Tien Shan Restaurant

Review

Tien Shan sits on a side street off Luoyang Street in Xinxing. The Michelin Guide says it has been open for more than forty years and lists it as a classic home-style Taiwanese restaurant. It is not flashy, but local families and companies often book it for gatherings, and some diners say Japanese business clients ask for it when visiting Kaohsiung.

The signature is black-bone chicken soup in a clay pot, simmered for at least four hours with Chinese herbs and rice wine, giving a gelatinous, herbal broth; you can add extras such as rooster testicles or abalone. Other home dishes include mullet gizzard, fish maw, bean noodle soup and taro balls. Diners also mention virgin crab, pan-fried baby squid, stir-fried eel and crisp-grilled mullet roe, with generous seafood portions.

Most praise says the chicken soup is a must, the seafood is fresh and it works well for sharing. Criticism includes the soup tasting less rich on some days, the accompanying noodles being salty, and a view that the overall standard is ordinary for the price. Tastes vary, so build the meal around the soup and seafood.

Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. Michelin says it opens daily, but other listings show Mondays closed; sources differ, so check before going. Michelin notes that dishes must be ordered in advance and only a few items can be added on the spot. Cash only, air-conditioned. The lane is narrow, so drivers should find a nearby car park.

Best for groups of four or more. Call ahead to book a table and pre-order dishes at the same time. Anchor the table with the black-bone chicken soup, then add virgin crab, mullet roe, pan-fried baby squid and a vegetable, finishing with bean noodle soup or taro balls. With fewer people the choice is limited, so try to come with at least three or four.