Haihong Restaurant

Review

Haihong Restaurant is the name mentioned most on Wanluan's pork-knuckle street. A column in Global Views Monthly recounts that founder Lin Haihong ran a noodle stall selling oyster vermicelli beside the Wanluan market during the Japanese era; after the war, on a customer's advice, he switched to pork front legs and a fat-reducing braise that produced a red-braised knuckle without greasiness, later opening Haihong Restaurant, which his children took over. Two Smile Taiwan reports note that Wanluan pork knuckle became famous overnight after Chiang Ching-kuo ate here in 1981.

The signature is of course the red-braised knuckle, where skin, meat and tendon meld into a springy bite, cut by the house garlic soy sauce. The column quotes writer Tang Lusun describing Wanluan knuckle as fragrant but not cloying. The menu also has Hakka dishes, and diners often add stir-fried intestines with ginger or fried taro balls. None of the articles list current prices; knuckles are usually priced by size, so ask for a quote.

Fans praise the springy, well-seasoned knuckle and the perfectly matched sauce, and many say the taste has not changed since childhood and reheats well at home. Complaints mention that the restaurant serves many tour groups, holiday queues can be chaotic and service sometimes frantic; some also find the knuckle and other dishes on the salty side, or feel the fame outweighs the surprise.

Google and Yam Travel list hours of 10:00 to 19:30 daily. The family runs two nearby dining rooms with their own car parks, and you may be sent to the other one when full; addresses vary between sources, so confirm by phone or map before setting off. Chilled takeaway keeps about three days and vacuum-packed frozen knuckles about 30 days, making the vacuum packs a good souvenir.

It suits first-time visitors to Wanluan who want the original-style knuckle, and family gatherings. Two or three people will be satisfied with one knuckle plus a Hakka stir-fry or two and rice; larger groups can order a whole knuckle with soup and greens. To avoid queues, skip weekend lunchtime.