Hai Zhen Huo Seafood Restaurant — Restaurant in Su'ao Township

Based on the “highest rating” we came here with high expectations... but came away very very disappointed. Made reservation for six people without any issue and arrived to find we are the only table occupied at 7 pm on a Saturday night... an early warning sign🦊 The usual Taiwanese seafood ordering at front with fresh Ingredients grotesquely displayed. Friendly and helpful staffs. We had Bonito sashimi (complimentary). Very fresh and taste. Boiled squid. Artsy sauce and drawings on the plate dilute the very focus of why people seeks out seafood at port... should let the freshness of seafood speak for itself and not distract away by fancy plating. The squid itself is a Standard fare. Slightly over done. 3.Steam black coat fish. Nothing special. Also a bit over done. Si Roo stew. The “everything in it” comforting fisherman stew. The best dish for me. Slightly fermented cabbage with savory microscopic hard to recognize ingredients full of umami... Tasty Stirred fried Sea grass with egg. My virgin experience with fresh sea grass, surprisingly refreshing with interesting Crunchy texture. Very good. Braised Puffer fish. “Non poisonous” good but nothing special. Steamed local lobster. Over done.

Overall impression Food 3.5 Service 4 Value 3 Overall 3.5

Overall, this is a 3/4 star seafood restaurant. We are all quite perplexed as why it had such a high...

🐟🍤 "When you're in Yilan, a stone's throw away from the Pacific Ocean, it's almost mandatory to check out a harbor seafood restaurant. Enter Hai Zhen Huo Seafood Restaurant, a place that's as popular with Google reviewers as cat videos are on the internet.

The setup is classic Taiwanese seafood style. You're greeted by a parade of fresh seafood, laid out like a red carpet of oceanic delights. 🦐🐚 You get to play the seafood maestro, choosing whether your aquatic stars are stir-fried, steamed, or deep-fried. As an adventurous eater, I went for the exotic picks – a parrotfish that was tender and soft, white shrimp served with a crispy fried head and sashimi body, stir-fried clams, and deep-fried octopus. Each dish was a testament to the freshness mantra of seafood. 🐙🦑

Now, let's talk about a quirky incident. While ordering, I overheard a customer inquire about the freshness of the seafood. The waitress, seemingly taken aback, snapped open the display window and gave a mini-lecture on assessing fish freshness by their eyes. I couldn't help but roll my eyes at this seafood CSI episode. 🕵️‍♂️🐠

In conclusion, if you're cruising around Suao harbor, Hai Zhen Huo is definitely worth a visit. Just maybe don't question the freshness unless you're ready for a biology lesson! 🤓🍽️ #SeafoodAdventure #YilanDelights...

Came here based on the high rating on Google.

Long story short: Always check the lowest reviews. They are honest. Choose another restaurant.

We were the only table occupied on a weekend (should have been a warning sign).

FOOD: Ordered a set meal, which felt sub-par for the price. You will leave full, but the taste is ordinary. The photo shows all that you get for a $1000 set. The sashimi is a complimentary dish. Giving out strange small dishes is a tactic used by this restaurant to make you feel valued.

SERVICE: It was... questionable. We asked the server the contents of the soup, which she replied that she didn’t know, and left it at that. Another dish was introduced as sunfish: “full of collagen and recommended for ladies!” However, sunfish meat isn’t gelatinous, so what part were we eating? Unanswered, but my guess is skin or guts.

ENVIRONMENT: Traditional fish market style, so neither classy nor...