This time in Taiwan, a friend of mine led the way to a local favourite restaurant, which has been open for more than 40 years and has been passed down for three generations, "Ji Yuan Szechuan Cuisine Restaurant". The restaurant is famous for its casserole soup, which is the best in Taipei, and many politicians, businessmen and celebrities, even Hong Kong celebrities such as Chow Yun-Fat, have come here to have this soup. 2019 the restaurant has even been included in the Michelin Plate Recommendation list, so I am certainly looking forward to it.
Casserole Chicken Soup
From selling only three to five pots a day in the past, to seeing the chef busy in the kitchen as soon as I walked in, distributing the chicken broth amongst dozens of casseroles on the cooker, we can see how popular this soup is now.
Every table must order this soup, so the whole restaurant is filled with the rich flavour of old fire chicken soup. The cream-coloured soup is made by slow-cooking hen, dried scallops and pig's feet for 12 hours, releasing all the chicken's gelatinous substance and essence, and is cooked by specialists for 24 hours. The sand nest helps to preserve the chicken's original flavour and nutrients, so the soup is particularly rich, sweet and stomach-warming, and very smooth, with a hint of Jinhua ham in the chicken's flavour.
Each pot of chicken soup is made with a perfectly coloured, fat and white chicken, enough for twelve people, which is a huge portion suitable for a large group of people, no wonder the locals like to come here for festivals and celebrations.
In addition to the original "Casserole Chicken Soup", there are other signature chicken soups, such as the more expensive "Casserole Chicken with Shark's Fin" and "Casserole Chicken with Abalone Breasts", which are available in a variety of flavours.
"Other Small Dishes
Though it's said to be Szechuan, I think the food here is more in the style of old Cantonese cuisine, which is right up my alley.
Stir-fried flat green beans are flavourful enough to go well with rice. The Thin Scallion Cake with Chicken Sauce is filled with the flavour of chicken oil and spring onion, which is also a must-order. I think eating it wrapped with the string beans restrained its heavy flavour, and it was also very tasty.
Other dishes such as the traditional Szechuan dish "Szechuan Bean Fish", a vegetarian cold dish of soybean sprouts wrapped in bean skins, are fresh and slightly smoky, which is also quite special. Stir-fried Shredded Pork with Dried Beans, Stir-fried Bean Sprouts and Pork in Hot Pot are also well-cooked dishes.
"Dessert
For dessert, many people recommend the "Bean Paste Pot Cake", but this is more commonly eaten in Hong Kong, so we ordered a less commonly eaten "Jujube Paste Pot Cake", which has a fragrant jujube flavour and is moderately sweet, and is not bad at all.
Ji Yuan Szechuan Restaurant is definitely a restaurant with a return rate of 100%. I don't know if it's just me, but I really felt a little bit more energetic after having the chicken soup. I will definitely come back next time, but remember to make a reservation in advance.
WEEEE YUEN Szechuan Cuisine Restaurant
Address: No. 324, Sec. 1, Dunhua S. Road, Daan District, Taipei 106, Taiwan (R.O.C.)
Opening hours: 11:30-14:00, 17:30-21:30
Tel: +8862 2708 3110
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