Liang Xi Hao Squid Soup (Main Store)

Review

Liang Xi Hao is the best-known squid soup house around Longshan Temple. Mirror Media reports that the founder, Chen Liang-xi, began in 1921 at the age of eighteen, carrying a shoulder pole and selling squid soup and fried rice vermicelli beside the fire station next to Longshan Temple, before opening a shop. Today the third and fourth generations run it, giving it more than a century of history. There is a main store on Guangzhou Street and a branch on Xiyuan Road, it has been recommended as a MICHELIN Bib Gourmand, and it is the stop many visitors make after Longshan Temple.

The signature squid soup uses thick squid that is crunchy and springy, in a clearly thickened broth with a touch of vinegar and plenty of bamboo shoot strips; the flavour is savoury rather than sweet. The blanched squid comes with only shredded ginger so the freshness shines, while the combination soup holds squid, pork soup, fish paste and fish balls. Fried vermicelli topped with shallot oil is simple yet satisfying, and the freshly fried burdock fish cake is crisp outside with the sweet aroma of burdock inside; the Mirror writer even called it the best he has had outside Keelung. Portions are small, so order several and share.

Praise centres on the fresh, springy squid, the tasty fried vermicelli and fritters, friendly prices, and a clean interior after renovation, with comfortable seating on two floors. Critics say the soup is quite thick and not to everyone's taste, some likening it to vermicelli porridge, and some find the squid soup ordinary and prefer the fritters and braised pork rice. Others compare it with nearby squid soup veterans and conclude each has its fans.

Online listings show the Guangzhou Street main store open daily from 5:30 to 11:30 p.m., while Mirror Media says it opens at 4 p.m.; sources differ, so check before going. For daytime meals, head to the Xiyuan Road branch. Prices per Mirror Media: squid soup NT$70 small and NT$100 large, blanched squid NT$110, fried vermicelli NT$45, and two pieces of burdock fish cake NT$40. It is about a ten-minute walk from MRT Longshan Temple Station, and parking nearby is difficult.

It suits anyone wanting a late-night bite after Longshan Temple and Huaxi Street, or curious about Wanhua's century-old snacks. First-timers should order squid soup with fried vermicelli and add burdock fish cake for the classic set; groups can share blanched squid and braised pork rice too. Adjust with the condiments on the table, and ask for fritters to be served separately rather than soaked in soup so they stay crisp.