Dali Liangsanshu Ba-wan

Review

Dali Liangsanshu Ba-wan is at No. 49, Daxin Street, near Fuxing Temple and Dali Old Street. Liangsanshu — "parasol tree" — is an old name for Dali, said to come from a great local tree whose dense canopy looked like a giant parasol from afar. An elderly couple has run the stall for nearly fifty years; the owner started at about 20 and is now around 70. It began as a roadside cart where customers ate squatting and is now a small stall under a corrugated-metal roof, with no obvious sign and only one item: ba-wan.

The ba-wan are smaller than usual, with a fried skin that's springy and slightly crisp and holds up under the sauce. The filling is pork with bamboo shoot — one writer also found mushroom — seasoned with pepper and finished with red and white sauces, balanced between sweet and savory without being heavy. They're NT$25 each or four for NT$100; back in 2019 they were NT$20. A big barrel of pork-bone and radish soup sits nearby, free and self-serve with unlimited refills, light and sweet; some suggest tipping the leftover sauce into the soup. The skin arrives uncut, so you snip it open yourself with scissors.

Diners widely praise the value, the springy texture and the free soup. Some find it a little greasy without chili, so add some, and since the ba-wan are small, big eaters will want several. The biggest drawback is the bare-bones setting: no tables, only small stools, so some people stand or squat to eat and regulars often bring their own chairs. The stall is easy to miss, and first-timers may struggle to find it.

Sales start at 3 p.m., with prep beginning around 2:50 and a line forming before opening. Reportedly about 1,500 are sold a day, and it often sells out in under three hours. Takeout customers join the line, while dine-in customers can walk to the back and tell the owner. Closing days vary by source — Sundays and Mondays, only Mondays, or only Sundays — so check before you go. Return your bowl to the big basin when done; there's a hand-washing sink and tissues. Parking isn't mentioned; the Dali Elementary School bus stop is about a two-minute walk.

Great for anyone after a cheap, local afternoon snack. Arrive about ten minutes early, eat two or three on site with the free radish soup, or take four home for NT$100, the best deal.