There’s a place in Kurashiki where you can enjoy authentic Taiwanese flavors.
Taiwan Meshi is a mobile food vendor serving Taiwanese cuisine from a food truck, mainly at market events held around Okayama Prefecture.
Taiwan Meshi owner Yamauchi Yuji is also the owner of Guesthouse Yujiin in the Bikan Historical Area.
While learning recipes for Taiwanese dishes from Taiwanese staff who stayed at Yujiin, he serves Taiwanese food that recreates the flavors of Taiwan.
Why did Yamauchi start a Taiwanese food truck?
Here’s the story behind the creation of a food truck serving authentic Taiwanese cuisine!
The information presented was accurate when this article was published in July 2022. Please note that it may differ from current information.
Taiwan Meshi: An Introduction
Guesthouse Yujiin is tucked away in a back alley of the Bikan Historical Area, where streetscapes from the Edo period remain.
What kinds of dishes can you enjoy from the Taiwanese food business run by Yujiin’s owner?
Let’s take a look at what makes Taiwan Meshi special!
What is Taiwan Meshi?
Taiwan Meshi is a mobile food vendor serving Taiwanese cuisine at market events and other venues held in Okayama City and Kurashiki City.
In Kurashiki City, it sets up at events such as Night Market Rintetsu Garden, held mainly in Mizushima, and KARAKOTO Skecth Marché, where you can enjoy views of the Seto Inland Sea at the foot of Ojigadake Hill.
Taiwan Meshi’s signature dish is lu rou fan (braised pork rice).
This classic Taiwanese dish consists of stewed pork served over rice.
Other offerings include a Taiwanese burger with pork and cilantro from Arch Farm Co., Ltd. sandwiched in a chewy bun, and beef noodles made with instant noodles popular in Taiwan.
One distinctive feature of Taiwan Meshi is that its menu changes depending on the market event it attends.
You can enjoy a variety of Taiwanese dishes each time you visit.
What makes Taiwan Meshi special
The dishes served by Taiwan Meshi are made by owner Yamauchi using recipes he learned from Taiwanese staff who stayed at Yujiin.
That’s why the dishes faithfully recreate the flavors of Taiwan.
If there isn’t a suitable product for a market event organizer’s needs, Yamauchi contacts the Taiwanese staff and develops a new recipe.
The appeal of Taiwan Meshi lies in enjoying Taiwanese dishes that recreate authentic flavors and in the continual creation of new offerings.
We tried Taiwan Meshi!
We visited Taiwan Meshi while it was open and got to enjoy the flavors of Taiwan for ourselves.
Here’s a look at authentic Taiwanese flavors you can enjoy in Kurashiki.
Today’s menu
As mentioned earlier, one of the fun things about Taiwan Meshi is that the menu changes from day to day.
When the writer visited, the following items were available.
| Menu item | Price (tax included) |
|---|---|
| Lu Rou Fan (braised pork rice) | 750 yen |
| Ji Rou Fan (chicken rice) | 650 yen |
| Beef noodles | 600 yen |
| Craft cola | 500 yen |
| Lemon squash | 500 yen |
Everything looked tempting, but there was no way we could fit it all in.
We picked three items that caught our eye and gave them a try!
Lu Rou Fan (braised pork rice)
Lu rou fan is a classic Taiwanese dish of pork stewed with soy sauce and sake, served over rice.
It was the first dish Yamauchi learned from Taiwanese staff at the guesthouse.
The sweetly stewed pork is tender, and the best way to enjoy it is to eat it together with the rice.
It’s a dish that Japanese diners are likely to enjoy, too!
By the way, when you buy something from Taiwan Meshi, it’s placed in a sheet with perforations.
Apparently, this is the kind of sheet that comes with bento bought at convenience stores in Taiwan.
Another thing to look out for at Taiwan Meshi is its use of everyday items used in Taiwan.
Beef noodles
The beef noodles served by Taiwan Meshi are made with instant noodles sold in Taiwan.
Probably because of the different spices, the aroma was clearly unlike that of Japanese instant noodles.
Of course, you can also really taste the spicy flavor that evokes Taiwan.
It feels surreal to enjoy in Kurashiki something that people living in Taiwan eat every day.
Craft cola
The craft cola served by Taiwan Meshi is made with lemons grown at Kurashiki Hiramatsu Farm and cola concentrate produced by Kurashiki Kosen.
As it happens, the president of Kurashiki Kosen was Yamauchi’s elementary school classmate.
The president of Kurashiki Kosen, who had connections with Kurashiki Hiramatsu Farm, suggested craft cola as a product that could use the lemons.
Yamauchi was then asked whether the product could be brought to many people through Taiwan Meshi.
It had a bright, refreshing lemon tartness, along with a distinct cinnamon aroma and flavor.
You can enjoy the distinctive taste that makes craft cola unique.
We asked owner Yamauchi Yuji how Taiwan Meshi, which serves a variety of Taiwanese dishes, came to be.
Taiwan Meshi details
| Name | Taiwan Meshi |
|---|---|
| Address | Stalls at market events around Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-441-1620 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | Stalls at market events around Okayama Prefecture |
| Closed | Irregular holidays |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Not accepted |
| Smoking | Entirely non-smoking |
| Restroom | No restroom |
| Website | Taiwan Meshi |
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