AI Spot Summary
The pig trotter rice comes with boiled tofu and pickled cucumbers, with a generous portion and large pieces of pig trotter, but be careful of the many bones. The taste is ordinary, and both the braised pork rice and pig trotter rice do not have any particularly impressive features.
The interior has a vintage Chinese style, and the space is small and crowded, so you may need to share a table. The kitchen is in another store, and there are only tables and chairs, making it somewhat cramped and noisy during busy times.
In terms of service, the store only accepts cash, and payment is collected table by table after the dishes are served. During the meal, there is a cake tasting, adding an element of fun.
Reviews
Recommended by a friend, the shop in Ximen. It seems that pork knuckles and braised pork rice are quite popular! It takes about a 10-minute walk from Ximen Station, but there were plenty of customers, including tourists✨
【Atmosphere of the shop】
The cozy interior has a retro Chinese vibe, which I personally love! It seems that the kitchen is located in another place, as the shop I entered only had tables! During busy times, they encourage sharing tables. It might be a bit cramped and noisy when crowded.
【Food Evaluation】
The pork knuckle rice comes topped with stewed tofu and pickled cucumbers, making it satisfying on its own, but the pork knuckle is also large and filling! However, there are a lot of bones, so be careful while eating! The cost performance is good, but personally, I didn’t feel anything particularly special about the taste of both the pork knuckle and the braised pork rice😅
It's not bad, but I don't think I would personally revisit...
📍Wanhua District, Taipei City (near Ximen MRT Station)
Open 24 hours | A Taiwanese snack shop filled with foreign tourists 🐷🍛
There are not many seats for dining in, and arriving at 3:30 PM still requires lining up outside.
Please note that the queue is not at the front entrance of the dining area; it’s in a small red dragon zone next door.
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Menu Items Ordered:
▫️ Braised Pork Rice ($50):
Originally served with pickled vegetables and cucumber; please ask the restaurant not to add them.
This bowl of braised pork rice is perfect for me, filled entirely with fatty meat—amazing! The sauce is the essence, with a slightly sweet aroma.
It also comes with pickled radish, which is very crispy and flavorful.
The only small regret is that while the portion of rice is quite generous, the amount of braise is a bit lacking, so towards the end, it might be a bit insufficient. I recommend grabbing the pickled radish available at the entrance to pair with it.
▫️ Braised Pork Rice Omelet ($65):
The boiled egg omelet is cooked to a consistency between soft and hard, where the yolk still flows out when cut. It pairs wonderfully with the braised pork sauce, making it very flavorful.
▫️ Combination Soup with Wontons and Fish Balls ($60):
I do not recommend this soup.
The broth is more like noodle water, and it has a doughy texture when you drink it.
The wontons have a loose texture, and the fish balls are not very memorable.
▫️ Braised Tofu ($15):
Highly recommended! Even as someone who doesn't particularly love braised tofu, I enjoyed its flavor.
It seems the braising sauce here is excellent.
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Would I visit again: Yes!
A great choice if you want to enjoy authentic snacks in Ximen.
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Little Notes:
🔸 Cash only. The restaurant will collect payment from each table after food is served.
🔸 The restaurant also sells pastries, and during the meal, an auntie will come around for everyone to try the homemade pastries, which is quite a cute experience.
There are a lot of people during meal time, so you have to queue up in the arcade next door, but the table turnover rate is very fast and you don’t have to wait too long. If there are fewer people, you may need to share a table with strangers.
This time I ordered braised pork rice with egg buns and an extra half-boiled egg. The price is $65+$15. The braised pork is quite delicious and the egg yolk comes out of the half-cooked egg buns. It is moist and easy to eat. The braised pork is fatty meat. It's the main dish, but with the side dishes of cucumber, pickled cabbage and spicy radish, it doesn't feel greasy overall and you can finish the whole bowl without any problem.
There are quite a lot of foreign tourists, and you basically have to queue up during meal times. However, the table turnover rate is high, and the waiting time is acceptable.
This time I ordered the Ecstasy Pork Knuckle Rice, which is divided into tendons and meat. The tendons are pig trotters or bone-in parts, so I always order more meat.
The pig's feet were braised quite flavorful and soft and easy to eat. Overall it was good, and it came with a delicious piece of braised tofu, but the side dishes were just a little sauerkraut and cucumber which were a bit shabby😅.
In recent times, I feel that the rice has not been drizzled with marinade, and it tastes bland and dry. I need to find a chef outside to pour the marinade myself, so that it tastes more delicious.