January 2026 Shoal Menu
Once the temperature drops below nineteen degrees, every task in the kitchen becomes exceptionally arduous. Nearly all our partners live with depression; winter feels simply like the apocalypse, and merely stepping out the door is the most spirited struggle of the morning. If we ultimately accomplish anything before the weather truly warms, it must be because we still yearn to strive and have not yet surrendered.
This is the season of the brassicas. Whether pickled, dressed as a cold dish, or stir-fried, the cruciferous vegetables form a vast family that naturally brings abundance to the dining table. Meanwhile, the Osmanthus Salted Duck has arrived at its moment of peak flavor. A dignified Shoal classic, it is crafted only during these specific months of the year.
Sesame Oil Pork Kidney, please reserve one day in advance, so the warming sesame oil, aged ginger, and rice wine can go into the pot.
Sour mandarin tea, preserved pomelo tea, preserved grapefruit tea, mint and orange tea, starfruit drink, stewed pear with rock sugar—timeless health wisdom passed down by our ancestors to dispel wind, clear the exterior, ward off cold, and warm the heart, unafraid of the north wind.
To ensure solo diners can still enjoy a communal feast, every dish is priced and portioned for one person. When you come with friends, order as many portions as suit your party and appetite; the kitchen will serve everything family-style.
Our menu changes each month with the turning seasons, and we host only ten guests every thirty minutes. Reservations can be made via private message to our Facebook page, and we will reply when free. If you dislike digital tools, please call between 14:30 and 16:30 to reserve by phone. For reservations not on the day of dining, please avoid calling during service hours; when we are in a rush, it is hard to handle matters thoroughly.
In January we open Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner; weekend afternoon tea is temporarily suspended, and we rest on Mondays and Tuesdays. When planning a visit to Shoal 2.0, please reserve in advance and double-check our opening hours, as unscheduled closure days may occur.
| January 2026 Shoal Menu |
| This translation is provided by ChatGPT and Gemini and cannot guarantee complete accuracy. Please refer to the original Chinese menu for detailed information. |
Osmanthus Salted Duck
NT$235
At Shoal, the Osmanthus Salted Duck is synonymous with our culinary journey and the history of our establishment. Plucking the feathers is the first hurdle, requiring sharp eyes and unwavering patience for meticulous cleaning. Stir-frying the salt over controlled heat elevates the aroma of the spices; rubbing the salt by hand determines the flavor of the curing process. Steaming preserves the tender texture and original taste, using a bamboo steamer passed down for three generations, meticulously maintained over the years by master craftsman Huang Fu-Xing from Lucao, Chiayi. This complex and time-consuming process infuses deep flavors, making it a masterpiece of culinary craftsmanship. The purest taste of duck is best highlighted with just salt.
Braised Pork Tongue in Red Yeast Lees
NT$155
Richness comparable to spiced beef, palatable and unwearying; the savory notes of soy and wine lees blend with a complex fragrance of spices, creating a small universe of flavor in every bite between the teeth and cheeks. Using Shoal’s homemade red yeast lees, we re-process the marinade from our red yeast pork into a lush braising liquid. The pure brewed flavor of Ruichun Original Soy Sauce joins the aromatic lees to quick-braise the pork tongue. After a long soak to absorb the flavors, the cooked meat takes on a tea-red hue. Tender with a satisfying chew, the texture rivals the experience of abalone—a victory determined entirely by the control of heat. Preparing pork tongue is laborious and time-consuming; the daunting task of cleaning the coating makes this a test of patience with a high threshold.
Duck Gizzards Confit
NT$200
Shoal’s classic osmanthus salted duck, rich and savory, provides an abundance of luxurious duck oil. The pure, fragrant fat is used for confit. The gizzards are cured in coarse salt with shallots, galangal, star anise, black pepper, and nutmeg, drawing out the spices’ full flavor. Slow-roasted at low temperatures in osmanthus duck fat for five hours, the gizzards become tender and flavorful, surpassing traditional braising. After three days of salt curing and slow roasting, the confit is packed with a complex, savory aroma—a classic of Southwest French cuisine.
The Trio of Pickles
Spicy Cabbage Rolls · Hot and Sour Lotus White · Lactic Acid Radish
NT$130
The brassicas are exclusive to Taiwan’s winter, and the season is perfect for pickling.
