才扒了一口，加了香菇水的滷肉與多汁的香菇片牽起所有味道開始共鳴。首先上場的是泡發的香菇片。使用的是台灣扁菇，即使沒有與滷肉一起滷製，香味也非常明顯。醇厚的滷汁裡除了醬香，也能嚐到隱晦的菇類香氣。是的，應該是香菇的味道。詢問店員是否加了香菇水進去？他們笑答不知道，但香菇在泡發後的香菇水是很好的調味高湯，誰會浪費這些高湯而不用呢？所謂原湯化原食嘛！
飯を掻き込んで食べると、椎茸そぼろとジューシーな椎茸は口の中で共鳴する。先ず登場するのは、水で戻した干し椎茸。台湾で栽培された香りが高い薄手の椎茸————香蕈だったので、ひき肉が香蕈のうまみをしっかり吸収し、煮汁の味も香りも増してきるだけでなく、旨味成分が含まれています。椎茸の戻し汁では出汁として活用するので、捨てずに料理に使うのはもう常識。元々の戻し汁・茹で汁でそのまま食べることを、『原湯化原食』であるというそうです。
文 甘苦人 攝影 林志潭 Jr Tan Lin
平常日的上午，一個曾經以殺蛇聞名的夜市，安靜的異常。相較於它精彩活潑的夜晚，我想我更喜歡繁華落盡的它，像剛過壯年，不一定每天刮鬍子，卻內斂沉穩的中年男子。
身為台北數一數二老的街道（最老的屬貴陽街了），華西街在清代因為巷道蜿蜒盤繞被稱「凹月斗仔」。巷弄裡，船夫與碼頭工人在這裡落腳。在外工作，無非就是填飽肚子以及渡過寂寞難耐的夜晚，因此，娼寮、小食店星羅棋佈於此，國民政府來台後，改名為「寶斗里」，依然是個艷名遠播的胭脂巷，直到民國八零年代廢除公娼，這裡才轉變成夜市。
平日の昼、昔に『蛇の市』の名付けで有名な夜市は、幽玄な雰囲気が漂う。夜になると煌びやかで賑やかな道になるのに、やはり、静かでレトロな風情とその魅力がよく感じられる。
華西街は歪曲した細い道であり、台北で一番早く開発された路地裏として（いちばん歴史があるのは貴陽街）、清代から『凹月斗仔』と呼ばれていた。漕ぎ手や埠頭の荷役労働者らはよくこの路地裏で休憩していた。国民政府が台湾を統治してから、凹月斗仔は『宝斗里』に改称し、民国八〇年代公娼制度が廃止されるまえ、この辺は遊廓（貸座敷）営業地であり、接客業が非常に盛んな花街であった。
自清代至今，華西街都是這麼接地氣的存在著，生猛有力，豪邁不做作。而台灣最接地氣的食物，如果滷肉飯排第二，還真找不到誰可以排第一。我想，來接地氣的華西街找接地氣的滷肉飯，應該是正確的選擇。
我一向單獨尋找美食。找張椅子坐下，發現鄰桌除了三三兩兩結伴而行的客人，也有好幾個單獨吃飯的朋友。不是才剛開店嗎？怎麼店裡已經有半滿的客人在用餐了？而且個個都是身穿居家服及拖鞋的在地人，良民衣著的我顯得格外醒目。
然後，我深深的被黑亮的滷肉鍋引誘住了。
華西街は昔ながらの懐かしく質素な雰囲気が溢れている。そして台湾を代表するご飯の中でも、最も有名なグルメは肉そぼろご飯である。なので、華西街で本場の肉そぼろご飯を探すことは、最良な選択肢だろうと思います。
私はいつも独りで美食を尋ねる。入店して席に座り、店内は概ねグループ客だが、ほかにも一人客がいる。営業して間もなく、ほぼ満席、残り半分。服装を観れば、地元の人がラフな格好で、自分の服装がいかに異なっているかがわかった。
そして、私は脂が乗った煮汁の鍋に引き寄せられる。
老闆滾著小火，不時撈除表面的浮油。我心裡想著這碗滷肉飯該是如外觀一樣，又油又鹹，老實說有點害怕遇上老店名過於實的狀況。沒想到，才扒了一口，加了香菇水的滷肉與多汁的香菇片牽起所有味道開始共鳴。
首先上場的是泡發的香菇片。使用台灣的是扁菇，即使沒有與滷肉一起滷製，香味也非常明顯。醇厚的滷汁裡除了醬香，也能嚐到很隱晦的菇類香氣。是的，應該是香菇的味道。詢問店員是否加了香菇水進去？他們笑答不知道，但泡發後的香菇水是很好的調味高湯，誰會浪費這些高湯而不用呢？所謂原湯化原食嘛，一加一大於二的功效可見一般。
見た目は脂っぽく塩分が多いものだったが、飯を掻き込んで食べると、椎茸そぼろとジューシーな椎茸は口の中で共鳴する。
先ず登場するのは、水で戻した干し椎茸。台湾で栽培された香りが高い薄手の椎茸————香蕈だったので、ひき肉が香蕈のうまみをしっかり吸収し、煮汁の味も香りも増してきるだけでなく、旨味成分が含まれています。椎茸の戻し汁では出汁として活用するので、捨てずに料理に使うのはもう常識。元々の戻し汁・茹で汁でそのまま食べることを、『原湯化原食』であるというそうです。
接著上場的是帶皮也帶點肥肉的細肉丁。香而不鹹，充滿膠質而不油膩。帶皮肥肉丁是老闆手切的堅持，經煸香後以濃色醬油滷製，兩到三個小時過程中，不斷將逼出來的油撈除。油亮的黑色容易讓人誤會口味厚重，其實是上了冰糖的關係，使其亮色而半點不油膩。回甘的口感則是甘草等中藥香料配角的貢獻，淡淡的、安靜的存在著。
香菇多汁滑口，醇厚的滷汁則扮演耦合劑，讓滷肉及香菇合為一體，更讓原本偏乾的米飯在吸飽了滷汁後，軟硬恰到好處，滷肉、香菇、白飯及滷汁在嘴裡咀嚼後層層疊疊美不勝收，嘴角慢慢克服了地心引力，漸漸上飄。
對了對了，滷鴨蛋是我必點的小菜之一，滷到暗褐色的蛋白有點風乾緊實感，吃起來類似鐵蛋，咬開後的鴨蛋黃較濕潤，不若雞蛋黃容易讓人噎著。但蛋黃香氣更勝雞蛋。而其他配菜如白菜滷及滷油豆腐，本身味道已足，我會特地交代老闆不要再淋上滷肉，享受清爽小菜與醇厚滷肉飯味道層次帶來的饗宴。
