Braised pork rice + milk tea at a Taiwanese spot ($6.90 + $3)!
Taiwanese lu rou fan combo — diced braised pork over rice with braised egg and suan cai, plus a cup of milk tea. $6.90 + $3.
Lunch takeaway from a Taiwanese spot — went for the lu rou fan + milk tea combo. $9.90 total. 😋
What was in the box ($6.90 lu rou fan + $3 milk tea):
- A bed of white rice topped with a generous pile of diced braised pork (lu rou) — fatty-meat cubes glazed dark soya, more chunky than the minced version, with visible bits of fat layer.
- Half a braised egg (lu dan) sitting at the side — yolk just-set, properly soaked through with five-spice.
- A scoop of suan cai (pickled mustard greens) for the sour-salty counterpoint.
- A scoop of pickled cabbage / Tianjin pickle for extra crunchy tang.
- A clear plastic cup of milk tea (the Taiwanese kind: HK-style brewed strong + condensed/evaporated milk).
The diced-pork version of lu rou (vs the minced version) gives a chunkier mouthfeel — each piece has more fat-to-meat distinction, more chewy bite. Suan cai is non-negotiable here; it cuts through the richness and lets you keep eating.
Milk tea on the side: standard Taiwanese style, slightly creamy, no bubbles, no fuss. Works as the chaser between rich bites.
Total: $9.90 for the combo.
Overall: 4.1 / 5. Lu rou had proper soya depth and the suan cai was punchy. Diced version isn’t my preference (I lean minced for the rice-coating effect) but it was well-executed. Reliable workday lunch. 😍👍🏼
