What does a 14-TWD potsticker taste like? Taipei’s 50-year-old legendary dumpling house

Text and photos byKobato Yumemiru Net

Dumplings are one of my favorite snacks, and Evergreen is quite a well-known old shop in Taipei. Overall, it’s about as famous as Dongmen Dumpling House. Of course, I’m referring to its reputation among Japanese tourists. It’s also an old shop I’ve always, always, always wanted to visit but never got around to trying. That day happened to be a certain elder sister’s birthday, and we just so happened to have made plans to eat here.

Evergreen Dumpling House was founded in 1958, which adds up to over 50 years of history. When it comes to old-school dumpling shops in Taipei, not many can compete.

The decor inside has an indescribable old-timey vibe. Interestingly, the lighting isn’t red or yellow, but rather has a rare hint of green. Business on Saturday afternoon was pretty brisk.

Many tourists came dragging their luggage for a pilgrimage, like this pair of visitors from Japan. The younger sister even exclaimed while eating, “So delicious!”

There are quite a few artistic photos on the walls, which is rather unique.

The chili sauce on the table is pretty tasty, with a familiar salty-spicy kick that hits the spot.

The prices are generally on the higher side—not exactly cheap, at least not visually speaking XD.

I couldn’t find this dish on the menu at all—it must be a secret menu item? The beef seemed to be braised, and the flavor reminded me a bit of the aroma of pig’s head skin from my childhood—pretty good. The beef looks dry but actually isn’t when you chew it. Paired with chopped scallions, garlic, cilantro, and chili on top, it’s a cold dish, a drinking dish, and an appetizer.

Stir-fried shredded pork is a classic dish from my childhood dining table. This version doesn’t have too much soy sauce color or strong flavor, so it’s not overly salty either. Though it’s called stir-fried, it feels more like it’s been lightly deep-fried. The meat is tender and slightly smooth, with a base of Chinese broccoli underneath, somewhat similar to the technique used in stir-fried beef.

Corn and shredded chicken is a home-style dish I haven’t had in ages—it brought back nostalgic taste memories. The shredded chicken is cooked just right, the corn is soft but still juicy, and the seasoning is simpler than expected, with the natural sweetness of the corn taking center stage.

These cashew shrimp are excellent—glossy-looking and fragrant with oil, perfectly crispy, with sweet and fresh shrimp. The green bell peppers add a pop of green and a different flavor profile, which I really liked.

Stir-fried greens for 100 TWD—on that day they used water spinach, stir-fried light and fresh with a hint of garlic, quite tasty.

I forgot to take a picture of the plain dumplings, but the texture is actually quite similar—the wrappers are slightly chewy with a good bite and quite firm. The green ones are made with spinach, but honestly, you can’t really taste any “vegetable” flavor XD.

The filling has a lot of juice—the sweetness of the greens and the meat balance each other out. I don’t know why, but I found these dumplings (the flavored ones) much tastier than the regular (plain) ones. PS: Dumplings must be ordered in sets of ten at minimum.

Next up is Evergreen’s most formidable contender—the “potstickers.” They’re called potstickers, but they feel a bit like fried dumplings. Out of curiosity, I asked and was told they’re pan-fried slowly using peanut oil—a cooking fat that’s actually pretty rare these days. Golden potstickers at 14 TWD each, and you have to order at least 20 because apparently the frying process is a bit labor-intensive.

These potstickers have a crispness that’s better than I expected—the flaky crust, the chewiness, and the aroma of the dough are all satisfying. Just the wrapper alone is delicious.

The filling, paired with the flaky fried dumpling wrapper, tastes a lot like a potsticker, with a stronger leek flavor and firmer-textured meat.

Evergreen’s hot and sour soup has the usual pepper aroma and spice, but it also has a slightly softer sourness from tomatoes—it’s quite tasty.

Funny enough, compared to the dumplings and potstickers, I actually prefer Evergreen’s fried pork chops. The crust is lightly crispy, the taste has a likable sweet-oily note, and the meat is tender with a faintly sweet flavor reminiscent of old-school fried pork cutlets. It’s that kind of nostalgic fried pork chop flavor—I love it.

Evergreen Dumpling House
Address: No. 1-4, Lane 183, Section 2, Zhongshan N. Rd., Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Phone: 02 2596 4072
Business hours: 11:00 AM–2:00 PM, 5:00 PM–8:30 PM

"Kobato Yumemiru Net
If “eating” is just about filling your stomach, then “food” is far too boring~~~

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