April 2025 Shoal Menu
"Even Kaohsiung has turned cold." When our friends from Kaohsiung suggested keeping warm together, it became clear that this spring is exceptionally chilly. The weather shifts unpredictably—one moment warm, the next as cold as winter; when the sun shines, the wind cuts like a knife.
On these April days of extreme temperature changes, we have crafted dishes to preserve your appetite using Jiao-gao bamboo shoots, black persimmon tomatoes, fermented tea leaves, Niuganba, white rice lees, and pickled olive vegetables.
April Business Hours: Open on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, serving lunch and dinner. Weekend afternoon tea is temporarily unavailable. Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. When visiting Shoal 2.0, please reserve a table and check the operating hours, as the restaurant may have irregular closures—don’t be disappointed when you arrive.
You can make reservations by sending a private message to our page; we will reply during our free time. If you prefer not to use digital tools, please call between 14:30 and 16:30 to make a reservation by phone. For reservations not for the current meal period, please avoid calling during serving hours; it's difficult to handle everything properly when we're in a rush.
| April 2025 Shoal Menu |
| This translation is provided by ChatGPT and cannot guarantee complete accuracy. Please refer to the original Chinese menu for detailed information. |
Drunken Yuanbao
NT$260
A re-creation of the family banquet dish by Ye Xinqing, founder of Yongfulou, capturing the refined taste of the culinary aristocracy of the 1970s. At Shoal, the dish is personally grilled by Ms. Ye Lin Yueying using a cherished family recipe. It features carefully selected mid-sections of the pig’s front leg and pig trotters, perfectly balancing gelatinous texture and meaty substance. In Cantonese cuisine, the pig’s foreleg is known as “pig hand,” while in Jiangsu-Zhejiang cuisine, the trotters—resembling ingots—are affectionately called “yuanbao,” a name as delightful as their shape. Amber huangjiu, fragrant with the aroma of rice-fermented liquor, is both sweet and mellow yet exudes robust strength. The herbal braised pig trotters are simmered in a rich broth blended with yellow wine, allowing the aromas of meat, wine, and medicinal herbs to layer beautifully, showcasing the exquisite richness of gelatin.
Pork Tenderloin with Bamboo Shoots
NT$140
Recreating the home-style flavors of founder Su Wenwen's childhood, this dish discards the crisp Guizhu bamboo shoots in favor of tender, fatty Jiao-gao bamboo shoots for braising. These Alishan specialty shoots, with their young, budding spring tips, are large with a soft core, boasting thick, tender fibers. Braised with pure lard and sauce-marinated pork shoulder, the bamboo shoots absorb the savory essence of the meat, uniting freshness with rich, deep flavor. Finished with the familiar classic of soy sauce and sugar, and balanced by the exquisite, aromatic Xiluo Ruichun Original Soy Sauce, this dish is both a perfect rice companion and a true appetite stimulator.
Salted Pig Tongue
NT$160
One of Shoal's most delightful cooked meat dishes. Soft and tender yet chewy, offering a taste experience comparable to abalone; the texture and quality are determined by precise heat control. Processing pig tongue is laborious and time-consuming; cleaning the tongue coating can be daunting and requires patience. Offal emphasizes freshness, and the original flavor is the ultimate test. Beyond texture, aroma is key; sea salt, along with scallions, ginger, and star anise, removes any off-flavors, leaving a clear and pure taste that bestows an elegant character upon the pig tongue. Served with a spiced oil made by sizzling scallion whites, chili, and garlic in hot oil, the aromatic and spicy notes are like a gorgeous attire for the pig tongue.
Four Delights Wheat Gluten
NT$230
A recreation of a family banquet dish by Ye Xin-Qing, founder of Yongfu House—a symbol of culinary nobility in the 70s. Shoal's close associate, Mrs. Ye Lin Yue-Ying, provided the family recipe. Unlike common methods that tear raw wheat gluten into small pieces for better flavor absorption, we retain its complete square shape. We select black winter mushrooms and seasonal fresh bamboo shoots, lily flowers, and cloud ear fungus, meticulously removing stems despite the labor. "Roast" here implies "braising"; slow cooking over low heat to let flavors infuse and reduce the sauce. Time and precise heat control are the essence of braising, bringing out the sweetness of mountain vegetables and subtly hiding the umami of scallops—all absorbed by a piece of wheat gluten, fully showcasing the subtle flavors of the cuisine.
