For many foreign friends, walking into a police station or a state-owned enterprise headquarters usually means trouble or boring visa paperwork. But in Taiwan, these serious public buildings hide some of the most down-to-earth, high CP value (Cost-Performance Ratio) gourmet gems. Today, I want to take you to two special places: the "Polis Food Plaza" in the Taipei City Police Department and the "Liquin Restaurant" of the Taiwan Power Company. This is not just a meal; it is an exploration of Taiwan's open public sector culture and post-war culinary history.
波麗士美食廣場：在拘留室樓上吃炸豬排
首先，我們來到台北市警察局。你可能會遲疑：這裡真的可以進去嗎？別擔心，台灣的公部門早已褪去了傳統「衙門」的封閉感，許多空間都是對民眾開放的。在這個充滿制服警察穿梭的空間裡，藏著一個「波麗士美食廣場（Polis Food Plaza）」。這裡原本是為了服務辛勤執勤的警察同仁，因此價格極為親民，且份量豪邁。
Polis Food Plaza: Eating Pork Chops Above the Detention Cells
First, we arrive at the Taipei City Police Department. You might hesitate: Can I really go in here? Don't worry, Taiwan's public sector has long shed the closed-off "Yamen" (feudal government office) vibe; many spaces are open to the public. Amidst the uniformed officers bustling about, there hides a "Polis Food Plaza." Originally designed to serve hard-working police officers, the prices are incredibly friendly, and the portions are generous.
這裡的招牌是厚切炸豬排與各式台式定食。想像一下，當你坐在位子上大口咬下酥脆的豬排時，隔壁桌可能就是剛處理完案件、配槍的刑警。這種奇妙的違和感，是你在米其林餐廳絕對體驗不到的。這裡的食物代表了台灣的一種「實用主義美學」：不求擺盤花俏，但求紮實、營養、快速補充體力。
The signature dish here is the thick-cut fried pork chop and various Taiwanese set meals. Imagine sitting there, taking a big bite of crispy pork chop, while the person at the next table might be an armed detective who just finished a case. This strange sense of dissonance is something you will absolutely never experience in a Michelin-starred restaurant. The food here represents a kind of Taiwanese "pragmatism aesthetic": not seeking fancy plating, but aiming for substantial, nutritious, and quick energy replenishment.
台電勵進餐廳：東北酸菜與亞熱帶的相遇
接下來，我們要去一個更具傳奇色彩的地方——台灣電力公司的員工餐廳「勵進餐廳」。這裡賣的是源自中國東北的「酸菜白肉鍋（Pickled Cabbage and Pork Hot Pot）」。在亞熱帶的台灣，為什麼會流行這種寒帶料理？這要追溯到 1949 年的歷史大遷徙。當時台電的首任總經理孫運璿先生（他是台灣現代化最重要的推手之一），為了照顧來自東北的工程師與員工，特地設立了這間餐廳，以此慰藉他們的思鄉之情。
Taipower Liquin Restaurant: Where Northeast Pickled Cabbage Meets the Subtropics
Next, we are going to a place with even more legendary status—the "Liquin Restaurant," the staff canteen of the Taiwan Power Company. They serve "Pickled Cabbage and Pork Hot Pot," originating from Northeast China. Why would a dish from a frigid zone become popular in subtropical Taiwan? This traces back to the great migration of 1949. At that time, Mr. Sun Yun-suan, the first General Manager of Taipower (and one of the most important figures in Taiwan's modernization), specifically established this restaurant to comfort the engineers and employees from the Northeast, soothing their homesickness.
這間餐廳最大的特色，在於那根長長的煙囪銅鍋。這種傳統的炭燒銅鍋，不僅造型獨特，更有著極佳的導熱性。鍋子中央燃燒著紅通通的木炭，高溫讓酸菜湯頭始終保持滾沸。
The most distinctive feature of this restaurant is the long-chimney copper pot. This traditional charcoal-burning copper pot is not only unique in shape but also has excellent heat conductivity. Red-hot charcoal burns in the center of the pot, keeping the pickled cabbage broth boiling vigorously.
如何像內行一樣吃鍋？
在這裡吃鍋是有儀式的。首先，你要學會調整火候：那個像煙囪一樣的蓋子（Chimney Cap）就是油門，打開它，空氣對流，火就旺；關上它，火就小。這種手動控溫的樂趣，是電磁爐無法取代的。
How to Eat Like a Pro?
Eating hot pot here comes with a ritual. First, you must learn to adjust the heat: the chimney cap acts like a throttle. Open it to let air flow, and the fire roars; close it, and the fire dwindles. This fun of manual temperature control is something an induction stove cannot replace.
至於食材，這裡是「吃到飽（All-You-Can-Eat）」的，但請專注於兩樣東西：白肉與酸菜。這裡的白肉（Pork Belly）經過特殊處理，已經去除了多餘油脂，再經過冷凍切成薄如紙片的捲狀。你只需要在滾湯中涮幾秒鐘，肉片變白即可入口。搭配上店家自製、經過天然發酵的酸菜，那種酸爽不僅解膩，更能在炎熱的台北喚醒你的味蕾。別忘了去醬料區調製一碗「老東北」蘸醬：芝麻醬、豆腐乳、韭菜花醬、蒜泥與一點點醋。這是一種粗獷豪邁，卻又細緻入微的味覺體驗。
As for ingredients, it is "All-You-Can-Eat," but please focus on two things: the Pork Belly and the Pickled Cabbage. The pork belly here undergoes special processing to remove excess fat, then is frozen and sliced into paper-thin rolls. You only need to swish it in the boiling soup for a few seconds until it turns white. Paired with the homemade, naturally fermented pickled cabbage, the sourness not only cuts through the grease but also awakens your taste buds in the heat of Taipei. Don't forget to mix a bowl of "Old Northeast" dipping sauce at the condiment station: sesame paste, fermented bean curd, chive flower sauce, minced garlic, and a splash of vinegar. It is a flavor experience that is both ruggedly bold and intricately detailed.
CORE 給朋友的深層視角 A Deeper Perspective for Friends
我想和你分享一個觀點：在這些公部門餐廳吃飯，吃的不只是便宜美味，更是一種台灣特有的「平等主義」。在這裡，沒有 VIP 包廂，大老闆與基層員工、在地人與外國遊客，大家都圍著同樣的銅鍋，在蒸氣騰騰中共享食物。這反映了台灣社會可愛的一面：公權力並不高高在上，而是充滿煙火氣，甚至可以是一碗溫暖的酸菜白肉湯。下次來台北，不妨走進這些「衙門」，用味蕾感受台灣最親切的公部門文化。
I want to share a perspective with you: Dining in these public sector canteens is not just about cheap and delicious food; it's about a unique Taiwanese "egalitarianism." Here, there are no VIP rooms. Big bosses and entry-level employees, locals and foreign tourists, everyone gathers around the same copper pot, sharing food amidst the rising steam. This reflects a lovely side of Taiwanese society: public power is not lofty and distant but full of the smoke and fire of daily life, and can even be a warm bowl of pickled cabbage and pork soup. Next time you come to Taipei, why not walk into these "Yamens" and use your taste buds to experience Taiwan's most welcoming public sector culture.