Zhu Family Bu Rou

Review

Zhu Family Bu Rou is on Jinbaoli Street in Jinshan Old Street and is one of the street's oldest restaurants. Supertaste says it has operated for over eighty years, while Yam Travel describes about seventy years of family recipes. Accounts differ, but both agree the bu rou recipe came down from the family's elders. In Hakka, bu means to fry, and the dish has become a signature of Jinshan Old Street.

Bu rou uses pork loin and belly marinated with Chinese herbs for more than a day, then battered and deep-fried so the coating is crisp and the meat tender and juicy, neither dry nor greasy. The house dip of sour plum, malt syrup and chili is sweet, tangy and lightly spicy, though many find the pork good even without it. The other signature, the shark and taro rice noodle pot, has a broth fragrant with taro and dried shrimp, plus fried shark chunks and thick rice noodles in a generous portion. The braised pork liver is made in just one pot a day and is tender without any gamey taste.

Diners widely praise the crisp, tender bu rou, the silky liver free of off-flavors, the rich noodle pot broth, and the clean, spacious dining room with large round tables at the back for groups. The main complaint is price: a plate costs over NT$200, more than other Old Street snacks, and some feel certain dishes are merely decent rather than great value.

Hours are roughly 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., closing a little earlier on weekdays, and it is closed on Wednesdays; sources list slightly different opening times, so check before going. A 2022 report listed bu rou at NT$230, the small noodle pot at NT$380, and stir-fried seaweed and egg tofu at NT$180 each. Tables fill quickly at mealtimes, so arrive early with a group. Staff offer extra broth for the noodle pot.

It suits families or friends wanting a proper sit-down meal of Jinshan home cooking, ideally three or four people. Must-orders are the bu rou and the noodle pot, plus the braised pork liver (limited, so come early) and a vegetable dish. For two, bu rou with a vegetable and rice is plenty.