The Lu Guang Snack Shop is located on Dongfeng Street in the Daan District of Taipei City. The nearest MRT station is Daan Station, Exit 6, which takes about an 8-minute walk. The interior decor is styled in a retro military dependents' village theme, decorated with some old photographs and national flags. It has a very KMT vibe (?), paired with Taiwanese floral tablecloths, making it feel like dining in a dependents' village living room. The shop is equipped with round tables for 6-8 people, and there are plenty of seats, but during lunchtime, it can get crowded enough that tables need to be combined for dining.
Ordering method: Fill out the paper menu (the menu for large dishes seems to be ordered differently, displayed on the wall? Today four of us came to eat, so we ordered noodles). For braised dishes, you go to the counter to grab them, and they will be cut and served at your table. After dining, you pay the bill, which is cash only; digital payments are not accepted, and no invoices are provided.
The experience of the meal is noted in the photo below ⬇️
The flavor of the dishes is quite good, the portions are average, and you would need to order additional braised dishes to feel full. The prices are slightly high, but the business is still very good, which must indicate some unique points. It’s worth a try.
[Store Name: Tainan SanShang QiaoFu Yongkang Second Store]
Hello everyone, I’m Jie Dou! Today, I want to share with you a classic Taiwanese chain dish, which is SanShang QiaoFu! I’m at the Yongkang Second Store this time, where I ordered a portion of pork rib rice and century egg tofu. It’s simple yet incredibly satisfying, and I truly feel that the flavors at this branch are consistent and delicious!
Pork Rib Rice
Let’s start with their pork rib rice, which is one of SanShang QiaoFu’s signatures. The ribs are fried to a golden crisp, with a slightly crispy texture on the outside, and when you bite into it, the meat is tender and juicy—not dry at all. The marinade for the ribs is very flavorful, savory with a hint of sweetness, making it easy to eat, and you'll find yourself going back for more.
Paired with fragrant white rice, the whole bowl is drizzled with a special braised meat sauce—this sauce is truly the soul of the dish! The savory braised sauce seeps into every grain of rice, perfectly complementing the aroma of the ribs. Alongside with some vegetables, this simple combination makes for a very satisfying meal without feeling greasy or heavy. This bowl of pork rib rice may seem ordinary, but it has a comforting and flavorful taste.
Century Egg Tofu
Next is my favorite side dish—century egg tofu. When this dish comes to the table, it’s simply plated but very elegant. Silky tofu is cut into pieces and topped with sliced century egg, then drizzled with a layer of soy sauce paste, finishing with some green onion and bonito flakes. Just looking at it makes your mouth water!
The texture of the tofu is incredibly smooth, melting in your mouth, paired with the unique aroma of century egg, and together they create a perfect combination. The savory soy sauce paste has a hint of sweetness that perfectly enhances the overall flavor. The creaminess of the century egg paired with the smoothness of the tofu is truly a match made in heaven! This side dish may look ordinary, but it’s very refreshing and helps cleanse the palate, making it a great complement to the pork rib rice and adding depth to the meal.
Conclusion
My visit to SanShang QiaoFu Yongkang Second Store was incredibly satisfying, whether it was the pork rib rice or the century egg tofu! The pork rib rice is savory and crispy, paired well with the braised sauce, while the century egg tofu is a refreshing and easy-to-eat small dish. Together, they make a perfect match. If you enjoy simple and delicious Taiwanese flavors, you should definitely try SanShang QiaoFu Yongkang Second Store; it's affordable and delicious, ensuring you leave feeling full and happy!
I’ll share more food experiences next time; see you all then!
The rice noodles are very chewy and delicious, with a variety of flavors (mushroom, pickled cabbage, spicy, and peppery), and you can choose the level of spiciness. You can also add squid, chicken feet, or pig's feet, offering a wide selection; you must add a fried egg!!!
The restaurant doesn't have many seats, so during peak dining hours it might require a wait. The owner (who seems to be from mainland China) has very good service and is very friendly. The food is excellent, and I will definitely return!
