Amei Mushroom Cabbage Rice

Review

Zheng Lao Dian Amei Mushroom Cabbage Rice sits on Douyuan Road right in front of Beidou's Dian'an Temple, in a weathered old house. Supertaste lists it among Beidou's top three cabbage rice shops, and many locals have eaten here since childhood. One report explains that the dish began as humble home cooking in hard farming times and only later grew into a family business. Smile Taiwan noticed posters on the wall from singing contests entered by the owner, Sister Amei, describing her as holding a spatula in one hand and a microphone in the other.

The signature cabbage rice is cabbage braised until very soft with shiitake mushrooms and minced pork sauce, so every grain soaks up the gravy, and it is topped with a slice of tender, springy braised pork skin, a pairing rarely seen at other cabbage rice shops. The tube sticky rice comes with braised lima beans and pork; reports say it needs no extra sauce, and the beans add a creamy bite and a nutty aroma. The dried long-bean and pork rib soup is made by blanching and sun-drying long beans, then simmering them with ribs and garlic, and is described as a rare taste of the old countryside. The shiitake pork thick soup is another common order.

Media mostly praise the deep braised aroma and old-fashioned flavor, and one report says it may change how you think about ordinary cabbage rice. Some diners, however, find the staff blunt, so ask how ordering and paying work before you sit down to eat. The old house is plain and simple, not a place for decor. None of the main reports list prices, so check on site.

It runs roughly from early morning to 7:30 pm, but sources disagree on the opening time (6 am or 7 am), and it is closed on Thursdays, so confirm before you go. Customers keep arriving even after mealtimes, and weekends and Mazu pilgrimage days bring more visitors. Sources give no parking information; park nearby and walk.

It suits anyone visiting Dian'an Temple or Beidou's meatball street who wants an old-fashioned bite on the way. First time, order the cabbage rice with a bowl of long-bean rib soup, and add tube sticky rice or the shiitake pork soup if you are hungry.