The boss catches the fish himself on the day of serving—Hualien seafood restaurant serves up whatever’s freshly caught that day

Text and photos by /MIKA

Our first stop in Hualien was Meipu Seafood Restaurant for a satisfying meal of fresh, lively seafood stir-fries to recharge after our four-hour train ride on the Puyuma Express. This place was recommended to us by local friend ‘Jumping Otaku.’ Normally when visiting Hualien, people stick to the usual few snacks or cafés, and seafood stir-fry restaurants are rarely on the itinerary. But this time we were in a big group, so it was perfect for a seafood meal. Hualien is by the sea, so the seafood is definitely fresh and affordable, and ordering a set meal at a place like this is the best deal. Plus, with a local’s recommendation, Meipu Seafood Restaurant isn’t expensive and the portions are generous—definitely left us super satisfied. Gotta recommend it here for everyone’s reference...

This is the place—it’s not very big, and if it weren’t for a local showing us the way, we’d never have known such a great spot was hidden here. We heard the boss owns his own fishing boat, so all the seafood is freshly caught daily, guaranteed to be fresh and cheap.

There are about four set-meal tables in the shop, which can accommodate around 40–50 people.

There’s no menu here at all!! You just look at what’s in the aquarium and discuss with the owner which seafood you’d like to eat and how you want it cooked—they’ll also give suggestions on cooking styles, etc. Since the catch varies daily, there’s a good chance you might get to try some rare, hidden-gem seafood.

Cream Scallop 682 TWD (9 pieces)
This golden clam is seriously huge—and pricey. For our group of nine, nine clams cost us 682 TWD. Just looking at the clear broth tells you the cooking method is super simple, only flavored with goji berries and garlic, but what you’re tasting is the fresh, natural ocean flavor—the golden clam meat is super bouncy and sweet, and even the broth is so deliciously rich you won’t want to stop drinking...

Squid Tempura 380 TWD
This was so yummy (spinning in delight)—the batter is crispy and fragrant, and the squid inside is tender, bouncy, and smooth. For someone who loves fried food like me, it was absolutely addictive XD

Three-Spot Crab Banban Town Style 595 TWD
The garlicky, spicy Three-Spot Crab Banban Town Style—honestly, the seasoning could’ve been stronger, but it was still delicious. I’m not super familiar with eating crab, but when in Hualien eating freshly caught seafood, you can’t skip the crab, right?

Golden Crab 1560 TWD
Whoa!!! This crab is so pricey!!! We didn’t realize we’d ordered such an expensive golden crab until the menu came out, but honestly, it was explosively delicious—maybe just because it’s rare. Anyway, unless you’re a real foodie, you might want to save the money and order more other seafood instead.

Fried Fish Cutlet
This was a complimentary dish. The fried fish cutlet served with lettuce and roselle was really unique—the sweet-and-sour roselle paired with the crispy fried fish cutlet… and then the crunch of the lettuce adds multiple layers of texture.

Clams 350 TWD
A staple at stir-fry joints, these are perfect for pairing with beer. On their own, they’re a bit saltier, but super flavorful with rice.

Fried Rice 120 TWD
Fluffy, well-seasoned, and aromatic—everyone loved it.

Mackerel 595 TWD
This mackerel was my first time trying it—and it was pan-seared, making it extra crispy while highlighting the fresh, juicy, and tender texture of the fish. I don’t know how common mackerel is, but I’d never had it before and really enjoyed it.

Stir-Fried Greens 180 TWD
At Meipu, you can really try a lot of local mountain veggies. This one’s thorny ash greens—it has a pretty unique texture, crunchy and refreshing, and quite tasty.

Hakka Stir-Fry 350 TWD
Seafood stir-fry joints don’t often serve Hakka Stir-Fry, which is part of Hakka cuisine. It’s super flavorful—spicy, salty, aromatic, and a bit oily, and goes great with rice or drinks. I personally love it.

Monkfish 400 TWD
The appeal of monkfish is its collagen. Stir-fried with celery, it’s refreshing, flavorful, soft, and tender—pretty good.

Postscript:
Actually, we didn’t really estimate the prices when ordering. With so many of us, we just went all out and ordered a bunch, only to realize how pricey the golden crab was when the menu arrived XD. Since there was no menu, this kind of situation can easily happen, so we’d recommend asking the restaurant for an approximate total price beforehand, just to avoid accidentally ordering something too expensive!

But actually, even after ordering so much — all those freshly caught seafood dishes — the total came to just over five thousand NT dollars (including a 10% service charge), which works out to around 600 NT per person. That’s really not bad at all. The most important thing is that we had fun eating and really enjoyed it!! The seafood at MIKA Seafood Restaurant is seriously fresh — all live-caught and super lively — plus the chef is super skilled, bringing out the best in every dish using the ingredients’ natural qualities. It was a fantastic start to our first meal in Hualien. A local-recommended seafood spot, which we highly recommend you check out too.

MIKA Seafood Restaurant
Address: No. 263-2, Zhongmei Road, Hualien City
Phone: (03)824-6117
Business Hours: 11:00 AM–2:00 PM; 5:00 PM–8:30 PM (Closed on Mondays)

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