Halal En De Yuan Dumpling House

Review

Halal En De Yuan Dumpling House stands at the corner of Wenxin Road Sec. 1 and Datun 5th Street in Nantun, about a two-minute walk from MRT Nantun Station. The name says dumplings, but most people come for the beef hotpot — bloggers jokingly call it a hotpot restaurant held back by its dumplings. As a halal restaurant it serves no pork, and there is a lamb hotpot alongside the beef.

The beef hotpot is heated in a traditional chimney-style charcoal pot with a water bath. It arrives with beef chunks and beef balls practically spilling over the rim, plus frozen tofu, napa cabbage and wide glass noodles underneath, and a big bowl of beef broth to top it up. Reviews describe thick beef chunks mixing lean, fatty and tendon pieces, braised until they melt in the mouth; the beef balls are blended with scallion, soft, bouncy and juicy rather than starchy; the tofu and noodles soak up the broth. A 2024 report lists the small at NT$1,050, medium at NT$1,250 and large at NT$1,500, sized for sharing. The yellow-cattle beef dumplings are NT$8.5 each with a ten-piece minimum: beef mixed with scallion in a thin skin that holds together, with no gamey taste. Frozen dumplings are also sold.

Most reviews praise the generous ingredients and tender beef, with a broth mellow enough to sip on its own. Others find the overall flavor light, so those who like bold tastes should lean on the house dipping sauce, and one writer felt the hotpot alone got a bit monotonous and suggested adding dumplings for balance. An earlier article put the medium at NT$1,100; prices vary between sources, so go by what's posted on site.

Lunch runs 11:00–14:00 and dinner 17:00–20:00, closed Mondays. On holidays a line forms before 11 a.m., tables fill fast and sharing is common, so calling ahead to reserve is strongly advised. You tick your order at the table and pay at the ground-floor counter, and dishes are cooked in payment order; mid-meal add-ons take a long time, so order everything at once. There are two floors of seating. The paid lot in a nearby alley is pricey, scooters can park at the door, and the MRT is the easiest option.

Best for families or friends in groups of four or more. Go for a small or medium beef hotpot with ten beef dumplings; companions who don't eat beef can order the lamb hotpot instead.