半夜肚子突然餓了，想吃東西時，怎麼辦？有些人可能自己在家中泡個泡麵來填填肚子，有些人或許會去便利商店找些東西充飢，而我比較常去永和豆漿，吃個中式餐點來充飢，我的印象中，永和豆漿並不是一個連鎖品牌，很多這類賣中式早點及宵夜的店家，店名都叫做永和豆漿，賣的食物品項，則大同小異，而人們認知中的排隊美食阜杭豆漿，我覺得也沒有比永和豆漿賣的食物好吃多少，一直搞不懂為何每天那麼多人排個半個小時，只為了吃阜杭豆漿。
那天，我因為雜事太多，一直拖到晚上十點多才有時間吃飯，早已餓得頭昏眼花的我，眼看，一般的餐廳或小吃店都收攤，這時，還有營業賣餐點的店家，只有夜市的攤販，座落各大街小巷的便利商店，或是只賣宵夜的少數店家，而永和豆漿就是其中經濟又實惠的好選擇。
一走進店內，熱油滋滋作響的聲音，彷彿在招呼著客人，之後，豆漿的香氣及烤餅的氣味讓人食指大動，深夜的胃好像特別容易寂寞，更容易被這些香味勾住，我通常去永和豆漿都會吃蛋餅、飯糰、燒餅油條及豆漿等，雖然，我也不排斥燒餅加豬排蛋的吃法，不過，我還是較喜歡傳統吃法。
之前有段時間，我常常工作到早上三或四點才下班，這個時間點，有營業的店家更是少之又少，能吃到熱呼呼宵夜的選擇，真的不多，永和豆漿的魅力在於它的樸實，店內並沒有浮誇的裝飾，也沒有華麗的打卡點，只有幾張簡陋桌椅，及佈滿油煙的開放廚房區，但是，它給深夜中飢腸轆轆的客人提供最真實的的溫度與味道。
When you suddenly get hungry in the middle of the night, what do you do? Some people might make instant noodles at home, others might head to a convenience store to grab something quick. As for me, I usually go to Yonghe Soy Milk and get some Chinese-style food to fill my stomach. From what I remember, “Yonghe Soy Milk” isn’t really a chain brand. There are tons of shops selling late-night and breakfast foods that all use the same name, and their menus are pretty similar. And honestly, that super famous Fuhang Soy Milk that everyone lines up for? I don’t think it tastes that much better than regular Yonghe Soy Milk. I never understand why people are willing to queue for half an hour just to eat there.
That night, I had so many things to take care of that I didn’t get a chance to eat until after 10 p.m. I was already starving and dizzy by then, but most restaurants and food stalls were already closed. At that hour, the only places still open are night-market stands, convenience stores scattered around the streets, or a few shops that specialize in late-night food. Among these options, Yonghe Soy Milk is definitely one of the most affordable and reliable choices.
The moment I walked inside, the sizzling sound of hot oil felt like it was greeting me. Then came the smell of soy milk and baked pastries. It is completely irresistible. Somehow, your stomach just feels extra lonely late at night, making those smells even harder to resist. I usually order egg pancakes, rice rolls, youtiao with shaobing, and soy milk. Although I don’t mind the version with pork chop and egg stuffed inside the shaobing, I still prefer the traditional way of eating it.
There was a period when I often worked until three or four in the morning. At that hour, barely anything is open, and it’s almost impossible to find hot, freshly made food. Yonghe Soy Milk became one of the few places where I could still get a warm late-night meal. Its charm is in its simplicity—no fancy décor, no Instagram-worthy corners, just a few basic tables and chairs and an open kitchen coated in oil from years of cooking. But despite its plain appearance, it always offers hungry, exhausted people the most genuine warmth and flavor in the middle of the night.
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