在介紹今天的主角之前，我必須先揭露一個關於台灣飲食的「身世之謎」。許多外國朋友來到台灣，會驚訝地發現這裡有許多冠著地名的料理，比如川味牛肉麵（Sichuan Beef Noodle Soup）、左宗棠雞（General Tso's Chicken）、溫州大餛飩（Wenzhou Wonton），還有今天要介紹的蒙古烤肉（Mongolian BBQ）。
Before introducing today's protagonist, I must reveal a mystery about Taiwanese cuisine. Many foreign friends are surprised to find dishes named after places, such as Sichuan Beef Noodle Soup, General Tso's Chicken, Wenzhou Wonton, and today's topic, Mongolian BBQ.
事實上，這些全都是台灣發明的。這源於 1949 年戰後移民的鄉愁與創意，他們借用了家鄉的地名或名人，創造出了全新的口味。左宗棠雞在很多我介紹的餐廳都吃得到；溫州大餛飩我至今想不到特別值得推薦的店（大多是連鎖）；至於牛肉麵，那是台灣飲食的聖杯，我會另外寫一篇專文介紹。
In fact, these were all invented in Taiwan. They stemmed from the nostalgia and creativity of post-war immigrants in 1949, who borrowed names from their hometowns or famous figures to create entirely new flavors. General Tso's Chicken is available in many restaurants I recommend; for Wenzhou Wonton, I can't think of a particularly noteworthy shop; as for Beef Noodle Soup, that is the holy grail of Taiwanese cuisine, and I will dedicate a separate article to it.
今天要聊的，是這間浴火重生的老店—唐宮蒙古烤肉酸菜白肉餐廳（Tang Gong）。
一句關於麻將的神秘推薦
這是一間相當有歷史的老店，也是我一位移民美國的好友，每次回台灣最想念的味道。我至今對他當初推薦這間店的理由記憶猶新，他說：「這間店的員工休息時間都在打麻將，所以真的很好吃。」
This is a historic establishment and the taste my friend, who emigrated to the US, misses the most. I still vividly remember his reason for recommending it: "The staff play Mahjong during their breaks, so the food is really good."
我至今仍不知道這句話的邏輯在哪裡，也不知道是真的假的。但這似乎暗示了一種老派的、像家一樣的鬆弛感——只有當員工把這裡當成家，這裡的食物才會有靈魂。雖然在我看來，來這裡專攻蒙古烤肉就夠了，酸菜白肉鍋雖然有名，但我覺得表現平平。當然，如果你想感受店家提供的完整體驗，點個「火烤兩吃」也無妨。
I still don't understand the logic behind this, nor do I know if it's true. But it implies an old-school, relaxed atmosphere like home—food has soul only when the staff treat the place like home. In my opinion, focusing on the Mongolian BBQ is enough; the Sour Cabbage Hot Pot is famous but just okay to me. Of course, ordering both gives you the full experience the restaurant intends to offer.
蒙古烤肉的身世：吳兆南與避不開的政治
回到料理本身，為什麼叫「蒙古烤肉」？這背後藏著一個關於生存與政治的有趣故事。這道菜其實是台灣相聲大師吳兆南（Wu Zhaonan）在 1951 年發明的。他原本想賣的是家鄉的「北京烤肉」，但在那個兩岸對立、政治敏感的年代，任何與「北京」（共產黨首都）有關的名字都可能被視為「通匪」。為了避開麻煩，同時又要強調這道菜在大漠豪邁吃肉的風情，他靈機一動，取了個充滿異國情調的名字——「蒙古烤肉」。結果這個為了政治避險而誕生的名字，竟然在台灣大受歡迎，甚至紅回了國際。
Back to the dish itself, why is it called "Mongolian BBQ"? There is an interesting story about survival and politics behind it. It was actually invented in 1951 by Taiwan's crosstalk master Wu Zhaonan. He originally wanted to sell his hometown's "Beijing BBQ." However, in that era of cross-strait hostility and political sensitivity, any name related to "Beijing" (the Communist capital) could be seen as "colluding with the enemy." To avoid trouble while emphasizing the bold, exotic style of eating meat in the desert, he had a stroke of genius and named it "Mongolian BBQ." Unexpectedly, this name born of political hedging became a hit in Taiwan and even famous internationally.
