Hu Er Oil Rice

Review

Hu Er Oil Rice is on Pinghe Road in central Puzi, an old shop many locals have eaten at since childhood. Supertaste's Puzi food roundup calls it presidential-level oil rice and says the shop has been running for over sixty years; other write-ups record a visit by former President Tsai Ing-wen, and many celebrity autographs hang on the walls. The third generation now runs it, and it opens only in the afternoon, busiest from dinner into late evening.

The signature oil rice is glutinous rice steamed in traditional bamboo baskets and topped with house-made minced pork sauce. The grains stay separate with a light bamboo fragrance and a springy, non-greasy texture, closer to southern Taiwanese rice cake than the stir-fried oil rice of the north. Diners mention coriander on top and a garlic sauce for adjusting the flavour. The same base is used for braised pork rice, yet the two taste different. Soups include pork thick soup and pork intestine soup, braised sides include pig's head skin, pork skin and radish, and there is also a three-colour egg terrine.

Most reviews praise the savoury, moist oil rice, the smooth pork thick soup and the springy pig skin, and many locals say they have eaten here for years at honest prices. Some find the overall flavour on the light side and suggest adding sauces or side dishes. Seating is limited at peak times, so you may need to wait a little.

According to Google, it opens from 3:30 to 10 p.m. and closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; sources may differ, so check before you go. The shop is small, a classic traditional eatery with quick turnover, and a typical visit takes about twenty minutes. Street parking around Pinghe Road takes some searching, and dinnertime is busier, so arriving soon after opening in the late afternoon is more relaxed. Roundups do not list item prices, so go by the menu board.

It suits anyone visiting Puzi's Peitian Temple, the night market or the Chiayi Lantern Festival, and those looking for an old-fashioned local dinner or late snack. First-timers can order a bowl of oil rice with pork thick soup and a plate of pig's head skin or three-colour egg; big eaters can try both oil rice and braised pork rice to compare.