【Foodholic Naoko @ Taichung】
The simple and ordinary taste of this dry noodle is what makes it the most memorable.
A friend from Taichung brought me to “Shantou Fragrant Duck Noodles,” which she often visits. We ordered the signature Shantou Noodles. My friend mentioned that people with a big appetite can request a larger portion (there’s no size option on the menu; it’s a hidden choice, so you can just ask the staff directly).
Shantou Noodles $65
It really looked like a simple bowl of noodles, just dry noodles with three slices of pork. As I mixed the noodles, I could catch a whiff of the aroma; it felt like it was mixed with lard, very nostalgic~ It reminded me of my favorite spot in Tainan, “Mingshen Road No Name Noodles.” I recommend those who like “Shantou Fragrant Duck Noodles” to give it a try!
The pork slices are quite large, and the texture is just right—not dry or tough, and there’s no porky smell. This meat slice is a win!
The only slight disappointment was the noodles. I actually liked the noodle texture; it had a bit of a thin, curled feel, but it was cooked a bit too soft, lacking some of that bouncy texture.
While passing by this restaurant, I discovered a small window where the chef was working hard to make something that looked like small fried buns! The chef recommended us to try them in Chinese, and we noticed that there were actually a lot of customers inside… plus, the aroma at the entrance was very enticing～ So we ordered a portion to see what it was like!
In less than 10 minutes, we received our meal～ There were tables outside the restaurant where we could sit and enjoy our food. The small fried buns tasted somewhat like a larger Taiwanese version of pan-fried buns, but the bottom was indeed very crispy. With every bite, you could hear the satisfying crunch! The filling was relatively generous and deliciously juicy～ Paired with the soy sauce they provided, you could adjust the saltiness to your liking～ Overall, the texture was quite good!
If anyone gets hungry while passing by and wants to eat something, I think this dish is a pretty good choice, and it made me curious about what other dishes the restaurant has! If anyone goes to try it out, remember to share your experience~
🚩Location🧭
Located near the intersection of Zhongshan Road Section 3 on Taiwan Route 14 and Ta 南 Road (Taiwan Route 21) in Puli Township, Nantou County, close to the Ailan Interchange of National Highway 6.
🪑About the overall atmosphere🎡
The parking lot entrance is small, but once you drive in, you find a hidden gem with a covered parking area made of metal sheeting. The garden is quite large, with free-range chickens and koi fish that can be fed, and there’s a little bridge with a semi-transparent staircase to cross it (though it seems a bit broken with some spiderweb-like cracks that are a bit scary). The only thing to watch out for is that there are a lot of mosquitoes; they seem to be small black mosquitoes, and I got bitten several times without noticing. The restaurant has private dining rooms, or you can eat in the garden.
💰About the price range💰
They have multi-person set dishes here, but we wanted to order what we liked, so we chose to order ala carte. I forgot some of the prices.
Five-Spice Intestines and Duck Blood
Passion Fruit Juice 250
Garlic Sea Oyster 380
White Cut Native Chicken 450
Hakka Stir-Fry
Sweet and Sour Stream Fish 250
Nine-Layer Egg 220
Taro Rice Noodle Soup 490
🍴About the food☕
I highly recommend the Five-Spice Intestines and Hakka Stir-Fry; these are very common dishes in Taiwanese restaurants, but they are probably the best I’ve ever eaten. The flavor is moderate and not too salty. Usually, the Hakka Stir-Fry I’ve had is really salty with tough tofu; this place is not like that. The native chicken is served cold but is fairly tender, and the fresh oysters seem fresh; they are simply blanched and served with soy sauce. The Nine-Layer Egg is just basil egg, not too salty and quite good. The staff highly recommend the Taro Rice Noodle Soup, but I don’t like taro, so I passed on that.
🤨Conclusion♥
With a spacious garden dining environment and delicious food, I initially wanted to give it five stars, but even after applying mosquito repellent, I still got bitten excessively, so I deducted one star for the cleanliness of the environment.
This store has a large space, and the environment looks quite good, so I decided to go in and give it a try.
