Hualien: Best Braised Pork Rice at 四八高地本舗

I visited 四八高地本舗 for lunch on the last day of my trip to Hualien. I was craving their braised pork rice. In fact, I had already tried to visit once right after arriving in Hualien. According to Google Maps, they were supposed to open at 10:30 a.m., but when I got there, they weren’t open yet. It turned out that the information was incorrect. Now, it has been updated—their actual opening time is 11:30 a.m.

By the way, 四八高地 (48 Highlands) is a scenic viewpoint in Hualien where you can see Qixingtan Beach (七星潭).

The restaurant has an exposed concrete interior, giving it a modern, minimalist feel. Near the entrance, there’s a counter table with order sheets. I picked one up and sat wherever I liked.

There are also small side dishes (小菜) near the kitchen. If you want one, you can take it to your table freely. I initially thought their specialty was braised pork rice, but the squid ball soup (花枝羹) was actually listed at the top of the order sheet.

After writing down my order, I handed the sheet to the staff at the kitchen and paid in advance. My food was served just a few minutes later.

This was the braised pork rice I had been waiting for! The bowl was filled with tender, diced pork over rice, seasoned richly but not overpoweringly. The flavors were deep and delicious, yet it didn’t have the strong Taiwanese spice aroma that some dishes do—so it felt very familiar and comforting.

There was also a fish cake on the side. It was simple but tasty. Honestly, this braised pork rice was the best meal I had in Hualien this time!

Since I love squid, I had high expectations for their squid ball soup. They offer three types of broth:
* 沙茶 (Satay) – thick and flavored with Taiwanese spices
* 原味 (Original) – thick, but without satay seasoning
* 湯頭 (Clear broth) – lighter and consommé-like

I chose 湯頭, which had a clear, squid-infused broth similar to consommé.

The soup contained six squid balls, which were not fully minced, giving them a delightful crunchy texture. The addition of sliced ginger added a nice pungency. However, I felt that a thicker soup might pair better with the squid balls.