Gong Ji 48 Ban

Review

Gong Ji 48 Ban is on Tingzhu Street in Huatan Township, in the bamboo groves of Bagua Mountain, and is one of Huatan's most often named free-range chicken restaurants. Global Views' Huatan guide calls it a 30-year-old shop on Bagua Mountain that insists on local bamboo shoots and free-range chickens, and Supertaste's Huatan list includes it too, mentioning country chicken dishes, old-style home cooking and parking. Next door is another famous place, Black Rooster, and the two are often compared.

The signature white-cut chicken uses free-range birds with thin skin and springy meat. The black garlic chicken soup is dark and mellow. In spring and summer, makino bamboo shoots take center stage in salads and stir-fries using local, in-season shoots. The menu also lists less common mountain dishes like bee pupae for adventurous eaters, and sakura shrimp fried rice gets frequent mentions.

Praise focuses on tender chicken, generous portions and friendly service; one table of four ordered six dishes plus fried rice and was delighted, saying the chicken matched the famous neighbor, and the owner even explained to out-of-towners how to keep takeaway chicken. Criticism includes prices that are not exactly cheap, waits during weekend meal times, and specialty dishes like bee pupae that not everyone dares to try.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; sources list no regular closing day, and booking is wise on weekends. It is up on Bagua Mountain with poor public transport, so drive or ride; the mountain road has some bends. There is parking on site, as both Global Views and Supertaste note.

It suits family gatherings, friends on a day out, or anyone wanting a shared feast after enjoying the Bagua Mountain views. Come in a group of three to five and order half a white-cut chicken, a pot of black garlic chicken soup, two or three bamboo shoot dishes and fried rice; leftover chicken can be taken away, so ask the owner how to store it.