[Taipei, Taiwan] - 藍家割包/Lanjia Gua Bao

If you've ever wondered where the best pork belly buns are, it's right here, at 藍家割包/Lanjia Gua Bao. Call them 割包, gua bao, kua bao, pork belly buns, tiger bites pig, whatever you will. They have gained a lot of popularity thanks to Eddie Huang and his Bao Haus, David Chang's flat weird ones from Momofuku, and most likely the ease of comparing them to a "Chinese hamburger." Either way, they are delicious when done right. The ones here have a super fluffy bun that has a touch of sweetness (包 perfection!), and it's filled with semi sweet stewed pork, crushed peanuts, pickled veggies, and cilantro. You can choose just the lean pork, just the fat, or both. Do yourself a favor and at least get the 50/50 once before passing judgement. Don't order the lean pork and say you've had one! 

After gobbling down that delicious morsel and ignoring the regret of only having one, wash it down with a nice bowl of steaming hot soup. They have a few choices. We ordered 四神湯 - literally translated to "four gods soup" (has yam, lotus seads, poria, and gorgonas), corn and pork, and bung with tripe. After this snack, hopefully you are still hungry because there are other treats down the alley and tea shops to try! Just find the longest line and try your luck.

Bung and tripe - don't be scared, it tastes really good!

四神湯 - has a slight medicinal taste from the lotus seed, poria, and gorgonas.

Corn and pork - always a safe option, and is pretty sweet from the corn.

There is always a line. Sometimes it's a little shorter, but the rain usually doesn't do much to stop people from coming by.

Address:
羅斯福路三段316巷8弄3號
Zhongzheng Qu, 
T’ai-pei Shih 100
Taiwan