It's great to be chubby—super popular affordable stir-fry dishes with delicious garlic crispy pork tenderloin that goes perfectly with rice

Text and photos byPaperclip. Food Photography Joy

I happened to be chatting on Facebook about my July travel plans to Italy, which sparked a lively discussion among several college classmates. One of them had even lived in Italy for five years, so everyone got excited about getting together. What started as a casual meetup between just three or four classmates turned into something much bigger when a classmate who had been living abroad also happened to be returning to Taiwan. One thing led to another, and in the end, we ended up with around eight or nine people. Thinking that with so many people, Chinese food would be the best choice, I recalled how K had mentioned a place called “Fatty’s Snack Shop” near Zhongxiao Fuxing Station on An’Dong Street—affordable and delicious—so I made a reservation.

When I called the shop, the greeting from the owner was quite amusing: “Hey, Fatty!” Uh… no need to be so blunt, huh? Haha. With such a large group, the main store was fully booked, so the boss arranged for us to eat at the second branch. The second branch of Fatty’s isn’t far from the first one on An’Dong Street; walk straight ahead from the main store on An’Dong Street for a few steps, and you’ll see a FamilyMart convenience store. Turn into the alley next to it, and you’ll find the other Fatty’s Snack Shop.

It was pouring rain that evening, so everyone arrived late. Initially, only six classmates showed up, so we only ordered a few simple dishes. To be honest, even at this age, I’m still not as savvy as the older generation when it comes to ordering dishes. I could only go by the starred signature dishes on the menu or pick based on what everyone liked.

Fatty’s Snack Shop is very popular, and I was initially worried that the kitchen would be overwhelmed and the service slow, but those worries were unfounded. As we chatted about our recent lives, the back-and-forth conversation made time fly. In less than ten minutes, the dishes started arriving one after another.
First up is the “Garlic Crispy Pork Tenderloin” (NT$320). Thick slices of pork tenderloin are stir-fried with green and red chili peppers, onions, and crispy garlic that’s been sautéed until fragrant. The cooking is well-executed—the pork is salty, fragrant, and springy, making it incredibly satisfying with rice.

Stir-fried Water Spinach. Whenever I eat Chinese stir-fry, I always love ordering this dish.

Soy Sauce Egg (NT$150) is one of the must-order dishes. It may look unremarkable, but there’s a surprise when you poke it with your chopsticks. The yolk inside is actually raw, and when mixed with soy sauce and eaten with rice, it delivers a simple yet nostalgic flavor. It’s somewhat like… a half-boiled egg mixed with soy paste.

Stir-fried Chinese Cabbage. It’s a bit too oily for my taste. Chinese cabbage should be crisp to bring out its natural sweetness, don’t you think?

Five-Spice Intestine and Tofu (NT$250) lacked strong enough flavors in either the sour or spicy aspects, and the tofu and duck blood weren’t very flavorful.

Three-Cup Chicken (NT$300)—the taste is standard, and the chicken is tender and juicy.

Pineapple Bitter Melon Chicken (NT$500), served with a small gas stove underneath to keep it warm. When it first arrived, it was basically just cooked, but the bitter melon wasn’t quite done yet—it was tough and bitter. It probably needed more cooking time. After sitting for a while, it became much more palatable.

That marked the intermission of our meal. For the second round of ordering, we handed the task to a classmate who had just come after work. She ordered three dishes, and as soon as they arrived, everyone started digging in again.
Scallion Beef (NT$150)—generous portions of beef with an excellent texture.

Stir-fried Clams. This dish is always best enjoyed with beer, so we grabbed some 18-Day Taiwanese Draft Beer from the fridge. (Disclaimer: Don’t drink and drive, and underage individuals should not consume alcohol.)

● ETtoday EBC News Cloud reminds you: Don’t drink and drive, and don’t drive after drinking.

The final dish was Dried Tofu with Shredded Pork.

Reuniting with old friends, eating was secondary, but Fatty’s Snack Shop didn’t disappoint us at all. The flavors were good, the service was warm and welcoming, and the prices were reasonable. For a whole table of food, drinks, and rice, the eight of us ended up paying an average of NT$325 per person. We kept chatting until past 11 PM and still weren’t ready to leave, so we made plans to gather even more people for next year’s reunion.

[info]
Fatty’s Snack Shop – An’Dong Branch
No. 50-6, An’Dong St., Da’an District, Taipei City
02-27726920

Bade Branch
No. 279, Sec. 4, Bade Rd., Songshan District, Taipei City (near Jinghua City and Dongxing intersection)
02-27560882
 

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