Updated, September 2022
Prices updated
ZhongShan 56 is a good option for people who don’t crave street food around DanShui.
You may be up in DanShui searching for that good A-Gei or you might be there looking to catch sundown at Fishermans Wharf (highly recommend). Either way, you’re going to want to eat. If you have a car/can be bothered walking, then I would recommend checking out Kooks 2 out near the incredible TianYuan Temple.
But, if you’re around the ‘old street’ of DanShui, then something other than street food can sometimes feel difficult to come by. Until now!
Old School soup noodles at ZhongShan 56
$90
I hate soup, truth be told. But nonetheless you gotta try a bit of everything haven’t you? Basically, the soup had a fairly neutral flavour with plenty of shallots flavouring it. The ingredients atop the soup were plentiful and tasty: fried pork, braised pork, fish balls, and beansprouts.
The noodles were cooked perfectly at ZhongShan 56, and I really have nothing negative to say about this dish, especially for $85…
Old school (dried) noodles
$90
This was more like it. So, when places say ‘dried’ noodles, instead of ‘soup’ noodles, there is still a little bit of soup/juice left in the bottom of the bowl – more than enough for my personal liking. The dish was similar to that of the above ‘souped’ dish, but I much preferred it as I didn’t splash any of my clothes, nor did I continuously scold my lips/tongue…
Old School speciality with rice
$90
&
苦盡甘來 Kǔ jìn gān lái
Bitter Melon side dish
$60
Rice. That’s my gig. Give me a bowl of rice, some veggies, some meat, and I am a happy lad.
Rice at the bottom, fried pork cutlet on top, accompanied by stewed bamboo, and an egg – win. Spot on flavours, and a steal at $85.
Now, ZhongShan 56 bitter melon side dish (literally translated from Chinese as – as bitterness ends, sweetness begins) was an absolute winner. Earthy green bitterness gives way to sour and sweet plum flavours, and it’s just a great marriage – strongly recommend.
Pumpkin ‘salad’
$60
油豆腐 yóu dòu fu
‘oily’ tofu
$50
Pumpkin – win.
Sesame sauce – win.
Bonito flakes – win.
All 3 in one dish – triple win.
Soft, sweet, earthy pumpkin laced with a moreish sesame sauce and spiked with smokey bonito flakes. It really was great.
甜不辣 tián bù là
Fried fish paste
$55
(left foreground)
燙手山芋 tàng shǒu shān yù
Fried taro balls
$60
How good does that 甜不辣 look? I mean, really.
I love the stuff. Can’t get enough. It’s not unheard of to find us on a bus over to Keelung at the weekends to hit up our favourite spot at this market, just for the 甜不辣. Yeh, it’s just THAT good.
I digress, this 甜不辣 at ZhongShan 56 was pretty damn good. Good enough for me to want to order it next time I go.
The taro balls were pretty good, and not too dissimilar in flavour to those infamous ones over at NingXia Nightmarket. But, I can do without them if it means I could order another portion of the 甜不辣…