Guo Family Lane Guozai Soup

Review

Guo Family Lane Guozai Soup is in a lane off An 1st Road in Keelung's Anle District, close to Anle Market. Supertaste says it has been running for 50 years, and locals recommend it as a classic brunch spot. Guozai are wide, flat rice strips steamed from rice batter, and Keelung people love them in soup alongside cold cuts. This is the shop most often named in Anle, a little away from the tourist areas but full of everyday local flavour.

The strips are made from pure rice batter, smooth and tender with a rice aroma, and the broth is a clear radish soup that tastes light and sweet rather than oily; you can also order them dry, tossed with minced pork sauce. The cold cuts are plentiful, including pork skin, fried tofu, radish, large intestine, rice sausage and pork eye meat. Supertaste lists a small bowl of dry guozai at NT$35, pork skin, fried tofu and radish at NT$20 each, and pork eye meat at NT$50, so one person can eat generously for a little over NT$100.

Praise centres on the silky noodles, clean broth, fresh and varied cold cuts and low prices, a very local old-time taste. On the downside, diners warn that the chili sauce is extremely hot, so go easy the first time; the lane shop is small with waits at peak times, and it's less convenient for visitors than Miaokou.

It opens in two sessions, roughly 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and from 5 p.m. until about 8 or 9 p.m.; sources differ on closing time, so check before you go, and no fixed closing day is listed. The shop is in a lane off An 1st Road; take a bus to the Anle Market area and walk, as the narrow lanes make parking difficult.

It suits anyone wanting an everyday Keelung brunch, fans of light soups and cold cuts, and travellers looking to avoid tourist crowds. Order a bowl of guozai soup or dry guozai with two or three cold cuts such as pork skin, fried tofu and intestine; spice lovers can add a dab of chili sauce.