Actor Lee Cheng-tai, famous for his role in the television drama Flying Fire Phoenix, has built a culinary business in Nagoya, Japan, operating five shops that sell Taiwanese street food and earning television coverage from NHK.
Decades after stepping away from television, Lee Cheng-tai has found a career running a street food enterprise in Japan. Known to viewers of Taiwanese television for his work in productions such as Postman Rings Three Times and Taiwan Tales, the 61-year-old left the industry about 28 years ago to start afresh overseas. Today, his food stalls in Nagoya draw crowds and media attention.
Reunion and the Story Behind Five Nagoya Food Shops
The actor’s culinary success returned to public attention following a reunion with his long-time friend, Lotus Wang. The two entertainers, both originally from Tainan, have maintained a friendship spanning more than four decades, dating back to their early days performing together at temple festivals and outdoor stage shows across southern Taiwan. Wang shared details of their recent gathering on social media, where fans noticed Lee’s appearance, marked by a silver-white haircut.
Reflecting on his transition from acting alongside Pan Ying-tzu in Flying Fire Phoenix to selling chicken overseas, Lee downplayed his celebrity status abroad. When Wang remarked on his high profile in Nagoya, he offered a lighthearted reply to the praise.
Recalling their shared history, Wang noted that they stood by each other through thick and thin long before achieving fame, traveling together like a brother and sister. Wang expressed astonishment at how unexpected life can be, noting that nobody could have predicted that an actor known for television roles would eventually build a reputation in the food service sector.
Reviving a Failing Commercial District with Taiwanese Street Food
The modest description refers to his early days in the city, when his salt-and-pepper crispy chicken business set up shop in a commercial arcade that was struggling with declining foot traffic and facing closure. The arrival of Taiwanese fried chicken helped reverse the decline, drawing local shoppers back into the arcade and restoring commercial activity to the neighborhood. Lee later elaborated on the turnaround, explaining that the arcade had been on the verge of failing entirely before the introduction of the snack brought the location back to life.
From that initial location, the enterprise expanded to five storefronts across Nagoya. The menu has grown beyond crispy chicken to incorporate other favorites, including pork intestine vermicelli, papaya milk, and sticky rice hot dogs.
Media Coverage and Local Engagement in Japan
The growth of the business has made it a fixture in regional news media, with the shops appearing in local news five to ten times a year, and the business has been featured in a special report by NHK.
Visitors to the Osu shopping district in Nagoya have documented finding his stalls, noting specialty items such as mango bubble tea alongside traditional fried chicken.