In the mood for some delicious chicken? Well, here we have the answer. This Michelin Guide recommended Chicken restaurant-Chi Chia Chuang is sure to satisfy your cravings.
It took me a little time before I ‘got used to’ these kind of scenes in restaurant windows in Taiwan. In the west, this definitely isn’t the ‘norm’.
Stepping into Chi Chia Chuang is like a step back in time to what I imagine Taipei was like 30-40 years ago. Time for a refit? Well, maybe not. This restaurant is probably going more for the ‘old-school’ vibe, and does it well. At least it’s clean.
Not really sure what this guy is doing in here, though?
A cardinal sin, in my book, is plastic mock ups of food on the menu. Not a fan, in any way.
At least these ones are actual food that you can order, though…
Probably one of the newer things in Chi Chia Chuang is the specialist backlit items on the menu that adorn the walls going up the stairs to the second floor.
Cocks everywhere. Really, there are so many chicken pictures. No mistaking what this place has been made popular for.
Old style American Diner feel?
You’ll get a pot of tea for the table at Chi Chia Chuang, this an oolong tea. With cute chicken pics on the cups, just incase you forgot where you were – chicken heaven (or hell, depending on if you’re a chicken).
MaPo Tofu
雞家豆腐 jī jiā dòufu
$298
Yep, another chicken…
…this guy was keeping the MaPo Tofu warm in the clay pot.
Salty, lightly spiced and silky tofu. Definitely up there with Golden Formosa’s MaPo Tofu for the best I have had (so far) in Taiwan.
Three flavours of chicken
三味雞 sān wèi jī
$600-800
Yes, the black chicken is a little bit disconcerting, but once you get over the colour difference, you’ll find that not much else is different in flavour or texture. The skin of this chicken has a smooth and chewy texture and flavour manages to cling to it, I ended up eating way more than I had anticipated!
The chicken is succulent, the meat is plentiful, the flavours are fresh and strong, and I highly recommend getting a big plate of this for the table at Chi Chia Chuang.
BBQ sauce fried pigs heart
沙茶豬心 shā chá zhū xīn
$420
Weird enough to raise an eyebrow, but tasty looking enough on the menu to warrant an order. I am very glad that we ordered it. The BBQ sauce was light (contrary to the heavy look) and tasty, with a good amount of saltiness and BBQ flavour running through. The heart itself was sliced very thinly and clearly only stir-fried for a short amount of time as it managed to remain soft and delicate, avioding the rubbery texture that this can often have.
Braised intestines
滷大腸 lǔ dà cháng
$298
Similar to the braised intestines from Golden Formosa, there’s inevitably an element of rich fattyness to these that I find (sadly) irresistable.
Hulled shrimp rolls (encased in squid)
蝦仁卷 xiā rén juǎn
$380
Why they feel they need to tell the readers of the menu that the shrimp are hulled is beyond me. I should damn well hope they are, otherwise it would make these unneccesarily crunchy and nasty.
Shrimp with cucumber is encased in squid and sliced up resembling sushi rolls. It was good, but not the greatest. I don’t feel like a dollop of mayonnaise is enough for this to go with as an accompaniment, either. Try something a little spicy, perhaps?
Turnip omelet
菜甫蛋 Cài fǔ dàn
$220
How fluffy does this look? Fluffy egg stuffed with pickled Daikon radish with spring onions.
Tasty.
Chicken oil infused rice
雞飯 jī fàn
$50
Unreal. So, damn, good. I had two bowls, it was just that good! The chicken oil had been infused with garlic and other herbs, making it pop with freshness and flavour. Spooned over the rice, it was killer!
However, this is the way it should be done! Spoon a couple of spoonfuls of MaPo tofu over the top, and stir it all together – win.
Chicken rools (rolls, I presume/hope)
雞捲 Jī juǎn
Each roll is $180, we got 2.
Deep fried chicken roll for the win, with a sweet spicy sauce to boot! The skin was deliciously delicate and crunchy, and not too greasy, either. There was plenty of filling on the inside, and the flavours were pretty good.
Water spinach
空心菜 kōng xīn cài
$198
Garlic, meet water spinach. Delicious, fresh, done.
Bamboo and wood ear fungus soup
竹筍木耳湯 zhú sǔn mù’ěr tāng
$80
I do very much enjoy these thick cuts of crunchy and flavour-packed bamboo. This soup at Chi Chia Chuang is full of a fresh earthy flavour, the bamboo doesn’t lose its crunchy texture through long cooking, and sweet flavours permeate through the soup from the bamboo, itself. With the wood ear is found a good healthy element, and a nice clean soup.
Pudding
雞蛋布丁 jī dàn bù dīng
$120
I was excited for this at Chi Chia Chuang, but I exepcted it to be a bit bigger, and perhaps more packed in the flavour department. The vanilla and caramel flavours were good, but I will be very honest in saying that ‘A Mei’s pudding in Tainan is still far superior to any other than I have eaten before.
Opening Times: Monday – Sunday 11:00 – 22:00
Tel: 02 2581 5954
A Foodie’s Guide to 15 Taipei Bib Gourmand Restaurants