そうそう、私が必ず注文するものは『煮玉子』。煮汁を煮詰めているアヒルの卵白は、弾力がある歯ごたえが、通常の煮卵と比べてかなり硬いことで、台湾名物『鉄卵』と似ている。卵黄はしっとりで食べやすいし、普通の煮玉子より風味も香りも良い。
おつまみの『白菜の煮込み』や『味付け厚揚げ』なども味が浸み込んで美味しい。その上に肉そぼろを掛けずにあっさりとしたものと味が濃い目の肉そぼろご飯との組み合わせが絶妙。
值得一提的是，小王的招牌掛的並不是香菇滷肉飯，而是清湯瓜仔肉。由此可知，他們一開始的主力商品就是他們的瓜仔肉湯。湯如同滷肉飯一樣的深色，卻是意外的清爽好喝，醬油底的湯鹹淡適中且生津回甘，瓜仔爽脆，胡椒氣息醇厚明顯，每日現做的肉羹扎實彈牙，一不小心就喝到見底。
小王の得意料理は『肉そぼろご飯』というけど、看板に書いてある『キュウリの漬物入り豚肉スープ』は、定番中の定番である。スープは深い色で、意外にさっぱりして美味しい。塩胡椒で下味をつけることで、より甘みが強く感じられます。キュウリの漬物はシャキシャキした食感、肉団子はしっとりして歯ごたえがあり、無心に飲み干した。
再說說罐頭。罐頭從前是舶來品，屬於高貴的食品，後來雖有在地生產，但也屬於少見的食物，在小王剛開業的年代，罐頭入菜蔚為風行。其中日光牌花胡瓜罐頭就常被拿來煮雞湯，更甚者如南部著名的酒家菜鹹蛋四寶亦以它當做湯底，而小王則是利用它來煮清湯瓜仔肉，再佐以黑胡椒粉調味（接受美國援助的年代，黑胡椒等西方食品逐漸進入台灣人的生活）。難怪跟一般傳統店家的白胡椒味有些許出入。
經老闆證實，黑胡椒粉較為厚實，味道卻沒有白胡椒粉那麼利，加入自己手工製作的肉羹，簡單美麗。喝小王的一碗湯，簡直捧起一個活歷史，見證了大時代變遷下台灣飲食的樣貌，也一窺六零年代的風華。
缶詰めのキュウリの漬物は、昔は輸入品として高級食材だけど、現在は台湾の業者で生産することが可能。小王を開業した時、缶詰料理は大流行し、『日光牌キュウリの漬物』は鶏肉スープと好相性の具材として使われるだけではなく、台湾南部の酒家菜『鹹蛋四寶』にも使われるそうなのです。勿論、小王のスープの美味しさの秘密も、この逸品な缶詰であろう。
– 全文完 –
西城帶路 通のこだわりポイント
1. 以香菇來中和滷肉飯的膩是他們家的特點，不愛吃醃菜的人有福了。與其說是滷肉飯，不如說是香菇飯比較貼切。脂ぽくない椎茸そぼろはこのお店の一押しだ。肉そぼろご飯というよりも、椎茸そぼろご飯のほうがぴったり当てはまる。
2. 配菜如白菜滷及滷油豆腐，其本身味道已足，我會交代老闆不要再淋上滷肉，享受清爽小菜與醇厚滷肉飯層次帶來的饗宴。おつまみの『白菜の煮込み』や『味付け厚揚げ』などは味が浸み込んで美味しい。その上に肉そぼろを掛けずにあっさりとしたものと味が濃い目の肉そぼろご飯との組み合わせが絶妙。（店員へ注文する際に肉そぼろを掛けないことを伝えておく。）
3. 道地夜市口味，每道菜都是相同調味。順序上建議先攻湯再食飯，避免味覺疲乏。夜市に濃い味付けの物をいつも食べていると、味覚もだんだん麻痺してしまう。そうしないため、まずはスープを飲み、それからおつまみやご飯を食べる順番がお勧め。
小王清湯瓜仔肉
住所：萬華區華西街17之4號
営業時間：9:00 – 20:00
定休日：二
席数：25
料理：香菇滷肉飯（椎茸肉そぼろご飯 ）NT$60・滷肉飯（肉そぼろご飯）NT$25
TEL：02 2370 7118
#龍山寺駅徒步8分 
Xiao-Wang Braised Pork Rice: Win your heart with mushrooms
With your first bite, the braised pork with the mushroom liquid added and the juicy mushrooms have brought up the multi-layer taste.
The first taste was the soaked mushrooms. The Taiwanese Shiitake was used and the taste was quite apparent even not stewed with the minced pork. There is not just the fragrance of the soy sauce but also a slight fragrance of the mushroom in the stewed sauce. Yes, it should be the mushroom. I asked the staff if they added the mushroom liquid. They answered that they do not know, grinning. But the liquid with the mushroom immersed is a great seasoning stock. Who would waste the stock when people always say that the soup can help with the digestion with the food?