Century Egg with Tomato
NT$170
This salad features lead-free, green grass century eggs awarded the Shennong Award, produced by exemplary farmer Su Qingfa of Tainan’s Yachuang. Sourced from ducks raised at low densities with a 90% egg production rate and fed on corn meal, soybean meal, and probiotics, the duck eggs are marinated in a red earth blend made from grass tea prepared with mimosa, grind board grass, banyan aerial roots, mountain grapes, and lemongrass. Cured for a month and air-dried, they develop a clean, unadulterated taste with silky, black jade-like egg whites and a molten-lava runny yolk. Paired with Taiwan’s most traditional tomato variety—the richly flavored black persimmon tomato, lovingly cultivated to deep ripeness by A-Mei, a female farmer from Nantou—and tossed with slices of Saintly tomato and shredded onions, the dish is finished with a dash of spicy oil accentuated with tsaoko. This refreshing combination evokes the robust flavors of Yunnan cuisine, as referenced in He Guifen’s Yunnan Dishes on the Table: The Explosive Aromatic Cookbook of a Ma Family Daughter.
Tea Leaf Salad
NT$170
Inspired by Burma’s national snack, Lephet Thoke, this salad celebrates the unique flavor of fermented tea leaves. They are mixed with an assortment of fried, aromatic legumes—flat beans, broad beans, peas, peanuts, mung beans, pumpkin seeds, and garlic slices—and tossed with fresh vegetables such as tomatoes, shredded onions, and shredded cabbage. Dressed with lemon, fish sauce, and shrimp paste, the result is an appetizing, thirst-quenching dish. The fermented tea leaves, reminiscent of pickled vegetables or dried plums, deliver a fragrant, fresh sourness balanced by a subtly sweet, mellow taste that fills the palate. Crafted entirely by traditional self-fermentation and marinated over time, this dish carries a rich cross-cultural historical legacy.
Stir-Fried Niuganba
NT$285
In Yunnan, the Hui people salt-cure and air-dry beef with spices for preservation and easy transport, naming it “Niuganba.” Comparable to Yunnan-style cured bacon, this dish features beef cake with an exotic, bold aroma and rich savory saltiness that intensely awakens the palate. With deep historical roots and the nostalgic taste of home for Yunnan natives, it is stir-fried with garlic sprouts and chili peppers in hot oil over high heat—the searing wok energy extracting a robust, abundant fragrance that makes it an extraordinary accompaniment to rice.
Ningbo Fried Yellow Croaker
NT$240
A recreation of a family banquet dish by Ye Xin-Qing, founder of Yongfu House—original, robust, fresh fish flavor, and the aroma of wine. Using a huangjiu batter to remove any fishiness and enhance the aroma, the fluffy and fragrant batter full of wine acts as a cloud holding the yellow croaker. The fish is split open and deboned, sliced diagonally with skin on, coated in batter, and slowly deep-fried until done, then eaten dipped in pepper salt. Though it seems simple, even slight deviations can lead to significant differences. Due to high material costs and potential waste, it was a festive dish in the Ye family, personally prepared by Mrs. Ye Lin Yue-Ying, and only served to esteemed guests.
Stir-Fried Shredded Chicken with Fermented Rice
NT$240
A Kong family dish recorded in Lin Wen-Yue's Notes on Food and Drink. The book quotes Kong De-Cheng: "A good dish is recognized at a glance; if you have to taste it to know if it's good, then it's lacking!" Shoal cultivates its own fragrant fermented rice, refines pure chicken oil, and finely slices chicken tenderloin into thin shreds. After seasoning with various ingredients, it's stir-fried in a hot wok with cold oil, using chopsticks to stir-fry, which requires time at the stove. The aroma is rich and lingering, the texture exceptionally tender and smooth. Both the method and appearance are delicate and exquisite, making it an elegant fermented dish. Though it appears simple, it embodies sincerity and authenticity, requiring patient knife skills and careful heat control, along with time-tested preserved white fermented rice.
