Selling the warmth and simplicity of locals – a snack shop with portions so generous they’ll make you scream

Text and photos by /Orange Dog Loves Sweets

Jiguang Street in Taichung is a commercial street that developed early in the city’s history. During the Japanese colonial period, this area was called “Eifukucho.” Back then, development radiated outward from Taichung Railway Station, and before Taiwan’s retrocession, the area was dominated by civilian businesses such as fabric shops, eateries, watch stores, and grocery stores.

From the Japanese colonial era to the early post-retrocession period, it was arguably one of the busiest streets in all of Taichung. The then Zhonggang Road was quite wide, and I remember colleagues often saying that when they were students in places like Xianxiao and Houli, they would take the bus to downtown Taichung for fun during holidays.

The most bustling area was around the train station, including what is now the First Square. However, as the focus of urban development shifted to the Seventh Redevelopment Zone, the Central District gradually declined. Though tourists left and the heyday faded, many old shops have remained steadfast.

I remember back then, the only places that would draw me here were Xie’s Breakfast and Zheng Lao Pai’s Mushroom Meatball Soup. Also, when the First Cinema was still around, I loved spending whole days here watching movies on weekends. Otherwise, because this area was largely populated by migrant workers, most locals didn’t particularly favor it...

But one day, I suddenly saw a netizen on the Taichung board of PTT sharing a small eatery (misclassified), which is actually a noodle shop. They claimed to have been eating there for over ten years, which means it’s been open for at least that long!!


The address is only approximate — the intersection of Park Road and Jiguang Street, next to a building called Park Building. The online address is roughly No. 2-3-1, Park Road, Jiguang Li, Central District, Taichung City. It’s faster to just look for that intersection. The name of the place is “Jiuliu Snack Shop,” which sounds a bit like “nine-stream” (a slang term for low-class), but what they serve is absolutely not low-class XD. On the contrary, once you taste it, you’ll feel their sincerity and might just want to stick around forever!!


It’s just a small noodle stall, extremely unassuming. There’s no proper sign with the shop name, just one owner and an undecorated little storefront. A few yellow lights go up when they start business. In the afternoon, there aren’t many people — mostly locals who work nearby and salespeople like me come here to eat.


Occasionally, regulars will chat with the owner for a bit. The environment is old but actually neat and clean. The shop plays music the owner likes or occasionally the radio.

What they sell isn’t super varied — just basic rice and noodle dishes. But there are many kinds of soups, and the prices aren’t expensive. But trust me, you won’t realize how amazing the value is until it’s served on your table!!


[Sesame Sauce Noodles / 30 NT] — This dish is pretty solid. The price is about the same as any regular noodle stall, but the portion is close to what you’d get at a big bowl place. They also add blanched water spinach.


Besides sesame sauce, they drizzle on some soy paste, so the flavor is on the richer side.

The noodles are flat, the kind that clump together if you don’t stir them right away. The texture has a slight chew, and once stirred, the flavor really comes through, and it’s very filling.


[Assorted Noodles / 60 NT] — When I first saw a photo of this online, I was just surprised, but seeing it in person made me want to yell. You’ll be tempted to grab the bowl and run up to the owner saying, “Boss, that’s enough!! It’s almost overflowing!! XDDD” because the toppings are seriously excessive!! Not to mention the heaps of bok choy and water spinach, there’s fish balls, chicken gizzard, squid slices, pork slices (the most), clams, oysters, and small shrimp...


I even double-checked with the boss twice — “Did you get the order wrong? Are you sure it’s 60?” Because in this economy, in these times, this bowl could easily sell for 100 NT without question, but the boss just wants to sell it to you for 60 NT XD

Let me talk about the broth first — it’s not mind-blowing, but it’s refreshing, like the vegetable soup my mom used to make. The noodles are a type of round white cut noodles, which soften easily in the soup. I’m not particularly fond of this type of noodle.

But I think the portion of noodles is about two balls’ worth, so the bottom half of the bowl is noodles, and the top is all toppings. The small shrimp can be eaten whole — they gave about six or seven!!


Then there’s one especially large and plump fresh oyster, plus three or four smaller ones. As for the rest — no need to say more. I really felt quite full after eating this all by myself. This might just be the C/P (cost-performance) king of all bowls in Taichung!!


[Marinated Dishes / unsure of price] — I didn’t pay, so I don’t know how much the marinated dishes cost, but I’m guessing this big plate wasn’t too expensive either.


The pig skin in it is flavorful, tender and chewy — super delicious!!

[Pork Liver Soup / 30 NT] — When this bowl arrived, it definitely caused gasps. I asked the boss again, “This is really 30?” Because I couldn’t figure out how they make money selling it at that price XDDD. For 30 NT, the pork liver soup comes in a big bowl, and it’s not just watery — the pork liver is so generous it’s like half a liver!! The portion here is definitely worth two or more bowls you’d get elsewhere. The pork liver is so much it makes your cheeks sour.


And the tenderness of the pork liver is just right — not overcooked. They boil the soup first, then blanch the liver. This spoonful is only half full, but the ginger slices in it are absolutely amazing, highly recommended!!! Because this was an add-on order, other customers’ food was being prepared first, so when it arrived they quickly apologized for the wait. But it was only a wait of five or six minutes.


[Fried Rice / 50 NT] — This is another dish the netizen recommended, and I also saw many others ordering it. The grains are fried separately, not mushy, and the color is darker, giving off a richer flavor. I’m not sure about the texture between soft and hard, but the portion is really large. But this is just a photo I borrowed from another table because I literally couldn’t eat any more!!

It’s probably really hard to fully grasp my level of surprise from the photos alone. Because with today’s prices, places still serving these huge portions at almost nonexistent prices are rare. Later, a friend who saw the photos went to buy some, but during the evening rush, the orders were too big, and the boss just turned them down politely XDD

I don’t want to glorify this boss too much, but he truly shows the touching dedication of a local. He’ll immediately apologize if you have to wait an extra minute or two. Every bowl of noodles or plate of rice is carefully and meticulously prepared with heart before being served.

I don’t know how long these prices can be maintained, but since it’s just the boss running the place, please forgive him if he can’t take orders or if there’s a wait during busy times. Since evenings are more crowded, it’s better to go in the afternoon or at noon.

I don’t want to put this boss on a pedestal, but he truly shows the moving dedication of hard work. If you have to wait a little longer, he’ll immediately apologize. Every bowl of noodles or plate of rice is carefully and attentively made to perfection before being served.

But he was selling nothing more than an ordinary street snack, yet he treated his customers and the food with the utmost respect. After finishing the meal, you genuinely want to say to the owner, "Thank you for your hard work."<多谢款待!!”
 

[Jiuliu Snack Shop]

Address:Intersection of Park Road and Jiguang Street, Central District, Taichung City (opposite Cooperativa de Crédito)
Contact Number:None
Business Hours:12:00 PM～08:00 PM
Consumption Reminder:None
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