第三間夜食堂

The third place has always been on our shortlist, a restaurant we only bring out for better friends who visit. Today happens to be Christmas, so after a simple reservation on Facebook in the afternoon, we headed over for dinner.

The restaurant has limited seating, accommodating about six people. The seating is around a curved long table, which creates an atmosphere similar to a late-night diner. However, due to the space constraints, the owner doesn’t cook in front of you; instead, they prepare the food in a small kitchen behind and then serve it at the table while chatting with the guests.

The menu isn’t extensive, but for those unfamiliar, it can be a bit of a challenge to choose. Today, we selected the following dishes:

Fried rice.
Well, it’s not on the menu, and the ingredients and flavors vary each time. Today’s version was a simple combination of minced char siu, egg, and green onions. The meat had a light, fragrant oiliness, quite different from the Hong Kong style, leaning towards a homely flavor. As a result, it wasn’t greasy at all after eating.

Stir-fried mixed vegetables.
We order this every time we come. The ingredients are not fixed, but the combinations are always well-executed. The vegetables are fresh, the mushrooms maintain their crunchiness, and the sweetness from the onions along with the flavorful broth is simply delicious!

Cumin pork belly.
This was our first time ordering it, a safe choice. The pork was prepared excellently, tender and free of any strong odors, stir-fried with onions and shallots, and finally sprinkled with cumin powder. It’s very simple, but the details are well handled.

Today, the owner even treated us to some small dishes for Christmas, leaving us feeling full and satisfied.

The owner used to be a martial artist and has strong personal ideas, which results in unique dishes that are reasonably priced, without raising prices due to market scarcity. The restaurant is small and doesn’t engage in marketing or advertising. Most patrons are regulars, while a small number are curious friends drawn in by the restaurant's style.

It’s a fantastic place; if it were at the end of my street, I’d definitely go every day.