What a kind-hearted boss—extra meat sauce and soup are all free of charge. Pingtung pork belly rice & Happy Soup

Text & Photos /Shadow

Lately, we’ve been returning to Pingtung frequently, and every time we come back, we must stop by Dapu to grab our favorite tapioca ball ice to satisfy our cravings. There are quite a few street snacks around Dapu, and after passing by this area several times, we discovered this fairly large pork belly rice shop, which piqued our curiosity and made us decide to give it a try.

The owner used to run a shrimp fishing pond business in his younger years. At his peak, he had three shops in Pingtung City and even introduced stir-fried dishes to the shrimp ponds. Later, when the economy took a downturn, he closed the shops. A few years ago, he started selling pork belly rice. Relying on high-quality ingredients and the “Happy Soup” that customers kept raving about through word of mouth, the shop gained popularity. Since then, the shop has moved from Bo’ai Road to Xinyi Road, and recently relocated again to its current corner spot on Bo’ai Road. Each move brought a larger space, and after being featured on the food show “Street Food Fighter,” the place has been bustling with customers—it’s the most popular pork belly rice in Pingtung.

If lean meat were used to make the pork belly sauce, prolonged cooking would definitely make it tough. That’s why the shop uses fatty meat instead. After removing excess oil through braising, the collagen is fully extracted. After six hours of braising, it’s rich but not greasy, bursting with savory flavors.

The side dishes here cost 30 NT each and seem very popular with customers—almost every table orders one or two plates.

The sauces are also placed nearby for customers to help themselves.

Prices in Pingtung are really affordable—a bowl of pork belly rice is just 20 NT, and Happy Soup is only 70 NT. For less than 100 NT, you can enjoy a hearty and satisfying meal.

The shop operates on a self-service dining system. Pink slips are for dine-in orders—fill them out and hand them to the staff to order and pay. Takeout orders use yellow slips, and you also order and pay at the counter.

Marinated eggs for 10 NT and fried tofu for 10 NT—whether marinated eggs or tofu, they’re flavorful and juicy, complementing the pork belly rice perfectly with their savory taste.

The sour-savory dried bamboo shoots are enhanced with fried shallots, offering a classic delicious flavor.

Happy Soup – 70 NT

When we saw how huge the portion of Happy Soup was, we were shocked and instantly understood why it’s called “Happy Soup.” This bowl is so big it could easily feed two people. The shop uses fresh milkfish bones to make the broth every day, with no MSG added—all you taste is the pure umami of the fish. And yes, extra soup is free.

Just look at the size of the Happy Soup—compare it to the pork belly rice. It’s a truly generous bowl, big enough to be shared by two.

Seafood Porridge – 80 NT

We didn’t realize how big the Happy Soup was and naively ordered a bowl of seafood porridge as well—the portion was even larger than the Happy Soup. The ingredients are the same, except this one comes with rice. In addition to milkfish, there are fish balls, fish skin, clams, and squid. The boss really goes all out—it’s such great value for money.

The boss is incredibly generous—extra pork belly sauce and soup are both free. He’d rather customers leave full, even if it means a little less profit.

In an era of rising prices, you can’t find another place where you can enjoy a hearty milkfish meat soup for under 100 NT. The owner’s wife must be a warm and welcoming person, often giving out extra meatballs to customers. Dining here, aside from the delicious food, the heartfelt service and customer care make you feel truly pampered. Next time we’re back in Pingtung, we’ll definitely come back for another taste of the heartwarming Happy Soup—and we highly recommend it to friends.

Pingtung Zhan Ji Pork Belly Rice & Happy Soup
Address: No. 26, Bo’ai Rd., Pingtung City
Phone: 08-7322190
Business Hours: 10:00–14:00, 17:00–20:00
Closed on Mondays

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