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The night market that used to be famous for eating snakes was unusually quiet in the morning of a regular weekday. Compared with the hustle and bustle night, I prefer the quiet natural scene of this place. As if a man pasts his prime time, not necessarily shaving every morning but still has his humble and calm temperament.
As one of the top old streets in Taipei (the oldest one is the Guiyang street), the Huaxi Street was called “Ao-yue-dou-zi,” meaning that it is winding like our intestines. In the allies, the boatman and the harbor workers worked here.
Working away from home, what people needed was to satisfy their stomachs and to endure the lonely nights. Hence, there were red light district and food stands spreading in this area. After the KMT came to Taiwan, it was named after Bao-dou village, but still famous for its red light district. It was till the 1990s that the licensed prostitutes were banned, and then this place turned into a night market.
From the Qing Dynasty to nowadays, the Huaxi Street is still humble and down-to-earth. She is energetic, bold, and yet sincere. When talking about the most local food in Taiwan, if the braised pork rice is ranked as the second one, then there would be nothing at the first place. In my opinion, coming to the most down-to-earth Huaxi Street for the most authentic braised pork rice is the best and correct choice.
I used to look for delicious food alone. I took a seat and looked around. I found there were group of friends gathers by the other tables and also some customers that came alone. I wondered how can the restaurant just opened few minutes ago, but the restaurant was already half full? Most of them are locals that wore casual cloth and slippers; someone who dressed up like me sitting can be easily spotted. And then, I was soon attracted to the shiny black pot of braised pork.
The braised pork was simmered and the owner scooped out the oil layer from time to time. I thought the braised pork rice might taste like how it looks like on the appearance, salty and greasy. To be honest, I was a little bit worried about maybe the restaurant was overpraised. However, just with my first bite, the braised pork with the mushroom liquid added and the juicy mushrooms have brought up the multi-layer tastes.
