Happy accidents can be your best friend when you’re traveling. I wasn’t planning on eating a delicious bowl of porky goodness, but it happened and I’m certainly not going to complain about it.
Taichung’s Second Market is an interesting place to walk through; it’s one of those huge Asian markets that features vendors selling everything from clothes to raw meat. And of course, it has several restaurants.
I was there looking for a noodle joint, which was nowhere to be found (the lack of English on most of the signs makes finding a particular place a challenge). But I did find Arashi Braised Pork Specialty Restaurant, which was packed, and which looked delicious.
I’m sure those noodles would have been good, but I’m very, very glad I couldn’t find the place.
I ordered a dish that came with a couple of meatballs and meat stew on rice, and it was good.
The meatballs were really unique; the meat was very coarsely ground, which gives them a meaty (but very tender) texture. They were also seasoned lightly enough to allow their natural porky flavour to shine through. They were very, very good.
The stew, too, was quite delicious, with sizable chunks of tender pork. Unlike the almost melt-in-your-mouth texture of braised pork rice, the cut of pork here is a bit leaner, so it has more of a meaty presence. It’s really satisfying.
Address: No. 87號, Section 2, Sanmin Road, Central District, Taichung City, Taiwan 400
How to find it: The Second Market is somewhat labyrinthine, so you might have to wander around a bit before you find this place. Thankfully, they have some English on their sign, so you’ll know it when you find it. Bonus: they have an English menu with pictures, so ordering is a snap.