Jin Shang Hsuan

Review

Jin Shang Hsuan sits at No. 111, Lane 155, Dunhua North Road in Songshan District, near Taipei Arena and the Nanjing East Road business area. It is a small but carefully styled Taiwanese restaurant. The MICHELIN Guide describes a bright, clean room with large windows, classical paintings and fine tableware, and notes that the chef has cooked Taiwanese food for over 20 years, with both classics and house specialties worth ordering. A blogger says it has been a Bib Gourmand pick for several years in a row, and Supertaste includes it in its roundup of Taipei Bib Gourmand restaurants.

MICHELIN's recommended signatures include coriander beef with crispy garlic and chopped coriander, home-style white-cut chicken, and golden, deeply savoury mullet roe fried rice; some dishes must be ordered ahead. A blogger's shared meal featured salt-baked free-range chicken that was tender and juicy, gelatinous braised pork trotter that wasn't greasy, sweet steamed sea bass, whitebait with oil rice, Penghu clams and fish-sauce scrambled egg, finished with hot custard lava buns. None of the sources list individual dish prices; spending tends to run from several hundred to around a thousand NT dollars per person.

Praise focuses on fresh ingredients, clean seasoning that isn't overly salty, big portions for sharing, and a warm owner and staff who happily recommend dishes; foreign visitors also call it very authentic Taiwanese food. Complaints are few and mostly about how hard it is to book: it is often full, the largest table seats about ten, and walk-ins rarely get in.

The MICHELIN site lists hours as Wednesday to Sunday 12:00–14:00 and 17:30–21:00, closed Mondays and Tuesdays, with cards accepted. A blogger notes it takes reservations only, so call early and pre-order any special dishes at the same time. The restaurant is in a lane within walking distance of Taipei Arena MRT station; there are car parks nearby but spaces are limited.

It is ideal for family meals, birthday dinners or introducing visitors to Taiwanese cuisine, and four to ten people can cover the menu best. Start with the three signatures, coriander beef, white-cut chicken and mullet roe fried rice, then ask staff to suggest seafood and seasonal greens for your group size. Portions are large, so order less if you are few; leftovers can be packed to go.