Let’s dig in at this hidden gem: the queue-worthy stir-fry stall at Shuiyuan Market!

Text and photos by HowToTrip’s Liao Weiren
 
Shuiyuan Market is located near Taipei Metro Gongguan Station and is a public market run by the Taipei City Government. However, due to the many vendors in the bustling Gongguan commercial area nearby, many people overlook the fact that there are also delicious food options inside the market building. This hidden gem, known only to insiders, is so popular you’ll have to queue for it. Today, we’re taking you and our readers to try it out!

Long Ji Stir-Fry & Stew is tucked away in a corner inside Shuiyuan Market. The L-shaped shop is easy to spot, and it’s always packed during mealtimes—with seats for only about 20 people, so tables turn over quickly, meaning you won’t have to wait too long for a seat. It’s also a popular takeout spot for students and office workers.

As the name suggests, Long Ji Stir-Fry & Stew specializes in stews and stir-fries, offering a wide range of flavors in rice stews, fried rice, and rice noodles. You can also order individual stir-fried dishes and soups. The slippery egg beef stew rice that I ordered was right up my alley—the tender, velvety eggs paired with bold, thickened beef sauce poured over white rice made it impossible to stop eating.

I also ordered their three-delicacy egg fried rice. Their version mixes scallions and eggs, then stir-fries them quickly in an iron pan along with seafood like shrimp and squid. The key is in the oil—good egg fried rice needs to have distinct grains, which requires a generous amount of oil. But getting the rice to be fluffy and fragrant without being greasy? That takes real skill.

Seeing the chef swiftly tossing pans in the kitchen, I couldn’t resist ordering sesame oil pork liver and some greens as well. That cooking style made it obvious that the chef and his wife have years of experience in stir-frying and stew-making. And sure enough, the aroma that hit the table was irresistible. The sesame oil fragrance and the texture of the pork liver were perfectly balanced—absolutely recommend this dish if you’re visiting.