Seafood Platter is the Star Dish！Taichung’s Late-Night Dining “Hotpot” Specialty Shop

Text & Photos /Ah Mon

When I came to eat at Je Sushi not long ago, I spotted this place called り味館 next door. Its sign said it specialized in yakitori and Japanese cuisine, giving off a izakaya vibe. Since it wasn’t open at the time (it was lunch), I was pretty curious about it. Later on, I received an invitation from the shop, and since I was already interested and had seen it featured on “Foodie Showdown,” I quickly arranged to go try it out. And wow, it was really good — especially the seafood, which was absolutely delicious.

The shop is situated at the intersection of Section 2, Gōngyì Road, and Yǒngchūn East 7th Road. No matter which way you come from, you’ll see its sign at the crossroads — it’s pretty easy to find. There are also plenty of parking options nearby. It’s open from 4 pm to midnight, but you can actually keep eating until 1 am, so if you’re craving a late-night snack after 10 pm, you can still enjoy some hot food here. At the entrance, there were boxes upon boxes of crabs delivered by local seafood vendors, all still lively and full of freshness.

I made a reservation for 7 pm, and as soon as I got to the restaurant entrance, I saw a line of people waiting. Peeking inside, the place was packed with diners — the business was booming. Almost every table was nearly cleared, and everyone looked really happy with their meals, so it seemed the food must be really tasty. After waiting for a while, we finally got a seat. Because the shop doesn’t limit dining time, even with a reservation, you still have to wait for a table to become available.

Autumn crabs are at their plumpest, so male and female mud crabs are definitely not to be missed. Just look at this feisty male crab — it looks absolutely delicious!! It’s not on the menu, so you’ll need to ask the staff directly for pricing. Next to the checkout counter, there were all kinds of seafood. In this season of plump crabs, having some sweet and tender king crab legs would be a great treat. There were also lots of live razor clams — apparently they’re great for men’s health, so guys might want to order a few extra servings XDD. There were also super large prawns, kept fresh with crushed ice, which looked very fresh too — I think I’ll have to try a couple.

The chefs in the back were intently preparing sashimi as part of the seafood offerings.<饭，感觉这间的海鲜N<饭很热门，吧台上满满的都是等待出餐的N<饭呢。

The shop focuses on grilled seafood — with all kinds of shrimp, crabs, and fish — plus beef and pork options. They also serve Japanese cuisine, including sushi, hand rolls, and more.<饭等，让菜色种类非常的丰富，也不用担心只吃烧烤会吃不饱喔。餐点价格也都算还蛮便宜亲民的，寿司$30起，而且种类超多，而烤海鲜$90起，选项也有十来种呢，如果人多来share吃的话会更划算。

Grilled food is best paired with beer, and they’ve got Heineken and Taiwan Beer. If you don’t drink, they also offer oolong tea and sodas. But remember, don’t drink and drive.

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

Organic Oolong Tea
At the fridge, I spotted a uniquely packaged tea that I’d never seen at convenience stores or supermarkets. After asking the staff, they said it was their own brand, made with organically grown tea leaves. That sounded pretty good to me, so I tried a can. The oolong tea had a light, delicate aroma, no bitterness, and a smooth taste with a slight aftertaste. It’s probably lightly sweetened, on par with my favorite Kai Xi Oolong Tea. It also helps cut through the greasiness when eating grilled food — I’d recommend this organic oolong tea. Tea lovers should definitely give it a try.

Gourmet Hotpot $1399

り味 Hotpot $3399

Premium Gourmet Hotpot $5399

Due to the arrival of winter, the shop has introduced three new set-menu hotpots — consisting of broth + platters — with prices ranging from around $1000 up to over $5000. The platters are seafood-focused, featuring lots of live crabs, lobsters, prawns, and big clams, with portion sizes varying by price. It’s highly recommended for groups of two or more, because winter is definitely hotpot season. The prawns and lobsters used in the hotpots or grilled dishes can be seen in the live tanks right at the entrance — they’re all alive, not frozen, so they taste much better.

Aside from the main dining area you see at first glance, there’s also a larger private room at the back of the shop that can accommodate two large round tables. It’s more convenient to reserve this area if you’re dining in a group.

