Jilin Seafood Restaurant

Review

Jilin Seafood Restaurant is on Zhuliao Road in Dashu, not far from the Old Iron Bridge and Fo Guang Shan, and locals often come here for family dinners and celebrations. The dining room has a little over twenty tables and is frequently full at mealtimes. Bloggers and iFoodie users describe it as Dashu's favourite seafood spot, and the crab congee appears on almost every table.

The signature is mud crab congee, simmered with a whole crab until the broth turns thick and sweet with crab flavour, finished with scallion and celery. According to a BringYou review, the small pot costs NT$280 and can feed four to five people, while two diners found it very filling. Fried rice with fermented rice wine, lychee and sausage is another favourite, and common orders include crispy oyster fritters, scallion oil chicken, fried scallops and five-flavour squid fried rice. There is no printed menu; you pick ingredients from the chiller with staff and decide how to cook them, and house-made sweet soup and fruit often follow the meal.

Fans praise the generous, fresh crab congee and the overall value, with a hearty table costing around NT$200 per person. A former staff member adds that the stock is made from big bones and the crabs arrive the same day. On the downside, seating is cramped, especially near the door, the kitchen slows down when busy, and some diners were unhappy with the cashier's attitude; bamboo shoots can taste bitter out of season.

Online listings show hours of about 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and some note cash only and a minimum spend. Booking is strongly advised, and since the crab congee takes a while to cook, it is best ordered by phone at the same time. There is a free car park behind the restaurant. Phone numbers differ between sources, so confirm before you go.

Good for family meals, groups of friends, or a seafood feast after sightseeing in Dashu. Four to six people can share a small crab congee with three or four stir-fries and a plate of fried rice for roughly NT$200 to NT$300 each; larger groups can upgrade to a large congee or add steamed fish.