Huang Ji Braised Pork and Rice

Braised pork rice is one of Taiwan's ultimate local delicacies. When you think of the traditional dishes that define a country, this is easily one of the top meals that comes to mind for Taiwan. You will see shops serving it on almost every street corner.

In Chinese, braised pork rice is officially written as 滷肉飯Lǔ ròu fàn. However, in Taiwan, vendors sometimes write it as 魯肉飯Lǔ ròu fàn because the traditional character 滷 has too many strokes and is harder to write quickly than 魯.

Photo by Richard Elliott

Based on a recommendation, I headed to a famous spot in Taipei's Zhongshan District called Huangji Braised Pork Rice (黃記魯肉飯Huáng jì lǔ ròu fàn). Because it is located very close to the Shuangcheng Street Night Market (雙城街夜市Shuāng chéng jiē yè shì), the area is always bustling with people, especially on weekends. When you arrive, you’ll immediately see a crowd waiting outside. A staff member stands at an outdoor counter, handing out queue numbers and menus for you to write down your order. After handing your order back to them, you wait outside for a few minutes until your number is called to be seated.

Photo by Richard Elliott

I ordered a large Braised Pork Rice (魯肉飯Lǔ ròu fàn), the Shredded Chicken Rice (雞肉絲飯Jī ròu sī fàn), the Braised Pork Shank (蹄膀肉Tí páng ròu), the Bamboo Shoot and Pork Rib Soup (竹筍排骨湯Zhú sǔn páigǔ tāng), and the Braised Taiwanese Cabbage (魯白菜Lǔ bái cài).

The Braised Pork Rice is definitely the star of the show―I could’ve easily eaten five bowls of it. It consists of finely minced pork belly, slowly simmered in a rich soy sauce broth. The pork boasts a deep, savoury taste that melts in your mouth, and when combined with the soft rice, you get a perfect mix of salty and slightly sweet flavours. If you’ve ever had a really good, slow-roasted pot roast where the meat just falls apart in its own thick juices, it tastes just like that, but with a distinct Asian twist from the soy sauce.

The Shredded Chicken Rice has a much lighter flavour profile compared to the braised pork. The meat is poached in chicken broth, which keeps it from drying out. It carries a nice, subtle savoury taste that pairs well with the rice, making it a very pleasant, clean meal.

The Braised Pork Shank was absolutely delicious; it is essentially like an Asian-style pulled pork. It is a large, thick portion of pork leg slow-cooked in their signature savoury soy broth. The meat was incredibly tender, the skin was soft, and the fresh coriander garnish gave it the perfect final touch.

Next was the Bamboo Shoot and Pork Rib Soup. This dish is meant to complement the richer items on the menu, so it wasn’t heavily seasoned. However, it leaned a bit too plain for my taste. The broth itself was decent―a simple, clear soup with a subtle, watery sweetness―but it lacked depth. The bamboo shoots didn't taste of much, and the pork rib meat was unfortunately on the dry and bland side. Saying that, though, on a cold winter day, this would be a nice, comforting dish to keep you warm.

The last dish I tried was the Braised Taiwanese Cabbage, and to be honest, I did not enjoy it much. The cabbage and the broth had a strong, sour umami taste to them―likely from the traditional use of black vinegar and dried shrimp in the braise. I only managed about two mouthfuls before deciding it wasn't for me and setting it aside.

All in all, I really enjoyed the Braised Pork Rice and the Shredded Chicken Rice. These are the true standouts of the menu and are things I could easily eat on a weekly basis. If you are visiting Taiwan and want to try the food that locals actually eat, this is a fantastic place to start. The food is cheap, my whole bill cost NT $300, or USD $9.49 (Large Braised Pork Rice- $50, Small Shredded Chicken-$40, Braised Pork Shank-$95, Bamboo Shoot and Pork Rib Soup- $60, Braised Taiwanese Cabbage- $55) for five dishes it really filled me up, this is actually too much to eat for one person so on average you might be paying around $100-$150 NT dollars per person. It was served incredibly fast, and the flavour of the rice bowls is absolutely spot on.

Photo by Richard Elliott