When in Taipei, you gotta eat Taiwanese Pork Chop Rice! During my recent trip there, I checked out several places that specialize in this dish. Now that my appetite has begun to pick up, I ended up eating Taiwanese Pork Chop Rice (TPR) in Taipei five days straight. Heh!
Taiwanese Pork Chop Rice in Taipei is a set meal of one piece of deep fried pork chop, a serving of rice, assorted vegetables toppings, and a small bowl of clear soup on the side. Braised cabbage is standard topping, as well as sour mustard green and pickles.
What I love about TPR is how the pork cutlet has been marinated overnight with herbs and spices, then dusted with seasoned sweet potato flour before being deep fried. The result is a juicy and flavorful pork chop with a fragrant crispy coat. I’m familiar with the basic Taiwanese Pork Chop Rice recipe and have made it at home before, yet the pork chops never came out as juicy in the inside as the ones I’ve had at restaurants. I always say pork is tricky as it gets dried out quickly.
Interestingly I found out that in Taipei, the pork chop which is deep fried per order is served separately on its own plate. Unlike what I was used to in NYC, when the pork chop is lying on top of the rice. This slight difference ensures that the pork chop remains crispy and always piping hot with steam escaping from the first few bites. Out of habit, I ask for a soy sauce-braised egg as additional side; this is extra and not part of the default set meal when in Taiwan.
Day 1: 君悅排骨
台北市信義區忠孝東路5段135號 (MAP)
NT$160 for a set
Initially I enjoyed the pork chop here a lot as it was crispy and very flavorful. It exceeded my expectations and definitely better than what I frequently ate back in NYC (ie. 66 Lu’s Seafood in Flushing; my fellow Asian American NYkers would agree that it’s the place to go for good TPR).
Both the seasoning and the marinade here had oomph. The cut of meat is somewhat thin so even though the first initial bites were juicy, towards the end the meat became meh and dried out.
I wasn’t impressed by the veggie fixings over the rice. They were too strongly flavored and competed with the pork chop. Nor did I find the clear soup in this set spectacular so I didn’t finish either.
Day 2: 東一排骨
台北市中正區延平南路61號2樓 (MAP)
NT$140 for a set
Thanks to a recommendation that a friend sent me on my Instagram, I visited this restaurant the next day. ZOMG I was blown away by how exceptionally delicious everything was! From the pork chop to the rice to the soup, I greedily polished everything off my plate and bowl.
To start with, the pork chop was a thicker cut yet it was tender. The crispy coat was airy and light, and gave off a melodious soft crunch when I took a bite. The cut of the pork loin itself was seasoned just right, not too salty and had a sweetness from the meat’s natural juices.
The veggie toppings over the rice were also made very well, they complemented the pork chop nicely. I found the entire combination to be balanced in flavors. Rather than competing with one another, every element created a harmonious experience. I appreciated this tremendously and it made the meal very memorable.
The soup du jour was really comforting too… paper-thin slices of soft bamboo shoots, crunchy white fungus, and slivers of ginger in broth. This entire set was a well-executed orchestra of textures and delicate flavors. Extremely delicious.
Side order of braised tofu and egg.
Day 3: 一級排骨
台北市萬華區成都路27巷13號B1 (MAP)
NT$100 for a set
By this time, I became very gung-ho and eager to discover more Taiwanese Pork Chop Rice goodness in Taipei. Through yet another recommendation, I came to this place. Perhaps the awesome memory of TPR from the day before was still lingering in my mind, so I was sorely disappointed at the food here.
Even though the set meal here was the cheapest in comparison to previous, I took a bite of the porkchop and immediately balked.
Dry. Dry. Dry!!! :”( The porkchop was stringy and tough. It was not very flavorful either. Probably not a good cut of meat. Heck, I could have made a better version of this Taiwanese Pork Chop Rice in my own kitchen.
Even the veggies over the rice were underwhelming. The soup was bland clear broth with one chunk of radish, aiyoh. Seriously, this felt like a hurried effort of mass production in the kitchen.
I decided not to finish my meal and saved stomach space for something else elsewhere.
Day 4:
Returned to 東一排骨 again. Yep, still as delicious. Again inhaled everything and left no traces behind. This was definitely a place I’d revisit over and over.
Day 5: 金滿園排骨
台北市萬華區武昌街二段82巷3弄1號 (MAP)
NT$110 for a set
My friend messaged me from NYC and urged me to go try 金滿園排骨. I googled and found out it’s a 40-year old family business specializing in TPR. Clearly this Taiwanese Pork Chop Rice restaurant has established cred in Taipei. I went to try and was happy it did not let me down.
The pork chop met my expectations. All these boxes were checked: crispiness, juiciness, tenderness. Flavor-wise, not too bad. I’d say it is fairly on par with what I’ve had many times in NYC before. The rice and soup were basic though. Nonetheless I finished the set and left with a contented belly.
In conclusion, after eating Taiwanese Pork Chop at different places in Taipei, we’ve got a distinct winner. Everyone has their own criteria as to what defines good food. For me it’d be: What’s most memorable and where will I most likely to return again and again to? Obviously it’s 東一排骨 for me. It has reset the bar of Taiwanese Pork Chop Rice for me and in Taipei, it’s most definitely the BEST I’ve had so far.
I know I am repeating myself… everything at 東一排骨 really tasted as if they were prepared and cooked with extreme care. From the star item – the deep fried pork chop, to the supporting cast in the set meal, every component was so enjoyable to eat! Highly recommended if you are visiting Taipei.
I will try out more places when I go to Taipei again ~~~ 排骨女王就是我啦!!! :9 Other suggestions are welcome, of course. I will never say no to Taiwanese Pork Chop Rice in Taipei or anywhere in Taiwan.
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