Kung Fu Shanghai Fish Ball

Review

Kung Fu Shanghai Fish Ball is at No. 380 Zhongmei Street in the West District, near the CMP Block green corridor. A vintage wooden food cart serves as the stove, and dim lighting, old-Shanghai woodwork and classical music give it an atmosphere unlike an ordinary noodle shop. The owner, known as Brother Kong, shops at the market every day and makes the sauces, fish balls and wontons himself. He has run the shop for more than ten years; it entered the Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2025 and remains on the 2026 list.

Michelin and several reports single out the Shanghai scallion oil noodles: fresh noodles from Shuinan Market dressed only with oil fried from scallion lengths plus soy sauce. The noodles are smooth and springy, simple and savoury, and satisfying with no toppings at all, at NT$70 a bowl. The preserved mustard green and fish ball soup uses stir-fried mustard greens for a light, sweet broth; the swordfish balls are made by hand daily, and one report likens them to soft tofu while another calls them bouncy and firm. The spicy wontons wrap fresh pork in handmade skins under a red chilli and Sichuan pepper sauce, fragrant and hot without being harsh. Most items are pocket-change prices, none above NT$150.

Media praise focuses on the purity of the scallion oil noodles and the owner's insistence on making everything himself, and the vintage cart has made it a popular photo spot. However, most of what was read is recommendation pieces, so information on waiting times and criticism is limited, and sources do not agree on the texture of the fish balls, so you can judge for yourself.

The Michelin page says cash only and closed on Sundays. Sources disagree on opening hours: Michelin lists only a lunch session, while another report gives 11:30 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 20:00, so check before you go. The shop is small, so arrive early at peak mealtimes.

It suits anyone after affordable Shanghai-style noodles while browsing the CMP area. Order the scallion oil noodles with the mustard green fish ball soup for a dry-and-soup pairing, and add the spicy wontons if you like heat.