Sauce Station
Because the shop serves both sushi and hotpot, you’ll find both wasabi and satay sauce here, as well as Japanese soy sauce. But since the seafood is so fresh, it actually tastes even better without any sauce.

Tableware Area
All utensils are self-serve. Before grabbing any, I took a quick look — they seemed pretty clean.

Traditional Pickled Clams $50
This is one of my favorite side dishes — a classic appetizer that’s salty with a bit of spice, and it gets more appetizing the more you eat. It also goes really well with plain rice.

Gourmet Hotpot $1399
Because it was cold, I ordered the most basic hotpot option, which was also the first to arrive. It uses a thick ceramic pot — different from the stainless steel ones you usually see at hotpot restaurants — which helps it retain heat better. You’re not supposed to start eating right away, since it needs to come to a boil first. Before turning on the heat, I peeked under the lid and saw that the base ingredients had already been added by the staff, which saves table space. The pot was packed with ingredients like fresh prawns, cabbage, tofu, taro, and baby corn — it looked really lavish. And once the base ingredients and platter items run out, the server will bring over plain rice and condiments, which you can cook into congee for a second meal — getting two meals out of one pot, and staying full.

Platter
If you thought the base ingredients were already impressive, wait till you see the platter — it’s jaw-dropping. I ordered based on the photos on the wall, so I never imagined the portions would be this huge. It’s loaded with live oysters from Wanggong, seasonal white shrimp, live red shrimp, live prawns, live clams, and big fresh clams. For the amount and price, it’s totally worth it. It might be too much for just two people — probably better for 3–4 to share. Since autumn and winter are crab seasons, the rich roe and egg yolks inside the red shrimp are super tempting. Eating them all by yourself might just give you a heart attack XD. Better to share the joy — definitely try the crabs at り味館, they’re super fresh and delicious. Not trying them would be a waste, unless you’re allergic to crabs.

Fresh Oysters from Wanggong
These are the fresh oysters we just saw at the counter—shells cracked open and served straight to the table. Since they’re super fresh, the staff said they can be eaten raw, which is honestly the most flavorful way. Of course, you can also cook them in the hot pot or grill them, but eating them raw is definitely the most authentic. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice for extra flavor, scoop one up, and pop it in your mouth—cool, sweet, and oh-so-delicious. Oh no… this is way too good, I could get addicted. The freshness is just unbeatable. I never expected to have such succulent raw oysters at an izakaya. Strongly recommended, a must-try.

Bamboo Clams
Many people might have seen or eaten these before, but most likely they’ve only had frozen ones. This is actually my first time seeing live bamboo clams served as ingredients. You can see the clam meat still moving inside—the telltale sign that they’re alive (otherwise, I’d need to get my eyes checked, lol). I’ve had frozen bamboo clams before, and they always had this salty taste that I didn’t like, so I almost skipped these. But the staff swore up and down that the live ones are incredibly delicious, so I gave them another try. And wow, they really surprised me—so tender yet slightly crispy, and no saltiness at all. In fact, it’s the natural sweetness of the clam meat. They were so good that I ended up eating almost all of them. I heard they’re also great for guys, haha, so eat up, lol.

Large Clams
I later realized I hadn’t actually eaten any of these. After searching the hot pot carefully, I found out they’d all been used to make the broth. We cooked them too long, which made them a bit less tasty. Remember to scoop them out earlier for the best flavor.

White Shrimp
Winter is the best season for white shrimp, and when they’re fresh, their springy texture is absolutely addictive—you’ll just keep eating one after another. These shrimp were really delicious, but remember to blanch them in the hot pot just until they change color. That’s all you need for a perfect bite.

Live prawns
These prawns were plucked straight from the breeding tank and served at the table. For scale, they’re about as thick as a wrist and over ten centimeters long. Their texture is firmer and sweeter than white shrimp. Prawns are included in all three pricing tiers of the hot pot set meals—one per portion. If you want more, you’ll have to order them separately.

Grilled Live Whelk – $100
Grilled whelk is pretty rare, so I specially ordered a plate to revisit the experience. When eating, use a toothpick to lift and pull out the front part of the meat—it takes a bit of skill, lol. Good technique means you can pull it out in one go. The texture is springy and chewy, and it tastes amazing. Really delicious.

