Nighttime Only Special Offer！Taiwan's 20-Year-Old Yakitori Spot – From Just NT$15 Per Skewer

Text and photos by /Orange Dog Loves Candy

For someone like me who’s always more energetic at night, knowing where to find late-night snacks after 10 PM is essential information. After all, even if home is home, eating convenience store microwave meals too often doesn’t feel great for your health, and those frozen foods just lack that human touch in cooking (though really, all I’m doing is filling my stomach, but I still have tons of nitpicky reasons). The grilled skewers stall 【Charcoal Yakitori】 on Meicun Road, which I used to visit frequently, has now upgraded and moved to Zhongxiao Night Market as a proper shop.

What started as a small food cart carrying the dreams of young people striving and the 20 years of culinary heritage passed down by their mother is now a nighttime affordable yakitori spot. After buying from them a few times and getting to know them through casual chats, I thought, how could I not introduce such a great yakitori place to everyone? The current address of Charcoal Yakitori is → No. 93, Minyi Street, South District, Taichung City (in the alley next to Night Night See You Egg Fried Rice).

Now they have a small shop in Zhongxiao Night Market. Though the location in the alleyway is not very noticeable, it’s still two young people working hard, opening in the evening as usual. But now they also offer indoor seating, so you can enjoy yakitori with beer if you’d like. They continue to use their mother’s recipe and grill over natural charcoal with great effort. They now also sell stir-fried rice at noon to provide a simple meal for students.

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, don’t drive after drinking.

Actually, eating stir-fried rice alongside yakitori isn’t bad either. The price list is printed right at the front of the stall cart, and I think it’s not expensive. Their sauces aren’t overly strong or heavy in flavor but carry the taste their mother used to serve for over 20 years in Beitun.

● ETtoday News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, don’t drive after drinking.

Because the original stall’s lease had expired and the landlord rented it out to someone else, they decided to open a shop to give customers a more comfortable space to eat. It’s still the same sincere yakitori and ingredients—no frying at all, just grilling fresh ingredients over charcoal until perfectly cooked. I really like that approach.

If you’re visiting Zhongxiao Night Market, you might want to stop by here. Below, I’ve kept some descriptions from the old stall period and an introduction to various skewers.
(The following section about the old Meicun Road stall location is all old info for reference only Up！, now moved to Zhongxiao Night Market)
As the sun sets, the upward road under the night sky marks the start of another busy shift in the day. The jam-packed Xiangshang Market is bustling with activity, but a bit further away, at the intersection of Meicun Road and Xiangshang Road, a small yakitori stall lights up its lamp at around 6 PM. This small stall glows with nostalgic lanterns. Though the variety isn’t overwhelming, there are actually quite a few choices. Its name is simply 【Charcoal Yakitori】, because the meat is grilled directly over natural charcoal, giving the skewers a smoky aroma.

Two young people set up the stall every evening. Although they’ve only been here for a few months, they actually sold yakitori in Beitun for twenty years before. It was originally their mother’s stall on Houzhuang Road. At the time, it didn’t have a name. After she stopped operating, their daughter took over and chose to start anew in the West District. She goes to the market to buy ingredients herself every day, cuts and skewers the meat herself, and opens the stall in the evening. Behind the stall is a shoe store, and next to it is a shop selling Hong Kong-style iced tea. After 10 PM, when the shoe store closes, only their stall remains lit.

Occasionally, you’ll see their mother helping out at the stall for a bit. When things get busy, there are times when they grill forty or fifty skewers in one go. Sometimes they also offer delivery services (as long as the distance isn’t too far), so the family is really busy.

They emphasize using only fresh ingredients grilled directly over charcoal, without any pre-boiling or frying, so there’s a bit of a wait. But even without pre-marinating or boiling, the grilled skewers still taste fantastic—that’s the amazing part. Their highlight is the 【Special Sauce】, a secret recipe their mother has used since the beginning of her stall days. She boils it herself every week. Of course, I didn’t ask too many details about what’s in it.

