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RESTAURANTS : Fan Po Keng (番婆坑客棧)

Fan Po Keng (番婆坑客棧) Address: 48 Beipu St, Beipu Township, Hsinchu County (新竹縣北埔鄉北埔街48號) Telephone: (03) 580-2559 Open: Weekdays 11am to 3pm; weekends 11am to 8pm Details: Chinese menu; credit cards not accepted Average meal: NT$250

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The town of Beipu is a major center of Hakka culture in northern Taiwan, and Fan Po Keng (番婆坑客棧) is widely regarded as one of the must-try restaurants that purveys authentic Hakka cuisine. It favors rustic, home-style cookery, so don’t go expecting the culinary sophistication of up-market Hakka restaurants such as Taipei’s Tung Flower Hakka Restaurant (桐花客家菜餐廳).

The restaurant, located off a major intersection in the small town, is a great place for people-watching, especially if you can nab one of the three outdoor tables that are fenced in from the street. The interior is not unattractive, with lots of dark wood furnishings, but is a little short on atmosphere.

As with many traditional restaurants, the emphasis is on the food. The menu, only in Chinese, doesn’t go out of its way to explain some of the more unusual dishes, and neither do the staff members, who otherwise are friendly enough.

For a quick, easy meal, the best option is Fan Po Keng’s signature kengkou rice (坑口飯, NT$150). Comprised of pieces of chicken marinated in wine, crunchy dried radish, stewed pork belly, preserved bamboo shoots, Hakka stir-fry and a deep-fried egg, all served together over rice, the dish makes for a filling meal, and includes a bowl of homemade sour plum drink, which counterpoises the rich, oily flavor of the other ingredients.

There are plenty of interesting options to try for those who want to spend a bit more time on their meal. These include a very tasty rice with lard (豬油拌飯, NT$30) and fried flat rice noodles (炒板條, NT$80), which are succulent and firm at the same time.

A good test of a Hakka restaurant is how well it prepares pig intestine with ginger (薑絲大腸, NT$200), a dish that can be found in any eatery with a Hakka connection, the main ingredient of which usually has the texture of an elastic band. Fan Po Keng’s version was not as tender as it might have been, but its saving grace was a good balance of flavors.

Fan Po Keng excels at simple stir-fry dishes of unusual ingredients such as fried betel nut flower (檳榔花, NT$200) and two types of mountain fern (NT$150 and NT$200); both were excellent. More complex dishes didn’t fare so well; the persimmon and chicken soup (柿子雞湯, NT$250), which looked interesting on the menu, was particularly lacking in finesse.

The mochi (麻糬, NT$80), a sticky rice paste served with a choice of three different sauces, is fun to share with companions, while sipping a bowl of Hakka gruel tea (擂茶, NT$300 for two) is a good way to while away part of a leisurely afternoon before hitting the local historical sites.

Fan Po Keng’s fare lacks a wow factor, but the convivial nature of the dining experience ameliorates its worst offences.

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