Lin, Cong-ming Fish Head in Casserole

Situated in Chiayi, the stop-over for tourists travelling to the beautiful mountain resort of Alishan, Lin Cong Ming’s Fish Head Casserole is a favorite for many. But that’s not just because of its convenience. In fact, this place has some of the best food in Chiayi. Situated in the Wenhua Road Night Market (文化路夜市), this is the most representative example of Chiayi flavor, side-by-side with the famous Chiayi turkey. Here, you will see the chef wielding his large spatula, heartily whipping up his scrumptious fish head casserole. Costing a pittance, the meal comes with chunks of fish meat, cabbage, mushrooms and bean curd. But don’t be disappointed if it looks a little unappetizing- this beauty is the result of eight hours of boiling with pig bones, dried shrimps, pork meat, scallions and a special barbeque sauce (沙茶醬). The restaurant gets a daily supply of still live Chub fish (鰱魚), each one weighing about 5kg each. Although caught in a nearby reservoir, the fish taste fresh and healthy. Indeed, the restaurant’s pride in its freshness is evident in the huge chunks of fish head and fish meat that have been deep-fried and left to sit outside the restaurant. Chiayi’s famous turkey rice is also up for grabs here for even cheaper. Only locally bred turkeys, renowned for their juicy meat, are used. Best of all, if you are having a lazy night, you can have the famous fish head casserole delivered to you for only a small cost. The name of the chef “Cong-Ming”, which means “intelligent” or “clever” is right on the money - this place has made it big in Chiayi thanks to the cleverness of the chef!