那些年，我們都是蔬菜建築師
我必須承認，我人生第一次吃到蒙古烤肉並不是在唐宮，而是在大學時期的台中靜宜夜市。那是一個露天的攤子，規則很簡單：給你一個碗，只要你能裝得下，老闆就幫你炒。
I must admit, my first Mongolian BBQ experience wasn't at Tang Gong, but at the Jingyi Night Market in Taichung during my college years. It was an open-air stall with a simple rule: here's a bowl; whatever you can fit in it, the boss will stir-fry for you.
對於當時不算富裕的學生來說，如何把菜疊得最高，是一種生存技能，更是一種樂趣。我們會先用空心菜架構一個比碗口還大的基底平台，然後層層疊上高麗菜，比較有才華（或是讀土木工程）的同學，還會利用紅蘿蔔絲當作「鋼筋」插入固定。最後，我們能架構出一個高達 20 公分以上的青菜塔。
For students who weren't wealthy, stacking vegetables as high as possible was a survival skill and a joy. We would use water spinach to build a base platform larger than the bowl, then layer cabbage on top. Talented students (or civil engineers) would use shredded carrots as "rebar" for reinforcement. In the end, we could construct a vegetable tower over 20 centimeters high.
把這座塔交給老闆，看他在大鐵盤上揮汗快炒，雖然肉片給得不多，但搭配免費的白飯與湯，那就是一頓無比愉快的晚餐。如果你在台灣的街頭看到這種蒙古烤肉的小店，不妨停下來試試。雖然台北這種吃到飽的店少了「堆疊蔬菜塔」的樂趣，但看著師傅在大鐵盤上揮汗如雨，依然是台灣飲食文化中一道獨特的風景。雖然我再也沒回去吃過那攤夜市，但我猜現在吃起來可能沒當年好吃了。畢竟，「貧窮」有時候是最好的調味料。
Handing this tower to the boss and watching him stir-fry it on the large iron griddle was a delight. Although there wasn't much meat, paired with free rice and soup, it was an incredibly happy meal. If you see a small Mongolian BBQ shop on the streets of Taiwan, give it a try. Although the all-you-can-eat places in Taipei lack the thrill of "building vegetable towers," watching the chefs sweat over the giant iron griddle remains a unique spectacle in Taiwanese culinary culture. I haven't gone back, and it probably wouldn't taste as good now. After all, "poverty" is sometimes the best seasoning.
唐宮：時光停滯的肉食樂園
唐宮位於台北市松江路的老辦公大樓二樓。這是一間充滿歲月痕跡的店，經歷過大火又重新裝修，但那種 80 年代的氛圍依然濃厚。深色的木頭裝潢、略顯擁擠的桌距，還有那種人聲鼎沸的熱鬧感，讓你一走進去就感到放鬆。
Tang Gong is located on the second floor of an old office building on Songjiang Road. It is a place full of history. Despite surviving a fire and undergoing renovation, the 80s atmosphere remains thick. Dark wood decor, slightly crowded tables, and the buzzing noise of people make you feel relaxed the moment you step in.
這裡最大的特色就是**「自助式（Buffet）」的蒙古烤肉。你拿著大碗，依序夾取牛肉、羊肉、豬肉、雞肉，然後是大量的洋蔥、空心菜、蔥段、香菜。接著來到最關鍵的「醬料區」**。這裡有十幾種醬料：醬油、麻油、辣油、薑汁、大蒜、檸檬水、米酒......。沒有廚師告訴你怎麼調味，你必須對自己的口味負責。這是一種味覺的冒險。
The main feature here is the "Buffet Style" Mongolian BBQ. You take a large bowl and pile up beef, lamb, pork, chicken, followed by heaps of onions, water spinach, scallions, and cilantro. Then comes the critical "Sauce Station." There are over a dozen sauces: soy sauce, sesame oil, chili oil, ginger juice, garlic, lemon water, rice wine... No chef tells you how to season it; you are responsible for your own taste. It is a gustatory adventure.
將滿滿一碗交給師傅，看著幾位師傅圍著巨大的圓形鐵盤，在蒸氣騰騰中揮舞著長筷子，將你的食材在鐵板上飛舞。那是一場充滿節奏感的表演。幾分鐘後，你的特製烤肉就出爐了。
Hand your full bowl to the chef and watch as several chefs circle the massive round iron griddle, wielding long chopsticks in the steam, making your ingredients dance on the hot plate. It is a rhythmic performance. Minutes later, your custom BBQ is ready.
