Cifu Captain's Seafood

Review

Cifu Captain's Seafood is at No. 468 Yugang Road in Dayuan, right next to Zhuwei Fishing Harbor, and is one of the best-known seafood restaurants in the area. UPtoGO's Dayuan seafood guide notes that tourists usually sit in the street-front shop while locals head to the inner part of the alley, and its separate Zhuwei harbour round-up lists it as the first independent restaurant to try, a sign of its solid local reputation.

There is no fixed menu. Tanks at the entrance hold lobster, king crab and all kinds of fish, prawns and shellfish; you pick on the spot, the owner weighs it and quotes a price, and you choose steaming, blanching, stir-frying, deep-frying or grilling. Frequently recommended dishes include a large sashimi platter, one fish two ways (raw and steamed), crab congee, a clay-pot fish head nicknamed the Super Big Boss, and mantis shrimp with tofu. Sweet, fresh seafood is the main draw.

Fans praise the freshness, the catch-and-cook approach, transparent pricing and the freedom to choose how each item is cooked. Most criticism concerns cost: because everything is priced by weight at market rates, the bill can easily exceed expectations if you pick premium seafood. Others mention weekend crowds and long waits, heavy seasoning on some dishes, or find ordering without a menu less intuitive.

Online listings show hours of roughly 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. with an afternoon break at weekends, closed Mondays; check before you go. As prices follow the market, no source gives fixed dish prices, so ask the owner for a quote when ordering; sharing in a group, expect several hundred to over a thousand NT dollars per person. There is a free car park, so it is easy by car. For weekend lunches, arrive early or call ahead.

Ideal for families and friends who want freshly landed seafood at the harbour, and for anyone who would rather sit down and order than shop the fish market themselves. A group of about four can share a sashimi platter and one fish two ways, plus crab congee or the clay-pot fish head. Agree on a budget before ordering and ask the owner to suggest portions for your group to avoid surprises.