Is it a casual eatery or a Taiwanese snack shop? The richly aromatic braised pork rice

Text & Photos /San Gao Chi Han

It’s been a while since I last wrote about braised pork rice. Braised (stewed) pork rice is one of Taiwan’s most iconic street foods, with different regional variations across the north and south, and it’s also a must-try dish for many foreigners visiting Taiwan.

In Taoyuan, there aren’t many particularly famous representative spots. Although I’m a local, I haven’t tried that many either. Last time I had the braised pork rice at “Gu Zhu Kuan Zhong Chi Guan,” which a netizen recommended, and I thought it was pretty good. Recently, there’s another place called “Tao Yuan Hao” braised pork rice that’s getting quite positive reviews? I’ll have to check it out next time.


I’d heard about Fei Mi Zi in Guishan a few years back. Maybe because of its less convenient location, it’s somewhat known but not somewhere people often get to try. That day, I really couldn’t hold it in any longer and decided to go check it out. It’s not a specialty shop, and neither its name nor interior suggests it would serve great braised pork rice. Of course, I know that’s a bit of a preconception, but it really did feel a bit special—there were hints of a casual eatery or even a coffee shop about it.

The menu items also struck me as a bit odd. If it were a beef noodle shop, I might have believed it. What stood out more was its side dishes section, which gave off the vibe of a dedicated braised meat shop—even duck tongues were on the list. Later, after seeing media reports, I learned the owner has apparently been selling braised meats for many years?

I ordered braised pork rice, pig’s trotters, hundred-sheet tofu, and bamboo shoot soup. Before the food arrived, they served warm tea. So even just coming for braised pork rice can come with this kind of ambiance? It was a first for me—pretty interesting~

The braised pork rice comes in regular and small bowl sizes. The regular braised pork rice (NT$59) also comes topped with pickled mustard greens, braised egg, and braised fried tofu. I quite liked the braised fried tofu because it was well-seasoned—you could really tell effort went into braising the food. The flavor was quite distinct, dominated by Chinese herbal aromas, with a weaker soy sauce presence. After eating the braised pork rice, this style became even more apparent.

In the past, I’ve always said that northern braised pork rice excels at using Chinese herbs and spices to enhance flavor. Fei Mi Zi is quite typical in that regard. When various Chinese herbs are well-balanced, they create an indescribably rich taste. Cinnamon, in particular, stands out among the flavors. It’s suitable for those who enjoy this kind of multi-layered aroma—the taste is sweet and fragrant, the saltiness is low and smooth, and paired with the crispy, sweet, and sour pickled mustard greens, it makes for a pretty good combination.

The minced pork is made from streaky pork and neck pork, cut into shredded strips. It’s soft on the palate, and since most of the fat has already melted into the braising liquid, for a type of braised pork rice (minced pork rice) that’s fatty, the greasiness is actually quite low—you can easily finish a big bowl. If it were stir-fried fatty minced pork that renders out the oil first, that’s another common method, then simmered in an aged braising broth, with soy sauce as the main flavor, plus rock sugar and shallots, without using complex spices—that’s the kind of Tainan-style minced pork rice I like.

Actually, the braised pig’s trotters have a similar flavor profile. They use the mid-section of the leg, where the skin comes off easily, and the meat is quite tender. It’s flavorful, but not something that leaves a particularly deep impression.

The hundred-sheet tofu seems to have been soaked in a spicy braising broth, but it’s not very well-infused with flavor. Maybe other braised items would perform better?

The star of the meal, the braised pork rice, at least hit the mark, and it satisfied my curiosity (?)
________________________________________
Fei Mi Zi
Address: No. 165-1, Changshou Rd., Guishan Township, Taoyuan County
Business Hours: 11:00 AM – 7:30 PM (Closed Mondays)

San Gao Chi Han
Savoring Taiwan’s regions with heart, diligently recording delicious footsteps
San Gao Chi Han’s Gourmet Footprints San Gao Fan Page