Grilled Live Bamboo Clams – $120
These are exactly the same as the live bamboo clams from the hot pot—juicy, tender, and crisp. If you want to eat bamboo clams, come here—they’re surprisingly delicious!!! Don’t forget the hot pot ingredients while enjoying the skewers; overcooked ones lose their charm. Also, the cabbage is quite sweet, enhancing the umami of the broth.

Little Red Crab?
Because they’re so fresh, the crabmeat doesn’t stick together, making it easy to peel and eat. The meat is sweet, and you absolutely must finish every bit of the roe and yellow—the plate should be clean. Our portion had two Little Red Crabs. Perfect for two people, super nourishing, lol.

Grilled Penghu Squid – $180
Penghu squid is another must-try dish at an izakaya. Golden-cut squid pieces have a satisfying chew and natural sweetness that makes you keep going back for more. Add a sprinkle of pepper salt, and it’s absolutely divine.

Grilled Mackerel
I love mackerel, which is usually prepared as overnight-dried or grilled dishes. Compared to sardines, mackerel has a finer texture and is less greasy. More importantly, it has very few bones and lots of meat, making it a great drinking snack. Remember to squeeze some lemon juice before eating—it enhances the flavor.

Prawn Sashimi – Two Ways to Eat One Prawn
Out of all the sashimi I’ve tried, I’ve never heard of prawn sashimi before. The staff said it’s a hidden menu item, and sure enough, it wasn’t listed. Out of curiosity, I ordered it. Regular customers can only ask the staff directly for it. The price seems to be seasonal. One prawn is split into two preparations—perfect for one person’s portion.

Prawn Sashimi
The first way is classic sashimi style—served with wasabi and soy sauce. The sliced prawn meat is arranged beautifully on the plate. It has a clean, delicate sweetness, and a touch of soy sauce elevates the flavor even more.

The second way is the prawn head prepared as a grilled sushi with vinegar rice stuffed inside. The vinegar rice absorbs the prawn brain, creating a completely different but amazing flavor.

Bitter-Sweet Hot Pot – $5399
Just as we were full and about to make congee, the neighboring table received the Bitter-Sweet Hot Pot. The seafood platter alone was absolutely mind-blowing. It felt like some ancient giant creature was descending upon us—truly the best way to describe it. This seafood spread was insanely generous: a whole live lobster, over ten fresh oysters and large clams, eight Little Red Crabs, one prawn, oh, and a bunch of white shrimp. This is definitely more than a four-person portion—it could easily feed a whole table. If you’re hosting family or friends, ordering this shows serious generosity and sincerity.

When it arrived, the antennae were still moving—looked (and sounded) super delicious (mouth watering).

Two Little Red Crabs? That’s nothing—this platter has eight. Pure cholesterol overload. If you’re two people, your hands will get sore from peeling all the shells, lol.

After finishing most of the hot pot ingredients and seafood, we left two crab bodies and some roe in the pot, then cleared the surface debris because it was time to make the luxurious Red Crab Roe Congee. Doesn’t that feel extravagant? lol. Eating hot pot in winter and then congee—it warms you up from head to toe and leaves you feeling all cozy and happy.

Ingredients for the congee
When you want to cook congee, just ask the staff to bring over steamed rice and toppings such as chopped scallions and eggs, then turn the heat to low. Add the rice and toppings, season with a bit of flavoring, cover with the lid, and let it simmer. As the aroma wafts from the pot, your stomach—which was already quite full—suddenly begins to feel hungry again. Ding ding ding, your crab roe congee is served. Even though it was my first time cooking it, I think it looked pretty good. If I had eaten all the fresh crab earlier, I would’ve missed out on that wonderful crab roe flavor, so remember to save some crab roe for the congee. After finishing this bowl of congee, you’ll probably be full.

Overall
The menu offers a wide variety, the seafood is super fresh, whether you choose skewers or hot pot, it’s all great. The prices are also quite reasonable and good value, making it perfect for a casual drink or gathering with friends after work. This time I didn’t get to try the N<饭和寿司，就留在下次再来吃看看哩，以上是个人浅见，仅供参考。

り味館
Phone: 0920808651
Address: No. 631, Section 2, Gōngyì Road, Nántún District, Taichung City
Price: $20 and up
Dining Date: November 2015

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