Dongxingshi Lurouyi

Review

Dongxingshi Lurouyi started as a stall inside Dongxing Market in Taichung's North District, where the original stall has been running for nearly 40 years, and later opened a shop at No. 88, Section 4, Hankou Road. It is the best known of the shops sharing the name, and its sign also reads Dongxingshi Lurou Company. Open from midday through to dawn, it has been called by one media outlet one of Taichung's very best braised pork rice spots, and it is a familiar late-night haunt for night owls.

The braising liquid includes red fermented rice, giving it a reddish colour, a distinctive aroma and a noticeable sweetness. Braised pork belly rice costs about NT$80, and you can ask staff to choose fattier or leaner cuts; the lean meat is not dry, the skin-on part melts in the mouth with no gaminess, and there is minced pork under the rice. The braised pork bento is about NT$100 with braised cabbage, bamboo shoots and tofu puffs. Minced pork rice is about NT$50; it looks oily but tastes rich rather than greasy. One blogger prefers the pork knuckle to the pork belly, and the salted mustard and tripe soup is generously filled. The summer-only jute leaf soup is about NT$45, with small dried fish, smooth with a slightly bitter finish; refreshing in the heat, but not to everyone's taste.

Most diners and media praise the fragrant, sweet sauce and tender meat. The self-serve pickled mustard greens at the counter are mildly sweet rather than salty, the fermented black bean chili is great with rice, and editors recommend pairing your bowl with the free pickles and chili. Differing views include that the sweet red-rice sauce does not suit every palate, and some long-time customers feel it is still good but no longer their number one. The setting draws the most complaints: there is no air conditioning indoors, it gets stuffy in summer, and seats are limited, so many people sit outside.

Sources disagree on closing time and days off: some say it closes at 4am, others 5am, and the weekly closure is given as either Sunday or Monday; media also note that temporary closures are posted on the door, so check before you go. The late-night crowd is heavy, so avoid the peak around midnight if you can.

It suits night owls craving a bowl of sweet-style braised pork rice late at night, or anyone who enjoys red fermented rice flavours. First-timers should order braised pork belly rice with half fat and half lean, add a salted mustard and tripe soup, and help themselves to pickles and black bean chili at the counter; in summer try the jute leaf soup, and add pork knuckle if you want to sample more.