Zhengzhao Oyster Omelet

Review

Zhengzhao Oyster Omelet is a long-running stall in Fengyuan's Miaodong Night Market, in the lanes beside Ciji Temple, serving from midday until 1 am. It is named after the first-generation owner, Huang Zheng-zhao, who reports say was fussy about oysters, using only fresh, evenly sized ones that had never been soaked in water. One blogger notes it has been here for more than 40 years, and it is a regular stop on Miaodong food lists.

The signature oyster omelet is thick and generous with oysters, greens and egg, but its real hallmark is the sauce: a recipe said to have been taught by a Japanese chef in the early days, with a peanut aroma and a little heat, unlike the usual sweet sauce. The oyster vermicelli is also popular, and one writer called it their favorite. There is also oyster "chain" soup, battered oysters blanched in broth with pepper and basil, which is silky and lighter. The longan and lotus seed sweet soup is clear and gently sweet with soft lotus seeds and reportedly unchanged for decades, and one diner recommends the old-style black tea.

Opinions are split. Fans praise fresh oysters, a unique sauce and generous fillings. But a 2021 review by a long-time regular says the omelet rose from NT$40 years ago to NT$70, the skin got thinner, there are more greens and bean sprouts, the sauce and peanut flavor are fainter, and the elderly couple who ran the stall are seen less often, so the classic taste feels lost. Other writers also find it pricey or merely a matter of taste. Current prices are about NT$70 for the omelet, NT$35–40 for vermicelli and about NT$45 for oyster chain soup, and may have changed since.

Practical notes: open 11:00 to 1 am, with no regular closing day in the sources. Cash only, no service charge, dine-in or takeaway. Seating is limited and parking near the market is difficult; late-night visits mean less waiting.

Good for anyone curious about a different oyster omelet sauce, or still looking for food in Miaodong late at night. For something lighter, order the oyster chain soup or vermicelli and finish with a bowl of longan and lotus seed soup.