Yeh's Fish

Review

Yeh's Fish is on Qiangguo Street in Taitung City and is described as a seafood shop running for more than fifty years. It sells frozen seafood day to day, but its cut-to-order sashimi has made it a must-stop for visitors to Taitung. It is mainly takeaway with only a few seats outside, queues appear on weekdays and weekends, and it is one of the most recommended places in Taitung for sashimi.

The signature is the sashimi platter, priced from NT$150 to NT$500 depending on size. Typical combinations include salmon, tuna, scallop, squid and sweet shrimp, with bluefin tuna belly in season. Reported à la carte prices are NT$10 per sweet shrimp, NT$60 for a large scallop, NT$40 for a medium one and NT$30 per slice of squid. The fish is cut thick and tastes fresh and sweet, and the shop also sells house-made octopus balls and frozen seafood to cook at your lodging.

Fans praise the freshness, the big portions and the low prices, with some saying the same amount would cost several times more abroad. Staff work fast and are friendly, some speak English, there is an English menu and mobile payment is accepted. Complaints mention long waits, very few seats and hard-to-find parking; some also find certain fish slightly fishy, with a texture different from sashimi in Japan.

It opens from about 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and closes on Mondays. Peak waits run around twenty minutes, while mid-afternoon or early evening is quieter. Food comes out quickly after you order and pay, and you can eat standing outside or take it back to your hotel. It is about a fifteen-minute walk from the Zhengqi Road night market; drivers should park a little further away and walk.

Good for sashimi lovers who want fresh Taitung catch at a modest price. A NT$150 platter is plenty for one, while two or three can get a NT$200 to NT$300 platter and add sweet shrimp or scallops. In the right season, ask whether bluefin tuna is available, and for takeaway remember to ask for soy sauce and wasabi.