Flag House Mi Gan

Review

Flag House Mi Gan stands at No. 215 Longping Road in Zhongli, beside Longgang's Zhongzhen Market, its walls inside and out hung with about 500 national flags, making it the easiest landmark in the area to spot. The owner, Zhang Lao-wang, grew up alongside his father in the Yunnan–Burma guerrilla army, and after coming to Taiwan he opened the shop with his wife Li Ru-hui; it was once known simply as Lao-wang Mi Gan. Every National Day he pays for a flag-raising ceremony himself, which reached its 30th edition in 2024, and Terry Gou has dropped by.

The signature mixed mi gan comes with pork liver, sliced pork and a soft egg, and you can add extra liver, meat or egg as you like. The broth is made by the owner's wife and carries flavours from the Golden Triangle, and the rice noodles are made fresh daily. The other highlight is the flame-seared head slices: thin slices of pig's head meat torched, then sprinkled with sesame and dressed with sauce, with a smoky edge that goes well with the noodles.

Praise centres on the warm, chatty owner who loves telling the story of the flags, the photogenic shopfront, low prices with generous bowls, tender liver and fast service. Critics find the broth salty and oily and the noodles themselves bland, so it will not suit every palate, and some admit they came for the flags and found the food ordinary.

It opens at 5 a.m. and closes at 3 p.m. on weekdays, staying open until 7 p.m. on weekends, and is closed Thursdays; check before you go. According to Supertaste, mixed mi gan is NT$80 small and NT$85 large, the head slices NT$100, and the flame-seared version NT$50 small or NT$100 large. There is a paid car park opposite, though weekend spaces are scarce, and a park nearby; mornings are more relaxed.

It suits anyone curious about Longgang's military-village history or looking for a photo stop, and those who want to eat mi gan for breakfast the local way. First-timers should get a bowl of mixed mi gan with a small plate of flame-seared head slices; big eaters can go large, and offal fans can add extra liver. If you are there on National Day, look out for the flag-raising in the park by the Longgang roundabout.