Taichung Bawan

About Taichung Bawan

Taichung Bawan is a long-running shop on Fuxing Road, on the rear side of Taichung Station. Founded in 1933, it has more than 90 years of history and is a Taichung food legend. Its signature is ba-wan (meatball dumpling): a pork filling wrapped in a rice-flour skin and deep-fried until golden, a specialty of central Taiwan. It also sells glass noodle soup and fish ball soup. The menu is short, but everything is well made.

Unlike typical ba-wan, the filling here is a whole meatball rather than loose minced meat, firm and chewy, seasoned savory without being greasy. The rice-flour skin is chewy and springy, not fried too hard, and does not stick to your teeth. It comes with the shop's own white sauce, which suits the texture. Every ba-wan is made to order and served hot, at only NT$30 each.

The glass noodle soup and fish ball soup are also worth ordering. The glass noodle soup has a rich yet clean broth and smooth noodles that hold their shape, with pork blood, tofu and cilantro for more flavor. The fish balls are handmade, fine and springy, in a light, sweet broth that warms you up. You can add the ba-wan sauce to either soup for a different taste, or add some of the pepper on the table for a little kick.

Service is very fast. The experienced staff bring your food soon after you order, which helps if you are short on time. The shop is clean; it is not large, but the seats are comfortable and the tables are clean, not greasy. It is lively, with many visitors and locals, and sometimes a long line. The ba-wan often sells out early, so go early to avoid missing out.

With more than 90 years of history, Taichung Bawan is known for ba-wan, glass noodle soup and fish ball soup, and it is one of Taichung's signature foods. If you are in Taichung, stop by for a taste of traditional local flavor.