Rechao
Rechao is a style of Taiwanese cuisine that uses a wok to stir fry food. Rechao combines the Chinese characters for "hot" and "stir-fry" and is the Mandarin pronunciation for those characters. It is also known as kuaichao, which literally means "fast stir-fry". Rechao eateries have been compared to Cantonese-style dim sum eateries, the Japanese bar izakaya, British pubs, Hong Kong's dai pai dong, and night markets in Taiwan.
Rechao restaurants built a significant foothold in Taipei in the 1970s. Originally offering seafood from the nearby port city of Keelung, they later expanded their menu options. During the Taiwan Economic Miracle in the 1980s, the strong economy kept people focused on their jobs and working into the evening. As they finished their work for the day, these workers sought inexpensive and fast food choices. Seafood restaurant owners capitalized on this by converting their businesses into affordable rechao eateries. The modern version of the rechao restaurant emerged in the 1980s once heavy-duty burners operated by gas became available. The struggling economy in the 2000s induced people to avoid fine dining restaurants in favor of cheap options like rechao restaurants, causing a surge in their popularity. Despite their widespread appeal in Taiwan, rechao restaurants remain relatively unknown internationally.
Rechao eateries have simple decor, typically featuring plastic stools and short tables for seating. People of various social backgrounds dine at the venues, which provide a casual atmosphere for them to unwind and connect. Meals can last for several hours, as copious amounts of beer—frequently from the Taiwan Beer brand—is drunk. Rechao menu items are influenced by numerous cultures including Fujianese, Japanese, Korean, Sichuanese, Southeast Asian, and Taiwanese. Dishes contain large helpings of oil and salt which complement beer.
Etymology
The phrase rechao combines the Chinese characters for "hot" and "stir-fry" and is the Mandarin pronunciation for those characters. It is employed as a verb and a noun. The name comes from how the food is cooked at a high temperature to exterminate bacteria. Rechao is also known as kuaichao, which literally means "fast stir-fry". It alludes to how the restaurants attempt to cook and present the dish to customers as swiftly as possible.History
During the 1970s, rechao eateries established a strong presence in Taipei. Its initial dishes were made of seafood transported from Keelung, a port city situated from Taipei. The seafood restaurants had fish tanks containing recently procured fish that chefs used to prepare dishes. Rechao restaurants were born as the seafood restaurants began to gradually broaden their menu options. In the midst of the Taiwan Economic Miracle in the 1980s, Taiwan had undergone significant urbanization. As the booming economy kept people busy with work, more street vendors began serving stir-fry dishes. White-collar workers who worked into the evening started seeking inexpensive, fast, and adaptable food options. They frequently chose to dine out for all three of their daily meals and sought budget-friendly spots where they could socialize at the end of the workday. Viewing this as a business opportunity, seafood restaurant owners converted their establishments into inexpensive rechao eateries. The restaurants had air conditioning and decor and allowed customers to sit inside or outside. After heavy-duty burners operated by gas became available in Taiwan in the 1980s, the contemporary version of rechao emerged. Rechao restaurants surged in popularity during the 1990s as employees who had finished their workday sought to relax.At the start of 1990, the Taiwan Stock Exchange hit a record high. By 2000, the market had dropped substantially owing to international conflicts and the bursting of the dot-com bubble. The poor economic conditions caused people to avoid costly fine dining places which closed down as inexpensive dining options emerged. Taiwan's streets—particularly along Chang'an East Road in Taipei's Zhongshan District—started displaying signs like "NT$100 Live Seafood", "$99 Rechao", and "$100 Rechao". Restaurant owners in Taipei benefited from their proximity to the nearby Keelung Fish Market—Taiwan's largest fish market—that was fewer than 30 minutes away by car. As they advertised "$100 Live Seafood", they drove in the middle of the night to the fish markets to procure fresh seafood. This allowed the businesses to minimize both procurement and delivery expenses. Another reason for the popularity of rechao restaurants was that urban dwellers considered them to be a haven where they could vent their frustrations after facing constant stress from higher-ups at work. The rechao restaurants offered unlimited free white rice and clear pricing, making customers feel at ease when placing their order. Streets often had multiple rechao restaurants next to each other, which established a vibrant ambiance.
The food writer Clarissa Wei stated that she spent 1.5 years delving into Taiwanese culinary traditions for her cookbook and found that typically infrequent attention is paid to rechao beyond a cursory reference. That is because Taiwan is commonly categorized as having night market food and beef noodle soup, she said. Outside of Taiwan, rechao restaurants have not gained traction. The most recent migration of people from Taiwan happened during the 1980s. This was prior to the rise of rechao, which is why Overseas Taiwanese largely are unfamiliar with it. Wei, the writer, said that the fact that rechao is not widely known makes sense also because Taiwanese cuisine seldom receives attention. When it is referenced, rechao typically is grouped broadly with Chinese cuisine. The rechao dining experience has expanded outside of Taiwan. The rechao restaurant 886 began operations in 2018 in New York City's Lower Manhattan.
