Wei Wu Zhi Zu Vegetarian

Review

Wei Wu Zhi Zu Vegetarian is at No. 161 Zhongxiao Road in the South District, right inside Zhongxiao Night Market. The storefront is plain and there are only five or six tables, yet it is well known among Taichung vegetarians, and at mealtimes even meat eaters join the queue. It is a rare all-vegetarian rice and noodle shop in a night market.

There is no paper menu or order slip; you simply tell the owner what you want. All rice, noodles, soups and boxed meals are vegetarian, and noodles can be swapped for rice vermicelli, glass noodles or flat rice noodles. A 2019 article listed rice cake and savory minced rice at NT$30 each. The rice cake is topped with dried tofu, vegetarian floss, braised topping and cilantro, light and neither salty nor greasy; the minced rice uses brown rice with a little chew and comes with a random side. Fried tofu (NT$25) is crisp outside, soft inside and rich in bean flavor, and is most recommended dipped in the house soy sauce. Fried eggplant keeps its juicy flesh, and fried mushrooms are juicy rather than oily. Diners also recommend the braised noodles and stir-fried hand-made noodles.

Most reviews call it tasty, cheap and worth the wait. Still, one writer found the pepper salt on the fried vegetable roll too heavy. The shop tends to add cilantro, so say so if you do not want it. Orders are sometimes missed at peak times, and dishes can pile up at the washing sink. Most price data dates from 2019 and prices have risen since, so go by what is posted.

Sides are self-serve and priced by eye, so fill your plate first and pay once; you pay before eating and return your bowls to the sink by the door. Most customers take food away, so dine in outside peak hours. Sources differ on hours and closing days: early reports say open until 1am and closed Wednesdays, a 2022 article says until midnight and closed Wednesdays, and recent data says until 23:30 and closed Saturdays, so check before going.

It suits vegetarians, or anyone at Zhongxiao Night Market wanting a light, cheap dinner. First-timers can order rice cake or minced rice, add fried tofu with soy sauce, and pick a fried item or greens; mention it when ordering if you skip cilantro.