We were unable to book a whale watching tour in time, so we had a free day in Hualien. Walked down Heping Road from Angel Wings Inn, where we stayed, to Nanbin Park. Came across Fang Yuan Chao Zhou Handmade Wonton Noodles 方元潮州手工餛飩麵 shop along the way and decided to stop for brunch. Had intended to have lunch after our walk at Nanbin Park, but the word ‘潮州’ (Teochew) in the shop name piqued my interest. I couldn’t just pass by without getting something.
We had eaten so many ‘unhealthy’ foods at Dongdamen Night Market the night before that a bowl of wonton soup sounded very appealing. 🙂
Menu
The menu included the following items:
- Noodle dishes – handmade noodles, minced meat noodle soup, preserved vegetable noodle soup, wonton noodle soup, sliced pork noodle soup, sesame paste dry noodles, satay sesame sauce dry noodles, chilli oil wontons with noodles
- Chilli oil wontons
- Fried wontons
- Blanched vegetables
- Soups – wonton soup, vegetable tofu soup, egg drop soup, sliced pork soup, pork liver soup
- Rice dishes – minced meat rice, honey roasted char siew rice, sliced pork rice
- Side dishes – honey roasted char siew, century egg tofu, different cuts of pork and offals, braised eggs, braised tofu, kelp, etc
A braised egg costs NT$15, while sliced pork noodle soup costs NT$90 (big bowl). Nothing exceeds NT$90. Prices are extremely reasonable!
Free flow tea
We could help ourselves to free flow iced tea at the back of the dining area, near the condiments station.
A red notice on the wall behind said that if you have any requirements, you can simply communicate with them. For example, if you want more spring onions, more soup, or more salt and flavour in your food, they can ‘customise’ it to your preferences.
Century Egg Tofu
Century egg paired with silken tofu and doused in oyster sauce. It might be a very simple dish to prepare but the flavours were fantastic. The century egg yolk was also still runny!
Braised Platter
The braised platter consisted of braised egg, braised beancurd and braised kelp. All braised to perfection. I liked the beancurd because it had absorbed the braising sauce and the flavour was really robust.
Wonton Noodle Soup
We ordered the big portion. And it was quite a large bowl! Looked so substantial, lol. The wontons were so plump and meaty. And the soup was hot, flavourful and comforting. We didn’t feel thirsty after drinking it because it wasn’t overly salty. Noodles were also perfectly cooked and were quite springy.
Honey Roasted Char Siew Rice
What a generous serving! I liked how they included a lot of green leafy vegetables. Everything looked so filling and nutritious. Surprisingly, the char siew was also tasty. Quite tender. This char siew was different from regular char siew in that the meat appeared to be fried first before being coated in the honey sauce, so the meat itself was actually plain and would require the sauce to enhance its flavour.
Final thoughts
The food was tasty, and the prices were reasonable. It’s amazing how, despite rising costs and inflation, they manage to keep prices affordable while providing generous portions to customers.
In addition, the proprietors were extremely welcoming and friendly. Their service and attitude were both excellent. Fang Yuan Chao Zhou Handmade Wonton Noodles is a modest-looking eatery frequented only by locals, so we are glad to have discovered it. We’ll definitely come back here for a meal if we ever return to Hualien!