Eat your way through Dadaocheng: Grandma’s Scallion Fried Rice & Taiwan’s Most Undrinkable Black Tea

Text & Photos /Old K

The weather’s getting hotter by the day. Before summer officially arrives, let’s grab a bite at a street food stall I’ve been craving. This might be the last snack spot before summer ends—because Old K can’t handle the heat, XD

This old uncle’s squid noodle soup is pretty famous in Dadaocheng, right across from Jiaxing Fish Ball’s main store.

You can watch them make the squid noodles and fish balls on-site.

They mainly serve squid noodle soup and fish balls, along with some rice, noodles, glass noodles, and flat rice noodles. I originally planned to get dry noodles with fish balls and squid soup, but then I spotted the grandma’s scallion fried rice—it looked so unique. I’ve had pork rice before, but scallion fried rice is pretty rare, so I went with that instead, paired with the squid noodle soup. If I’m still hungry, I’ll grab a bowl of dry noodles, XD.

Grandma’s Scallion Fried Rice (NT$25)
Wow, it’s really piled high with scallion fried rice here. It’s basically pork lard fried rice—the lard is mixed with soy sauce and topped with crispy fried shallots. The shallots are fried until super crunchy, adding a nice textural contrast. The rice is also well-cooked, fluffy with just the right firmness. Getting the fried shallots just right isn’t easy—if you’re not careful, they can burn and turn bitter. These are perfectly golden, a sign of great skill. After a few bites, I noticed an auntie ordering two types of blanched greens nearby—they looked pretty good, so I got a plate too, XD.

Blanched Water Spinach (NT$30)
I gave it a quick mix—the flavor is similar to the scallion fried rice, with pork lard, soy sauce, and fried shallots. But since the greens are blanched and still a bit moist, it feels lighter and fresher. The water spinach is nice and crisp, not overcooked, and really tasty. After finishing the greens, I decided against the dry noodles—the sauce would probably taste similar anyway.

Squid Noodle Soup (NT$60)
The broth is surprisingly light, and the starch-thickened part is very thin. I think it’s because the scallion fried rice and dry noodles are both pretty rich, so the soup balances it out. The more I drank, the better it tasted.

Their squid noodle soup features fish cake wrapped around the squid—a style where some places serve it with really tough, chewy squid. But here, the squid is super bouncy, almost springy, and easy to chew. The outer fish paste is also quite elastic, creating two distinct textures of bounce. I really love this kind of squid noodle soup—it’s delicious.

Since their stall is right across from the famously good Jiaxing Fish Balls (which I also love), they must have something special to compete. And indeed, their fish balls are great too—not as bouncy as Jiaxing’s, but with a texture more like Japanese-style fish balls, yet still elastic. The pork filling inside is juicy and sweet, with a pure pork flavor that just melts in your mouth. I think these fish balls are also really tasty, offering a different kind of deliciousness compared to Jiaxing’s. Both are worth trying. After eating, I walked along Yanping North Road to Yansan Night Market. But it was almost noon—what should I eat?

Let’s try Taiwan’s most undrinkable black tea. This place is tucked away in a lane at the back of Yansan Night Market. Enter from the alley opposite the night market’s famous swordfish rice noodles, walk past the FamilyMart at the intersection, and you’ll find it at the next crossroads. I found out about it because of its hilarious name—bragging about being the “most undrinkable” in Taiwan, XD. Clever marketing, huh? Look, didn’t it lure me in?

The black tea here is super cheap—just NT$15 per bag.

Black Tea (NT$15)
It comes in a bag, probably around 700cc. The first sip brings out the flavor of black tea with cassia seeds—it’s not too sweet, not overly strong, but still quite pleasant, and not bitter at all. I chatted with the owner, who said they only use cassia seeds to brew it, unlike traditional old-school black tea that also includes barley tea. He also mentioned he only uses white sugar, no high-fructose corn syrup, so it’s more natural. He even said he drinks it himself when he’s thirsty, which definitely makes me trust it more. They’re open until 9 PM in the summer—if you’re visiting Yansan Night Market, give it a try.

Old K’s Tip: Old Uncle’s Squid Noodle Soup is seriously delicious. I really love Dadaocheng—it’s packed with tasty snacks, just like Dalongtong (tongue twister XD), and you can keep eating all the way to Yansan Night Market. Ending with a refreshing glass of Taiwan’s most undrinkable black tea is a perfect way to wrap up.

Old K’s Personal Ratings (out of 10, higher is better)
Taste: 8.4
Value: 7
Dining Environment: 4
Price: 7

Old Uncle’s Squid Noodle Soup
Address: No. 19, Lane 210, Section 2, Yanping North Road, Taipei City
Phone: 0955-347-050
Business Hours: 7:00 AM – 2:30 PM (Closed on Sundays)

Old K
Keep the relay going, Old K!

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