2017 Taipei Traditional Market Festival Kicks Off on April 8 – Top 10 Braised Pork Rice Stalls Go Head-to-Head

Reported by Huang Shiyuan / Taipei

The 2017 Taipei Traditional Market Festival is set to launch on the 8th. For years, the “No. 1 Stall in the World” campaign has successfully promoted signature snacks from Taipei’s traditional markets through various themes. Over the past decade, it has discovered many renowned market stalls, such as Quick Train Jerky. This year, the event adds a special theme centered around the beloved braised pork rice—favorite among both domestic and international tourists—and invites ten braised pork rice vendors located within traditional markets to compete at the event site on April 8.

This year, the “No. 1 Stall in the World” evaluation category makes a “first-ever” move by including public tastings of braised pork rice as part of the scoring criteria. The event gathers a selection of top braised pork rice vendors from Taipei’s municipal traditional markets, including “Beitou Aizai Cai Braised Pork Rice,” known across Taiwan as the “No. 1 Non-Lukewarm Braised Pork Rice,” and “Dongmencheng Braised Pork Rice,” recommended by Taiwan’s snack guru and literary giant Shu Guozhi and with a legacy of 60 years. On April 8, the event will recruit 30 members of the public to serve as judges and vote for their favorite classic braised pork rice. At the same time, an exhibition area themed “Savoring Classics” will be set up, inviting visitors to experience the unique charm of braised pork rice.


▲ Enen Nu Rou Fan (Huashan Market). (Photo / Courtesy of Taipei City Government website)

Enen Nu Rou Fan (Huashan Market)
Spicy Egg-Covered Nu Rou Fan uses three different cuts of premium Taiwanese black-haired pork to create varied textures, enhanced with caramel seasoning. It’s topped with a semi-runny egg and a specially made ghost pepper sauce. The rich, mellow aroma of the egg perfectly balances the intense spice of the ghost pepper sauce, satisfying those who love bold flavors.


▲ Heiguan Delicacies Traditional Braised Pork Rice. (Photo / Courtesy of Taipei City Government website)

Heiguan Delicacies Traditional Braised Pork Rice (Nanmen Market)
For just 30 NT$, this traditional braised pork rice features shallot oil sautéed first, then blended with white pepper, cinnamon oil, five-spice powder, and other secret seasonings to make a unique sauce. It’s paired with homemade big head cabbage, offering a refreshing, non-greasy taste that enhances the texture.

Jingzhan Stir-Fry (Shilin Market)
This old-school style braised pork rice uses fragrant Yunlin rice and fresh black-haired pork, combined with scallion crisp and garlic crisp for a rich and uniquely aromatic braised flavor.

Ma Shi Original Cuisine (Antun Market)
An unconventional Japanese-inspired creative braised pork rice, using pork belly from black-haired pigs as the base. It’s slow-cooked the traditional way into “braised meat,” stir-fried quickly over high heat with premium red yeast rice, then simmered for hours before being topped with a special homemade Japanese-style sauce.
Pickled yuzu radish, plum juice tomatoes, and seasonal greens reinterpret the classic Taiwanese snack “braised pork rice.”

Dongmencheng Braised Pork Rice (Dongmen Market)
Dubbed the “instant sell-out” braised pork rice, Dongmencheng’s version was featured in the work “Taipei Snack Notes” by Taiwan’s snack guru and literary writer Shu Guozhi. Its recipe includes pork skin fat from the top layer of pork ribs bought from a fellow vendor in the same market, finely diced, blanched to remove the gaminess, then added to an aged braising pot.
It’s first brought to a boil over high heat until the oil rises to the surface, then the floating oil is skimmed off. Clear soy sauce and broth are added, and it’s slowly simmered over low heat to extract the fat. This process is repeated for about five to six hours to achieve its 60-year-old legendary taste.

Ju Shu (Dongmen Market)
Is there a vegetarian version of braised pork rice? Ju Shu’s vegetarian dry rice uses mushrooms and crispy tofu skin as the base instead of meat, seasoned with ginger, pepper, and rock sugar—healthy, non-greasy, and refreshing.

Zhongcheng Hao (Shilin Market)
This old-school braised pork rice uses a perfect ratio of 70% pork shoulder and 30% pork neck from Taiwanese black-haired pigs, along with natural lard
and a special herbal mix to enhance the aroma, finished with rock sugar to enrich the color and flavor.

Jiqing Food Department (Zhongshan Market)
A 40-year-old shop serving grandmother-style traditional braised pork rice. The ingredients include pork neck from live pigs, and the braising sauce is slow-cooked in a tin pot for two days. At just 20 NT$ per bowl, it offers great value. For an extra 50 NT$, you can enjoy a combo of three side dishes plus one bowl of braised pork rice.

Lianger 03 Chiayi Chicken Rice (Xihu Market)
Operating locally for over twenty-five years, the traditional braised pork rice here uses hand-chopped meat paired with a unique blend of ingredients. All the side snacks in the store have a southern Taiwan flavor.


▲ Aizai Cai Braised Pork Rice. (Photo / Provided by Xiaohu DreamNet)

Aizai Cai Braised Pork Rice (Beitou Market)
Once hailed as Taiwan’s No. 1 braised pork rice by a financial magazine, this 40-year-old eatery is now run by the second generation. The owner maintains the traditional flavor passed down from his father using an aged broth base. The main ingredient is pork collar, slow-cooked for hours. The shop's side dishes—such as red-braised pork trotters, handmade tofu, and pork large intestines—are all stewed in the same aged broth.

Selected renowned stalls from the 2017 Taipei Traditional Markets Festival will be showcased at the Expo Park Yuanshan Corridor Plaza on April 8–9, offering the public a chance to sample local traditional market flavors in one location. The event will offer a limited-edition “Treasure of Happiness” lucky bag (100 available) each day, allowing visitors to take home delicacies from the market’s famous stalls for just NT$10. In support of environmental sustainability, the event will also feature a “Recycle for New Happiness” promotion—anyone who brings used melamine tableware to the main service desk for recycling will receive a set of 304-grade stainless steel utensils (limited to 1,200 sets). The event day will also include various discounts and hands-on experiences.