Battle of the Bian Dangs

Posted in Chinese on May 22nd, 2007 by mei| | .

biandang.jpgYours truly has been in Taipei for over x number of years now and I can (proudly?) say that I’ve never had a single 7-11 biang dang (便當) yet. Given that many Taipei-rens dine in and out of convenient stores, I’d say this is quite a feat! Now, before I proceed any further, what exactly is a bian dang?

In two words, “boxed lunch.” (Not “lunch box” as so many Taiwanese folks I encounter seem to say. I don’t eat 7-11 bian dangs and I definitely won’t eat hardware.) To those who may be familiar with the Japanese bentos, bian dangs are the Taiwanese variations.

The anatomy of a bian dang: Rice, a main protein item - usually meat or fish, several side dishes which would almost always include at least one vegetable item and a soup and/or drink of the day. The options are countless.

My absolute favorite type of bian dang would have to be Chi Shang Bian Dangs (池上便當） which translates to “Paddy-side boxed lunch” in reference to the rice used. What makes these boxed lunches special? Perhaps wooden panel boxes that are used to for the packaging. Perhaps it’s also knowing that you will get the same standard menu when you walk into one of these Chi Shang Bian Dang stores. Regardless of which Chi Shang Bian Dang store I go to, a pork chop (排骨） bian dang will taste just about the same as one bought from another store (mmm… industry secrets? I do have a discerning palate!) and always pretty darn good.

Here’s a list of different Chi Shang Bian Dangs from a local store’s website (with photos but in Mandarin only):
The Recommended (招牌便當), Chicken Leg (雞腿便當), Pork Chop (排骨便當), Chicken Steak (雞排便當), Stewed Pork (爌肉便當), Crispy Chicken (香脆雞飯), Cod (鱈魚便當), Salmon (鮭魚便當).

A lone Chi Shang Bian Dang costs about 70 - 85nt.

What I also like, although not all Chi Shang Bian Dang stores offer this option, is to order my boxed lunch with multi-grain rice （養生米）. The stores usually charge a few more NT$s but what’s pocket change compared to health?

Try these two Chi Shang Bian Dang stores if you live in the Daan and Xinyi areas:
Both stores offer multi-grain rice.

Wu Tao Chi Shang Fan Bao 梧饕池上飯包
(relatively close to the NTU Campus)
No. 299
Fushing South Road, Section 2
02 8732 7427
復興南路二段299號

Shi Chuan Chi Shang Bian Dang　食全池上便當
(close to Liuchangli MRT)
No. 40
Chong De Street
02 2737 2866
崇德街40號

One Response to ' Battle of the Bian Dangs '

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  1. mei eats » Eating this Lonely Planet said,

    on June 12th, 2007 at 8:08 pm

    […] of my friend’s 7-11 Rice Bian Dang Set(*shakes head then nods head* see Mei’s Bian Dang post) decided to get my own 7-11 Vermicelli and Chicken Drumstick Set (super surprisingly good! the […]

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