Cilantro Seaweed Tofu Skin
NT$150
A classic vegetarian dish from “Zheng Xingze’s Shoal Bento” and a personal favorite of Ah Ze. The slender stems of cilantro, with their naturally pungent aroma, are rolled into the fresh flavors of seaweed and tofu skin. Layers of pepper salt and cilantro interlace, artfully wrapping the essence of the sea and soy. Prepared with organic tofu pouches from Huangdou Wu Tofu Workshop—crafted by dedicated organic enthusiasts who embarked on the journey of tofu-making later in life, using non-GMO, additive‐free organic soybeans to capture an unadulterated flavor that has become a modern, low‐carb treasure. Shoal has actively supported the Zheng Xingze case by providing regular visitations, psychological support, and assistance with transitional care—personally delivering meals to the detention center over a continuous three-year period. The Zheng Xingze case was exonerated on November 21, 2017.
Clam and Purple Eggplant
NT$170
A uniquely inventive celebration of eggplant’s fresh succulence! When mochi eggplant reaches its prime and clams are still plump, the two ingredients harmonize perfectly. Braised in shrimp broth and seasoned with Yuanxing oil paste—a product of a double fermentation process using mixed-bean koji from Huadan in Changhua—this dish delivers a distinctive flavor. The taste and texture of eggplant have long sparked passionate debate, much like the intricate descriptions in Dream of the Red Chamber. At Shoal, eggplant is a staple; some guests, encountering it unexpectedly, brace themselves only to be moved into confessing their delight, marking many significant first-taste moments of reconciliation.
Olive Vegetable and Green Beans
NT$120
Prepared with Shoal’s house-made pickled olive vegetables, this dish offers a rich and mellow flavor. Olive vegetables are a unique pickled specialty from the Chaoshan region, slowly simmered with olives and salted vegetable leaves. Accompanied by a trailing variety of flat-podded green beans—whose seeds easily protrude and whose undulating pods, humorously dubbed “ugly beans” in Taiwanese, are generally known as green beans—these beans provide a thick, juicy, and tender bite that perfectly complements the dish’s overall harmony.
Stuffed Tofu Duck Soup
NT$165
Handcrafted from a family recipe passed down by Hu Xiangling, president of HAND Initiative, our stuffed tofu is meticulously recreated by hand. Originating from Hu’s Hunanese heritage, this dish follows the Hunan tradition of “stuffing” – mixing minced meat with water chestnuts and scallions, then hollowing out oil tofu to form a pouch that is filled with the meat mixture and pan-fried to set its shape. (“Stuffing” in Hakka means to fill.) The flavor of a stuffing dish varies widely with the carrier and filling, showcasing the kitchen’s creativity and skill. To further enrich the dish, our classic Osmanthus Salted Duck—made with native farm ducks from Fangyuan in Changhua that are salt-cured, steamed, and cooked from the head, neck, wings, and feet—is simmered into a richly aromatic duck broth, which then cooks the stuffed tofu to perfection, resulting in an exquisitely flavorful and satisfying soup.
Champion White Rice
NT$20
Rice grown by Tian Shou-Xi, the rice king of Zhubei, a pioneer in planting Taoyuan No. 3 rice, who once won the National Top Ten Classic Good Rice for two consecutive years and was the national famous rice production champion in 2014. The sweetness of the rice is instantly recognizable without needing to chew or savor deliberately; the taste buds immediately perceive the sweetness. The grains are distinct, with a moderate texture. The rice is milled fresh and delivered promptly, sun-dried rice cultivated with sustainable agriculture, without using chemical fertilizers, pesticides, or herbicides. Orange ladybugs and hardy morning glories are common in the fields. Green manure is sown annually to enrich the soil, plowing and sun-drying to activate the soil, intentionally limiting rice yields.
| Shoal's Chicken Rice |
Founder Su Wen-Wen's nostalgic recollections of her childhood and hometown. Originally a family dish made only for a few days during the anniversary celebration, it has accumulated countless fans who praise it as "the world's most delicious chicken rice!" Ma Shifang acclaimed it as "a peerless delicacy," while Feng Xiaofei said, "We need food like Shoal's chicken rice to increase rice consumption." One mother's comment was the most heartfelt: "This is exactly the kind of chicken rice a mother wants her children to eat!"
