The old Taipei flavor at Yan San Night Market: ultra-delicious cabbage rice and pork rib soup

Text & Photos /Xiao Hu’s Dream Food Blog

Yan San Night Market — the only night market in Taipei I’ve liked so far, the only place untouched by tourists, filled with the taste of old Taipei, or more precisely, the scent of old Taipei Bridge. Here, there’s no shopping, no game stalls, and certainly no swarms of sightseeing tourists—just foodies searching for the simple flavors of old Taipei. That simplicity, that quest for authentic taste, is what makes Taiwanese street food truly enchanting.

If there's any well-known old shop in Yan San Night Market I haven't shared yet, it must be this "cabbage rice" place I've been secretly eating at for ages but never wrote about, and that juice stall next door that’s been closed for a while for some reason.

I love this place not just for the flavorful food—the shop’s somewhat indescribable decor and the two elderly uncles working there all add to it. A row of wooden chairs like those in elementary school classrooms faces a red-brick stove. Just plop down and it feels like time has rolled back years, taking you to the era when foremen came to Taipei Bridge looking for day laborers.

It’s just a roadside stall, yet it has an actual “stove”—something pretty rare in Taiwan, especially in Taipei. On the stove sit two aluminum pots: one with big pork bones simmered to tenderness, the other with radish-based pork rib soup.

This shop reminds me of Mr. Shu Guozhi’s theory about great eateries that focus on just one signature dish. I wonder if he’s ever eaten here? Yes, this place serves only two things: cabbage rice and pork rib soup.

So nearly everyone who sits down here orders the same thing—it really feels like you don’t even have to ask, just sit down and go for it XD

First, let’s talk about the pork rib soup, which costs 70 NT—not exactly cheap—but it stands out for using whole big pork ribs, and there’s quite a bit of meat along the bone. The broth itself is a perfect harmony: the sweet richness of the radish and the distinct sweetness of the pork bone, like twins working in sync, just as you’d expect, bringing back memories with every sip. It’s exactly that old Taipei flavor. BUT if I had to be picky, I’d say it’s not as refreshing as the one from Cisheng Temple.[Tiger Eats Randomly] [Daqiaotou Station] Dadaocheng Cisheng Temple – Authentic Pork Rib Soup (with Braised Pork Rice)It’s not as refreshingly light either,[Tiger Eats Randomly] [Longshan Temple Station] Wuzhou Street Authentic Pork Rib Soup (recommended by users fu and eatcake)And it doesn’t have that slightly murky, thick richness, but it’s still so smooth and delicious.

What I personally love most about this pork rib soup is that huge pork rib—or more accurately, the meat along the bone. There’s a lot of tender meat on the bone, unlike some ribs that get boiled dry. You can just grab it and gnaw on it, which is super satisfying, especially the parts with a bit of tendon and fat near the bone—absolutely delicious.

Also, the chili-soy sauce here is very traditional: the chili is fragrant but not too spicy, and the soy sauce is rich but not overly salty—absolutely spot on.

The moment I got this bowl of cabbage rice, my first visual thought was: “Won’t this be too dry?”

For the first couple bites, I did feel it was a little dry, but then—strangely—by the second or third bite, it didn’t feel dry anymore. Yet the cabbage in this rice is barely noticeable, whether in taste or texture. But weirdly enough, it’s super moreish. If you do feel it’s dry, just take a sip of the pork rib soup, and you’ll instantly be able to down another three or four bites. Next thing you know, the bowl is empty.

By the way, does anyone know why that juice shop next to the cabbage rice place isn’t open? But the glass display case is still sitting there in the back… I really miss how after eating at Yan San Night Market, I used to grab a cup of honey-flavored avocado milk on the way back.

Cabbage Rice. Authentic Pork Rib Soup
No. 2, Lane 17, Section 3, Yanping North Road, Datong District, Taipei City
Business hours: 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM (Closed Mondays)

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