Rechao restaurants operate separately from Taiwan's night markets, which do not feature them. The Rough Guides called rechao restaurants "a real Taipei institution". Tainan has large rechao eateries that may occupy the sidewalks. Northern Taiwan has a high concentration of rechao restaurants, though they are widespread across nearly all of the island's significant locales. Chris Horton of The Nikkei called rechao eateries "among the best places" for trying out Taiwanese cuisine. He said they represent a more modest yet truly representative Taiwanese meal compared to Michelin-rated dining establishments. Taipei Medical University professor of food history Kuo Chung-Hao said, "Rechao food is the food of the people." Food writer Clarissa Wei called rechao restaurants "hot, fast, and noisy. Glorious". Ami Barnes of Travel in Taiwan found rechao eateries to play a crucial function in the culinary scene of Taiwan and are "unpretentious sociable".
Comparison to other dining cultures
of The Nikkei compared rechao restaurants to Cantonese-style dim sum eateries and izakaya, a Japanese bar. Writing for The World of Chinese, compared rechao restaurants to night markets in Taiwan. He said that whereas night markets embody Taiwanese culture's trendy side, rechao restaurants are their grittier, more rough-edged urban counterparts. According to the food writer Clarissa Wei, rechao eateries were like the pub in Great Britain and the izakaya in Japan in being a social spot for gathering and having drinks. She said that the restaurants deserve "the same unilateral, unitalicized recognition" that izakayas and the dai pai dong in Hong Kong receive. According to Wei, rechao restaurants give diners a night market's sensory pleasures while not having to maneuver past a sea of people. She frequented rechao eateries with her friends to unwind to avoid the discomfort of traversing a night market filled with tourists during warm temperatures. The Straits Times food critic Foong Woei Wan said Taiwanese rechao eateries reside in an "alternative universe" from comparable Singaporean establishments.Dining style and ambience
Rechao eateries are a blend of budget-friendly dining spots and pubs. They draw diners from various social backgrounds. Rechao restaurants typically offer diners seating on plastic stools at short tables. Seats generally are set up outside by the road, below an underpass, in vacant lots, or on sidewalks. The eateries have plain decor. Typically located next to bustling intersections or at street corners, the restaurants have vivid red and yellow latterns arranged similarly to Christmas lights. It can be physically challenging to eat at rechao restaurants as customers frequently are packed closely together and become sweaty from Taiwan's humidity. The Taipei Timess Ho Yi typically steered clear of rechao establishments owing to the unclean environment and uncertain sanitation protocols. Ho did not like that intoxicated males would chain smoke as they loudly engaged in drinking games.Diners drink substantial amounts of beer, usually from the Taiwan Beer brand. According to a 2023 article and book, almost 45% of Taiwan's beer purchases comes from rechao restaurants. Attractive receive compensation to sell specific beer brands. Wearing low-cut shirts and short skirts, they visit each table to market the beer brand, serve the beverage into tiny shot glasses, and top off the cups. The women play a major role in generating profits for both the rechao restaurant and the beer suppliers. A rechao restaurant's ambiance often is very vibrant. The restaurants operate well into the night. The in Taipei's Zhongshan District has numerous well-known rechao restaurants that stay open after 1am.
Rechao establishments create settings for numerous Taiwanese to connect with each other, dining and conversing amid the sound of glasses clinking and woks sizzling. They may linger at the same place for several hours while consuming food and beverages. The rechao restaurant's open space lets diners relax, laugh, and converse and allow them to foster deep connections with each other. It is among the favorite places for young people looking for a laid-back meeting spot. The youth meet to share amusing stories from school and to cultivate responsible drinking habits. While casually enjoying drinks, middle-aged patrons reminisce about their accomplishments and discuss Taiwan's current events and politics. When conversations get heated, friends refill each other's drinks. To relieve stress, they down beers while sharing their work frustrations. Diners play the Taiwanese drinking game "guess fingers". Friends and workmates eat delicious food while engaging in light-hearted conversations. Couples end their relationships there, while friends share rumors and coworkers vent their frustrations.
According to the food writer Clarissa Wei, the Taiwanese people are known for their restrained and unapologetically courteous demeanor. She said that during the rechao experience, they reveal their real identities. Wei witnessed side-splitting laughter powerful enough to cause beer to spray from people's nostrils and intoxicated adult males falling face-first onto several tables. She observed a parade of pink-faced diners who had not met before celebrating together just because the week has concluded. Wei concluded that like just as in every culture, food and sufficient alcoholic beverages unites humans, and "the rechao experience in Taiwan—hot, noisy, and messy, in all its glory—remains my all-time favorite".