Delicious Lu Rou Fan at a Cult Local Eatery in Ximen
We first discovered Tian Tian Li (天天利美食坊) when we visited Taipei before we actually moved here. It’s a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in Ximen that’s earned cult status and nearly always has a line out the door. Crowds are drawn for their famous lu rou fan (滷肉饭), known in English as marinated meat rice, which can be enjoyed any time of the day. Indeed, this one dish stuck in our mind so much that we remembered it when we moved to Taipei and went back for it.
The restaurant is located on one of the main pedestrian streets in the Ximen shopping area. Look for the red and blue characters on the signs, or for the line of people that has probably formed out the door.
The kitchen is located outside the front of the restaurant, so you can watch and smell the dishes being frantically prepared while waiting for a seat.
Here’s why there’s always a line out the door — the space inside is quite small, with only a single narrow table running through the middle, surrounded by a surface against the walls that is crammed with stools. This creates a crowded and hectic environment with servers pushing past and not much elbow room. There’s nothing fancy about this place.
Having said that, the servers are very efficient so there’s a high turnover and there’s an English menu for foreigners.
The oyster omelette ($65) is one of the recommended orders at Tian Tian Li. We couldn’t really tell you if it’s much better than other oyster omelettes out there, but we definitely enjoyed it. The sauce was sweet and the eggs were loaded full of oysters.
The vegetable dish ($40) changes based on availability of vegetables. With a drizzle of sweet sauce on top, it tasted better than expected (if a bit oily).
The main event: marinated meat rice (AKA lu rou fan) with egg. The small size only set us back NT$40 (the large with egg is $60). The basic version without egg is only $30 and $50 for a small and large, respectively.
This dish is the reason we keep coming back to Tian Tian Li. It’s simple and absolutely delicious; we all got our own bowls and wolfed them down without pause. There’s a reason this restaurant is famous for lu rou fan — that flavour!
Now, just so that we’re giving you a balanced perspective, our Taiwanese friends did not rate this quite as highly as we did, although they did agree that it tasted great. When pressed, they said they would give it around a 4-4.5 out of 5, with a similar taste to home-cooked lu rou fan. Good enough for us!
We love how quick, tasty, and cheap all of the food is here. We were in and out in 15 minutes, spent very little money, and walked out feeling totally satisfied.
Check out the upper left corner of the menu, where Tian Tian Li’s most famous dishes are listed: oyster omelette, turnip cake, and of course marinated meat rice. We aren’t big fans of turnip cake so we didn’t order it, but it’s another highly recommended dish — give it a try if you’re in the mood!
What’s the vibe?
Local cult eatery with an outdoor cart for a kitchen and an indoor row of tables squeezed together for seating. It’s a great option for experiencing a Taiwanese hole-in-the-wall restaurant that’s nevertheless accessible thanks to English menus. Expect a line and a hectic environment.
Worth it?
Absolutely. The lightning-fast service, low cost, and delicious food are worth the crowds.
Would you go back?
We’ve already been back a bunch of times!
Last visited: May 2019
| Tian Tian Li |
| Chinese Name: 天天利美食坊 |
| Hours: 9:30am – 10:30pm, closed Mondays |
| Phone: 02 2375 6299 |
| English Address: No.1, Lane 32, Hanzhong Street, Wanhua District |
| Chinese Address: 漢中街32巷1號 |
