Hong Xing Free-Range Chicken House (Original)

Review

Hong Xing sits at No. 100, Section 3, Lingyun Road in Wugu, right on the Guanyin Mountain road. Its fan page and many food blogs call this branch the original shop, and bloggers describe it as a Guanyin Mountain institution of about fifty years. Writing on the history of Taiwan's free-range chicken houses, foodNEXT notes that Hong Xing is best known for bamboo-shoot chicken and three-cup chicken, and that the owner developed several newer chicken dishes, making it one of the faces of the mountain chicken-house culture in the north.

Chicken is the star. Bloggers describe the white-cut chicken as having springy skin and fresh, tender meat, and both the white-cut chicken and the soups come in half portions, so small families can finish them. The pineapple and bitter melon chicken soup is layered, while the bamboo-shoot chicken soup is the signature. Among stir-fries, the garlic oysters are called a must, the candied sweet potato is best eaten slightly cooled, and the cabbage comes in a big plate. ifoodie records the sesame-oil pork jowl at NT$450 as a price guide.

Fans praise the tender chicken, roomy private rooms and easy parking, and like the free black tea, which a blogger says is brewed with mountain spring water. Critics find some stir-fries, such as the scallion beef, ordinary and the building a little dated, and diners warn that a restaurant with the same name stands next door, so confirm you are seated at the one you booked.

Hours are about 10 a.m. to 8:30 or 9 p.m.; Google lists Wednesday as closed, but sources differ, so call before going. The restaurant has its own large car park with free parking for diners; by bus you still face a walk of about twenty minutes, so driving or riding is easier. Weekends fill up, private rooms are in demand and should be booked by phone, and there is a minimum spend.

Good for family gatherings or taking older relatives up the mountain for a Taiwanese chicken feast. A group of four can share half a white-cut chicken and a pot of bamboo-shoot chicken soup, plus garlic oysters, a plate of greens and candied sweet potato for dessert; larger groups can add three-cup chicken or the sesame-oil pork jowl. Budget roughly NT$400 to NT$800 per person, then walk a Guanyin Mountain trail afterward.