Signature Chicken Rice
Spiral-Cut Cucumber
Golden Pipa Shrimp
NT$340
In a white porcelain bowl, soft and fragrant rice is topped with sweet, tender chicken, drizzled with rich chicken broth blended with aromatic traditional black bean soy sauce, and then finished with a generous pour of rich and fragrant chicken oil... One bite will bring you joy! The fragrant and silky chicken rice, accompanied by various exquisite side dishes, is both homely and refined, making it irresistible to finish every last bite.
The spiral-cut cucumber is arranged like a coiled dragon; expertly sliced with a zigzag pattern, the silent knife work cultivates patience and discipline. Crisp and refreshing yet rich and appetizing, seasoned with soy sauce, Sichuan pepper oil, and rice vinegar—the blend of spicy and aromatic flavors serves to cleanse the palate.
Fresh shrimp are peeled and deveined, leaving the last segment and tail intact; the shrimp is flattened into a pipa (Chinese lute) shape. After marinating for flavor, it's coated with egg white and sweet potato flour, then fried to a golden color. This is a home-cooked dish that founder Su Wen-Wen enjoyed during her childhood, recorded in old recipes preserving the culinary trends of the 60s.
Mini Chicken Rice
Chrysanthemum Radish
Pig Liver Rolls
NT$190
The rice portion is halved, catering to those avoiding carbohydrates—this is the miniature version.
White radish is cross-cut to bloom like a chrysanthemum; the sweet and sour pickled radish is dyed with the yellow of gardenia and the crimson of perilla.
Pig liver rolls are a traditional Taiwanese delicacy that emphasizes quality ingredients and meticulous procedures. In the past, pig liver was expensive, and adding it to dishes was a display of wealth. Wrapped in caul fat like spring flower shrimp balls, the pig liver paste enhances the richness of the filling, mixed with scallions and water chestnuts for freshness to cut through the richness. The pig liver is made into a paste, visible in texture, jet black and glossy like volcanic mud, wrapped into a rich roll. Deep-fried in warm oil until golden and crispy, one bite releases the fatty aroma, unlocking the flavor of the liver instantly. Sized for two bites—one elegant bite, and another to satisfy.
| Refreshing Cool Drinks |
Ottoman Cinnamon Apple Juice
NT$120
Drawing from an ancient formula of the Ottoman Turkish Empire, this rare Eastern European traditional beverage is prepared by simmering fresh apples and then chilling them to let their natural fruit flavors unfold. The result is an imperial concoction featuring a fantastical tartness, a delicate sweetness, and a final touch of cinnamon that accentuates the drink with a heartwarming apple aroma.
Shiso Plum Juice
NT$130
Aged for ten years, purely natural with no additives. The plums are soft and glutinous, and the juice is pure and exquisite. Its elegant plum aroma stimulates saliva, counteracts richness, and awakens the appetite. Created by Mr. Su Zhong-Shi, father of Shoal’s founder Su Wen-Wen, after fifty years of refining his plum-making craft. Box after box of plums, bag after bag of sugar—Qingming is the season for brewing plums. The beautiful fruit from Alishan’s plum trees is naturally fermented in clear water, layered with plums and sugar in glass jars like time capsules, awaiting the next year’s burst of enchanting fragrance.
Preserved Oriental Plum Sparkling Juice
NT$130
Shoal proudly presents its sugar-preserved oriental plums, sourced from wild ancient trees in Yushan National Park and safeguarded by the Bunun people of the Meishan community. Grown without chemical fertilizers or herbicides, these plums ripen into brilliant ruby-like gems—so enticing that even macaques and wild boars are left with a lingering taste. Hand-picked at full ripeness rather than plucked unripe by poles, they are meticulously de-pitted by hand to retain whole fruit pieces. The naturally sweet, sugar-preserved plums are pure and free of additives, exuding a fragrance as delightful and aromatic as cherry blossoms. Blended into a sparkling juice, they yield an exquisitely refreshing cold beverage.
