Artists near City Hall Station recommend this “roast meat” shop – try the duck leg with char siu combo, paired with scallion oil

Text & photos /Old K

Yesterday, Foodie Show introduced Taipei MRT-area eats. Two places old K tried were pretty delicious, so he’s quite confident about this round of recommendations XD He was especially interested in the Longwei Roast Meat shop introduced by Haozi, so he decided to head there the next day at noon.

Longwei Roast Meat is located near the intersection of Section 4, Bade Road, and Dongxing. It’s about a five-minute walk from Exit 3 of Nanjing Sanmin MRT Station. Strangely enough, old K comes here often, and the sign looks pretty old too – how did he never notice this place before XD?

They don’t open until 11:30 AM. Old K arrived around 11:25, thinking they weren’t open yet, but there was already a line forming to order.

Glancing at the prices, they’re pretty standard for Taipei XD After some thought, old K went with his favorite – the duck leg. Here, you can pair the duck leg with char siu or roast pork. In the end, old K chose the char siu combo.

The counter also sells scallion oil. According to Foodie Show’s Haozi, he always buys some extra to add on. But old K isn’t into super strong flavors, so he didn’t get any. A bit of a pity this time – their best-selling dish, Ants Climbing a Tree, is only available on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Today being Tuesday, no luck. Guess he’ll have to wait for next time.

Like most roast meat shops, they offer free drinks and soup here too. The drink is oolong tea, which old K didn’t try.

The soup is seaweed duck bone broth. Those who often eat roast meat will probably recognize it – it’s usually made with parts of the duck that aren’t used in roasting, like the neck or tail. It’s pretty rich, with a savory duck bone flavor and the peppery aroma of seaweed.

Duck leg with char siu rice (NT$130)
The side dishes here aren’t optional. This time, they were dried bamboo shoots and cabbage – the taste was okay. The portion of char siu was more than old K expected. Last time he ordered a single char siu at another place for NT$70, and the portion wasn’t even as big as this. So the combo is pretty good value.

The char siu old K got was all lean meat (old K prefers the fatty parts XD). But even though it was lean, it had a nice chew and wasn’t dry – it was actually pretty tasty char siu. Though if it had some fat, the richness would’ve been even better (fat’s the way to go XD). People who love char siu but are wary of fatty bits might enjoy this. But old K isn’t sure if you can choose between fatty or lean – otherwise, he’d trade his lean piece for someone else’s fatty one XD.

The duck leg was also very tender, juicy when you bit into it, and the skin was pretty crispy too.

Of course, you can also dip it in the scallion oil. The sharpness of the scallion oil and ginger makes the duck leg even smoother. Old K thinks unless you really love strong flavors, you don’t need to buy extra scallion oil – too much can overpower the taste.

The best part of the duck leg, in old K’s opinion, is this section – the rich, fatty, tender part. That luscious fat and soft, bouncy texture are really delicious.

Old K’s little tip: Who knew such a hidden gem of a roast meat shop could be tucked away in an unassuming spot? While eating, old K kept hearing people order the signature dish – the Four Treasures Rice, which lets you enjoy four types of meat in one go. Pretty great value. Next time, he’ll have to try other meats and Ants Climbing a Tree. Roast meat lovers, be sure to check this place out. There’s one more great roast meat shop in town now.

Old K’s personal rating (out of 10, higher is better)
Taste: 8.1 points
Value for money: 7 points
Dining environment: 5 points
Price: 6 points

Address: No. 259, Section 4, Bade Road, Songshan District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2753-2696
Business hours: 11:30 AM–2:00 PM, 5:00 PM–9:00 PM (Closed on Sundays)
 

Old K
Keep the food train going, old K!!

Blog　Facebook page