Blanched Napa cabbage leaves are spread flat one by one, like arranging the hem of a skirt; gathering the fine pleats and rolling them from leaf to stem is delicate handwork requiring a quiet mind. The recipe references "Praised by All Who Taste It! 60 Traditional Home-Cooked Dishes We Miss and Wish to Learn Most" by Ms. Lu Su-lin, wife of the former President of Tunghai University, Mei Ko-wang.
Cabbage, also known as "Lotus White," is pickled with shredded ginger and chili. The Plum Blossom Radish—short, fat, and round—has fine flesh and rich fibers. We cleverly utilize the fat and lactic acid bacteria from Four Ways Ranch fresh milk to create a crisp and refreshing delight.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes with Kohlrabi
NT$170
Sun-dried cherry tomatoes soaked in olive oil, concentrating and preserving the sweet and sour flavors of Taiwan's terroir, are combined with the sweet, crunchy kohlrabi that thrives in cooler weather. Mixed with cilantro, garlic, and pepper, it's rich, sweet, crisp, and refreshing.
Deep-Fried Ringing Bells
NT$165
Deep-Fried Ringing Bells, shaped like the bells on a horse and delivering a crispy crackle upon the first bite, are a famous dish originally from Hangzhou. The filling for these "bells" can vary between pork, chicken, or shrimp paste. We reference the family method described by Wang Xuan-yi: pork loin, shrimp, and water chestnuts are minced into a paste, spread onto bean curd skin, rolled with just the right tension into tubes, cut into small sections, and deep-fried until golden yellow. Served with a sweet and savory dipping sauce made from sugar and sweet bean sauce, and accompanied by scallion whites, it is fresh, aromatic, and delicious.
Lotus Leaf Steamed Pork with Rice Powder
NT$365
Shoal founder Su Wen-wen recalls her childhood neighbor Grandma Zhang, celebrating a friendship spanning four generations between two families by recreating this nostalgic handmade flavor.
The cooking method of adding rice powder to steamed dishes is known as "powder steaming" (fen zheng). The pork is marinated in sauce, coated in rice powder, wrapped in lotus leaves, and steamed thoroughly over high heat. We stir-fry classic fragrant rice and glutinous rice with spices until aromatic, then grind them into sand-like grits to create the steaming powder. Applied here to a rice-based dish, the swaying verdant lotus leaves impart their scent to the steamed pork, rendering it rich but not greasy, crisp-soft, and delicious.
A signature dish of neighbors who crossed thresholds freely, the steamed pork arrives at the table still rich, fragrant, and scalding hot. This is a story of a local blue-collar family and a mainland white-collar family, crossing provincial consciousness and ethnic barriers to care for each other out of concern for their kin. Grandma Zhang, Ms. Zhang Xiu-qing, was from Zhuji, Zhejiang. Displaced to Taiwan by the Civil War, she was skilled in cooking and fond of knitting, and with her heart tied to her family, she spent the latter half of her life in Dongmen-ting, Chiayi City.
Three-in-the-Pot
NT$185
Napa cabbage, daikon, and carrot, winter vegetables all go into the pot, hence the name "Three-in-the-Pot." Stir fried in Sichuan pepper oil, then braised in a douban broth until fully seasoned, it simmers in a luxuriant balance of oil and stock. This is a Sichuan style vegetable dish from Liang Qiong-Bai’s cookbook. There is also a saying that it comes from Tujia cuisine in Zhangjiajie, Hunan. We use Mingteh’s Gangshan handmade chili broad bean paste, a third generation traditional brew, with a savory depth that is bright, clean, and gently sweet on the finish.
Curry Pork Liver
NT$220
Fresh, glossy pork liver takes a masala milk bath, a full immersion of fragrance. Onions are sautéed in olive oil until their sweetness is released, then ginger, garlic, and tomato are added and cooked on with masala, forming a thick, moist sauce. The curry sauce gently cooks the pork liver. When the north wind cuts sharp and cold, the interwoven richness of a dozen spices, a curry bold with commanding aromatics, and its layered, multidimensional heat and perfume, becomes especially welcome.
