Xiangcun Duck with Glass Noodles

Review

Xiangcun Duck with Glass Noodles is on Fude Road in Hengchun, close to the old street and walled town, and is a duck noodle shop that locals recommend. Supertaste's Pingtung snack guide names it as a Hengchun pick, describing freshly slaughtered duck that is smoked and served with glass noodles plus a house-made chili sauce, and blogger Bunny Ann includes it in her Hengchun budget-eats roundup, noting fair prices for the braised dishes.

The signature is duck with glass noodles: the noodles soak up the broth and pair with smoky duck for a silky bite. Many diners single out the chili sauce, made with a broad-bean paste base that is aromatic rather than fiery, good with the duck or stirred into the noodles. A row of braised dishes and sides sits at the entrance for you to choose before ordering, with braised pig tail a common recommendation, and some swear by the duck rice drizzled with duck fat. The articles list no prices, but diners generally find it affordable.

Fans praise the fragrant chili sauce, silky noodles, rich duck rice, fair prices and friendly staff, calling it a must-try everyday eat in Hengchun. Others find the broth a bit oily or the duck itself average, so opinions are split, and it is often full with a queue at mealtimes.

Sources differ on hours: Supertaste and Bunny Ann give 15:00 to midnight, while recent Google data shows 11:30 to 21:00; both say closed Tuesdays, so check before you go. Parking near the old street is limited, so park around the walled town and walk, or come by scooter. To order, pick braised items and sides at the entrance first, then bring them to the counter and order your main dish.

It suits anyone finishing a walk around Hengchun's old town or heading back from Kenting in search of a cheap dinner. One bowl of duck glass noodles plus one or two braised sides fills one person; two or more can add a bowl of duck rice to share. Be sure to try the chili sauce, and expect to spend a little over NT$100 per person.