Taipei’s Popular Northern Chinese Restaurant – Enjoy Crispy Roast Duck and Pickled Cabbage Hot Pot

Text & Photos /Lao K

I arranged a girls’ gathering with my friend Xiaoba and two other gals. Xiaoba recommended two northern Chinese restaurants. I’m not sure if it was because her list of go-to spots was just too appealing, but it ended up being a six-person dinner. Xiaoba loves and often eats at northern-style eateries. This place, Daoxiang Village, was one she frequently visited.

Parking here isn’t great, so Meiji and I took the MRT to Technology Building Station. We had planned to bike over using YouBike, but since there was a light drizzle, we took the bus instead. After passing Da’an Forest Park, you’ll see a very classically Chinese-looking restaurant right across the street — that’s Daoxiang Village. For drivers, it’s best to park in the underground lot at Shida University and walk along Heping East Road to get here.

Xiaoba said we didn’t need to make a reservation as long as we arrived before 12:00. We got there around 12:10, and the place was already fairly busy. Thankfully, there was still a small round table available on the first floor. Since the other three were running late, Meiji and I, both pretty hungry, went ahead and ordered a plate of steamed flower-vegetable dumplings, Peking duck served two ways, and a pickled cabbage hot pot.

Xiaoba let Meiji choose the dumpling flavor, but Meiji didn’t know that Xiaoba always orders the flower-vegetable ones when she comes. And Xiaoba didn’t know that Meiji usually goes for the same flavor, so Xiaoba never gets to try other varieties. The steamed dumplings at Daoxiang Village are plump and the wrappers are super chewy — really tasty. It’s been ages since I’ve had such delicious dumpling skins.

Next came the piping hot and generously filled pickled cabbage hot pot, loaded with shrimp, meatballs, frozen tofu, pig’s blood, clams, white pork, glass noodles, and more. There were so many ingredients piled beneath the surface. The pot is quite deep, making it feel like a treasure bowl — you keep scooping and discovering more and more. The broth is quite tangy and flavorful. The shrimp had been added early on, and even though I quickly fished them out once the pot was served, the high heat meant they were a bit overcooked. The white pork wasn’t top quality either — maybe because I’d recently enjoyed a much fancier version of pickled cabbage hot pot elsewhere. That one even had crab in the broth, making it sweeter and richer compared to this. But then again, back then, three of us shared one pot, while here six of us shared this huge spread — so the price points are hardly comparable.

Next, the restaurant brings out the roast duck for everyone to take photos before taking it back to slice it.

The sliced duck is served with the duck butt perfectly round and prominent, stealing the show. The meat slices are a bit thick, but the meat itself is tender and good for eating as is. The duck skin looks crispy but doesn’t quite deliver that crunch when you bite into it.

They serve plenty of pancake wraps and scallions, but the sweet bean sauce tastes a bit different from what Meiji is used to, so it’s not as enjoyable.

Perhaps because the duck slices are thicker, the portion of stir-fried duck that usually comes with Peking duck is quite small.

When the other three arrived, we ordered two more stir-fried dishes, both chef recommendations — one was garlic pork intestines and the other was three-cup tofu. Meiji doesn’t eat pork intestines, but she tried the garlic and could definitely taste the chef’s skill — that wok hei, or breath of the wok, from high-heat stir-frying.

The three-cup tofu looked pretty ordinary, but it was the dish that amazed everyone the most. The tofu is crispy outside, soft inside, and full of flavor, also bursting with that rich wok aroma.

Located near Da’an Forest Park on Heping East Road, Daoxiang Village is a great spot for group meals. The location is fairly convenient and prices are quite reasonable. Personally, I’d recommend the stir-fried dishes here. The pickled cabbage hot pot and Peking duck are just okay.

Peking Daoxiang Village
Address: No. 242, Section 1, Heping East Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Phone: 02-2363-5161
Business Hours:
Weekdays: 11:00–14:00 / 17:00–21:00
Holidays: 11:00–14:30 / 16:30–21:00

Lao K
Keep eating, Lao K!!
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