Stir-Fried Niu Ganba
NT$285
Among Yunnan’s Hui people, beef is salted, seasoned with aromatic spices, then air-dried for preservation and easy transport. This is called "niu ganba." If you think of it as a Yunnan style cured meat, it may be easier to grasp. With its exuberant, distinctive fragrance, niu ganba is intensely savory, bold, and palate-awakening. Deeply rooted in time, it is also a taste of homesickness for many from Yunnan. Stir-fried over high heat with garlic shoots and chilies, the wok’s heat drives out a generous, concentrated aroma and a robust wok hei. Its ability to accompany rice is in a class of its own.
Stir-fried Eggs with Pickled Rakkyo
NT$120
Rakkyo, also known as xiebai (Chinese onion), resembles garlic in form and scallion in flavor, with a singular pungent aroma. It is the bulbed structure of the mature plant xie, a member of the lily family, and thrives in autumn and winter. In Du Fu’s poem "On an Autumn Day, Ruan the Recluse Sent Thirty Bundles of Xie," the dew-laden xie fills a basket, and the round, egg-white bulbs are described: "Bundled like green fodder in color, round and even like the tips of jade chopsticks." It is both edible and medicinal, pungent and warming, said to dispel cold. In the "Compendium of Materia Medica," Li Shizhen writes that its root is suitable for boiling and eating, mixing with wine, storing in lees, or soaking in vinegar. Pickled rakkyo is crisp and refreshing, a classic accompaniment to Japanese curry rice, and it also appears within Indigenous food cultures. Here we pickle rakkyo in sweet vinegar, then cook it with eggs from Green Living Farm in Yongjing, Changhua, organic and pasture-raised. With careful heat control, the eggs turn soft and tender, richly aromatic, and wonderfully appetite-opening.
Emerald Stir-fried Eggs with Preserved Radish
NT$90
Local carrots come into full season as winter sets in. The freshly harvested carrot greens bear a unique signature—a faint bitterness and spice—yet their profile remains gentle and elegant. We harvest the tender tips, mince them fine, and sauté them until fragrant alongside the minced preserved radis. Jade green scattered amidst clear yellow, the aromas of egg and leaf diffuse, fusing with the sunlight sealed within the sun-dried radish—a dish brimming with vitality. A winter exclusive, selecting organic free-range eggs from Green Life Farm in Yongjing, Changhua.
Gai Lan with Cured Meats
NT$215
As Su Shi of the Song dynasty wrote: “Gai lan is like mushrooms, so crisp and delicious that the teeth ring.” To serve gai lan, someone in the kitchen must first spend time carefully peeling the stems, patience akin to meditation, though the crisp delight is gone in a single bite.
Tofu sausage is the stuff of legend. Those who love it think of it often, regarding it as the most delicious and most distinctive of all cured meats. We use Huang Ji at Chiayi East Market, Hunan style cured meats carried on by a second-generation family, a flavor the marketplace takes pride in. They insist on sun-drying, and commission a bespoke recipe without MSG. Drained and pressed tofu is combined with pork and aromatic spices, creating deeper layers of taste. Stir-fried cured meats with lush green Chinese kale allow this richly profound crucifer to show a singular charm.
White Wine Clam and Pork Knuckle Soup
NT$185
Shoal Chef Kuei-Huai received his culinary initiation at "Suspender Kitchen," inheriting this classic soup that has won universal praise. Pork knuckles are stewed in white wine and chicken stock to render out their gelatin, then enhanced with the clear freshness of clams and the spicy warmth of ginger. Rich, unctuous, and savory—a winter satisfaction.
Champion White Rice
NT$30
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$350
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
Pork 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.
Pork liver rolls are a traditional Taiwanese delicacy that emphasizes quality ingredients and meticulous procedures. In the past, pork liver was expensive, and adding it to dishes was a display of wealth. Wrapped in caul fat like spring flower shrimp balls, the pork liver paste enhances the richness of the filling, mixed with scallions and water chestnuts for freshness to cut through the richness. The pork 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.
Chicken Jus Rice
NT$40
Champion white rice with rich, pure chicken jus. Sometimes it feels as though chicken rice adds a little too much, while plain rice offers a little too little. Chicken jus rice is the middle way.
| Pre-order Delicacies |
Sesame Oil Pork Kidney
NT$300
A straight blade glides along the kidney’s curved surface, shaving away the glands in thin sheets. When working with offal, kidneys demand especially exacting knife skill. To cut the kidney flowers, one must hold the breath, restraining the blade at roughly half depth. Too fast and too forceful, and the cuts will tear through. The purpose of knife work is not merely visual elegance. The true point is heat control: only when each cut is made to a consistent depth will the kidney cook evenly.
