蚵仔煎大王

Review Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (Recommended)

Address: No. 56號, Ningxia Rd, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103
Google Map Link: https://maps.app.goo.gl/zizN5jAC3gKXJRkq8
(Please refer to the Timings provided in the Google Map Link for the Operating Hours.)

蚵仔煎 Oyster Omelet = TWD80

No Service Charges

 Here is the Full Menu of the Eatery/Restaurant.
Prices are Accurate as of the Date of the Post.

A Brief History of Oyster Omelette 蚵煎 / 蚵仔煎

蚵仔煎 or Commonly Referred to in Hokkien as "Orr Arr Jian" is a Common Street / Hawker Food. This is also available in Singapore and Malaysia 🇸🇬🇲🇾 which we call 蚵煎 instead. The Dish itself is actually just an Egg Omelette 🍳 mixed with Starch with Oysters 🦪 and Stuffs added. Basically an Egg Omelette with Extra Steps. 🍳😅

The Version we have in Singapore and Malaysia is the Drier Version, while Taiwan Version is Considerably Wetter due to an Extra Gravy Sauce that they lum all over. 🍯 I personally prefer our Drier Version although I do also appreciate the Slightly More Complex Wetter Taiwanese Version as you will read later in the Review. 👍

Both 蚵煎 and 蚵仔煎 are Completely Different Styles of the Same Dish. 🍳🤔 There is no such thing as which is Better because both of them appeal to Completely Different Palettes. 👍

If you are looking for a Stronger Eggy, Oilier, More Wok Hei Impact, 🔥 then go for our Singapore/Malaysian Style 蚵煎. 🇸🇬🇲🇾 If you are looking for a Less Oily, More Savoury and Sweetish Taste and Culinarily More Complex Taste, then go for Taiwanese 蚵仔煎. 🇹🇼

Anyway, this was an Eatery I spotted when I was exploring Ningxia Night Market 寧夏夜市. 🤔 There is another supposedly more Famous One called 圓環邊蚵仔煎 but it had a Very Long Queue so I chose this one instead. 👍 Although having over 1200 Reviews, its quite Mixed Reviews rated 3 Stars on Google Maps, so I thought I'd give it a try to see how it really tastes. 🤔

Interior of the Eatery

Quite a Large Eatery, the Interior had a Very Dominant Yellow Coloured Profile and for some reason had a Solid Red Line running thru the Place like some Running Track. 🏃😅 The Main Kitchen or Cooking Area is right at the Front. 🔥  Staffs are Very Warm and Friendly 👍  especially the Boss who had a Very Genki Attitude with Good Cheer. 😄

They do have a Menu with Chinese, 🇨🇳  English, 🇬🇧 Japanese 🇯🇵 and Korean 🇰🇷 with Pictures of the Dish for you to look at. It took about 4 Mins before I got my Dish served up.

The Chilli Condiment 🌶️ here is Intensely Sourish with a Slightly Sharp Spiciness that can be linger awhile on your Tongue.

Among Taiwanese Chillis I've eaten so far, this one is considered more Spicier than Usual. 🌶️ I like the taste of this Perky Sourish and Spicy Chilli. 😋

蚵仔煎 Oyster Omelet = TWD80

When presented, this Dish looks Almost like our Singapore Malaysian 蚵煎 except for that Distinctive Brown Thick and Sticky Sauce 🍯 that Completely Engulfs the Entire Plate. 🍽️

This Sauce is the Soul of Taiwanese 蚵仔煎 🍯 and really the Main Difference between our Versions. The One here has a Slightly Ketchupy Sweetish Taste, Slightly Peppery. 😋

Its Sweetish but compared to past Taiwanese 蚵仔煎 I've eaten back in 2019, I feel the Sweetness is somewhat More Subdued and Not Overly Sweet. 👍  Really Thick, Sticky and with a Gluey Consistency, this is Almost Certainly Thickened with Cornstarch. 🤔

Another Unique Thing about Taiwanese 蚵仔煎, at least for this Version, is the Layer of Vegetables 🥬 within that give the Dish a Fresh and Soft Veggie Crunch. 😋 Not Sure what Veggies is this, but it is likely to be 高丽菜 seeing that Taiwanese really love this Vegetable in Many Dishes that I've seen. 🥬😅

The Rest of the Main Body of the Dish is of course a Thick Egg Omelette 🍳 with Starch and 7 Oysters that are Hidden Within. 🦪 They're Not the Particularly Fat Type but their Mission in this Dish is to Deliver a Unique Raw Oystery Seafoody Hit to Everything. 😋

Eating Everything together is at First a Familiar Taste of Egg Omelette 🍳 with Oysters, 🦪 but you get a Flood of that Sweetish Sauce 🍯 and a Nice Veggie Crunch from the Veggies. 🥬 Its like eating a Very Gluey Version of our Singapore and Malaysian 蚵煎. Adding that Chilli Condiment 🌶️ elevates the Dish further by giving it a Sourish Spicy Tease. Nice. 😋

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Conclusion and Closing Thoughts

At the Price of TWD80 (S$3.30), I thought this was a Reasonable Price for this Plate of 蚵仔煎. 👍 The Amount of Ingredients and Size of the Dish was Acceptable for the Price. 👍

I'll be Very Honest when I first ate Taiwanese 蚵仔煎 back in 2019, I didn't like it 😅 because I am more used to Singapore and Malaysian Drier and More Wok Hei Tasting 蚵煎. I really couldn't appreciate it during that time. 😅

Now 6 Years Later when I taste this Dish again, I actually appreciate how Culinarily Complex this Version actually is. 👍 Instead of our Drier Version which is Just Egg Omelette, Starch and Oysters at its Core, this 灵魂酱汁 Thick Gravy 🍯 and the Inclusion of Vegetables 🥬 gives the Dish far more Complex Texture and Depth. 👍 I'm surprised myself because I had thought I'd still dislike this version.

But I guess my Tastes have changed over the Years. 😅

If you are a Singapore or Malaysian that enjoys our Local 蚵煎 but have never eaten Taiwanese Style 蚵仔煎 before, it is a Dish that you will either immediately like or dislike the Minute you taste it. 😅 My Advice is to Keep an Open Mind and Not Expect our Local Dry Style. 😅 This is a Completely Different Style of Cooking.

I don't know whether how Local Taiwanese will find this place, but as a Singaporean I like this. 👍 And this is coming from someone who actually actively disliked Taiwanese 蚵仔煎 just 6 years ago. 😅 I reckon a Big Factor was how the Sweetness of the Gravy didn't felt Too Overpowering Sweet for me.👍 I thought Every Ingredient were important and worked together very well in this Dish. ♥️

I also appreciated how Friendly the Staffs at this Place was. 😄 As I really did enjoy the Version I ate here, I gave the Team a Thumbs Up. 👍 They appreciated the Gesture. Although not as much Queue as 圓環邊蚵仔煎, and Not as High Rated in Google Map Reviews, I can still recommend this place as I did enjoy my time here. 👍

Hey at the Very Least, this Eatery made me change my Opinion from 6 Years ago and made me enjoy and appreciate Taiwanese 蚵仔煎 now. 👍