✨ AI Dining Notes
Run by Lü Wenyong, 喫飯食堂 (Chi Fan Shi Tang) on Yongkang Street brings Yilan and Taiwanese banquet dishes down to home-style portions that two or three people can order. Its signature Pan-Fried Pork Liver, Fengrou Braised Pork Belly and braised fish keep Taiwanese cooking's sweet-savory, rice-friendly character, while wooden tables, murals and nostalgic details set the mood for gathering. The smaller portions matter: you need not assemble ten people, and even two can have a banquet-like combination. For introducing Taiwanese flavors to overseas friends, this offers a fuller experience than a single bowl of street food.
Chi Fan Shi Tang offers banquet dishes in small and medium portions to suit the group. Alongside the mains, lard rice and sesame-oil thin noodles help gather up the sauces. Flavors tend toward sweet-salty richness and fragrant oil, making rice disappear quickly. Alternate several dishes with vegetables or soup, or the whole table may tire of starch and sauce in the second half.
● Signature Pan-Fried Pork Liver
The signature Pan-Fried Pork Liver uses tender liver that is marinated, fried, then quickly stir-fried. A caramel-colored sweet-savory sauce coats the outside. The first bite brings a thin crispness and wok aroma; inside, it stays delicately tender rather than dry or hard, without a pronounced off smell. The sauce is excellent with rice: a little spooned over it invites several more mouthfuls. But it is strongly flavored, so share while hot. Doneness is the life of this dish. I suggest eating it first instead of making it wait until tenderness turns to exhaustion.
● Fengrou Braised Pork Belly
Fengrou Braised Pork Belly is slowly simmered until its surface shines. The fat melts quickly in the mouth, while the lean remains soft and moist. Its sauce has the sweet-salty balance familiar from old Taiwanese cooking. A small piece with rice is satisfying, but several in a row let the fat catch up with you. This dish was never meant to pretend to be light. Share a bowl and add vegetables or clear soup to enjoy the slow cooking without giving your body fat a reason to applaud.
● Red-Braised Sea Bass
Red-Braised Sea Bass is pan-fried before braising, giving fragrant skin while keeping the flesh tender. Shredded ginger, scallions and chili add aromatic heat to the sauce; its slightly sweet base works well with rice. Red-braising does cover some of the fish's original sweetness, but gains a complete rice-friendly character. Fans of plain steamed fish may find it heavy; those who like rich Taiwanese cooking will be comfortable. Watch for fine bones as you pick up the fish. However lively the conversation, do not leave safety to chance.
● Lard Rice and Sesame-Oil Thin Noodles
Hot rice releases the lard's aroma, offering the direct satisfaction of a time when ingredients were simple. Sesame-oil thin noodles bring a mellow oil fragrance and smooth strands that catch the table's sauces. Each staple has its own photo and personality. Putting them in one paragraph is a useful reminder not to order both automatically: after Pan-Fried Pork Liver and Fengrou Braised Pork Belly, adding both rice and noodles may make your stomach leave the gathering before everyone else. Choose one according to the number of diners; that is usually enough.
For two or three people, choose two of Pan-Fried Pork Liver, Fengrou Braised Pork Belly and Red-Braised Sea Bass, then add one staple and vegetables. Eat the liver hot and first, and do not bring out every staple together. To see the day's ingredients, use the refrigerated display and staff advice to adjust your choices.
- Location:台北市大安區永康街8巷5號, near Yongkang Park, about a 3-minute walk from exit 5 at Dongmen (東門站).
- Type:Yilan flavors, Taiwanese cuisine, smaller banquet dishes and family dining.
- Highlights:Lü Wenyong scales intricate banquet dishes down for smaller groups, with Pan-Fried Pork Liver as a representative dish.
- Suited to:Two to four people sharing Taiwanese food, family gatherings, or introducing out-of-town friends to home-style banquet flavors.
📌 Editor's Take
Chi Fan Shi Tang's real consideration is letting a small group enjoy a full Taiwanese spread. Signature Pan-Fried Pork Liver is crisp outside and tender within, Fengrou Braised Pork Belly slowly absorbs flavor, and Red-Braised Sea Bass suits rice. Lard rice or sesame-oil thin noodles gather up the remaining sauce. The flavors can feel heavy in succession; leaving some breathing room in your order helps you appreciate the cooking. Yongkang Street has many restaurants. This one relies on the skill of turning banquet memories into everyday portions rather than flashy gimmicks.
