Zhi Wei Xiang Grilled Corn

Review

Zhi Wei Xiang Grilled Corn sits beside Provincial Highway 2 around Dingliao in Wanli, on the way back from Jinshan toward Wanli. It is a well-known queue-worthy corn stand on the North Coast; some articles write the name as Zhi Wei Xiang with a different character, but the phone and address are the same. Long lines are common at the roadside stall, and many people stop specifically to buy corn as a must-have snack on a North Coast day trip.

The stand sells only grilled corn, using chewy, sticky waxy corn. Diners describe it being steamed first in a tub lined with stones and then grilled over charcoal; the stand brushes on thick sauce again and again, now using an automatic rotating grill, and finished ears are stuck upright on a wooden board for customers to pick. The sauce is thick but not too salty, the charred spots are the most fragrant, and one diner likens the seasoning to the savory taste of pork floss.

Diners like the rich sauce, strong charred aroma and kernels that come off easily without sticking to teeth, and some say the lemon juice from the neighboring stall, run by the same owner, cuts the richness well. Complaints focus on price: a blogger averaged about NT$120 an ear, and some feel it is around 30 percent pricier than similar corn on Jinshan Old Street. Others find the waxy corn firm and dry, which not everyone enjoys, and the queues are long.

Hours are roughly 10 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., opening a little later on Mondays, with slight differences between sources. Corn is priced by weight; a blogger recorded an average of about NT$120 per ear. Queues run about 20 minutes on weekdays and 40 on holidays, and you can phone ahead to cut the wait. Brief roadside stops are possible but parking nearby is not easy; by Kuo-Kuang bus, get off at Dingliao and walk about two minutes.

It suits anyone touring the North Coast by car or bus who wants a distinctive snack for the road. Try one or two ears first; if you like a charred taste, pick a darker one. If you prefer soft, juicy corn, this waxy variety may not suit you. On holidays, phone ahead and pick up to save time.