The Dream of a Food Truck: Taichung’s “Wanderer’s Rice Ball” – Innovating with Mushroom Chicken

▲ Wanderer’s Rice Ball food truck.

Reported and photographed by Reporter You t
ru / Taichung

A small food stall made from a retro motorcycle modification parks in downtown Taichung just three times a week, selling nothing but handmade rice balls paired with fish pond black tea from Nantou.This truck carries the memories and dreams of those who’ve left home, and its unique “mushroom chicken” rice ball flavor has won over many locals.


▲ The menu is very simple, featuring only one main product.

Launched on April 2, “Wanderer’s Rice Ball” is primarily aimed at promoting their hometown. The owners, Kele and Weicheng, are childhood friends from Yuchi Township in Nantou. Wanting to give back to those who leave home to work hard, they chose the “rice ball” as their product—hoping it could serve as motivation for a day’s work starting with breakfast. “We started with a retro bicycle, representing childhood memories, but now we use a modified motorcycle,” says Kele. Not only the food and drinks, but even the wooden compartment on the truck, are all handcrafted.

Three times a week, around 7 a.m., the two push out their stand and begin selling on the street. Warm and shy in demeanor, they don’t rely on gimmicks or loud calls, simply waiting quietly for customers to approach. “Wanderer’s Rice Ball” has a straightforward lineup: mushroom chicken rice balls and three types of Taiwanese tea beverages. Its down-to-earth comfort is what makes it truly appealing.


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The “Mushroom Chicken Rice Ball” is made with a blend of four types of rice: white rice, round glutinous rice, long-grain glutinous rice, and purple glutinous rice. The filling is cooked with fish pond mushrooms and freshly selected chicken, resulting in a very hearty and satisfying filling—nothing like the dryness of typical street vendor rice balls. Instead, you can fully taste the sweetness of the mushrooms and the aroma of the chicken juices. It's really delicious. Only 20 to 40 portions are made each day and they sell out fast. For drinks, there’s fish pond black tea, cold-brewed Red Ruby, and milk tea—all rich in tea aroma and pleasantly sweet.

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Kele shares that he originally worked as a photographer in Taichung but, driven by entrepreneurial aspirations, teamed up with Weicheng to work at the izakaya “Datenryo” in Taichung. Many of the kitchen tools and refrigerators used in the food truck were generously lent by the owner of Datenryo. Kele says, “Running a food truck isn’t easy, so we still need full-time jobs at night.” On selling days, the two wake up around 5 a.m. to start making the rice balls. “Having our own food truck has always been a dream.”

What started with zero customers has now gained a group of regulars. Weicheng says they hope to develop more menu items in the future to let even more people know about them. As for their long-term dream, they hope that one day, once business stabilizes, they can take their food truck on a trip around Taiwan. “There are so many great places in Taiwan. If we could spend more time in each city, it would definitely be a lot of fun.”

Wanderer’s Rice Ball Appearance Schedule
Phone: 0972 352 519
Every Wednesday and Friday, 7:30–9:30 a.m. at No. 460, Yingcai Road, Taichung City
Every Saturday and Sunday, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. at No. 138, Xiangshang North Road, Taichung City