Enjoy barbecue, beer, and sports games all in one go — Taipei’s affordable skewer spot

Photos & Text /Orange Dog Loves Sweets

Skewers have become a popular dinner and late-night dining option in recent years. There's nothing quite like sipping beer, chatting, and munching on grilled goodness. But walking into an izakaya often means facing steep prices that make you overly cautious about ordering, afraid of busting your budget and ending up with instant noodles the next day. However, at 【Qi Skewer House】 on Chang’an East Road in Taipei, you'll find surprisingly reasonable prices that don’t feel like your typical Taipei eatery. The cheapest skewer starts at just NT$15, with the average high-end price around NT$40 per skewer, and fewer than ten items exceeding that. For this price range, they also offer indoor seating with TV broadcasts of sports events — truly a steal considering Taipei’s high rent.

Chang’an East Road is somewhat of a prime battleground for hot pot and barbecue joints, with nearly every restaurant right next to another of the same type. When night falls, the whole street lights up and buzzes with energy, and you can smell the aroma of stir-fried dishes and grilled meat wafting through the air XD. It’s said that 【Qi Skewer House】 has been operating here for a year now, which is pretty impressive given these price points. The shop was opened by seven young people (all younger than me, at least), hence the name.

The store’s decor is fairly simple. At the front is a refrigerated display case filled with skewer ingredients — you pick what you want and place them in your basket. Despite the low prices, the variety of ingredients is surprisingly extensive, so you really can’t go wrong no matter what you grab. Then there’s the grilling counter, and at the back are the seating areas. It’s amazing that even this humble, affordable little space offers air conditioning.

Today, an NBA game is playing on the TV, and there are plenty of channels to choose from — almost every seat has a good view, which is honestly super important. Most skewer shops don’t have setups like this; it’s usually something you’d find in American-style diners. But with major league games, NBA matches, the recent 12-team Baseball Tournament, and next year’s World Baseball Classic, lots of people are looking for spots where they can eat, chat, and enjoy the game. This setup is just perfect.

Most importantly, let’s talk about the MENU. If you don’t feel like picking skewers yourself, you can just order directly from the menu. The prices are so low they made me rub my eyes to make sure I wasn’t seeing things. The cheapest skewers start at NT$15 — extremely affordable. Only a few seafood options are pricier, and fewer than ten skewers exceed NT$40. There are three flavor seasonings to choose from.

They are 【Japanese Caramel │ Classic Salt & Pepper │ Texas Style】

The Japanese Caramel is a unique creation by the shop. After grilling, sugar crystals form a slightly crispy crust on the surface without being overly sweet, adding a fun twist to the flavor. As for the Classic Salt & Pepper, aside from the familiar savory taste, it also carries a hint of traditional Chinese herbal aroma — actually, that one’s my favorite.

There’s currently a promotion: buy seven skewers (for dine-in or takeout) and get one free. Definitely worth taking advantage of.

【Strongbow Apple Ciders 诗庄堡苹果酒│Golden Apple Cider│Mixed Red Berry】

This was the first time I’d seen this beer (maybe I really don’t drink enough), but I later learned it’s a new brand introduced by Heineken — a fruit cider brand from the UK. There are apparently three flavors available. For those who can’t handle strong alcohol, this fruit cider has a much more pleasant level of sweetness and is perfect for women, as the alcohol content isn’t too high.

● 《ET News Cloud》 reminds you: Don’t drink and drive. Don’t drive after drinking.

But they also offer other brands of grape fruit wine and Heineken beer, or you can always play it safe with a classic cola.

【Beef Skewer │ NT$40 Pork Skewer │ NT$40 Chicken Skewer │ NT$40 Lamb Skewer │ NT$40 Texas Style】

These four are the basic meat skewers. The beef skewer, needless to say, is sweet and tender. I expected the pork skewer to be a bit dry, but it actually has the same juicy bounce you’d expect from pork. The chicken is also surprisingly tender, and the lamb has a stronger flavor.

Although these are the basic options, the portion sizes aren’t skimpy at all. Forty dollars per skewer is really solid value.

【Grilled Green Pepper NT$20│German Sausage with Bone NT$40│Grilled Mushrooms NT$30】

You can probably guess that the German sausage is the highlight ingredient — and it really is delicious and quite large. Since it has a bone, definitely don’t try to take big bites or you might hurt your teeth. Take small, slow bites. The German sausage has a slightly crispy texture, and when paired with the sweet crunch of the Japanese caramel seasoning, it’s really tasty. As for the grilled mushrooms, I felt they were a bit shriveled and lacked moisture, making the sauce taste saltier. But the green pepper with Japanese caramel has a nice sweet crispness that tones down the usual disliked taste of peppers, and they’re not soggy either — not bad.

