金峰魯肉飯 — Restaurant in Zhongzheng District

Let me set the scene.

You just finished basking in the historical glory of Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial. You’ve contemplated democracy, history, and the fact that your stomach is now doing the Macarena out of hunger. And then you remember — Jin Feng is literally next door, and it’s been hyped up as THE place for braised pork rice in Taipei. Legends have been written. YouTube videos filmed. Instagram reels edited to lo-fi beats. Naturally, I had to investigate.

So I strut in, belly-first, find a seat, and scan a QR code like the tech-savvy millennial I pretend to be. Menu’s simple. No fuss. No overthinking. I order:

One tea egg (because 15 NTD Let’s not be shy, ~$.045 USD).

One braised pork and mushroom dry noodle (because I believe in carbs and culinary diversity). (~$1.80 USD)

One stewed pork rice with veggies (the main event, the Beyoncé of the plate) (~$2.10 USD).

The food arrives in minutes. I'm impressed. Like, “Did someone already know what I wanted and start cooking it telepathically?” kind of impressed.

The pork rice, moist but not drenched. Tender but not dramatic. Flavorful but not explosive. Like it had a long day and is doing its best. It whispered comfort, not fireworks — more “warm hug from your aunt” than “K-pop concert.”

The noodles, they were fine. Just fine. Needed more fatty love to really get me going. Maybe a little pork belly oil to gloss things up. We’re not here for healthy, okay?

The tea egg, was an egg. You know how tea eggs are. They show up, do their job, and quietly exit. Reliable side character energy.

Now here’s the real deal: ✨ Open ‘til 1AM. ✨ Located smack dab next to one of Taipei’s most iconic landmarks. ✨ Quick service, easy ordering, low price.

Would I return? Honestly, yes. Not because the food made me ascend to a higher plane of pork-induced enlightenment, but because this is the perfect no-fuss, quick-fix spot that satisfies your late-night lu rou fan craving without making you feel like you got catfished by the hype.

In conclusion: Come with reasonable expectations. Don’t expect life-changing pork. Expect good food at great prices, served faster than you can pronounce “lu rou fan” properly.

3.75 stars, rounding up for nostalgia, convenience, and midnight piggy...

Note: there is an English menu.

Another foodie experience that you don’t want to miss in Taipei. If you want to avoid the lines, do yourself a favour and drag yourself out of bed to get here right as they open the doors. Also, the CKS memorial hall is right next door and it’s a beautiful place to explore and burn off the calories after.

We did not regret losing a bit of sleep to get here at 8AM and enjoy their menu without having to wait in line or feeling rushed about enjoying the food.

My experience with Taiwanese food is that it may not look as visually exciting as other cuisines but the flavours are hidden waiting to be unlocked by your mouth. It’s food that makes you feel at home.

The restaurant inside is pretty simple with tables and chairs that look well worn over the years. It looked like a typical Asian street side restaurant and that okay! Everything you need to know is gonna be in the food.

We wanted to try everything on this menu but scaled back our ambitions for 8AM. We did settle on the following as our breakfast meal of the day:

braised pork with rice (famous staple dish of the place) braised pork belly with rice (use your chopsticks to tap it and watch it jiggle) ginseng chicken soup (energizes the body & soul) slow-steeped tea egg (subtle tea leave flavours with the dense yolk) pickled veggies (some needed crunch and body to the rich sauces)

We essentially had our own little breakfast buffet with chopsticks flying between the different dishes. It sounded like a very heavy breakfast, in fact it WAS a very heavy breakfast. That’s why the slow walk in and around CKS memorial hall is so key to making this a balanced meal.

Make the extra effort to go early and you won’t regret...

I have tried so many Lu Rou Fan in taipei/Taiwan and I have to say this is my personal best. This would be my recommendation and my "must visit" shop whenever in Taipei. I managed to reach this place slightly close to 12 noon and thankfully the queue wasn't long, there were more people collecting deliveries than wanting to dine in the shop. Was given a table and seat within 5 minutes, was very hungry and quickly took my order with the order slip. The preparation was very systematic and food was served very promptly. I have always wondered why the colour of the gravy looks so light but the flavour packs a punch. The meat is so soft it can melt in your mouth and it has the right amount of fats that you don't feel too sick or sinful eating it. The gravy was quite generous you can feel that almost every grain of rice is coated with the gravy. One small bowl of Lu Rou Fan is good enough to live your mood. Tofu was pretty good, nicely fried and then some gravy sauce added to it. The clam chicken soup was delicious though I hope they could be stronger in the flavours. Not sure if this is the standard of the locals or I am too used to strong flavours. All in all 3 dishes for 120 TWD. I got nothing to say but I just have to recommend this place. As I was about to leave close to 1240pm the crowds started to form. Thank god I was a...