A-Nan Sesame Oil Chicken

Review

A-Nan Sesame Oil Chicken sits in Lane 311, Section 2 of Zhonghua Road in Nanjichang Night Market and is one of the market's most recommended hot-soup shops. Both Supertaste and Marie Claire include it in their Nanjichang round-ups, noting that the queue starts before opening, even in summer. The shop is small and fills up the moment it opens, the whole lane smells of sesame oil, and plenty of travel influencers have featured it.

The signature is the sesame oil chicken leg, with tender meat and springy skin, and it is usually the first to sell out. There are also chicken pieces, sesame oil chicken vermicelli and a dry-tossed sesame oil vermicelli. The broth has a clear sesame oil aroma without feeling heavy or heating, tastes fairly light rather than greasy, and comes with one free refill. The vermicelli has bite and pairs well with the soup, and the garlic chilli sauce on the table adds depth if you want it.

Praise centres on the rich sesame aroma without heaviness, the tender chicken and the tasty noodles; fans of lighter flavours find it just right, and a bowl is especially warming in winter. Criticism comes from those who like bold flavours, who find the broth too mild and under-seasoned. Some got tougher chicken and feel the reputation exceeds the reality, and the blanched vegetables are seasoned lightly enough that some call them ordinary.

Hours are 5 to 11 p.m., closed Mondays, and popular items such as the chicken leg are gone once sold out. If you want a leg, queue ten to twenty minutes before opening. Soups start at NT$75, one person can eat well for NT$100 to 200, and cash is the norm. The menu is in Chinese only, so foreign visitors may want to look up what to order beforehand. Parking nearby is hard; take the MRT to Longshan Temple or Guting and then a bus or a walk.

It suits anyone who enjoys warming tonic dishes but dislikes greasy food, and it is a good way to warm up on a winter night-market walk. First-timers should order the chicken leg with dry-tossed vermicelli and eat the soup and noodles separately to taste the difference; add garlic chilli sauce if you like it stronger. If the legs are gone, the chicken pieces are a good alternative. Drivers and riders should ask whether the dish contains rice wine before ordering.