Xiangshang Market Fritters

Review

Xiangshang Market Fritters stands at the corner of Lane 270, Meicun Road Section 1 and Zhongmei Street in Taichung's West District. There is no visible sign and no phone orders, so locals simply call it the Xiangshang Market fritter stall. A Travel Yam food blog relays that it has been around for over forty years and was reportedly once called Zai Ge Lai, also selling pork congee, before new owners narrowed it to fried food; Xiangshang Market itself is one of the earliest markets in the West District. Supertaste lists it among the area's famous queue-worthy stalls.

The signature oyster fritter wraps chives and fresh oysters, with the chives taming any fishiness, in a thin, crisp, non-greasy shell that tastes good even without sauce. The fried pork comes as belly or lean, marinated before frying, crisp outside and tender inside, with fat that isn't cloying and lean that isn't dry. The fried eggplant is golden and crunchy and bursts with juice. Sweet options include sweet potato, taro, pumpkin and sweet sticky rice cake, all dense and lightly sweet, plus vegetable fritters, squid, turnip cake, chives and tofu. A 2022 report lists the oyster fritter and fried pork at NT$55 each, eggplant at NT$25 and items from NT$15; a 2020 blog had the oyster fritter at NT$45, so go by the prices on site.

Praise centers on the freshly fried crunch, big portions and fair prices, and it is on many local food lovers' lists. The downsides are just as clear: a long line forms as soon as it opens and everything is fried to order, so you wait; first-timers may struggle to choose from so many items; plain taro is bland without sauce; and by around 5 p.m. there is often little left. One article was also a city government advertorial, so it leans promotional.

It runs roughly from 3:30 to 8 p.m. or until sold out. Sources disagree on the closing day (some say Sunday, others Monday), so check before you go. You can only queue in person, and it is mainly takeaway; the oyster fritter comes with a house dipping sauce that works with other items too. Payment isn't mentioned, so bring cash.

It suits anyone browsing Xiangshang Market who wants a bag to snack on while walking, or sides to take home for dinner. Arrive soon after opening, start with the oyster fritter and fried pork, and add sweet potato or sweet sticky rice cake as dessert; decide your order while queuing to save time at the counter.