Is Eggroll Chen Really Closing? the Truth Behind Columbia's 40-Year Dining Icon
By Robert Thorne
The enduring popularity of the Crowder Road spot rests on its dual-track kitchen. Diners seeking familiar comfort order classic sweet-and-sour chicken or fried wontons. Those pursuing culinary depth bypass the front page entirely to explore dishes rooted in the night markets of Taipei and Tainan.
The signature draw remains the Taiwanese beef noodle soup. The broth requires hours of careful simmering with beef bones, star anise, ginger, scallions, and fermented bean paste. Tender shanks of beef rest alongside chewy wheat noodles and blanched greens, finished with preserved mustard greens that cut through the richness. Long before bone broth gained mainstream health cachet, this bowl served as restorative fuel for international students and local food enthusiasts alike.
Other cornerstones define the kitchen's identity:
• Hand-Rolled House Egg Rolls: Extraordinarily large, blistered pastry skins filled with finely shredded vegetables, distinct from generic frozen commercial rolls.
• Taiwanese Salt and Pepper Chicken: Bite-sized chicken thighs marinated in soy and five-spice powder, fried crisp with fresh Thai basil leaves.
• Braised Pork Rice (Lu Rou Fan): Pork belly slow-simmered in aromatic soy stock, spooned over steaming white rice with pickled daikon.
• Authentic Bubble Tea: Long before national franchise boba chains dotted Columbia strip centers, Chen brewed traditional black and milk teas with fresh tapioca pearls.
Robert Thorne covers electric vehicle innovations, autonomous driving systems, global mobility trends, and automotive engineering developments.