In this restaurant, each table is not numbered but named after historical figures, such as Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Li Bai, and so on. The table I sat at was called "Kangxi." Although it's quite special, I'm curious how the staff remember them.
This time, I ordered the Yangzhou fried rice, which is more common in Hong Kong and Macau. The char siu and shrimp were good, but the rice was a bit dry and hard, so I had to deduct some points for that. Overall, it wasn't bad.
🚩Exquisite and stylish space to taste authentic military village cuisine.
Nan Village Private Kitchen was established in 2016 by the third-generation descendants of the military village in Taipei's Sisi Nan Village. It has received Michelin recommendations for three consecutive years. At the end of 2023, the interior was renovated again, and the overall style is high-end and fashionable. In addition to six large round tables, there are also three private rooms.
The restaurant is located in the alleys of Zhongxiao East Road in Taipei's Eastern District, with the nearest MRT station being Zhongxiao Dunhua Exit 3, about a 6-minute walk away.
Today, I visited on a weekday noon with six people. We ordered a business lunch that is only available on weekdays, plus an extra dish of stir-fried greens. We were also served burdock tea (which was not to my taste).
The $600 + 10% business lunch combo included 4 appetizers, 6 main dishes, and fruit.
My thoughts on the meal are written below the photos ⬇️
I personally found the meal average (not super delicious, but not inedible). The ambiance and the service from the staff were very good. I think the price for the business lunch is worth trying, but if it were a weekend lunch at $1200 or dinner at $1600 and up, there would be better options available.
Lian Family's Slow-Cooked Pork Trottters is located in Raohe Street Night Market, nestled at the edge of the night market, closer to Songshan Elementary School and Ciyou Temple.
Today, I enjoyed pork trotter soup, garlic minced pork trotter, garlic minced white meat, blanched greens, braised pork rice, and dry noodles, totaling 450 NT dollars. I originally didn’t plan to order so much, but that’s the arrogance of adulthood! Now I've tried everything at once.
Pork Trotter Soup:
There’s a good amount of pork trotter meat, and the rich, gelatinous texture is excellent; it deserves its status as a signature dish. However, the abundance of bones in the trotters remains an unavoidable issue with dishes like this. I actually think the number of bones in this soup is much less compared to the one from Xu's Pork Trotter Noodle Soup in Datong District...
Garlic Minced Pork Trotter and Garlic Minced White Meat:
Honestly, I can’t really tell them apart. Many online reviews suggest they’re basically the same. Regardless, they taste good. The garlic and slightly salty sauce enhance the meat's flavor, making it a delight to eat large bites of meat.
Blanched Greens:
Standard blanched Chinese greens; honestly, for 50 NT dollars, it seems a bit less than expected.
Braised Pork Rice:
This braised pork rice is very oily, and I'd say it’s definitely worth a try. The steaming hot rice, each grain distinct, combined with the braised meat that's almost black, creates an aroma that really whets the appetite.
Dry Noodles:
Not tasty at all; in fact, because of these noodles, I would definitely avoid ordering any noodle dish from this place. The texture is dry and uneven in thickness, and the topping is just ordinary oil paste.
Overall, this place is at an average standard for a night market vendor. The prices aren’t too high, but there are also some items that are really bad. However, the signature dishes are still quite satisfying to taste.
I recommend it to everyone.
I've always heard of the fame of this steamed dumpling specialty shop in Pingtung Chaozhou. Every time I pass by, I see the entrance packed with people. This time, I seized the opportunity to personally try them, and they really lived up to the hype.
The dumpling skins are thin yet elastic, and the filling is very generous. You can taste the fresh sweetness of the meat juice and the layers of seasoning as soon as you take a bite—it's flavorful enough that you don't even need any dipping sauce. In addition to the dumplings, the steamed vegetables in the shop were also impressive; they were cooked perfectly, tender enough that even my grandma could easily bite into them.
Whether it's the steamed dumplings or other steamed dishes, this shop shows great care for the ingredients and skill in preparation. Although it can be crowded and you may have to wait, the deliciousness is definitely worth the wait! If you get a chance to visit Chaozhou, you must give it a try.