The first taste was the soaked mushroom. The Taiwanese Shiitake was used and the taste was quite apparent even not stewed with the minced pork. There is not just the fragrance of the soy sauce but also a slight fragrance of the mushroom in the stewed sauce. Yes, it should be the mushroom. I asked the staff if they added the mushroom liquid. They answered that they do not know, grinning. But the liquid with the mushroom immersed is a great seasoning stock. Who would waste the stock when people always say that the soup can help with the digestion of the food? It presented the power of one plus one can be more than two.
What came next was the small diced meat that with skin and fat. It was delicious, yet, not salty. It had rich collagen, yet, not greasy. It was the owner’s insistence that the diced meat needs to have fat and skin at the same time, so he always cut the meat by himself. After the diced meat was cooked, it was stewed with the dark soy sauce. During the two to three hours, the owner needed to keep scooping out the extra oil. The thick dark color might mislead customers to think it might be too strong. But in fact, it is the crystal sugar added that make the braised pork looks shiny and dark, but not greasy as it looks like. The sweet taste came from the Chinese herbal seasoning, licorice. It does not steal the spotlight but stays there quietly.
The mushroom was juicy and tasty. The thick stewed sauce played the role of coupling agent that integrated the braised pork with mushrooms. The rice that was a bit dry becomes a perfect texture after adding the stewed sauce. The multi-layer tasted from the braised pork, mushroom, rice, and the sauce make the great enjoyment. I cannot help but gradually spreading out my simile.
Oh, and yes, I always order the stewed duck egg when I visit. The dark brown of the white was a bit tight which make the taste similar to the iron egg. But the yolk still contained the moisture; unlike the other egg yolk that can easily get choked. Also, the smell of the duck yolk is better than the regular ones. The side dishes such as the braised cabbage and the oily bean curd already have their rich tastes. I always tell the owner not to sprinkle the braised pork on them and enjoy the refreshing side dishes and the rich layers of the braised pork rice.
It is worth mentioning that the signboard of Xiao-Wang was not written with the mushroom braised pork rice, instead, it says the broth of steamed minced pork with pickles. For here you can see that their signature dish lies in their steamed minced pork broth with pickles. The soup is as dark as the braised pork rice but the taste is unusually fresh. The base of the sauce soup is not too salty and not to plain and brings out the sweet afterward. The pickles are crunchy, and the pepper is obvious. The thickened meat soup is so delicious that one might easily have them all within seconds.
There came to the canned food. The canned food was imported products in the past. They were expansive. Though there were a few locally produced canned foods but was still not common. In the period when Xiao-Wang just opened, making food with canned food was a fab. For example, the canned cucumber produced by Ri-Guang Company was used to cook with the chicken soup and also even used for the broth by the southern Taiwan restaurant that was famous for the salted egg dishes for drinking cuisines. And Xiao-Wang used it to make the base for the broth of steamed minced pork with pickles.
He added the black pepper seasoning. (It was that period that the U.S helped Taiwan and therefore many western foods were introduced to Taiwan). No wonder the taste is different from other restaurants that use white pepper.
Proven by the owner, the black pepper has the thicker taste, but not as sharp as the white pepper. The black pepper is used in their homemade thickened meat soup, simple but tasty. Having a soup at Xiao Wang is like experiencing the living history. You might be able to see how the eating habits have changed in this era, and also looked back to the classic time of the 1970s.
– The end –
Suggestions
1. The feature of the restaurant is that they make good use of the mushroom to water down the grease of the braised pork rice. And for those who do not like pickled cabbage, this is a place for you to go. Instead of calling it braised pork rice, it would be more appropriate to call it mushroom rice.
2. The side dishes such as the braised cabbage and the oily bean curd already have rich taste. I always tell the owner not to sprinkle the braised pork on them and enjoy the refreshing side dishes as well as the rich layers of the braised pork rice.
3. The authentic night market taste uses the same seasoning for every dish. It is suggested to have the soup prior to the rice in order to avoid the taste fatigue.
Xiao-Wang Braised Pork Rice 小王清湯瓜仔肉
Address: No.17-4, Huaxi Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City, 108
Open: 9:00 – 20:00
Close: Tuesdays
Meals: mushroom rice NT$60
Seats: 25
Tel: 02 2370 7118
#8minsWalkfromLongshanTempleStation
日譯 Yayoi 英譯 陳姿岑
核稿編輯 鄭婷文
