Taipei street food - DiHua Street squid balls 老阿伯魷魚羹

Updated, September 2022
Prices updated

Let’s face it, DiHua Street is packed with good food joints, as well as being steeped in Taiwanese history.

Relatively new to the scene in Taipei, DiHua Street squid balls was a slow starter, but now very popular indeed. They specialise in fish balls with soup, but they also put on rice, noodles, tea and bits of braised food.

As this cool weather settles in, I am definitely going to be going back DiHua Street squid balls. A bowl of thick soup will feature heavily on my agenda for the weekend!

They seem fairly clued up with English, too. The menu is in English, and several signs around the place are also in English, too.

Watch and learn, folks, watch and learn.

油蔥飯 + 綜合羹湯

$35 + $85

Yes, noodles are the specialty at DiHua Street squid balls. But, I am a rice fan. In fact, aside from the odd curry, before arriving to Taiwan I would only very occasionally ever eat rice. But, here, I seem to have it at least once a day. It has certainly replaced potatoes in my life. This rice, with fried shallot onions and thick gravy sauce was spot-on. Order!

綜合米粉

$85

Rice noodles – definitely my go-to order for noodles. I like the stringy texture, but I also like the way that they almost clump together and sauce clings to them.

Really, though, it’s all about the fish balls. Chewy on the outside, well seasoned on the inside with some extra meat to boot. Can’t go wrong? Also in the bowl are some starch-covered shrimp which go down well, too. They are more on the soggy side (well, they are in soup), but I think that’s ok! The soup itself has plenty of flavour, and is very warming at DiHua Street squid balls.

油豆腐

$30

When I see it, I get it – oily tofu. Disgusting as the name is, the texture makes it worth it. The skin has a slight chewy resistance to it, but the tofu inside is creamy and delicious. Order at DiHua Street squid balls, and tell me I am wrong.

嘴邊肉

$70