Keelung Miaokou Night Market Cheat Sheet: Barramundi Soup, Oyster Omelet, and Braised Pork Rice

Text & Photos /San Gao Chi Han

I heard a local say that the best food in Keelung isn’t at Miaokou Night Market (very subjective...), but as a die-hard tourist who hasn’t been here in years, I had to come check it out Up~ A few years back, on my Jiufen Old Street + Miaokou Night Market gluttonous trip, I hit 14 stalls. Now that I’m a bit older, I only managed 8 that night—my eating stamina has definitely declined~

It was drizzling this afternoon, so the night market crowd might’ve been slightly lighter than usual. Unlike my last visit when it was packed to the brim, if I hadn’t just eaten the pig’s large intestine rolls on Xiaosan Road earlier, I would’ve tried the ones at Stall #2 near the entrance too~

Stall #8’s swordfish rice and fresh fish soup is said to be an old-school stall, not as eye-catching among the many vendors. Their signature swordfish rice is made by first stir-frying then stewing the swordfish belly. Sitting at the stall, you can see the small pot of swordfish belly being scooped out and placed on rice, then drizzled with some sauce—it sounds quite tasty.

But I still had braised pork rice and oil rice to look forward to, so after some internal struggle, I skipped the swordfish rice and just ordered a clear fresh fish soup and a few small side dishes. The 200 NT barramundi soup had firm, springy fish, seasoned simply. On a cool day, it was pretty satisfying.

The boss’s stir-fried kidney was better than expected. My friend J, who loves this dish, often gets disappointed when we eat out, but this time it was a win.

The shrimp omelet and stir-fried greens were small portions but cheap, and the shrimp in the omelet didn’t taste bad.

A short walk away is the mid-section’s charcoal-grilled oyster omelet. An oyster omelet cooked on an iron plate over charcoal seems rare. I sat down and had one. At 60 NT these days... the price is about the same even in southern cities like Tainan and Kaohsiung.

Perhaps due to the stronger charcoal heat, the batter was firmer and held together well—the texture was good. Topped with sweet chili sauce and garlic soy sauce, though the soy sauce was a bit overly salty. I’d have preferred just the sweet chili sauce.

Across from it is Stall #31, the quite famous Tian Yi Xiang Meatball Soup, but I heard there’s some connection between them and Stall #29 next door. The two have history, and many locals come here for Stall #29, or get takeout.

I decided to try this one. Seated next to me was a guy who seemed like a regular—he quietly ate and paid, and the boss was also pretty cool, not saying much. It formed a kind of unspoken understanding, which felt a bit special.

I haven’t had this kind of braised pork rice in a while. When I used to live in Taipei, I ate it more often—small bits of fat and lean mixed together, with some sauce moisture, giving a smoother texture. The closest I can think of in Taipei are Shuang Pangzi and Man Ting Xiang in Datong. The flavors are different, but Stall #29’s version had strong scents of fried shallots, pepper, and other spices, with a heavy sweet-salty taste. The first bite instantly whet my appetite.

However, the bowl of white rice was a bit wet and sticky, which slightly brought it down. If the rice had been cooked just right, even if the sauce seeped more into the bottom, it probably wouldn’t have been bad. The meatball soup wasn’t really to my taste—the broth was too bland.

Keelung Miaokou Night Market

Business Hours: Divided into morning and night shifts, with some stalls open 24 hours
1. Morning shift varies by stall, operating from 05:00 to 04:00 the next day
2. Night shift varies by stall, operating from 19:00 to 08:00 the next day

Savoring Taiwan’s delights, one bite at a time.
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