Aaah, pure porky goodness, and one of the dishes Taiwan is best known for. Pork belly braised in a multi-spiced soy sauce concoction, chopped up and poured over rice with the braising sauce is my idea of comfort food.
It was purely by luck that Philip and I discovered this little place, Jin Feng Lu Rou Fan, which, according to many food bloggers, serves up one of Taipei’s best versions of lu rou fan. People were already queuing up at half past eleven, and given the mind-boggling amount of eateries in Taipei, the rule is: if you see a bunch of Taiwanese people line up for food, then you must join that line.
We were quickly seated across from this man at a tiny table, which I have to admit would feel weird in Brooklyn, but somehow feels completely normal and quaint here. We ordered the namesake lu rou fan, sauteed morning glory (one of my favorite dishes in Taiwan) and bitter melon and sparerib soup. That’s right, my foodie appetite overrode my brain telling me that I was crazy, and I ordered soup…in 100 degree weather. The delicate, clean broth of the soup paired nicely with the seasoned and unctuous pork belly. Yep, these people are professionals.
Needless to say, the food was deeelicious! Of course, one of the best parts was the bill – 185NT, or $6USD. I still can’t get over it! Actually, the best best part is the fact that this place is downstairs from the Mandarin Daily News Language Center, where I’ll be starting my Chinese reading and writing classes next week. I’m so excited to work my way through the entire menu. To be continued…
