Wang Ye Wang Pork Thick Soup (Shuinan Main Store)

Review

Wang Ye Wang's Shuinan main store is at No. 570 Zhongping Road in Beitun District, close to Taichung Central Park and Shuinan Market, and is a brunch stop for local residents and office workers. In a dedicated article Supertaste called it the Louis Vuitton of pork thick soup, noting that it once sold about 700 bowls in a day, and its Central Park day-trip guide also lists it as a must-eat budget spot with long queues at mealtimes.

The signature pork thick soup with mock shark fin is NT$55 a bowl, NT$65 for a large; the 'fin' is made from glass noodles, the thickened broth has the sweetness of stock and napa cabbage, bamboo shoot strips add crunch, and the pork balls, made from pork hind leg with squid paste, are firm and springy. The media suggest a splash of black vinegar. Sticky rice is NT$40, mixed with shredded pork, dried shrimp and shiitake and stir-fried with sesame oil and aged ginger for a banquet-style aroma; fried noodles start at NT$30, using flat yellow noodles with minced pork shoulder and best with sweet chili sauce; braised pork rice is NT$35 with a fat-to-lean ratio of eight to two.

Fans praise the friendly prices, generous portions, firm pork balls that hold together, and fragrant sticky rice with distinct grains, plus fast table turnover that keeps waits shorter than they look. Critics find the dipping sauces at the counter too salty and too sweet, saying the dishes are good enough as they are, and some warn that popular items sell out later in the day, so do not leave the sticky rice until after noon.

Sources differ on hours: the media list 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily, while online maps show 6:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. plus an evening session from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., so check before you go. Tables turn quickly and it suits a fast meal. Zhongping Road is busy, so use the car parks around Central Park, or come by scooter.

Good for anyone wanting a hearty Taiwanese brunch for pocket change, or a stop before or after visiting Central Park. The classic first order is a bowl of the mock shark fin pork soup with sticky rice, adding fried noodles if you are hungry; put a little black vinegar in the soup and try the dipping sauces sparingly first.