遺忘的故鄉 月廬食堂

遺忘的故鄉月廬食堂 sits on a Fenglin hillside in Hualien, reached up a winding mountain road, its signature plum chicken a must-order — reserve by phone an hour ahead. One diner said “the plum chicken is tasty,” another loving “the cang-ying-tou (minced pork with fermented black beans and chives) and the plum-sauce bitter melon, both great with rice.” A detailed reviewer named the “cold mountain bitter melon, glass-noodle shrimp pot, pineapple shrimp balls, stir-fried betel-palm heart, and salted-egg tofu” as all delicious, “the season's stir-fried betel-palm heart so tender and fresh,” the mountain bitter melon with plum sauce especially appetizing in summer and the in-season pineapple extra sweet.

The restaurant has tatami floors, floor-to-ceiling windows, and cypress tables, perched high with a lush green forest view and a koi pond out front; one diner said it feels “as relaxed as eating at home,” another “sitting on the tatami looking out the window after the meal, I felt all my fatigue and stress released.” The forest-bathed drive up and the cold spring water in the restroom are details many remember fondly.

Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays; otherwise open daily lunch 11:00am–2:30 and dinner to 8:30pm (Thursdays lunch only).