Lao Wan Hua’s Sweet and Savory Seafood Congee – The Must-Try Super-Value Milkfish Belly

Text & Photos /Orange Dog Loves Candy

Speaking of the last work break, I met up with a classmate in the afternoon to take a little foodie trip around Wan Hua. To my surprise, even though she’s a native Taipei-er, it was actually the first time she had any real memory of visiting the Huaxi Street area.

After all, every corner of a city always makes me curious to explore from time to time. But I guess it might be because the impressions passed down from older generations or the history surrounding old Wan Hua have often given it a rather negative reputation, which seems to discourage young people from visiting this place that’s still rich in old Taipei culture.

No matter how many times I walk out of Longshan Temple MRT Station, I always feel like this must be the place in all of Taipei with the most elderly people gathered. Whether it’s the underground mall, people strolling along the streets, playing chess under the trees in the park, or worshippers at Longshan Temple – it’s actually quite lively. Even the daytime karaoke shops are packed with people.

What I wanted to find this day was “Dongshi Shun Oyster Omelet” in Wan Hua, because I happened to stumble upon it online the night before XD. There was no plan – I just got interested and went straight out to find the place.

Dongshi Shun is a bit of a distance from Longshan Temple MRT Station. You have to walk from Xichang Street next to the temple, passing about two intersections. Along the way, you walk from the bustling Guangzhou Street, and as you go further down the latter part of Xichang Street, it gets quieter and quieter, making me doubt for a moment if the address I found online was wrong. Otherwise, how come I couldn’t see any shop around here? Then after passing Guiyang Street, you’ll see a small sign that says Dongshi Shun – a little food stall that gave me a strong sense of familiarity.


The familiarity comes from the simplicity of the stall, which reminds me of those in southern Taiwan. But actually, the boss is from Dongshi, Chiayi, hence the name. However, although the shop is in Taipei, the prices and portion sizes still carry that warm southern hospitality – though you wouldn’t really tell just by looking at the price list.


On the counter, there’s a full lineup of fresh milkfish and oysters. The oysters are freshly delivered daily from their hometown in Dongshi – plump and tender.

On the stovetops, the seafood congee is cooked pot by pot. When cooking, you can hear the sound of the ladle stirring and hitting the pot – it reminded me of Hong Kong chefs making congee, because the ingredients need to stay fresh and tender, so they stir it to ensure even heat and avoid overcooking.


There’s no menu – you just look at what’s written on the acrylic board and order directly. At this price, I might think it’s a bit steep if I were in Tainan, but here in Taipei, I actually feel it’s not expensive at all. It’s just that crossing a single Tropic of Cancer changes my inner value system so drastically XD. I came here just for three things: oyster omelet, seafood congee, and milkfish belly.


[Seafood Congee / 75 NTD] – If I told someone I ordered this bowl of congee just because of the pot and wooden stand, they’d probably think I’m crazy XD. But that pot and wooden stand remind me vividly of my childhood memories of claypot pasta. I remember whenever my mom took me to the food court at Big City (then located on Wufu Road, before the fire) in Kaohsiung.

Every time, the happiest part was when mom brought me to the Japanese food stall in the food court to eat claypot pasta. I remember it cost 50 NTD back then (and that 50 NTD was paper money – not exactly cheap).

A small pot with rising steam, filled with lots of ingredients and noodles, used to make me so satisfied and happy. But these days, it feels like almost no one uses such pots anymore. So when this bowl of seafood congee was served, it really gave me a strong sense of nostalgia.

But nostalgia aside, I still had to confirm how delicious the food itself was. This bowl of seafood congee has shrimp, big squid, clams, oysters, and most importantly, two big pieces of boneless milkfish – which is really generous for a seafood congee.


The shrimp is crispy, the squid is springy, and the clams and oysters are very fresh and sweet – and there are quite a few oysters too, living up to the fame of Dongshi’s plump oysters. The milkfish meat is firm with a slight richness from the fish belly, and the ingredients are truly impressive.


The rice in the congee is cooked like the rice soup we have in the south – the grains are distinct but soaked with rich broth. The broth is seasoned without MSG, but simmered with rock sugar, giving it a naturally sweet taste from the seafood that melts in your mouth. Highly recommended.


[Oyster Omelet / 55 NTD] – To be honest, the last time I had oyster omelet was probably about three years ago, back when I ate it on that small street in Fengyuan Miaodong. These days, oyster omelets have gotten more and more expensive, but often with less filling, so I just skipped them to save money. But theirs is pretty good – especially since it’s named after fresh oysters, so the amount of oysters isn’t skimpy.

No worries about that – the amount of flour batter and egg is also very generous. This one is almost on par with Miaodong’s oyster omelet, only losing slightly on the sauce.


Although the sauce is the shop’s signature special blend, there’s a certain flavor I’m not too fond of. Otherwise, I’d have a surprisingly positive impression of this oyster omelet.


[Pan-Fried Milkfish Belly / 110 NTD] – This is probably the biggest piece of milkfish belly I’ve ever had – it’s genuinely the size of a palm, basically twice the portion of others, and the thickness is very solid too.

The richness and tenderness go without saying – even sharing one portion among three people isn’t a problem. The only downside is probably that the bones aren’t pre-removed (if it were de-boned, the price would probably be higher), so you have to keep picking out bones while eating. But other than that, it’s super satisfying and definitely worth recommending. I think this would go for about 150–200 NTD at a stir-fry restaurant.


Compared to previous reviews, the prices have probably gone up a bit over the years, but considering the portion sizes and quality of ingredients, I really don’t think it’s expensive. The ingredients are generous and high-quality. I heard that PHTV’s “Extraordinary Big Exploration” once came to interview them – otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have known about this place in such an out-of-the-way location.

I arrived in the afternoon when it wasn’t too crowded. The air was cool, and sipping a bowl of warm seafood congee felt nice. Maybe it’s not a long-established local favorite, but the solid umami flavor made even this visitor from afar feel a cozy warmth. For anyone interested in fresh oyster dishes… this is really a great little spot!!


[Dongshi Shun]

Address:No. 104, Xichang Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City
Phone:02-23813535
Business Hours:11:30 AM~09:30 PM
Transportation:About a 10-minute walk from Exit 1 of Longshan Temple Station on the Banqiao Line of the Taipei Metro
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