一定要吃的燒餅 (Shao Bing)唐宮還有一個隱藏主角：手工燒餅。剛烤出來的燒餅外殼酥脆，內裡軟韌，帶著濃濃的麵香。行家的吃法是將剛炒好的蒙古烤肉塞進燒餅裡，做成一個「台式漢堡」。肉汁浸潤了燒餅，大口咬下，那是碳水化合物與油脂最完美的結合。
The Must-Eat Sesame Biscuit (Shao Bing)Tang Gong has a hidden star: Handmade Sesame Biscuits. Freshly baked, they are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, full of flour aroma. The pro way to eat is to stuff the freshly stir-fried BBQ into the biscuit, creating a "Taiwanese Burger." The meat juices soak into the biscuit—a perfect union of carbohydrates and fat.
後記：健康的吃到飽？
為了寫這篇文章，我最近又去吃了一次。坦白說，隨著年紀增長，我發現自己越來越不喜歡「吃到飽」這種形式了，總覺得負擔太重。但轉念一想，蒙古烤肉其實意外地適合現在的我：大量的蔬菜（如果你願意多夾一點空心菜和洋蔥）、單純的肉片，只要醬料控制得當，這其實是一頓富含蛋白質與纖維的健康餐（Keto-friendly?）。
For this article, I visited again recently. Honestly, as I get older, I find myself liking "All-You-Can-Eat" less and less; it feels burdensome. But on second thought, Mongolian BBQ is surprisingly suitable for me now: plenty of vegetables (if you pile on the water spinach and onions) and simple sliced meat. As long as you control the sauce, it's actually a healthy meal rich in protein and fiber.
同場加映：不老客家傳統麻糬
如果你來唐宮吃飯，我要私心分享一個走路不到三分鐘就能到的必吃甜點——「不老客家傳統麻糬（Bulao Hakka Traditional Mochi）」。這是一間位於巷弄裡的傳奇小攤，無論何時經過，總是大排長龍。
If you come to Tang Gong, I want to selfishly share a must-eat dessert less than three minutes away—"Bulao Hakka Traditional Mochi." This is a legendary stall in an alley, always with a long queue.
這裡的麻糬有原味、芋頭、紅豆、芝麻、綠豆與花生六種口味，每顆不到 15 元台幣，價格便宜得不可思議，但口感卻好得驚人。它的外皮軟糯 Q 彈，內餡飽滿而不甜膩。我自己最喜歡原味（沾滿花生粉）和花生口味，但我建議你每種都買來試試。這間店有多熱門？最近有個有趣的新聞，店家因為這十年來都將租金繳給了錯誤的房東而上了新聞，我們這才驚訝地發現，這間不起眼的小攤光靠賣麻糬，十年來就繳了一百多萬的租金。這就是它美味程度的最好證明。
The mochi here comes in six flavors: original, taro, red bean, sesame, mung bean, and peanut. Each costs less than NT$15, incredibly cheap for such amazing quality. The skin is soft and chewy, and the filling is generous but not overly sweet. I personally love the original (coated in peanut powder) and peanut flavors, but I recommend you try them all. How popular is this shop? Recently, there was funny news that the shop had been paying rent to the wrong landlord for ten years. We were shocked to find out that this humble stall paid over a million dollars in rent just by selling mochi over a decade. That is the best proof of its deliciousness.
CORE 給朋友的深層視角 A Deeper Perspective for Friends
我想和你分享一個心得：唐宮蒙古烤肉賣的不只是食物，而是一種「參與感」。從夾菜、調味到看著師傅烹飪，你全程參與了這道菜的誕生。這在講求效率與標準化的現代餐飲中是很少見的。這也是為什麼即便經歷了大火與整修，這間老店依然屹立不搖。它保留了那個大家圍著爐火、大口吃肉大聲聊天的年代。下次來這裡，記得把燒餅夾滿肉，那一口下去，就是台北老派聚餐最豪邁的滋味。
I want to share a thought with you: Tang Gong sells not just food, but a sense of "participation." From picking ingredients and seasoning to watching the chef cook, you are involved in the birth of the dish. This is rare in modern dining, which prioritizes efficiency and standardization. This is why, even after fire and renovation, this old shop stands strong. It preserves an era when everyone gathered around the fire, eating meat heartily and chatting loudly. Next time you are here, remember to stuff your sesame biscuit full of meat. That bite is the boldest flavor of Taipei's old-school gatherings.