A 70-year-old Taipei institution serving comforting, old-school stewed pork rice

Text & Photos /Kuni

Dropped by an old shop recommended by a dessert chef. Located on Hankou Street in Ximending, a friend said eating here felt like reliving memories. The menu is on the wall—ordering a rice dish comes with soup, choose between radish or miso. You can get a NT$10 discount if you skip the soup.

The storefront.

The price list.

What we ordered:
Stewed cabbage (NT$20)
Fried tofu (NT$10)
Chicken leg (NT$75)
Stewed pork rice (with soup NT$80)
Pork rice (NT$20)

I've been trying out several old shops lately, and Old Huang's is probably the most satisfying among them. It's said to have been established in 1948, making it an oldie even among old shops. Regular customers come in, quietly whisper two or three dish names to the boss, and then settle down. Most people dine alone at their own table, as if eating at home.

The dining environment.

Big chunks of pre-boiled stewed pork.

The stewed cabbage here has a simple flavor but is well-seasoned and tender—really smooth and tasty. The chicken leg isn’t dry, the meat is decent, and along with the fried tofu, both are nostalgic tastes of classic Taiwanese flavors. The stewed pork rice actually comes with tender "meat chunks." The rice is average, but the meat is better than expected—the lean part isn’t overly coarse. The fatty part might be a bit oily, but the pickled mustard greens at the bottom are flavorful and cut through the grease nicely, making me eat a few more bites of rice.

All the dishes arrived at once.

Stewed cabbage.

Fried chicken leg.

Fried tofu.

Stewed pork rice.

Before leaving, I spontaneously ordered another bowl of pork rice to try. It’s clearly made from the minced bits from the stewed pork pot—comparatively much oilier and less impressive. When paying, I also took away a pack of pickled mustard greens for NT$20, which I can enjoy with another bowl of rice at home.

Extra pork rice.

The pickled mustard greens were so good, I took a pack to go.

After eating, I headed to Coffee Sweet for a perfect ending.

Old Huang’s Stewed Pork Rice (Huang Ji Old-Style Stewed Pork Rice)
Address: No. 25, Section 2, Hankou Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City
Phone: (02)2361-0089
Hours: 10:00–20:00

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