This is a dish that carries urgency in its sense of time. When the knife work is right, the moment to lift the wok can be decided at a glance. Sesame oil is kept over a gentle flame to draw out the fragrance of ginger. Everything that follows is swift and decisive, almost like blanching. Once the stock boils, the kidney is taken just to the point of doneness, then removed. If it is not tender, it is better not to eat it at all.
Usually everyone is already seated before the kitchen begins. Whoever lingers becomes the culprit who delays the course. There has never been such a thing as waiting for photos. In temperature and texture alike, kidneys cannot wait. Rather than racing to take pictures, it is better to race to eat. The moment the aroma of sesame oil is caught, the dish arrives and disappears. Only lightning-fast, plate-clearing speed is a proper tribute to Sesame Oil Pork Kidney.
Until the weather truly turns warm, sesame oil, aged ginger, and rice wine are essential.
| Wind-Resisting Warmth |
Sour Mandarin Tea
Preserved Orange
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.
We select organic-certified, tree-ripened oranges from Chu Chang-hui’s orchard in Xidiyao, Zhongliao, Nantou. Pure, natural, and additive-free, the whole fruit is preserved in stir-fried sugar and aged. A finger-licking candied treat, it is approachable and delicious, dispelling wind and nurturing health.
Preserved Pomelo Tea
NT$100
Organic white pomelo, whole fruit candied and aged for ten years. All natural, with no additives. A folk remedy in Taiwan to dispel external chill, it leaves the body light as if shedding a layer. A time-honored common wisdom for well-being. Juice vesicles, segment membranes, and peel are all candied with Shoal’s house made malt syrup and red rock sugar, the emperor of whole-fruit pomelos. After long aging the lustrous, plump vesicles steep in time, and the peel’s signature pungent bitterness turns soft and fragrant. A limpid sweetness, a crystalline acidity, and a tea infusion of poised elegance.
Preserved Grapefruit Tea
NT$80
Green-skinned grapefruits from Yuanli grown with friendly practices are candied whole with red rock sugar, Shoal’s malt syrup, and Shoal’s winter melon caramel. All natural, with no additives. Aged four years so the peel’s sharpness mellows to tenderness. The drink is clear and bright, dispelling wind and lightening the body, leaving the chest open and at ease.
Mint and Orange Tea
NT$100
Chen Shiduo’s Qing-era “New Compilation of Materia Medica” records an old formula: “When someone is struck by external evils and burdened by stagnant qi and will not take medicine, counsel the use of thin-orange tea for immediate effect. Use one qian mint, one qian tea, one qian orange peel, and pour a large bowl of boiling tea to drink.” “Mint not only excels at resolving wind evils but is especially good at easing melancholy.” We apply this to Shoal’s tankan cakes and candied tankan, hoping to sweep away life’s many wearinesses, the five labors and seven injuries.
Tankan Cakes are whole fruits candied in syrup, sweet, spicy, and aromatically vivid, documented since the Qing and now part of Taiwan’s Hakka foodways. Nourishing and home style, they perfume the teeth and gums. We source from Zhong Jing-feng, head of the production group in Emei, Hsinchu. Following Miaoli Hakka tradition, the tankan is scored, pressed into cake shapes to release their juices, then simmered whole with Zhubaoyuan hand made wood fired malt syrup, Shoal’s winter melon caramel, and red rock sugar until the rind softens to orange, the pith turns translucent, and the syrup is as thick as honey. After an overnight rest they are baked to dry: the peel taut, the flesh tender, textures layered, sour and sweet in fragrant balance. With careful heat and aging, time transforms flavor and the peel’s sharpness becomes supple sweetness.
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 Mu and Rock Sugar
NT$95
Pears are listed second among fruits in the “Compendium of Materia Medica,” where Li Shizhen wrote: “The pear facilitates flow by nature.” We stew wild-grown Hengshan pears from Dongshi whole with Yongliang handcrafted golden rock sugar, adding Chuan Bei Mu for benefit. Pure and additive-free, refined through careful heat and a period of resting, the result is gentle and harmonious. The pear is like uncut jade, and its nectar like jade dew, a clear and softly sweet restorative.
