Mystical spices at work！This egg-fried rice is moist, not greasy, and utterly addictive

Photos & Text /Orange Dog Loves Sweets

The Fengjia Night Market, as the lights come up, seems to mark a new beginning of the city’s nighttime vibrancy. Its constant evening buzz has shifted from a source of excitement in my first year here to something I no longer feel like battling through crowds for in my fifth.

Still, there are a few snack stalls I do enjoy. On the less crowded side of Wenhua Road—yes, still Wenhua Road—the shops here don’t get many visitors, mostly frequented by local students.

So you’ll often find some reasonably priced and solid little eateries around. That day, while figuring out what to have for dinner, Xiong Pi suggested we head to Fengjia Night Market for fried rice. Though I was a bit skeptical—wondering why I should ride all the way out just for fried rice—as we entered the unfamiliar area around Wenhua Road and Xi’an Street, I spotted this rather unique “Exotic Flavors Food Court.”

It stands out quite a bit in the area, with its colorful exterior making it hard to guess which foreign cuisine it serves. There are so many flags hanging, probably meant to represent the United Nations, XD, though I’d say it leans more toward Southeast Asian flavors.

Honestly, though I’ve been told that because there are many migrant workers around First Square, the small shops nearby serving Southeast Asian snacks probably have pretty good flavors, I never mustered the courage to try them. And honestly, I probably wouldn’t have walked into this Fengjia shop either if someone hadn’t dragged me here.


At first glance, the bright and chaotic exterior made me think the inside might be messy too, but it’s actually very tidy and well-kept, even if the space is small.
 

The owner is quite friendly, I think she’s also from Southeast Asia, though I can’t tell which country. Her Chinese has a slight accent, but she’s very warm, which really left a great impression of the place.


Looking at the menu, I realized they offer quite a variety—not just the usual rice noodles, but also fried rice, udon, pasta, and even hot pot. They have something called “Weird Smelly Pot Hot Pot.” With their spices, it’s hard to imagine what kind of “weird smell” that refers to, XDD.

And most of the prices are surprisingly affordable, ranging around 50 to 75 NT.


After all, it’s in a student area, so they can’t charge too much. Whether the cheap prices mean decent taste? You’ll just have to order and find out, Up！


[Signature Lasa Egg Fried Rice / 60 NT / with shrimp] You can choose chicken, pork, beef, lamb, or shrimp as the mix-in, but the base of the fried rice is what’s special—it’s cooked with special spices.

The aroma of the spices feels very Southeast Asian, but I really can’t name which ones. The name “Lasa” doesn’t match the taste of Singapore’s laksa at all. When checking out, I even asked the owner directly, but she didn’t seem inclined to reveal the secret, XDDDD. To me, it’s a scent I’ve never encountered before, but it blends surprisingly well with the rice without being overpowering.


The fried rice itself is fluffy with distinct grains, lightly oily, and stir-fried to a tender texture—not dry at all. I literally couldn’t stop eating it; it’s flavorful but not overly salty.


[Something Chicken Fried Rice / forgot the name] I only included a photo because I took one, but I actually forgot how much it cost—I even forgot the name, XDDD. But the fried rice was genuinely good.

[Spicy Chicken Cutlet / 45 NT] It’s not spicy or numbing, let alone sour and spicy. But even without those signature flavors, it’s still a delicious fried chicken cutlet. The crispy skin is golden and not greasy, and it’s perfectly thin.


The chicken inside is juicy, which I really liked. The seasoning isn’t too heavy on the salt and pepper, and though the exotic flavors don’t really come through, it’s still quite tasty and good value.


[Sour Meat Pan-Fried Dumplings / forgot the price] I forgot how much these were too, XDDD. But I think they were maybe 35 or 40 NT. I always get overexcited when I see dumplings and want to order them. When these arrived, they looked like giant hotpot-style egg dumplings—I thought they’d given me the wrong order, it looked just like a fried egg！But the owner said that’s what they were.

I think sour meat is a dish from the Yunnan-Guizhou area, bordering Southeast Asia, but based on what I found online, this didn’t really have the sour meat flavor. At most, I saw something meat-like in the egg, a bit salty. But the egg wrapper is thick and tender, and it’s quite tasty and well-made for the price.


I didn’t have high expectations at first, but it wasn’t so amazing as to blow my mind either. Still, considering the very reasonable prices and the hearty portions, it’s a pretty recommendable little spot. Each flavor of the spiced fried rice has its own character, which I thought was nice, and they even give you free tea.

Other rice noodles and noodle dishes might be worth trying another day. I also saw some migrant workers eating here that day, and if they’re okay with the flavors, I think it’s probably pretty good. Though the two small snacks I ordered didn’t have strong exotic flavors, they were still pretty tasty and the portions weren’t small.

I never would’ve discovered this little shop without a friend leading the way. I recommend students nearby to give it a try！Also, I saw a stall on nearby Xi’an Street—no sign, but lots of people lining up for fried chicken wings！Definitely going to try that next！！


【Exotic Flavors Food Court】

Address：No. 221, Wenhua Road, West District, Taichung City
Phone：0980-869386
Business Hours：11:00 AM–02:00 PM　05:00 PM–09:00 PM
Consumption reminder:But currently the lunchtime opening hours seem to be somewhat irregular
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