Shalu Rouyuan Fu

Review

Shalu Rouyuan Fu is one of the most frequently named old ba-wan meatball shops in Shalu. Reports say it is nearly a century old and now run by the third generation, and Supertaste calls it one of the oldest meatball shops in Taichung. Downtown Shalu has several meatball shops, including Rouyuan Qing right next door, and locals who grew up on them each have their favorite.

The meatballs here are the soft-skinned kind: poached in low-temperature oil so the skin stays moist, soft and bouncy rather than crisp. Inside are large, firm pieces of pork and tender bamboo shoot, topped with the shop's sweet-spicy sauce; overall it is lighter and less oily than Changhua-style meatballs, and you can eat it plain or with soup. A 2026 Supertaste article lists the signature meatball at NT$40, with most items under NT$60, and recommends the light, sweet fried tofu soup; a blogger tried the pork soup, mostly lean with a clean broth, and wanted to try the wonton soup next time. The dry noodles have a pleasant sauce but firm noodles.

Most reviews praise the bouncy skin and the filling, and some appreciate how little oil is used. The dining room is spacious, with well-spaced, clean tables. On the downside, the blogger found the soup bland and the noodles hard, and prices run about NT$5 higher per item than Rouyuan Qing next door. It is not on delivery apps, but phone orders are accepted.

Note the address and hours carefully. The blogger recorded No. 22-2 Xing'an Road, open 09:00 to 15:00, closed Wednesdays and Thursdays; Supertaste lists No. 636, Section 2, Zhennan Road with a different phone number, and older data even shows hours until 19:00. These may be different branches or a move, and sources disagree, so confirm before going. If heading to Xing'an Road, the shop is in a lane where parking is hard for cars and scooters; park near Shalu Station and walk about seven minutes.

It suits fans of traditional soft-skinned meatballs and lighter flavors. Order one meatball per person with fried tofu soup or pork soup, and add dry noodles if hungry; since it closes in the afternoon, go around lunchtime.