Longan and Ginger Stove-Simmered Milk Tea
NT$160
Pesticide-free longan, ginger with no pesticide residue, organic black sugar, unbleached rock sugar, and six hours over the flame. Our longtime friends at Xidiyiao Learning Farm prepare a concentrated longan ginger infusion. We combine it with Si-Fang Fresh Milk and Sun Moon Lake Assam black tea for a stove-simmered milk tea that is dense, sweet, and sumptuous, vividly warming. Si-Fang Fresh Milk comes from its own dairy farm, growing its own forage through natural farming methods, without using additives to adjust flavor.
| Refreshing Cool Drinks |
“Elegant Abode” Sour Plum Drink
NT$95
A standout woody bouquet with the deep aroma of smoked black plums and a lingering return of red cardamom. After a long soak and two clay-pot decoctions, the herbal profile is fully expressed. It moistens and quenches without sticky afterfeel or heavy finish. The recipe draws on Professor Chang Wen-te of China Medical University and researches Liang Shih-chiu’s “Essays from the Elegant Abode,” tracing materia medica sources to recreate a concentrated, robust formula.
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 Plumcot Sparkling Juice
NT$120
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.
Preserved Pineapple Sparkling Juice
NT$120
Pineapple, so emblematic it’s like holding a Taiwanese ID card, representing the fervent summer of the south. Shoal preserves the whole fruit in sugar, first peeling the skin and boiling it into syrup until aromatic, then continuing to cook the fruit, capturing its fresh taste and fragrance through precise heat control. This southern flair sealed in sugar is bright and sweet. We select Tainong No. 2 pineapples from Songlinmei Organic Ecological Farm in Luye, Taitung, certified by MOA. Forgoing artificial flower forcing, the farm allows natural growth without inducing early bud formation. Farmer He Jiachen thanks beneficial birds for pest control, leaving some fruit for the wildlife. The result is tree-ripened fruit with a distinct acidity, intense aroma, and complex layers of flavor.
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 Ferment
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.
| Desserts Supreme |
Longan and Ginger Glazed Sweet Potatoes
NT$160
A home-style dessert from founder Su Wen-wen's childhood; its appeal is timeless and enduringly fresh. The distinct rice and wheat notes of Zhuboyuan’s handmade wood-fired malt paste, combined with the "Old Friend" Longan Concentrated Ginger Soup from Xidiyao Learning Farm, enwrap the sweet potatoes in a dense, rich sweetness. We select Zhuang Zheng-deng’s Tainong No. 57 sweet potatoes—golden in hue and sweet in flavor. Selecting pieces roughly the thickness and length of two fingers combined, we braise them in a thick syrup until glazed. They are then refrigerated and rested to allow the sugary aroma to penetrate deep within. Each piece is perfect in form and flavor—warm, dense, and luscious.
Fruit Pound Cake
Sun Moon Lake Assam Black Tea
NT$220
Our fruit pound cake is like a treasure box holding the flavors of Taiwan’s four seasons. A pound cake is basic training for pastry chefs—simple yet foundational—so each pastry chef has their own secret recipe. We candy seasonal fruits grown in Taiwan—Meishan red-fleshed plums in early summer, Lishan Akihime Plums in midsummer, Xidiyao oranges in mid-winter—encapsulating the terroir of the island. After baking, the cake rests for a day so the moisture and butter can fully merge. The buttery aroma and the sweet scent of candied fruits come together in a blissful harmony, with every bite showcasing the richness of time.
Plumcot and Shiso Ume Granita
NT$180
Plumcots, rare jewels with ruby skins and amber flesh, arrive from Baolian Orchard in Lishan, famed in the memoir A Female Farmer’s Mountain Journal. Each short-season fruit is hand-pitted and gently candied without additives, yielding a shimmering scarlet compote whose bouquet recalls strawberries and other red-fruited delights. We fold the plum purée into shaved ice together with Shoal’s decade-aged shiso ume; the resulting granita mingles tart ume undertones with the honeyed, floral notes of plum, creating a refreshingly elegant tribute to high-mountain orchards.
Orange Granita
NT$175
From Zhu Chang-hui’s orchard at Xidiyao, Zhongliao, Nantou, where eleven years of patient, friendly farming have yielded organic certified tree ripened oranges. All natural, with no additives. Whole fruits are candied, gently simmered, and aged. Garnished with Meyer lemons from a Pingtung supplier practicing friendly cultivation. This gentle citrus lends a clear, lovely freshness that brightens the finish.
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.
