A Wei Burmese Snacks

Review

A Wei Burmese Snacks is on Huaxin Street in Zhonghe, the strip known as 'Burma Street'. Within walking distance of Nanshijiao MRT Station, the street is lined with snack shops, milk tea stalls and grocers run by Chinese-Burmese families. Mirror Media and several neighborhood guides list A Wei as a must-eat; the owner is from Myanmar and has lived in Taiwan for more than 20 years, and the shop is run by a small team of women.

The signature fish soup noodles use a broth of grass carp and tilapia with thin rice noodles, flecked with fish and savory with fish sauce and spices. Diners recommend adding a fried split pea fritter, whose crunchy, nutty flavor suits the broth. Golden Mountain noodles are curry chicken noodles, milder than Indian curry, and there is also a coconut noodle soup. Both signatures cost NT$80 a bowl, and portions are on the small side.

Praise centers on authenticity, low prices and a rich fish broth, and many Southeast Asians living in Taiwan say it cures homesickness; there is often a line out front. Critics say the coconut noodle broth is thin and the portion small, and some Taiwanese diners unfamiliar with Burmese food dislike the fish sauce flavor or find the Golden Mountain noodles too soft.

According to Mirror Media, it opens around 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. and closes Wednesdays; sources differ slightly on opening time, so a morning visit is safest. The shop is small with limited seating, and reports suggest avoiding the noon rush. Diners mention two seating areas, front and back, so if the back line is long, ask at the front. Huaxin Street is mainly a morning and lunch market, and most shops close by 3 or 4 p.m.

It suits anyone curious about Burmese breakfast or wanting a bowl of noodles while exploring Burma Street. First-timers should order fish soup noodles with a split pea fritter, then try Golden Mountain noodles to compare styles. If fish flavors are new to you, start with the coconut or Golden Mountain noodles. Afterwards, stroll the street for Burmese milk tea or Indian flatbread.