Kaohsiung’s super-popular late-night snack spot: A seafood restaurant specializing in homemade “oyster” dishes

Text and photos byShadow

When it comes to grilled oysters in Kaohsiung, Xiong Chumo Rock-Grilled Oysters can’t be missed. It has been doing quite well lately, with many branches now open. Even Travel King and ETToday News have featured it. A few years ago, we visited their northern Kaohsiung branch, but this time we’re sharing our experience at their Fuxing flagship store, which just opened in late September. The space is very spacious, and besides their signature grilled oysters, they’ve also hired a five-star chef to offer a wider variety of stir-fried dishes, meeting everyone’s tastes.

The open dining area is well thought out—not cramped at all with plenty of seating. Utensils are placed on racks by the pillars and are available on a self-service basis. Moving away from the traditional barbecue snack style, such a space is perfect for group meals, and the tables and chairs feel upscale, no less than those in a proper restaurant, ensuring guests sit comfortably.

The oysters are freshly delivered daily from the source and are grilled to order. Since the quantity is limited, they sell out quickly.

Seafood ingredients are priced by the day, and the shop displays prices on a whiteboard for customer reference.

When it comes to seafood, freshness is key, and the shop displays the ingredients where everyone can see and inspect them.

Oysters are the restaurant’s signature dish—whether you look at the exterior signage or inside, you’ll see giant oysters prominently featured.

Of course, drinking is part of hotpot and barbecue meals, and drinks are self-service, with payment settled all together at the end.

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

The second floor is an open-air barbecue area, open to guests who want to grill their own food. The upstairs area is very clean—seemed like there weren’t even any mosquitoes—and the weather was cool during our visit.

The laminated menu is reusable and eco-friendly. The menu has two sides: the blue page features the stir-fry section, with each dish priced between about NT$100 and NT$300.

The yellow-orange side is the barbecue section, with half of the options being DIY barbecue ingredients. Since the second floor offers a DIY grilling area, you can simply order and grill without having to prepare the ingredients yourself—it’s quite convenient.

Arctic sweet shrimp (price by the day)

This dish is sort of a two-in-one. The shrimp heads are taken by the chef to make soup, while the shrimp meat is served raw—I imagine they’d only dare serve it this way if it were super fresh. After carefully peeling off the shell and taking a bite, the shrimp meat had a delicate texture with a smooth mouthfeel—it was indeed fresh. To switch up the flavor, a bit of lemon juice can be added for extra zing.

The shrimp heads are used to make miso soup, but unfortunately, the soup lacked a bit of flavor—the aroma of the shrimp heads wasn’t fully brought out. If it were simmered a bit longer and the seasonings adjusted properly, it would probably taste much better.

Thai-style Cold Tossed Oysters – NT$280

There are many oyster dishes here, and the Thai-style cold tossed version is one of them. The south is already quite hot, so light, tangy, and refreshing dishes help whet the appetite. Thai flavors are familiar to many, though the onion strips are a bit too pungent—if they were milder or slightly sweeter, it might better suit my taste. Wait, where are the oysters? Oh, they’re actually hiding under the other ingredients on the plate.

Giant, plump oysters tossed with Thai sauce go down smoothly without any fishy taste, so even I was willing to give them a try.

Taiwanese-Style Iron Plate Oysters – NT$300

The Taiwanese-style iron plate dish has a bolder flavor, seasoned with five-spice sauce and chili sauce. It sizzles on the iron plate, making for an eye-catching presentation. The heavier sauce masks the original briny taste of the oysters, so even those who usually don’t eat oysters might want to give this one a shot.

Spicy Salted Stinky Tofu – NT$150

My first impression of this dish was that it was really stinky. I wonder if anyone would dare take on that smell? But once it’s in your mouth, the odor isn’t that bad. This is a drinking snack that’s naturally a bit saltier, making it better paired with rice or alcohol.

Sea Urchin Fried Rice – NT$280

The rice is stir-fried to fluffy perfection, with sakura shrimp adding extra flavor—definitely a plus. There was a generous serving of sea urchin, but I didn’t dare try it, so I left it for my husband.

Golden Gourmet Squid – NT$220

This is one of the restaurant’s popular signature dishes. The crumbly texture of the salted egg yolk, along with the unique aroma of the Golden Gourmet, wraps around the thick squid, resulting in a savory and chewy bite.

Grilled Brazilian Giant Clams (price by the day)

The giant clams are about the size of your palm’s shadow, and their meat is several times larger than that of ordinary clams—thick, juicy, and slightly salty, offering a fresh and richly satisfying bite.

Wasabi and five-flavor sauce are provided as dips for the oysters, along with a steak knife to help guests easily pry them open.

The oysters are farm-raised by the owner, sourced from Dapeng Bay in Donggang, and delivered fresh daily until sold out.

Regular oysters for NT$150 each (left), grilled plain oysters (premium) for NT$70 each (right)

There's a significant size difference between premium and regular oysters. The ones you usually find at seafood shops are the regular-sized ones on the left, while the premium oysters on the right are twice as large. Their tender and juicy meat can be eaten plain or dipped in five-flavor sauce or wasabi.

Crab and Ginger Duck for NT$600

It’s already autumn and winter—the perfect season for ginger duck. This crab and ginger duck hot pot is simmered with a variety of traditional Chinese herbs, balancing the hot and cold properties of the ingredients so you don’t have to worry about it being too heating or too cooling.

The sweetness of the goji berries and the aroma of sesame oil make the broth smooth and sweet. It’s recommended to cook the duck longer for a more tender texture.

These are the very crabs we saw at the entrance earlier, complete with crab roe. This is the peak season for the richest and most flavorful crabs. Cooking them together with the ginger duck neutralizes the chilliness, making it suitable even for women.

Since the oysters used in the restaurant are farm-raised by the owner, the prices are very reasonable while maintaining high quality. For locals in Kaohsiung, this has become the go-to spot for grilled oysters. Recently, the business has expanded to a flagship store, offering an even wider range of dishes. Now you don’t have to travel all the way to the fishing port to enjoy oysters—you can get fresh, juicy, and affordable grilled oysters right in the city. Highly recommended.

Xiong Chu Mo Rock-Grilled Oysters
Address: No. 262, Fuxing 2nd Road, Xinxing District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07-2239699
Business Hours: 18:00–02:00

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