Fengyuan Chen Family Wanren Meatballs — tender skin, not greasy, with hearty and juicy bamboo shoot and meat filling

Text and photos byNata

I’ve significantly reduced eating out these days, but when I occasionally come across a good eatery or snack, I still can’t help but share it with everyone. Today, I want to introduce you to Fengyuan Chen Family Wanren Meatballs, which I’ve been craving and visiting every few months. It’s refreshing to eat, the environment is clean, and I really like it — so I’m recommending it to all of you.

This Chen Family Wanren Meatball shop is located near the new Wanren Pharmaceutical Factory in Fengyuan, on Wenxian Street. They only serve two simple snacks here: meatballs and wontons. Actually, many snack shops are like this — you don’t need too many items if the food is delicious.

I ate inside the shop today and didn’t choose takeout because I didn’t want to create waste. I didn’t bring my camera, so I just used my new phone, the ASUS ZenFone 6, and the photos actually turned out pretty well.

Meatballs
Coming back to Taiwan from Japan, everything seems so cheap. Taiwanese snacks are incredibly appealing in terms of price, and their flavors are simply irresistible.

I always add chili to my meatballs because I love spicy food. These meatballs are deep-fried, and the shop claims to use their own fried lard. The meatball skin is soft and tender but not overly chewy. Despite being fried, they’re not too greasy — compared to many other shops around Miaodong, these are relatively refreshing. Both the bamboo shoot cubes and the meat filling are generous and substantial, with well-balanced seasoning that isn’t overly salty. The chili sauce isn’t actually very spicy either. Overall, it has a savory flavor with a refreshing kick, making it hard to get tired of.

Also great value is this bowl of wonton soup, which comes with 10 plump meat-filled wontons. The broth is not overly rich or drying at the end — it’s quite refreshing, and it’s currently one of my favorite wonton soups in Fengyuan.

After eating, I still felt there might be a slight amount of MSG, though I can’t be certain, because the dry-mouth feeling was much milder compared to other places. It’s a good choice when you occasionally want to try authentic Taiwanese snacks. If you’re in Fengyuan and looking to change up your flavors, give this place a try.

Info
Chen Family Wanren Meatballs
Phone: 04-2523-2468
Address: No. 198, Wenxian Street, Fengyuan District, Taichung City
Business Hours: 11:00–13:00, 15:30–19:00 (Closed on Sundays and Mondays)
 

Nata is Not Messy
Happy to be a stylish lifestyle enthusiast and cooking researcher