Shi Yuan Salty Crispy Chicken

Review

Shi Yuan sits in a lane of Shida Night Market. Media reports put its history at about forty years, making it the best-known fried-food shop in the Shida area; it has ranked near the top of online polls of Taiwan's must-eat salty crispy chicken and often features in chain rankings. It has since opened in Ximending and sells frozen packs and chicken-shaped crackers so visitors can take the flavour home.

The signature chicken uses Taiwanese birds marinated with Chinese herbs. The batter is very thin with pepper salt mixed in, and after frying it is tossed with plenty of minced garlic and crisp-fried Thai basil, giving a powerful aroma. Beyond chicken, diners often recommend egg tofu, squid, king oyster mushrooms, green beans and fish cake, and there is curry rice for a full meal.

Fans praise the strong garlic, dry and non-greasy frying and generous chicken, plus free drink refills when you eat in. Critics find the seasoning mild and the squid rubbery; at peak times everything is fried to order so there is a wait, delivery orders can take even longer, and the texture suffers once it cools.

Sources disagree on hours, so check before you go: some say noon to 00:30, others 11:00 to midnight. There is indoor seating and a multilingual menu, sources say JKOPay is accepted, and takeaway comes in paper bags. Lines are common, so weekday afternoons or before dinner are quicker. The night-market lanes are hard to drive into, so take the MRT to Taipower Building Station and walk.

It suits late-night snacking, sharing with friends and student budgets. First-timers should centre the order on the signature chicken, then add egg tofu, king oyster mushrooms and green beans. Ask for less garlic if you prefer, and say so if you do not want chili. Add a curry rice if you want something more filling.