Danan Xiaolin Fried Chicken & Pork Thick Soup

Review

The original Danan Xiaolin Fried Chicken & Pork Thick Soup is at No. 107 Guangfu Road in Bade District, around Danan Market. The Danan in its name is where it started, and it later opened branches such as one behind Zhongli Station; yam's write-up on the Zhongli branch makes a point of mentioning the Bade original, a sign of its standing locally. This Guangfu Road shop has more than 1,200 online reviews and is a well-known budget lunch around Danan.

The signature is the fried chicken rice with egg box: seven or eight pieces of fried chicken with a lightly crisp coating and juicy meat, a braised egg, and rice drizzled with braised pork sauce, savoury and satisfying. The other dish in its name, pork thick soup, is southern-style, slightly sweet and thick with firm pork pieces; many pair one chicken box with one bowl of soup for a filling meal. Portions suit an average appetite, so big eaters may want extra.

Praise centres on plenty of chicken that is fragrant and tender rather than dry, a braising sauce with a southern touch and friendly prices; some mention a birthday deal if you bring ID. Complaints are that the braised pork rice is on the mild side and needs other dishes for flavour, the soup sells out for late arrivals, and the original shop's short hours make it easy to miss.

Google lists the original's hours as 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday to Friday, closed Saturdays and Sundays, which differ from the branches, so check before you go. yam reported NT$65 for the fried chicken rice with egg at the Zhongli branch, while recent diners mention branch prices have changed, so go by the prices at this shop. It is mainly takeaway; the area is market and housing with heavy midday traffic, so a scooter is easier, or take your box to a nearby park.

Good for people studying or working in Bade who want a cheap lunch, or anyone curious to try the original version of this fried chicken rice. First-timers should order a fried chicken rice with egg and a bowl of pork thick soup, the standard pairing; big eaters can add extra chicken. Remember it opens only on weekday lunchtimes, so arrive before noon to be sure of soup.