百年老店東發號 / The century-old shop, Dong Fa Hao

您有沒有聽說過，很多知名老店是本地人不知道，外地人反而知道的，我學生時代的其中一位損友提過，人們往往更容易被遠處的景物所吸引，因為遠處的景物通常更具有吸引力，對比下，身邊的事物可能會被視為習以為常，常常被忽略掉，不過，那時候，他是用這個理論來解釋，為甚麼別班的女生通常看起來都較漂亮有氣質，自己班上的女生看起來都普通，此外，我也聽過，人類視覺系統在演化過程中，對於遠處事物有較高的敏感度，因為遠處的事物可能是潛在的威脅或者是潛在的機會，這種關注遠處的傾向，在古代有助於人類在危急重重的野外存活下來，所以，我朋友對於我家附近有那些名店，比我這個土生土長的在地人還清楚，我想也是情有可原吧。

「東發號」位於饒河夜市，號稱是百年老店，賣的是傳統小吃，其實賣傳統小吃的店家一大堆，為何東發號會這麼有名，我也搞不清楚，我小時候常逛饒河夜市，夜市的很多小吃攤位，我都有吃過，像是陳董藥燉排骨或福州世祖胡椒餅等，基本上，沒有那一家攤位，是我每次去都一定會吃的，我都挑價錢便宜，不用排隊的店家去吃，東發號位於饒河夜市中段的一間土地公廟旁邊，我可能有吃過，我認為口味應該就是一般而已啊，不過，電視上的美食節目常常報導這家店，而且它曾連續幾年是米其林餐盤推薦的街頭小吃，所以知名度很高。

某天和朋友約好去逛饒河夜市，本來說好要從夜市頭吃到夜市尾的，結果，我們在夜市頭的松山慈祐宮旁，吃了一份加蛋蔥抓餅之後，再喝了一杯珍珠奶茶後，就有點飽了，怎麼辦？無論如何，夜市還是要逛，搞不好逛一逛，我們肚子又餓了，那又可以開始吃了，其實對我而言，每個夜市賣的小吃，都是大同小異，只是點綴罷了，主要的樂趣是和朋友邊逛邊打屁聊天。

說實話，饒河夜市說變了很多，但是那幾家熟悉的老店，都還在，說這裡沒變，也不對，因為很多店面都換了好幾手老闆了，不過，不論是小吃攤位或是街邊店餐點的價錢，都漲了很多，總之，我們最後，決定用東發號做結尾，東發號主要賣油飯、肉羹及蚵仔麵線三樣，它已經搬到新位址了，不在土地公廟旁邊了，店內的客人還是常常坐得滿滿的，不過，它的翻桌率很快，幾乎每桌位只要十到二十分鐘，又可以服務下一批客人，我們油飯、肉羹及蚵仔麵線都有點，我真的覺得口味就是一般，朋友也說不出好吃在那裏，我真的很想問那些非排隊名店或老店不吃的人，您們吃的是名氣還是美味？

You know, it's funny how some famous old joints in the neighborhood are unknown to locals but are on the radar for out-of-towners. Back in my school days, one of my buddies used to explain this phenomenon by saying people tend to be more drawn to distant attractions because they're usually more appealing. He'd relate it to why girls from other classes always seemed prettier and more elegant compared to the ordinary ones in our own class. Also, I've heard that our visual system evolved to be more sensitive to distant objects since they could pose either a threat or an opportunity, which was crucial for survival in the wild ages. So, it's understandable why my friend, who's not from around here, knows more about the famous eateries near my place than I do.

Take "Dong Fa Hao" for instance, nestled in Raohe Night Market, boasting a century-old legacy of serving traditional snacks. Truth be told, there are plenty of stalls selling traditional snacks there. Why Dong Fa Hao stands out, I can't really say. I used to frequent Raohe Night Market a lot during my childhood and tried almost every snack stall there, like Mr. Chen's stewed ribs or Fuzhou Shizu pepper buns. Basically, there wasn't one stall I'd always go for. I'd pick the ones with cheaper prices and no queues. Dong Fa Hao is located beside the Earth God Temple in the middle section of Raohe Night Market. I might have tried it, and I thought the taste was just average. But it's always featured on TV food shows and even got recommended by the Michelin Guide for street food for several years, so it's got quite the reputation.

One day, my friends and I planned to explore the entire Raohe Night Market from head to toe. However, after indulging in a scallion pancake with egg and a cup of bubble milk tea near the Songshan Ciyu Temple, we felt a bit full. What to do? Well, we still had to roam the night market. Who knows, we might get hungry again. Honestly, to me, the snacks at every night market are pretty much the same, just with some variations. The real fun lies in strolling around and chatting with friends.

Truth be told, Raohe Night Market has changed a lot. But those familiar old joints are still there. Well, I can't say it hasn't changed at all because many of the stalls have changed hands multiple times. But whether it's the snack stalls or the prices of street-side eateries, they've all gone up a lot. Anyway, we decided to wrap up our food trip with Dong Fa Hao. They mainly serve oil rice, meat soup, and oyster vermicelli. They've relocated to a new spot now, not beside the temple anymore. The place is always packed, but the turnover is quick. Each table is occupied for only about ten to twenty minutes before the next batch of customers is served. We tried their specialties, but honestly, the taste was just average for me. My friend couldn't pinpoint what made it so special either. I really want to ask those who don't bother with non-queue-worthy famous or old joints, are you in it for the fame or the flavor?

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