Time-Honored Ribs Old Shop – A nostalgic taste from Mom’s middle school days

Photos & Text /Mi-Te

It’s been ages since I’ve eaten at a food court, and food court offerings always surprise me in ways that make me want to spit out my food with amazement.
But it’s rare to find something in a food court that makes Mom-Mi stop in her tracks,
This time, Mi-Te had no choice but to give up persuading her to get 21st Century Roast Chicken and instead joined her in trying out thisTime-Honored Ribs Old Shop from Ximending,
to see if it tastes just as good as she remembered from back in the day.

The food court inside RT-Mart Neihu No. 2 has been completely renovated and looks brand new, but on holidays, the place gets so crowded that the cleaning staff can barely keep up, making it feel a bit messy.
The Time-Honored Ribs Old Shop from Ximending is right at the entrance—just walk straight in, go past Cha Tra Mue, and you’ll find it at the end. It’s not hard to locate,
and just like any other food court stall, there’s nothing particularly special about it. But there were quite a few customers choosing the ribs here—probably all here looking for the taste of their childhood, huh?

Take a whiff through the display window

These three-layered pork chops are seriously impressive XD

%段髅蓬?蚰昱殴抢系辍〔说ァ⊥ENU
Combo meals range from 130 to 160 NT$, and side options include braised pork rice / noodles / |??/ rice vermicelli. You’d be lucky to get prices like these at a food court XD
You can also order individual items if you want to try other food court offerings too.

Chinese-style Fried Pork Chop Combo – 130 NT$
Golden Chicken Leg Special – 150 NT$
Premium Dongpo Pork Special – 140 NT$
Pan-Seared Chinese BBQ Special – 140 NT$
Pan-Seared Salmon Steak Special – 160 NT$
Spicy Salted Saba Fish Special – 160 NT$
Warm Sesame Oil Chicken Special – 160 NT$
Crispy One-Bite Shrimp Roll Special – 130 NT$
Tender One-Bite Fish Stick Special – 130 NT$
Mixed Shrimp Roll & Fish Stick Special – 130 NT$

After ordering and paying, you’ll get a small voucher from the Time-Honored Ribs Old Shop from Ximending, and you can go find a seat,
though RT-Mart Neihu No. 2 is absolutely packed on holidays—you can’t even tell if people are here to shop or to eat XD
Either there were no empty seats, or the available ones were still littered with leftovers from other diners.
So I just sat down and waited for a staff member to pass by, then quickly asked them to clean it up.
Remember, the number to listen for when your “Everlasting Pork Chop” is ready is the last two digits of your ticket number.

%?Chinese-style Fried Pork Chop Set Meal – 130 NT
Since I was planning to eat other things later, I only ordered one Chinese-style Fried Pork Chop set meal to tide me over.
After waiting about 15 minutes, both my meal and seat were ready — finally, I could enjoy a nice meal~~~~
As soon as Mom saw the whole pork chop combo, she got excited and said in a girlish voice:“This is the Everlasting Pork Chop!!！！”

She immediately stole a bite to test the flavor — and indeed, it was good. It had that nostalgic, retro, full-bodied taste, though it’s hard to put into words.
But Mom said it was exactly the same as the Everlasting Pork Chop she used to eat back in junior high at the Everlasting Building in Ximending — not a hint of change in flavor.
If you’ve tried the Golden Garden Pork Chop, it probably tastes somewhat similar.
The fried pork chop had a thin but super crispy and refreshing crust.
The meat inside was tender yet juicy, with a sweet and perfectly salty sauce that made me savor every single bite slowly.
The portion wasn’t small, but the fact that a single order costs 90 NT is a bit surprising.But I can totally get behind the Everlasting Pork Chop.
The pickled cucumber on the side was also really appetizing — don’t forget to eat it!!! OTZ

The plain noodles were pretty decent too, and the broth had that old-school Everlasting Pork Chop flavor, though I found it a bit too oily for my taste.
It was tasty, but not so special that I’d say it’s an absolute must-try.
As for the two small side dishes, just eat them casually — the real star here is the pork chop :P

If you’re sharing, you can ask the staff for a small bowl. Actually, the noodle portion in the Everlasting Pork Chop set is pretty generous (( hey—watch out, the soup is about to spill, dangerous move k8 you
It was a beautiful coincidence to get to try my mom’s cherished childhood version of the Everlasting Pork Chop today.
I had originally just come to change clothes before heading to the night market, but it was so hot outside, and I also wanted to go home and hang out with Grandma.
After eating the Everlasting Pork Chop, we bought some 21st Century Roast Chicken and Genki Sushi to take home for Grandma for Grandparents’ Day :)
The Ximending Everlasting Pork Chop shop has very mixed online reviews. My mom’s friends all love the flavor, but younger folks tend to think it’s pretty average.
Maybe this is just the taste of home, the taste of mom, the taste of childhood — and I, too, loved Golden Garden Pork Chops when I was little.
So honestly, I really do love the Everlasting Pork Chop, and it’s such a blessing to be able to enjoy that classic flavor from the old shop without having to trek all the way to Ximending ♥

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>>>This article was originally published on: Meter, Weidanxu Blog

Today’s Dining Record
Time: 2013-08-25 (Sun) Evening
Cost: 110 TWD / 2 people

【 Shop Information】
Ximending Wannian Pai Old-Fashioned Shop
Phone: 02-8972-5992
Address: No. 188, Section 1, Jiuzong Road, Neihu District, Taipei City (at the very end of the food street, straight inside)
Payment: Pay before meal, card payment available
Payment: Pay before meal, card payment available
Restroom: RT-Mart (RT-Mart Neihu Store) restroom
Suitable for: Those coming specifically for food, wanting to try a bit of everything, or shoppers who get hungry while strolling
Transportation | Bus | Xinhusan Intersection Stop | Xia2, 63, 204, 518, 552, Blue7, Blue26
Xinhujiu Zong Intersection Stop | 63, 204, 207, 518, 552, Blue7, Blue26, Blue50
Neihu Commuter Shuttle 1, 5, 6, 7, 8, Yuanshan Line
Parking | Motorcycle Parking | Turn left after Jiuzong Road Section 1 meets Xinhusan Road
RT-Mart Neihu 2nd Store Parking | After turning right from Jiuzong Road Section 1 onto Jiuzong Road Section 1 Lane 150, you’ll see the entrance