天天利美食坊 — Restaurant in Wanhua District

A long queue can either be a sign of a tourist trap or a hidden gem. Sometimes, it is both, and in this case, the latter proved to be true. I recently visited a bustling eatery that had a line snaking down the street, and my skepticism was quickly replaced with a delicious surprise. This spot is a quintessential "eat and go" establishment, designed for efficiency and a quick, satisfying meal.

Atmosphere and Setting From the outside, the long queue might seem intimidating, but the line moves with surprising speed, a testament to the stall's well-oiled operation. The interior is straightforward and no-frills, a place where the focus is strictly on the food, not the ambiance. The air is filled with the sizzle of woks and the savory aroma of braised meat, setting the stage for a satisfying meal. It is a no-fuss kind of place where you can grab a stool, eat, and be on your way, a perfect pit stop for a hungry traveler or a local on a lunch break.

Food and Drinks My culinary journey began with the oyster omelette, a classic dish that promised much. It had a deliciously gooey center, a testament to a perfectly cooked egg. While it was certainly good, it did not quite reach the heights of a standout dish. It was a reliable, comforting bite, but it was overshadowed by what came next.

The fried meat rice was a far more memorable experience. The serving was generous, and each grain of rice was coated in a rich, savory sauce. The dish had a satisfying texture and a depth of flavor that lingered long after the last bite. It was a more compelling dish than the omelette and a perfect example of humble ingredients coming together to create something truly special.

I also tried the radish cake, which was delightfully soft and almost melted in my mouth. It shared the same savory sauce as the oyster omelette, creating a cohesive flavor profile that tied the meal together. It was a simple yet effective side dish that complemented the other items perfectly.

However, the undisputed champion of the meal was the minced/braised pork rice with an egg (lǔ ròu fàn + hédānbāo). I've had countless versions of this dish, but this one was in a league of its own. The pork was tender and flavorful, braised to perfection. The luscious sauce cascaded over a bed of fluffy rice, creating a symphony of textures and tastes. The addition of a perfectly cooked egg with a runny yolk elevated the dish to new heights, making it the best rendition of lǔ ròu fàn I have ever tasted. Other items on the menu may be decent, but this dish is truly a must-order.

Service and Value Despite the long queue, the service was exceptionally quick and efficient. The staff worked tirelessly, serving customers with a sense of purpose and speed that kept the line moving. The price point is more than fair for the quality and portion size of the food. It is a great value, especially when you consider the quality of the signature dishes. Waiting 15 to 20 minutes for this experience is absolutely worth it. However, if the wait stretches to an hour, it might be better to seek out another spot, as the experience might not justify such a long wait.

Verdict Overall, this is a place I would highly recommend, but with a caveat: you have to go for the minced/braised pork rice. It is a life-changing dish that stands head and shoulders above everything else on the menu. While the other items are decent, the lǔ ròu fàn is the main attraction and the reason to brave the queue. It is an ideal spot for anyone who loves a quick, satisfying, and flavorful meal and does not mind a bit of a wait. This eatery proves that sometimes the best things in life are found in the most...

A no glam no frills Taiwanese street restaurant featuring Taiwanese oyster omelettes, pan fried radish cakes and braised pork rice/noodles, which is exactly what I got. Ratings have been adapted to price point.

The lineup for the first sitting was about 80% full at 10:15AM (opens 10:30) on a Friday before opening. If you get takeaway, which I will be doing in the future, you don't need to lineup at all when they open, and even those who ordered takeaway by the time I left didn't need to line up.

Given their popularity, you get given the menu while waiting in line about 5min before they start letting people in. They do have menus in a few other languages like English and Korean but I would look up what you want before arriving.

When it's your turn, you pay for your order before being ushered in quickly and told where exactly to sit. If you take too long getting your money out, picking out coins one by one, the service lady will let the next group through, but honestly I don't blame her for doing that. For those not "use to" this type of service it may feel a little crass that a lady with a slightly elevated voice is commanding you where to sit, but trust me it's nothing personal, they're just trying to run the operation smoothly and reduce waiting times for others. She was actually quite nice when I thanked her for the meal later. You're getting great food for dirt cheap, so if you're going to complain about "poor service" these types of places are not for you.

The sitting area is quite worn. There's a large AC blasting from the back so it's not stuffy. There is not a lot of room so travel light if you want to dine in. Service is very fast and I think I was done in 20-30min.

The braised pork noodles were nice, but probably not worth part of the hype. It was clean tasting with no excessive grease, just felt it could be a tad more fragrant and saucier with chunkier pieces. But if you prefer a more toned down braised pork sauce this would be quite nice and I'd get rice next time.

The oyster omelette was very nicely cooked with the oysters and veggie fresh, and the base not overly gelatinous as some make the mistake of. There were probably less oysters than I expected. I would rather pay more and have more there which would make it even nicer, but it's still nice as is. The tomato based sweet and sour sauce is what differentiates this place to others and ties the ingredients together into a well made classical Taiwanese dish.

The radish cake was really nice. Not overly greasy at all, nice crispy skin, with a clean and fresh tasting centre. It's topped with a garlic oyster/soy sauce on one side, and their sweet and sour sauce on the other. I actually probably enjoyed this the most.

Overall great value for money and I would definitely return again for the radish cake and oyster omelette...

Saw this place recommended by a Taiwanese vlogger and also had friends recommend it, so we gave it a try. When we arrived around 18:00PM, there was a queue outside waiting to order for both takeout as well as getting seated to dine-in. Given how busy they were, the wait for takeout was quite fast—we got our food about 10 minutes from placing our order. The Braised Pork Rice with Egg was pretty good; the meat was more lean than fat, but still maintain that richness that this dish should have. One of our friends that doesn’t typically like this dish had a bite and actually liked it. I had it with their chili sauce which was really nice, although chili sauce isn’t usually paired with it; recommend it to those who like spicy food. Their signature dish is the Oyster Omelette, another traditional Taiwanese dish. However, because none of us likes oysters, we asked the employees if it could be changed to cuttlefish (since they have Cuttlefish Broth dishes), and to our delight they said it was possible. By the way, the Cuttlefish Omelette was 10TWD more than the oyster one. As someone who doesn’t particularly gravitates towards this dish, I found it okay, the portion was quite large; we all ended up finishing it. The price for these traditional dishes are a bit higher from what I have gathered compared to what most locals would go for—maybe it’s inflation at play or because it is located in a touristic spot catering to many foreigners. Still, worth giving it a try if you are in the area and crave for something...