5Miyahara
Central Dist. · Desserts & shaved ice
Taichung Zheng Lao Pai Mushroom Pork Soup (Lüchuan)
Long-standingBudgetBreakfast
VerdictEighty-year-old plate-served pork thick soup — cheap and nostalgic, but small portions
A mushroom pork soup shop that began in 1944 as a street stall outside the First Market, now beside ASEAN Square. The pork is tender and springy in a lightly thickened broth served unusually on a plate; with braised daikon a meal stays under NT$100. Weekends are often full.
Review
Taichung Zheng Lao Pai Mushroom Pork Soup was founded by the Tsai family in 1944 as a roadside stall outside the First Market; the second and third generations later took over and opened several branches, and it is now about 80 years old. The Lüchuan branch is on Lüchuan West Street beside ASEAN Square. Its sign is easy to miss, yet many locals have eaten this budget brunch since childhood, and regulars say the taste hasn't changed in decades.
The mains are pork thick soup over rice, noodles or rice vermicelli, with the mushroom pork soup noodles at about NT$50. The pork pieces are pork paste coated in a thin layer of starch, tender and bouncy; the broth is lightly thickened rather than gloopy, fragrant with shiitake and bamboo shoots, leaning sweet, and smoother with a dash of black vinegar. Most distinctive of all, it is served on a plate rather than in a bowl, and the rice version comes with sweet-sour pickled radish and yellow radish slices. The handmade braised sides are cheap — braised radish and fried tofu are NT$10 each and a braised egg NT$15 — so a meal usually stays under NT$100.
Many reports praise its consistent, nostalgic and affordable flavor; but a long-time regular notes that portions have shrunk, the pork looks scantier than before, and the free clear soup that once came with it has been dropped, making it more a snack than a meal — men often need two plates.
It's busy at breakfast on weekdays and you often wait for a seat at weekends; seating is spread beside the stall, inside and under the arcade. Sources give different hours: one lists 8:30 a.m.–6:30 p.m. with Mondays and Tuesdays off, another says until 7:30 p.m. with only Tuesdays off — check before you go. Menus are posted on the walls and the stall, and on-site prices take precedence.
It suits anyone near Taichung Station wanting a nostalgic, cheap snack. Order the mushroom pork soup noodles or rice with braised radish and a braised egg, add a splash of black vinegar, and if you're hungry, just get two plates.
Why go
- A veteran that began in 1944 as a stall outside the First Market
- Mushroom pork soup noodles about NT$50, unusually served on a plate
- A splash of black vinegar balances the sweetish broth
- Braised radish and fried tofu NT$10, braised egg NT$15
- Portions are small; big eaters should order two plates
- Hours and days off vary by source — confirm first
What people say
Liked
- Tender, bouncy pork in a broth that isn't too thick
- A decades-old flavor that hasn't changed — very nostalgic
- Cheap braised sides keep a meal under NT$100
Complaints
- Portions have shrunk and the pork looks sparse
- The free clear soup has been discontinued
- Inconsistent information on hours and days off
Summarized from the common views of bloggers, media and diners; not direct quotes.
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Location
台中市中區綠川西街167號Directions ↗
Sources
This page is compiled from the articles below and rewritten in our own words. Hours and prices change, so check before you go.
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