Feng Qing Yang 丰清揚小吃店 - Din Tai Fung without the price tag

Din Tai Fung is one of the most famous restaurants in all of Taiwan. Locals love it, and the food is absolutely delicious. However, if you are on a tight budget, Din Tai Fung can be a bit pricey, so sometimes it can only be a treat once in a while.

A local friend told me of a place in Beitou that’s run by an ex-Din Tai Fung chef that tastes almost identical to Din Tai Fung but at a fraction of the cost.

Feng Qing Yang (丰清揚小吃店Fēng qīng yáng xiǎo chī diàn)

He also warned me that it's extremely popular, so be prepared to line up outside during peak hours. I had to go and check it out for myself.

One thing to note, they do similar fried rice and noodle dishes, however there is no soup dumplings (小籠包Xiǎo lóng bāo) to be found here.

I visited on a Monday afternoon just before 1:00 PM, expecting a line outside. To my surprise, there wasn’t one! I walked straight in and got a seat by the window.

The eatery is very basic- you can tell that it isn’t aiming to be a fine dining experience like Din Tai Fung. It’s built for convenience: you walk in, take a seat, mark down your order on a paper menu, and they serve your food within minutes.

The menu is far more streamlined than Din Tai Fung’s, focusing primarily on fried rice and noodle dishes without the extensive selection of dim sum, soup dumplings or the vast side dishes and appetisers.

Photo by Richard Elliott

One of the most famous dishes at Din Tai Fung and a personal favourite of mine is the Pork Chop Egg Fried Rice  (排骨蛋炒飯Pái gǔ dàn chǎo fàn). Unfortunately, that day the kitchen had run out of pork chops, so I couldn’t try it.

Instead I had the Shredded Pork Egg Fried Rice (肉絲蛋炒飯Ròu sī dàn chǎo fàn). The taste was exactly like how I remembered it at Din Tai Fung. The whole dish had the crucial wok hei aroma, the rice wasn’t greasy or clumpy, and the pork was thinly shredded, tender and juicy. The egg was silky and savoury, perfectly garnished with fresh spring onions. It was so good that I ordered another serving of Spring Onion Fried Rice (香蔥蛋炒飯Xiāng cōng dàn chǎo fàn) and devoured that too.

Photo by Richard Elliott

Another highlight was the Pork Wontons (鮮肉抄手Xiān ròu chāo shǒu). These silky, succulent wontons are served in a rich chilli oil sauce. The spice level was perfectly balanced - not painfully hot, but just enough to give the wontons a nice kick. They were so tasty that the entire plate disappeared within minutes on reaching the table.

Photo by Richard Elliott

Last on the table were the Chilli Oil Burning Noodles (紅油燃麵Hóng yóu rán miàn), a classic spicy Sichuan dish. The noodles were served al-dente in an aromatic chilli oil that leaves your mouth delightfully numb. When the dish arrives, you mix everything thoroughly to coat the noodles in the sauce. Just like the wontons, the spice level was perfect. You had the amazing kick of the Sichuan peppercorns without overwhelming your palate.

I finished this dish in about four mouthfuls.

Photo by Richard Elliott

All these dishes were so tasty I left this place feeling very satisfied and will definitely come back again.

The price of all these dishes at the time of writing is as follows:

Shredded Pork Egg Fried Rice (肉絲蛋炒飯Ròu sī dàn chǎo fàn) NT$120 (US$3.70 / GB£2.75)

Spring Onion Fried Rice (香蔥蛋炒飯Xiāng cōng dàn chǎo fàn) NT$80 (US$2.50 / GB£1.85)

Pork Wontons (鮮肉抄手Xiān ròu chāos hǒu) NT$95 (US$2.95 / GB£2.20)

Chilli Oil Burning Noodles (紅油燃麵Hóng yóu rán miàn) NT$70 (US$2.20 / GB£1.60)

Totalling NT$365 (US$11.30 / GB£8.40)

Getting this volume of high-quality food for such a low price is incredible value. In comparison to Din Tai Fung, the chilli noodles are half the price, NT$70 here, and NT$140 at Din Tai Fung. If you're in the Beitou area and craving Din Tai Fung on a budget, I strongly recommend Feng Qing Yang. It’s a no-frills shop where you get high-end taste for a fraction of the price.

Photo by Richard Elliott