I tried the sauce briefly—it has a hint of wine aroma and a rich sweetness, with a slight Japanese katsuobushi flavor. The sauce has a translucent amber color. When dipped onto the meat skewers, it adds sweetness without being overly salty. It’s really quite good.

Prices are clearly displayed on the board at the front of the shop or on their business cards. The back of the card also has a loyalty stamp section—collect ten stamps, and you get a free chicken cutlet now (one point for every NT$100 spent). Because it’s located right by a busy road, they even made a special acrylic box to hold the various skewer ingredients so they don’t get contaminated by car exhaust. The most thoughtful part is that they also offer phone reservations for skewers.

Just pick up the skewer and place it in the iron pan to grill. I think the prices are pretty reasonable—the most expensive is only NT$40 (except for the chicken cutlet and chicken thigh cutlet). You can grab a few extra skewers without worrying about breaking the bank. But I’ll start by introducing my favorites first—this post covers quite a few items.

【Snack │ Grilled Tofu Skewer │ NT$15】
I’m starting with this one to prove that this place really does have skewers starting at just NT$15 XD. But honestly, the grilled tofu is pretty tasty—the tofu’s skin gets slightly crispy. Cut off the burnt parts, dip it in the sauce, sprinkle some pepper, and you get a mellow sweetness with a slight spicy kick from the pepper dancing on your tongue.

【Meat │ Charcoal-Grilled Boneless Chicken Thigh Cutlet │ NT$60】
They emphasize it’s not pre-boiled or fried at all, but rather a completely fresh chicken thigh cutlet grilled directly on the grill, so it takes a bit of time. Though they also have chicken cutlets, the staff sincerely recommends the thigh cutlet for firmer meat—go for the chicken cutlet if you prefer it more tender.

While grilling, they’ll also kindly trim off any slightly burnt parts for you, then brush on their specially made grilled sauce. The sauce isn’t overly salty, and its aroma carries a mellow sweetness. The chicken skin is golden and crispy, and the juicy, tender thigh meat is really delicious.

【Meat │ Grilled Pork Skewer │ NT$40】
It’s made with pork loin slices rolled with spring onion. Aside from this time, I’ve bought it myself before. I felt that occasionally it’s slightly overcooked, which is a bit of a shame, but the spring onions retain a nice crisp and juicy freshness. Actually, the overall combination is quite good. Later, I suggested they adjust the cooking time a bit, and the last time I tried it, the texture was really nice.

Sometimes they spontaneously make a hidden menu item: bacon and asparagus rolls. They’re not always available—it depends on luck Up. I think it’s just as good as the spring onion version, though not as juicy, but it adds a fresh sweetness from the asparagus.

I also ordered bacon and enoki mushroom rolls. Though it’s called bacon, it’s actually fresh pork belly, not cured bacon. It’s pretty tasty too, but I still think the pork skewers with spring onions or asparagus rolls are better.

【Meat │ Grilled Beef Skewer │ NT$40】
Although it looks like chicken gizzards when grilled, it’s actually skewered diced beef. Their grilled beef is delicious—each piece is tender, juicy, and has a natural sweetness.

[Meat│Grilled Pork Belly Skewers│40 RMB]
The pork belly is cut a bit thick. It’s grilled just right—cooked through but not overdone. The lean parts have a slight golden char, and when dipped in the sauce, you get a mix of rich, non-greasy, slightly chewy fat and firm, springy lean meat. Add the juicy scallions for extra aroma. If you don’t mind fatty cuts, this is highly recommended. Great portion size, excellent texture, and zero greasiness.

[Meat│Grilled Chicken Skewers│35 RMB]
This is pretty much the staple of any barbecue stall, but among their meat skewers, the chicken one offers the best value. That day, on my way home, I picked up a 10-RMB charcoal-grilled chicken skewer from elsewhere, and while the price was similar, the taste was worlds apart. This place uses fresh chicken and grills it directly—the meat is tender and sweet. The 10-RMB roadside version, on the other hand, felt dry and tough.

