Dishes
Marlin fish-ball soup
旗魚丸湯
Also called: 黑旗魚丸 (black marlin fish balls) · 綜合魚丸湯 (mixed fish-ball soup)
Springy balls made from black marlin in a light bone broth, a Hamasen harbour classic in Kaohsiung.
Photo: 米田賢一, CC BY 3.0
Photo: bryan... from Taipei, Taiwan, CC BY-SA 2.0
Photo: Apeach316, CC BY-SA 2.0What it is
A clear, light bone broth with bouncy fish balls and chopped celery. At Hamasen's best-known shop the mixed bowl holds three kinds, all based on black marlin: plain marlin balls, meatballs of marlin paste with dried flatfish and pork, and shrimp balls with water chestnut.
Where it comes from
Hamasen's fish balls grew out of the local catch. From the 1930s to the 1960s Hamasen was the centre of Kaohsiung's deep-sea fishing, before the industry moved to Qianzhen. The shop beside Daitian Temple dates from the 1950s, with sources giving both 1953 and 1956.
How it is made
Marlin is ground to a paste and shaped into balls. The Hamasen shop uses black marlin from Donggang. Some balls mix in pork, dried flatfish, shrimp or water chestnut.
How to eat it
Come at lunch or in the afternoon, ideally on a weekday, since weekend queues can be long. The Hamasen shop also sells braised pork rice.
In Kaohsiung
The fish-ball shop faces Lu's Shantou noodles across the street by Daitian Temple.
Where to eat it in Kaohsiung
Sources