Zhulin Chicken has been a staple hidden down one of the many back streets of Yonghe. For those of you who don’t know about Yonghe – it was once rated the most densely populated place on Earth. Needless to say, there are a lot of people there. For some people, that’s not much of a draw to go eat there, but I have been consistently living here since 2013 and do not intend to move anywhere else any time soon.
While it may seem like somewhat of a maze at first, it’s a lot of fun here. Walking down any back street or alley way you’ll likely stumble across something each and every time. Whether you’re looking for delicious night market food (LeHua should be your go-to for that!), Taiwanese classics, or modern staples that we have come to know and love through globalization, Yonghe really has it all.
Zhulin Chicken has stood the test of time here, and consistently turns out delicious bowls of chicken rice. It’s relatively inexpensive when comparing to other lunch boxes of similar quality in Taipei, and reliably delivers delicious food right to your table.
Table of Contents
Just a short walk from DingXi MRT Exit 2, Zhulin Chicken has a regular line of people during the busy periods of the day, whether that is lunch or dinner time. We waited around 20 mins for a table, which I don’t really mind too much now as it often comes with the desire to eat good (oftentimes popular) food.
Something I appreciate about their ordering system here is that whether you want to eat in or take out, you have to line up in the same line. There’s none of this lining up separately for eat in or take out at Zhulin chicken.
The kitchen was alive with activity, but everything looked seamlessly well organized. It’s quite incredible how something that looks so unorganized at first glance from the outside can work so well on the inside. For example, the heat under that pan is turned up so high that it takes the cook a mere 10 seconds (I counted) to create the perfect soft yolk fried egg, whilst simultaneously preparing other elements of other dishes.
It also amazes me how I would be outraged by seeing this in the UK – why is it not in the fridge?! But here, I lap it up, willingly! Strange, right?
The Menu at Zhulin Chicken
The menus is nicely sectioned off into 5 sections:
- Noodles
- 麵類 miàn lèi
- Rice
- 飯類 fàn lèi
- Soup
- 湯品 tāng pǐn
- Cuts of chicken
- 雞肉切盤 jī ròu qiē pán
- Other
- 其它 qí tā
Some of the other important things from the menu of significance are:
- 雞肉 jī ròu= chicken
- 雞腿 jī tuǐ = chicken leg
- 蛋 dàn = egg
- 大份 dà fèn = large portion
- 小份 xiǎo fèn = small portion
What We Ordered
Chicken Leg with Rice and Egg
竹林雞腿飯+蛋 zhú lín jī tuǐ fàn jiā dàn
This rice was great at ZhuLin Chicken , with the chicken juices/gravy/oil/drippings spooned over it was even better. The rice was really nicely cooked, which is often a sign of quality in a restaurant – if the meat is cooked nicely then it tends to be that there’s a compromise somewhere, that compromise is often the rice. But not here.
That shiny and glistening skin on the chicken here at Zhulin chicken is what I am here for. The skin is chewy, yet full of flavour. It’s juicy and delicate, whilst still being packed full of the delicious flavour of chicken that we all know and love. The addition of those slivers of ginger are nice to cut through the richness that is provided from the thick soy sauce, and that sunny side egg is top dollar to bring it all together.
If you go to a self-proclaimed chicken restaurant, then you can’t not order some chicken. The layer separating the skin from the meat becomes jellied which is a rather unique texture in meat, and the skin is chewy. The meat itself is deliciously juicy, but coupled with these other textures it can take the weaker stomached some time to adjust. However, once that adjustment has happened, your Taiwan journey will take you to a whole new world of chicken goodness. Taiwanese really love eating chicken, and places like Yangmingshan’s Qingcaiyuan are shining examples of just how well chicken can be cooked here.
Having aid that, Zhulin chicken really do a great job at getting lots of flavour in there, while still retaining delicateness.
Seriously, though, how good does that cluck?
A fried egg makes everything better. This rice is no exception. Get it.
Chicken Breast and Rice
銷魂雞飯 xiāo hún jī fàn
Probably my pick of the bunch at ZhuLin Chicken. It’s essentially a bowl of chicken, rice, ginger, gravy/oil/chicken dripping, and a sunny side up fried egg on top. Proceed to mix it all together, and dig in with your shovel/spoon.
You won’t get any bones in here, all you will get is a mix of deliciously delicate flavours that compliment each other nicely, tied together with that egg yolk, soy sauce, and with the occasional fresh punch of ginger. Right on the money, this should be ordered every time.
Chicken and Bamboo Soup
竹筍雞湯
Sometimes the mood for soup takes me and I get excited about it. Then, more often than not, I get disappointed when I see a bowl of murky water-like stuff served up to me. This was no exception, yet it did taste pretty good. The bamboo and chicken flavours come through nicely, and it was overall pretty tasty.
ZhuLin Chicken isn’t going to win awards for refined dining (and it isn’t trying to, either), or even for subtle flavours. But, if you want something damn tasty that isn’t going to break the bank, then it is worth a shot, that’s for sure.
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? It’s a great option at a great price if you’re in the area.
What’s the best dish? The chicken and rice bowl is easily the best. But make sure to get an egg with it – good choices all around!
Would you come back? I already go here on a semi-regular basis as a resident of Yonghe.