Preserved Akihime Plum Sparkling Juice
NT$160
These golden-hued plums are sweet and juicy from peel to flesh, shining as brilliantly as blooming canola in midsummer when cicadas serenade in the rainy season. Grown exclusively in Lishan, Taiwan, they have a very short harvest window and limited yield, making perfectly ripened Akihime Plums a rare summer treasure. Harvested at Baolian Orchard in Lishan—celebrated in A Woman Farmer’s Mountain Writings and often compared to a Taiwanese Walden—they’re nothing short of a natural marvel and a gracious gift.We sugar and simmer the whole fruit without any additives, transforming the soft flesh and fibers into a fragrant pulp that exudes a pleasantly sweet-tart aroma with a subtle honeyed note. Served in a tall slender glass, it bubbles into a champagne-like hue—bright, lively, and reminiscent of sparkling wine—while its distinctly sweet fruit flavor leaves an unforgettable impression.
Preserved Orange Sparkling Juice
NT$130
Sourced from Zhu Changhui Orchard in Zhongliao, Nantou, where eco-friendly farming has been practiced for eleven years, achieving organic certification. The oranges are fully ripened on the tree, then sugared and aged—purely natural with no additives. With its pleasant, sweet-tart fragrance, this member of the citrus family is like a friendly star in the fruit world. Oranges are Taiwan’s most widely grown citrus, with a long harvest season. The mother trees trace back to Xinhui in Guangdong, famed for its dried tangerine peel. In the autumn breeze and dewy nights, orchards are dotted with spheres of yellow and green. As early winter arrives, piles of oranges appear at roadside stalls, offering sweet, refreshing juice that embodies the scenery and flavor of Taiwan.
| Tipsy Quadrant |
Pomelo Brew
NT$160
"My brewing represents freedom!" states Kou Yan-ding, author of "You've Committed the Crime of Subverting Taiwan's Fruit Brewing." A single bottle can create a universe, once deeply immersed in Yilan's secluded self-brewed pomelo, before leaving Taiwan, he entrusted his precious brew to Shoal as a living testament to his existence. The brewing process is highly experimental, dissecting the pomelo's peel, vesicles, and seeds to explore the detailed flavors of brewing, a unique and astonishing experience.
Plumcot Sour
NT$160
These plumcots boast a brilliant red skin and fragrant yellow flesh, yet their short harvest season and low yield make them truly rare. In Taiwan, the most coveted varieties come from Baolian Garden in Lishan—revered in Notes from a Female Farmer on the Mountains and honored as the Taiwanese equivalent of Lakeside Musings, cherished as both a prized and sacred offering. Hand-pitted and sugar-cooked whole using only natural methods and zero additives, they yield a radiant red syrup that is sweet, beguiling, and reminiscent of strawberries—showcasing the captivating fragrance unique to red fruits. The finely pulped flesh reveals layers of plum tang, peachy perfume, and plumcot essence, fresh and refined. Mixed with Kou Yanding’s fermented Purple Glutinous Pomelo White, it embodies a blissful summer sweetness nourished by mountains and streams.
| Wind-Resisting Warmth |
Sour Mandarin Tea
Candied Grapefruit
NT$80
A unique Hakka tea drink, sour mandarin tea is made by repeatedly steaming and drying tea leaves stuffed into tiger-head mandarins, following the "steamed into rounds" method dating back to the Tang and Song dynasties. This rare compressed tea is used for health and wellness, with the lightness of aged tangerine peel aiding in vitality and warmth.
Shoal continues the tea-making tradition passed down from Zheng Xingze’s mother, Zheng Wang Qin-zi, who followed ancient tea-making methods. The tea blends twenty-year-old roasted tea with various herbs, following field research on Taiwanese herbal tea formulations, which often adapt to local needs. These practices honor the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine.
The tiger-head mandarin from Miaoli’s Yuanli is grown with natural farming methods. Thick-skinned and juicy, the fruit’s sour and sweet flavor is released by opening the stem end and stuffing the cavity with tea leaves and herbs. The fruit is carefully steamed, compressed, sun-dried, fermented, and baked, undergoing nine rounds of steaming and drying. Over time, it becomes dark, firm, and shiny, embodying labor-intensive craftsmanship.
After being used in New Year offerings, these mandarins are transformed into tea, symbolizing blessings of peace, hence known as "peace tea." It takes six months to turn a single sour mandarin into sour mandarin tea, with its sweet and mellow flavor becoming richer as it ages, offering a glimpse into the wisdom of ancestral diets.