【Green Onion Pork Skewer NT$40│Bacon Skewer NT$40│Japanese Caramel】

Some of the meat skewers seem to come with fixed seasoning flavors — probably because those flavors pair best with the ingredients. The green onion pork skewer has always been a personal favorite. Maybe a bit more green onion would be nice (but honestly, for the price, it’s a bit much to ask).

I love the burst of sweet juice when biting into the pork along with the green onions. The bacon skewer is also great — not too salty. Compared to similar ten-dollar skewer stalls at the same price point, Qi’s version is much fresher and doesn’t have any off-putting smells.

【Grilled Fish Cake NT$25│Dried Tofu NT$15│Green Beans NT$20│Grilled Eggplant NT$20│Chicken Cartilage NT$40】

Fish cake is a timeless must-order, and at NT$25, honestly, you’d be doing yourself a disservice not to get one. Dried tofu gets my highest recommendation, as it’s also coated with Japanese caramel, giving it a sweet, crispy outer layer.

I also really like the grilled eggplant. On that day, I tried two flavors of chicken cartilage: Texas style and caramel. I personally enjoyed the caramel pairing — the cartilage is naturally crispy, and combined with the sugary crunch, it adds a nice layered texture. But the saltiness of the pepper flavor is also special — both seasonings have their own delicious appeal.

【Boneless Grilled Chicken Leg NT$70│Japanese Caramel】

This chicken leg is pretty big. So NT$70 isn’t expensive at all, and the meat is tender, juicy, and sweet. Being boneless makes it easy to eat, and they even kindly cut it in half beforehand so you can hold and eat it without getting your hands messy.

【Chicken Cartilage NT$40│Broccoli NT$25│King Oyster Mushroom NT$25│Pig’s Blood Cake NT$15│Grilled Rice Sausage NT$20】

Most of the recommended seasonings are still primarily based on Japanese-style caramel, and their vegetable ingredients are all very reasonably priced. I actually found the king oyster mushrooms tastier than the shiitake mushrooms earlier—they have a bit of crunch and juiciness, and the sweet caramel seasoning is really good!

The pig’s blood cake isn’t grilled too hard and has a soft yet slightly chewy texture that’s just right. It also has that nice crispy-sweet caramel coating on the outside.

【Grilled Fish Cheeks │ 40 NTD】

The fish cheeks are surprisingly large for such a cheap price, and they’re quite rich in fat. The outside is grilled to a slight char with a rich aroma.

【Grilled Chicken Wings 30 NTD │ Grilled Chicken Tails 30 NTD】

Seven-spice chicken is, of course, an old favorite at any barbecue spot—you’d feel something’s missing without it XD. But the grilled chicken wings are pretty good too, especially since they use three-joint wings which are slightly bigger than regular chicken wings.

【Grilled Pacific Saury │ 60 NTD】

It’s not a small portion, but the fish itself isn’t as fatty or oily. The flesh is firm and still quite good!

Be aware there are still some tiny bones when eating, but you get a whole fish per serving, which is quite a good deal.

【Grilled Mackerel │ 110 NTD │ Highly Recommended】

This is probably one of the more expensive items on the menu, but it’s highly recommended that you try it. The fish is tender with a decent amount of fat.

The aroma of the fish is really lovely, and compared to the pacific saury, this mackerel is completely love-at-first-bite material.

【Grilled Oysters 90 NTD │ Grilled Scallops 90 NTD │ Grilled Scallop Meat 70 NTD】
The only seafood combo platter at the shop XD... Might as well get one of each if you’re in the mood for seafood. The scallop meat is soft, tender, and sweet—absolutely delicious.

The oysters are fairly fresh, though the scallops seemed a little overcooked that day—their flesh lacked that soft, sweet tenderness.

【Grilled Angel Red Shrimp │ 70 NTD │ Each │ Highly Recommended】
Many barbecue shops are starting to offer larger and larger fresh shrimp, with the biggest being those giant prawns as long as your arm. But the angel red shrimp here have also been quite popular in the past year or two. They’re about the size of a plate,

the shrimp meat is juicy and sweet, and the shrimp heads are an absolute must-try delicacy. Plus, the grilled aroma is even richer!

Overall, I ended up ordering about 70% of the available ingredients—figured, hey, when it’s cheap, you just go wild XD. Sure, “you get what you pay for,” but in Taipei, where rent is so high, it’s actually pretty rare to find food at this price point with such quality. Most of the skewers are really tasty—even the basic meat skewers are good. Plus, there are seats where you can comfortably enjoy your meal while watching sports, making it a great option if you want to save money but still enjoy skewers. If you’re around Chang’an East Road, definitely give it a try. Though they do offer takeout, I think dining in and eating it hot is the best way!

Qi Skewers BBQ
◎ Phone: 02-25672770
◎ Address: No. 46, Section 1, Chang’an East Road, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
◎ Business Hours: 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM
◎ Tip: It’s recommended to make a reservation by phone in advance
◎ Nearby MRT Station: Exit 2 of Shandao Temple Station on the Brown Line, about an 11-minute walk

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