishen Oyster Fritters] seem to lean more negative than positive: greasy aftertaste, slow service, poor customer service, and cleanliness issues... Perhaps people have high expectations for so-called “famous shops,” and the gap between expectation and reality leads to a sense of disappointment.

State Banquet Hong Weishen Oyster Fritters Seafood Delicacy(Main Store)
Address: No. 519, Wanggong Section, Fanghan Road, Fangyuan Township, Changhua County
Phone: (04)893-3220　
Business Hours: 09:00–20:00

There are many other highly praised oyster fritter shops along Wanggong’s food street, but the downside is the narrow streets and limited parking. After leaving [Hong Weishen Oyster Fritters], which has its own parking lot, I wanted to grab some ice at [Quanfang Coconut Ice] on the street—but couldn’t find a parking spot!

After circling twice and getting stuck in heavy traffic, I just couldn’t find a suitable spot on the roadside or in any alleys. But I was determined to have that ice!

In the height of summer 2016, during a trip to Penghu, I went down to Chiayi Budai a day early to stay overnight, and made a special detour to the third-generation old shop [Quanfang Coconut Ice]. Established in 1954 and now in its third generation, two brothers run two shops, preserving traditional methods while also developing new flavors.

They serve not only old-fashioned coconut ice (the internet consensus top pick: four-flavor ice), but also a variety of other ice treats, chewy rice dumpling ice, and grab-and-go shaved ice.

Except for the mango milk ice being a bit pricey, the prices of various ice treats and juices are all under NT$45—a rare kind of heartwarming affordability you’d only find at an old shop.

If it weren’t for the roadside parking situation, I absolutely would’ve lingered in the shop, ordering a huge plate of honey red bean ice or egg pudding milk ice!

Out of necessity, I only ordered two cups of shaved ice to take back to the car. First, the owner fills the cup with crushed ice mixed with banana oil.

[Quan Fang Zhi Zi Bing]Single serving of crushed ice: NT$25It’s getting harder and harder to find thick, nostalgic, old-school banana oil crushed ice in the city.

All my old friends at Little White Whale know I love taro or candied fruit-flavored shaved ice. This time, on a whim, I actually ordered peanut ice? Peanut ice—shouldn’t that be ice drizzled with rich peanut sauce? But unexpectedly, the peanut ice in front of me was literally just peanuts + ice!

Even more surprising was how the crisp, crunchy peanuts paired perfectly with the sweet banana oil—the two flavors were amazingly well-matched, becoming more delicious the more you chewed. The other cup I ordered was red bean ice, which clearly had better cost-performance than the peanut ice at the same NT$30 price, but the peanut ice left me with even fonder memories!

Quan Fang Zhi Zi Bing
Address: No. 420, Wanggong Section, Fanghan Road, Fangyuan Township, Changhua County (main store), No. 292, Wanggong Section (branch store, easier parking)
Phone: (04)893-5777　
Business hours: 07:00–23:00

Little White Whale — loves sharing, photography, and travel
Happy learning photography lets me see the world from different angles; happily tasting food allows me to enjoy the world through ordinary happiness.