Eco-friendly green-skinned grapefruits from Yuanli are candied with rock sugar, Shoal’s malt syrup, and caramelized winter melon sugar, then aged for four years—purely natural with no additives. Finally, the candied fruit is gently baked to dryness. It’s said to dispel wind, lighten the body, and bring clarity of mind.
Candied Grapefruit Tea
NT$80
Green-skinned grapefruits from Yuanli, cultivated with eco-friendly practices, are candied with rock sugar, Shoal’s malt syrup, and caramelized winter melon sugar, then aged for four years—purely natural, no additives. As the rind’s sharpness softens over time, the tea remains clear and bright, said to dispel wind, lighten the body, and leave the chest free and open.
Starfruit Drink
NT$90
A traditional beverage rich in Taiwanese local flavor. In Taiwan History—Volume 27, Agriculture—Fruits, it's noted: "The fruit has five or six ridges; the sour ones are made into candied fruit or soaked in sugar water to make a drink." The greenish-yellow star-shaped fruit, with ridges like a sword's spine, preserves the sweet and sourness of starfruit with sugar. The clear amber-colored drink overflows with natural fruit aroma. The honey-soaked starfruit transforms into a gentle force, quenching thirst and soothing the throat. We select honeyed starfruit from the Liu family's Starfruit Drink in Tainan, a legacy spanning three generations over 85 years. It brings back warm childhood memories of roadside starfruit juice stands—drinking it is like savoring a gentle poem of nostalgia.
Stewed Pear with Chuan Bei and Rock Sugar
NT$95
Listed in the Compendium of Materia Medica as the second fruit, the venerable Li Shizhen said of pears: “They are beneficial, their nature descends and flows smoothly.” These New Century pears come from A-Sheng Orchard in Lishan, cultivated with eco-friendly methods—sweet as honey, crisp like water chestnuts, thin-skinned, and juicy. The whole fruit is simmered with Yongliang handmade golden rock sugar, enhanced with Chuan Bei. Purely natural, with no additives. Through careful heat control and aging, the result is warm and gentle. The pear is like unpolished jade, and the syrup is as clear as jade dew—a delicacy both mildly sweet and soothing.
| Desserts Supreme |
Grape Granita
NT$190
We use premium grapes from Xinshe, Taichung, cultivated with eco-friendly methods—ground cover, organic fertilizers, minimal pesticides, and greenhouse protection. They’re of the Kyoho variety, Taiwan’s most widely grown, forming large, firm clusters coated in a velvety purple-black bloom. Sweet and aromatic with a perfect sweet-tart balance, these grapes offer a rich, full flavor. Each grape is peeled and seeded by hand; the skins and seeds go into a cotton bag for a slow cook with sugar, forming a grape jam. After four years of cellaring, the jam is blended and frozen into a refined granita, boasting a sophisticated “adult” taste profile.
Longan Ginger Chocolate Granita
NT$200
This inventive granita features pesticide-free longan and ginger free of pesticide residues, complemented by organic brown sugar and unbleached rock sugar—all slowly simmered over six hours. It incorporates a concentrated longan-ginger soup, a longtime favorite from Xi Di Yao Farm, which melds with the subtly bitter roasted, nutty, and citrusy aromas of Michel Cluizel’s Mangaro Chocolate—rated by Forbes as “the world’s rarest and most precious chocolate”—to create a richly sweet and sumptuous flavor.
Preserved Plum Chocolate Butter Cake
Sun Moon Lake Assam Tea
NT$170
A decadent fusion of flavors, this cake features 100% pure Michel Cluizel cocoa powder blended seamlessly with rich milk, organic free-range eggs from Changhua Yongjing Green Life Farm, Sailor-brand flour, and sugar. A preserved plum jam—made from plums aged for ten years to develop a timeless, matured flavor—is swirled through the cake, which is then adorned with stunning, captivating “black jewels.”
The menu at Shoal changes monthly according to seasons and festivals, designed based on the portion size and price for one person. You can decide the number of portions needed according to the number of people and appetite, and all dishes are served family-style. We accept reservations for only ten customers every thirty minutes.