[Snack│Grilled Fish Cake│25 RMB]
For the price, three big slices of grilled fish cake are a solid deal. As it grills, it puffs up like cotton candy. I really recommend this one—the texture is great, and the portion is generous. Totally worth trying.

[Snack│Grilled Rice Sausage│15 RMB]
For a rice sausage of this size, most savory snack stalls would charge at least 20 RMB, so I think this place is pretty cheap. After grilling, they slightly cut the edges to let the sauce seep in. The casing has a nice crispness, and the sweet, savory sauce is quite good.

[Meat│Grilled Pork Tenderloin Skewers│40 RMB]
At first, I couldn’t figure out what this was because it’s a long strip, unlike the usual thinly sliced pork tenderloin. But chewing into it, you definitely get that characteristic chewy, bouncy texture and sweetness of pork tenderloin. Definitely worth a try.

[Meat│Grilled Chicken Wings│25 RMB]
I didn’t expect their grilled chicken wings to be so big—basically a three-joint wing. The meat is pretty plump, and it’s satisfying for both bone-chewers and meat-lovers. The meat is tender and substantial.

[Meat│Grilled Chicken Butts│25 RMB]
The chicken butt has no off-putting smell—it’s another staple I love ordering at barbecue stalls. The meat is rich and tender, with a bit of cartilage for texture. One bite and you’ll want two skewers to really enjoy it.

[Vegetables│Grilled Mushroom Skewers 25 RMB│Grilled Green Pepper Skewers 25 RMB│Grilled Green Bean Skewers 25 RMB]
These aren’t halved or chopped into small pieces—they’re skewered as three whole mushrooms, no filler. Of course, the stems are removed. After grilling and dipping in the sauce, they’re delicious. Mushroom lovers, this one’s for you.

I’m less into the green peppers—they’re a bit too soft, maybe grilled a bit too long. I prefer them with a bit of crunch. The green beans are skewered in generous portions, fresh and juicy, and also tasty. Compared to the peppers, I’d go with the green beans.

[Meat│Grilled Bone-in Chicken Cutlet│50 RMB]
It’s literally a whole plain chicken cutlet grilled as-is, with no pre-marination. But the sauce flavor does seep in after grilling. It looks bigger than a chicken thigh cutlet, and since it’s grilled to order, there’s a wait. The cutlet has a decent thickness.

It has a hint of juiciness but is a bit drier in texture. Between the two, I’d recommend the boneless chicken thigh cutlet more.

[Snack│Sausages│20 RMB]
These are sausages bought straight from the market, leaning toward the sweeter style common in southern Taiwan. They’re not too small and taste pretty good.

Actually, izakayas and skewer shops are almost as common as convenience stores these days, especially in the western part of the city—it gets livelier the later it gets. But the prices generally aren’t very wallet-friendly. And if you’re looking for cheap 10-RMB charcoal-grilled skewers, the taste often disappoints. But that night, discovering this little skewer stall made me really happy. The prices are reasonable, the skewers are delicious, and the two young owners are super friendly and easy to chat with. You can tell they put a lot of care into grilling each skewer. For four or five skewers, it’s tasty without breaking the bank. There’s also a huge cup of ice tea nearby if you want to grab that too—all your needs in one stop.

(They also have a super tame shop dog that occasionally hangs around to help guard the stall XD—a really friendly little furball.) The cheapest skewers are 15 RMB, and the most expensive are 40 RMB (not counting the chicken thigh cutlet). Just be a little patient and wait a bit.

Charcoal Skewers Grill – Zhongxiao Night Market│Southwest District
Address: No. 93, Minyi Street, South District, Taichung City (alley next to Night Night See You Egg Fried Rice)
Phone: 0970-321008
Business Hours: 5:30 PM – 12:30 AM
Note: Indoor seating available. Fried rice is served starting at noon.

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