Zhong Cheng Hao Oyster Omelette

Review

Zhong Cheng Hao Oyster Omelette is at No. 15-32 Dadong Road in Shilin District, right in the heart of Shilin Night Market. NOWnews, rounding up the market's most popular foods, says it was founded in 1972 and is a well-known veteran of the market; Marie Claire's Shilin Night Market guide says it has been open for over fifty years and is one of the market's signature stops for many locals.

The oyster omelette and squid thick soup are its twin stars. Reports describe fresh oysters with a batter of just the right thickness and egg, fried crisp outside and soft inside, then finished with the house sauce. Diners particularly like the sauce's light saltiness, which lifts the flavour without being cloying, and some note the sweet chilli sauce is made in-house. The stir-fried squid soup has real wok aroma, big springy pieces of squid and a sweet-sour, slightly spicy broth. The menu also includes stinky tofu, fried rice noodles and pork rice with fish floss.

Praise centres on the crisp omelette, the distinctive sauce, the air-conditioned dining room and fast service, and one repeat visitor ranks it among the best oyster omelettes in Taipei. Complaints say some dishes are ordinary, such as stinky tofu that is not crisp enough or squid soup that misses the mark, and some diners found their food lukewarm on arrival, so opinions are divided.

Sources differ on opening time, with some saying 5 p.m. and others 4 p.m., but all say it runs until around 1 a.m., so check before you go. Weekend evenings around 6 p.m. are the busiest, with queues for tables, and takeaway is quicker if you are in a hurry. It is walkable from Jiantan MRT Station, and parking around the market is difficult, so the MRT is best.

Good for first-time visitors to Shilin Night Market who want to sit down for classic Taiwanese snacks. Two people can share an oyster omelette and a bowl of stir-fried squid soup, adding fried rice noodles if hungry; in summer, grab a seat in the air-conditioned room. Sauce lovers can ask for extra, while those wary of sweetness can taste it as served first.