當我還是小學生時，我就有印象，聽人提過「吃飯只吃八分飽，人生煩惱少八分。」，雖然當初不知道是甚麼意思，但是，後來我就了解，這是一種東方的養生哲學，因為，假如吃得太飽，會讓腸胃工作負擔較大，可能會導致消化不良，而吃個八分飽，可以讓腸胃有餘裕消化，我們會感到更加舒適，後來學生時代，常常和同學挑戰各式的美食吃到飽，我們常常為了不吃虧，把自己吃到十分飽，那種「吃飯只吃八分飽」的概念，就更有體會了。
這次和朋友的聚餐，餐廳的名字就叫八分飽，店門口的紅色招牌，看起來很有年頭了，它是一家中式餐廳，我覺得，店名取的真是妙，老闆是希望用餐的顧客不要吃太飽，才能活得健康，是嗎？店內的裝潢，採用中國風，色調很溫暖，橘黃的吊燈，高掛屋頂，有點我小時候吃喜酒時，那種老牌飯店的感覺。
聽說，餐廳的招牌菜是東坡肉，一上菜立刻就被大家分食光了，我連拍照都來不及，另一道有名的上海砂鍋菜飯，我總算來得及拍照，油亮的白飯與青江菜，還有些鍋巴感，我覺得還可以，五更腸旺是川菜裡面有名的一道菜，改良成酸酸辣辣的台式口味，只要熱炒店，一定會有這道菜，超級下飯的，可能是餐點不錯，或是大家肚子太餓了，菜只要轉過一圈，幾乎都清光了，至於，大家是吃到撐，還是吃個八分飽，我是不得而知。
話說回來，「八分飽」，不只是吃得剛好，更像是在提醒我們，生活不必什麼都追求極致，有餘裕，才是生活，現在，我吃飯時，也不會吃到很飽，吃得健康反而更重要，此外，吃個八分飽有助於我們控制體重，像我常久坐辦公室，也沒常運動，只能靠控制飲食，來維持體態了。
When I was still in elementary school, I remember hearing people say, “Only eat until you're 80% full, and you'll have 80% less to worry about”. Back then, I didn’t really understand what it meant. But later, I came to realize that it’s actually a kind of Eastern wellness philosophy. If you eat too much, your stomach has to work extra hard, and that can lead to indigestion. But if you stop at 80% full, your digestive system gets a break, and you feel more comfortable overall. Back in school, my friends and I would always go crazy at all-you-can-eat buffets, trying to get our money’s worth by stuffing ourselves to 100%. That’s when the whole “80% full” idea really started to make sense to me.
This time, I went out for dinner with some friends at a place literally called “80% Full”. The restaurant had an old-school red sign out front that made it look like it had been around for a while. It’s a Chinese restaurant, and I thought the name was really clever—maybe the owner wants diners to eat just enough to stay healthy? Inside, the decor had a traditional Chinese vibe. The warm tones and orange-yellow lanterns hanging from the ceiling reminded me of those banquet halls from weddings I went to as a kid.
We heard their signature dish was the Dongpo pork, and as soon as it hit the table, everyone dug in, and it is so fast I didn’t even get a chance to snap a photo. Another dish, the Shanghai-style clay pot rice, I finally managed to photograph. The rice was shiny with oil, mixed with bok choy and had that crispy-bottom texture. It was pretty good. Then there was the spicy intestines with pickled veggies—kind of a Taiwanese take on a classic Sichuan dish. Every stir-fry place here has it. It was tangy, spicy, and super appetizing with rice. Maybe the food was really good, or maybe we were just too hungry—but every dish that made one round around the table was almost gone by the time it came back. Whether anyone actually stopped at 80% full... I honestly couldn’t say.
But you know, “80% full” isn’t just about eating. It’s also a reminder that in life, we don’t need to max out everything. Leaving some room—having that extra space—is what balance is all about. These days, I try not to overeat. Eating healthy feels more important now. Plus, staying at 80% helps me control my weight. I sit at a desk all day and don’t work out much, so watching what I eat is kind of my only way to stay in shape.
