Taipei’s Super Heartwarming Late-Night Eatery & Free Salmon Miso Soup!

Text and photos byZhou Huahua

Over the past few years, Shuanglian Chifeng Street has undergone quite a few changes, with new hipster shops opening one after another. Yet, many long-standing stores remain steadfast, and “Xiao Shan Canteen” is one of the most distinctive among them. Perhaps it was its unassuming exterior that made me walk past it over a hundred times without ever stepping inside, and I even exchanged distant glances with the store dog several times. That day, after work, I suddenly craved the taro ice from “Shuanglian Yuanzi Soup,” so I decided to have dinner at “Xiao Shan Canteen.”

Xiao Shan Canteen
Recommendation Rating: ★★★★☆ 4 stars
Short Review: A recommended eatery in Shuanglian Chifeng Street—this simple Japanese-style canteen is full of heart

Xiao Shan Canteen is located within Chifeng Street, close to Minsheng West Road. The nearest MRT station is Shuanglian Station. Exit 1, turn left, then turn left again when you see Chifeng Street—it’s situated at a nearby triangular corner. When I arrived around 7:30 pm on a weekday evening, there wasn’t a single customer inside. After taking this exterior photo, I hesitated a bit about whether to go in... But considering the reasonable prices and good online reviews, I summoned up the courage to just go for it. The owner warmly invited us to sit down, and as netizens had said, she was very chatty—there was truly an atmosphere reminiscent of a Taiwanese-style late-night canteen.

Another highlight of Xiao Shan Canteen is the store dog, A-Cai. A-Cai is a well-behaved and energetic British Bulldog (the owner insists it’s a British Bulldog, not a French one), who was originally sleeping in his little corner. Upon hearing customers arrive, he perked right up, fetched a toy, and wanted to play with us. Dog lovers can come hang out with A-Cai, and for those considering adoption, the owner also has plenty of related information. Although this is a food review, I’d still like to take the opportunity to advocate: please adopt, don’t shop!

Here’s the menu at Xiao Shan Canteen. The moderately priced dishes aren’t too expensive, featuring a variety of handmade noodles, rice dishes, grilled items, and oden. There are also a few limited-edition daily specials—you can check the small menu on the table. It’s a late-night canteen that blends Taiwanese and Japanese flavors.

Dine-in includes unlimited miso soup that you can help yourself to—it’s placed near the counter. The miso flavor isn’t strong, but there’s quite a bit of salmon in it. It’s essentially a salmon-flavored fish broth, and for a free offering, it’s pretty decent.

Stir-fried Udon — $90

Not a lot of ingredients or noodles, which is a bit different from the usual concept of stir-fried udon. It may not look impressive at first glance, but the seasoning and stir-frying technique really won me over. It seems to have soy sauce and black vinegar added, giving it a nice salty and tangy flavor. The noodles also have a much chewier texture than typical Taiwanese udon—pretty tasty overall. It would be even more recommended if there were more toppings.

Curry Cutlet Rice Omelet — $180

A combination of three crowd-pleasers: rice omelet, cutlet, and curry. The portion is noticeably larger than the udon.

The omelet is filled with tomato fried rice, stir-fried quickly with just onions, but the aroma is more than enough. The rice omelet itself is delicious, and dipping it in the curry sauce adds another layer of enjoyment. Though the portion is big, the combination of the two sauces makes it easy to finish the whole plate without feeling overly full.

The cutlet is a bit dark from frying, but the taste is good. It has a medium thickness, is chewy but not tough to bite into. Unfortunately, the batter takes up a bit too much of the meat.

Overall, I really like the atmosphere that Xiao Shan Canteen creates. The owner is chatty, the store dog A-Cai is adorable, and it’s perfect for a simple post-work meal or even for having a drink or two. I’ll definitely come back another time to try their Japanese small dishes like oden.

Xiao Shan Canteen
Address: No. 79, Chifeng Street, Datong District, Taipei City
Phone: 02 2556 0877
Business Hours: Monday–Friday 12:00–14:00, 17:00–00:00; Saturday 12:30–14:00, 17:00–21:00 (Closed on Sundays)

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