Finished in one minute flat！ Tainan pork rice drenched in sweet and savory sauce

Text & photos by /kuni

I’m absolutely obsessed with pork rice. Whenever I hear about a highly recommended place, I’ll rush there without hesitation—it’s a hobby I never tire of. The most extreme case I remember was last year on June 10th at noon, when I visited three well-known, family-run old shops—Sanyuan Hao, Longyuan, and Longhuang—all branches of the same legacy—in just one hour. I ordered the exact same items at each: one serving of pork rice, one chicken roll, and one plate of blanched greens. To avoid getting too full and ruining my appetite, I deliberately ate only half of each dish and even explained to the owners when paying, just in case they thought I didn’t like their food.

My favorite spot, Fubawang Flavor, has recently taken a bit of a nosedive. The boss’s attitude toward running the place has changed a lot, most noticeably in the declining quality of the pig’s trotters and the off aroma of the braising sauce. Looks like this one will have to be temporarily crossed off my list.

In the middle of the night, I spontaneously headed out with some biking buddies to another favorite spot: Tainan Braised Three Pieces, located near Shiba. At around one or two in the morning, the line of customers waiting for takeout was so long it almost blocked the entrance. After settling in, I ordered quite a few things, including my all-time favorite—milkfish belly—and pork rice. Waiting for food at night seems to take forever. Though there was air conditioning and TV to watch, seeing other tables enjoying their meals only made me hungrier. When the food finally arrived, I could only describe my eating as wolfing it down—it was pretty embarrassing.

(The table was suddenly covered with food)

Here, you definitely have to order the fish belly freshly pan-fried. The technique isn’t top-notch, and the bones aren’t perfectly cleaned, but it’s plenty fatty—just how I like it. The hot oil pan-frying successfully brings out the fat inside, making it tender and slippery in the mouth. I’ve loved it since childhood and still do.

(You have to try the freshly pan-fried milkfish belly here)

(Rich fat from the fish belly)

As for the pork rice, no need to say much—the unmistakably sweet taste of dried plums shines through again, with a richly layered sauce and medium-high level of gelatin seeping into the rice. The diced pork is somewhat rare in Taipei; spots like Songshan Jinxian or Linkou Xindu Snacks offer different styles, the former being soy-sweet and the latter rock sugar-sweet, each with its own charm. Today’s portion was a large bowl, but I still polished it off in no time, the speed of which even surprised me. After paying, I walked back to the east side under a cool breeze, feeling thoroughly satisfied with the meal.

(This bowl of pork rice probably didn’t even take me a minute—I finished it in no time!)

Tainan Braised Three Pieces
Phone: (02)2828-9388
Address: No. 100, Section 7, Chengde Road, Beitou District, Taipei City
Hours: 17:00–05:00, Mon–Sat

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