Chishang Lunchbox 池上便當


No, no I didn't travel to Chishang in South East Taiwan today. I just found this delightful, clean, bright, and busy Chishang style bian dang restaurant near my job in Yonghe. A bian dang (便當bian4 dang1) is a lunchbox of rice, meat, sides, eggs and veggies. There are tons of variations, and for a working person it is an easy, reliable, fast, affordable lunch option. If you are visiting Taiwan or living here I think learning how to order a bian dang should be one of your first food priorities. There is ALWAYS a bian dang shop in every neighborhood and you will always be satisfied. One final word on this, never eat a $50 (crazy cheap) bian dang, that's just not right.

What you see up above is the 招牌便當(zhao1 pai bian4 dang1), which means the restaurant's suggested meal. Its includes roasted pork, cabbage, broccoli, a slice of sausage, half an egg, Korean rice cakes, and glass noodles with ground pork all nestled on a bed of white rice in a wooden box only $85 NTD. I'm not sure how the Korean rice cakes found their way into this box, but they are ok. The pork was over-cooked, and I wouldn't try that again. Watching other people order, it seems the fried chicken and pork chop are much more popular. I will be back to try more options!


There is a photo menu at the counter, which is the best foreigner friendly method. This menu only contains a selection of the complete menu. See the complete menu in Chinese, below. This place only has counter service, but there is plenty of space to sit in front. Most people seem to be taking their lunch to-go. There was a line of people when I arrived around 12:20 pm, and I waited 5 minutes, or so, for my food. There is free soup too. 


Chishang Lunchbox 池上便當



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