Fu Bao Eatery

Review

Fu Bao Eatery is at No. 75 Shiding East Street and is one of the longest-running restaurants on Shiding Old Street. Supertaste's Shiding Old Street guide says it was founded in 1953 and that the interior keeps a retro feel; the shop's own signboard calls it a seventy-year-old business, ifoodie describes it as a long-established name, and Smile Taiwan's feature on Shiding lists it with Mei Mei Eatery as a place for traditional tofu dishes.

The signature is white-cut golden capon, which bloggers describe as remarkably tender, a representative mountain-town dish. Other frequently named dishes are stir-fried pearl scallions, fried river fish and tofu thick soup, along with various traditional tofu dishes, all Shiding home cooking. It is set up for shared dishes, so a few people ordering several plates works best; ifoodie puts average spend at about NT$200, better value than restaurants in tourist areas.

Fans praise the tender capon and the homely mountain produce and tofu dishes; some say it is one of the cleaner, more comfortable places on the old street, with warm, friendly owners and staff, big portions and fair prices. Critics find the flavours solid but not exciting and some stir-fries a little oily, and weekend mealtimes are full, so you may wait for a table.

Online information shows hours of roughly 10:30 or 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., closed Mondays; check before going. Weekends are busy, so arrive early around lunchtime. Shiding Old Street is a covered lane of stilt houses built along the stream, with narrow alleys and limited parking, so drivers can park on the edge of the old street and walk in, or simply take the bus.

Good for families and friends strolling Shiding Old Street who want to sit down for a proper mountain-town home-style meal. Three or four people can order a plate of white-cut capon, fried river fish, stir-fried pearl scallions and a bowl of tofu thick soup with rice; tofu lovers can add fried or braised tofu. Budget roughly NT$200 to NT$400 per person.