Ya Niang Angelica Duck Vermicelli

Review

Ya Niang Angelica Duck Vermicelli is on Zhongxiao Road in Taichung's South District, on the main strip of Zhongxiao Night Market. Reports say it has been trading there for over forty years, with the second generation now helping out, and it is one of the few old stalls in the market devoted to angelica herbal soup. A 2022 food blog specifically mentions the owner's warm, friendly manner.

The broth is clear yet rich and sweet, and you can smell the angelica as you approach; the blog says the herbal flavor hasn't changed in years. The duck is tender and the portion generous. The handmade vermicelli is especially fine but doesn't turn mushy even after long cooking, and the handmade rice blood cake is soft and listed as a must-order. You can choose angelica duck, pig's trotters or offal, and there is also sesame oil stir-fried offal, plus sesame oil chicken in winter. On prices, a 2018 report listed the angelica duck vermicelli at NT$60 and the rice blood cake at NT$30, and by 2019 the vermicelli was NT$70.

Praise centers on the lingering sweetness of the broth, the clear herbal aroma, the generous duck and the warm service of a long-running stall. Things to keep in mind: most public information dates from 2018 to 2022, so prices may have risen, and hours vary widely between reports, so there's a real risk of finding it closed. No report mentions queues, and it is easier to get a seat here than at the busier stalls nearby.

It opens around 3:30 p.m., but closing times differ by report (9 p.m., 10:30 p.m. or as late as 1 a.m.), and 2022 data says it has no closing day, so check before you go. Payment isn't mentioned, so bring cash; there's no parking information for the area either.

It suits anyone who wants a warming bowl of soup at the night market, or a break from fried food. Order a bowl of angelica duck vermicelli with a handmade rice blood cake; for something richer, try the sesame oil stir-fried offal, and on cold days the sesame oil chicken.