A popular roast meat shop with an ordinary appearance — the owner keeps chopping non-stop until the lunch break

Photos & Text /Xiaohu Food Dreams

If you’re a follower of the Xiaohu Food Dreams Facebook fan page, I’m sure you’ve already eaten at this shop I really didn’t want to write about. The main reason is that business here is already pretty good, and if I keep writing about it, I’ll have a hard time getting a seat myself. That said, it’s now quite common for the “Xiaohu Set Meal” duck leg to be sold out.

This is a very ordinary shop — so ordinary that you wouldn’t even think of going in even if you passed it a hundred times. But if you walk by during meal hours, you’ll see a small line forming, and waiting 10 to 20 minutes is totally normal.

Don’t let this empty-photo from Xiaohu fool you… Nowadays, Xiaohu comes either right when they open at 11 AM or 5 PM, because I really don’t want to stand in line on an empty stomach or squeeze with the crowd.

No matter how you look at it — from far, from near, inside, or outside — this is an extremely ordinary roast meat shop. But the lady chopping the meat and slicing the duck keeps chopping non-stop from opening until the lunch break. You could say she slaughters “chickens” like it’s nothing.

Although I usually order the “Xiaohu Set Meal” — “char siu fried rice + roast duck leg” — their braised chicken leg is actually my younger sister’s favorite. Plus, the crispy roast pork and sausages are also pretty good.

Another standout at Fuk Kee is this “scallion oil sauce,” but the boss usually only drizzles a little. Sometimes Xiaohu even gives her pleading looks for more… (laughs).

If you want to come to Fuk Kee for fried rice, Xiaohu has a tip: come around 11 AM or 5 PM, or around 1 PM or 7 PM. But if you’re here for roast duck legs or boxed meals, I don’t recommend the latter two time slots. One reason is that by then, you’ll probably only see roast ducks without legs. The other is that the temperature of the boxed meal dishes sometimes isn’t quite hot enough.

If you’ve ever ordered the “Xiaohu Set Meal” here, you’ve probably heard the boss say: “Our boxed meal dishes are also very delicious…” Yes, these boxed meal dishes are also recognized by my picky younger sister as the best she’s ever had. The reason I suggested coming for fried rice around 11 AM or 5 PM is that half an hour later, the boss will keep stir-frying boxed meal dishes one after another, constantly refreshing the selection to keep them fresh and hot. Xiaohu has more than once seen the boss set aside cold boxed meal dishes and re-stir-fry fresh ones for customers. So during this super busy boxed meal period, the boss doesn’t have time to stir-fry rice, and if you come then, you’ll have to wait a long time, and the quality of the fried rice may be less consistent…

Stir-fried eggplant is what our family unanimously agrees is the best boxed meal dish at Fuk Kee Roast Meats. We love it so much we basically order it every time… well, okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration — let’s just say we order it every time we go. Other dishes like “ants climbing a tree” and stir-fried {Jwhite bamboo shoots} are also ones I often choose, but recently I mostly just get the “Xiaohu Set Meal” plus a side of stir-fried eggplant, rarely ordering other dishes.

Although I love char siu fried rice, I occasionally go for sausage fried rice too. But when I was taking photos, I suddenly noticed there was a rare “roast meat fried noodles”… I’ll have to try that next time. The shop also has unsweetened green tea and a slightly sweet winter melon tea that I really like. For those who don’t drink beverages, there’s also the usual hot soup you’d find at a typical boxed meal shop.

The shop has no fancy decor — it’s just like any regular boxed meal shop. But the floor can be a bit oily and slippery, especially right after it rains. Be extra careful not to slip.

Don’t let this table full of food fool you into thinking it’s the “Xiaohu Set Meal.” Actually, the “Xiaohu Set Meal” is just something my friend randomly named… It’s not on the menu. But apparently, someone actually asked the boss for the “Xiaohu Set Meal” before… Actually, that day, Xiaohu brought along a blogging guru who had been dying to try Fuk Kee’s char siu fried rice… And I was worried she’d order it first, and knowing her, she’d definitely cause a stir online. I figured I might as well order it first…

Just for this slightly blurry photo of stir-fried eggplant, I have enough reason to go back and re-shoot it… Besides, I’m not satisfied with any of the photos from this time either. Luckily, I live nearby, so it’s quick and easy to go back and re-shoot. By the way, why does our family love this stir-fried eggplant so much? First, it’s shiny and oily — super appetizing visually. Second, it’s soft, tender, and smooth in texture. Most importantly, the fragrant oil and sweet eggplant flavor burst in your mouth… it’s just insanely delicious, especially when hot.

As a kid, I was the type who’d refuse to eat any vegetables at all, but there was one dish I loved — my mom’s “beauty legs”… No, back then {Jwhite bamboo shoots} didn’t have that nickname yet. Fuk Kee’s {Jwhite bamboo shoots} are first blanched in water, then stir-fried quickly over high heat in oil a second time. This is to preserve their crispiness and sweetness. They’re also mixed with green beans, vegetarian ham, and red bell peppers for color — not at all like some random boxed meal dish.

This dish is kind of like a braised cabbage stir-fry — I think it was the first time I tried it. It’s salty, savory, juicy, and super tasty with rice. The flavor is layered, and the texture is similar to cabbage stew.

Frankly speaking, Fuk Kee’s crispy roast pork is only above average. But when friends come over, I still always order a plate. The reason I love it is because the crispness and thickness of the pork skin suit my taste perfectly. Also, the fat-to-lean ratio gives it a half-melted, half-tender texture that’s quite nice. That said, my number one crispy roast meat is still at 【Hu Luan Chi Yi Tong】【Zhongxiao Dunhua Station】Laoyouji Porridge Noodle Shop.

As for the roast duck leg, although I love it too, it’s not actually the best I’ve ever had. But the truth is, the top spots are all so far away from me. Aside from the distance, another reason is that I feel the quality of Fuk Kee’s roast duck legs isn’t very consistent. I’m not sure if it’s the duck selection or the roasting process, but sometimes it’s amazing, sometimes it’s just meh, sometimes it’s overly greasy and sweet, and other times it’s not greasy or sweet enough… Sometimes the skin can even be a bit “tough.”

But having said that, most of the time it’s still greasy, sweet, and delicious. The duck meat itself is also very soft, tender, and smooth. A lot of Cantonese-style roast duck shops either have great skin but dry meat, or tender meat but skin that’s not greasy or sweet. Shops that manage to do both well like Fuk Kee aren’t all that common.

And finally, there’s Fuk Kee Roast Meats’ Xiaohu’s favorite — “char siu fried rice.” To be honest, I can’t even remember when I fell in love with it. If I recall correctly, it was one night when there were no duck legs or boxed meal dishes available, and I was suddenly craving fried rice — and that sparked an unstoppable obsession.

Xiaohu roughly divides fried rice into two types: one is the light, soy-sauce-free style like Din Tai Fung or 59: Yongkang Shopping District’s Xiaomaowu, and the other is this oilier, shinier style. Between the two, oil-loving Xiaohu naturally prefers the latter.

When eating this Fuk Kee fried rice, the first thing you can do is push everything else aside and just eat the rice itself. You’ll taste the fragrance of the rice and the wok hei from being cooked at such a high temperature, along with a lovely, enticing sweet-oily flavor — that sweet oiliness comes from the char siu drippings, and it’s the main reason I’m obsessed with this plate of fried rice. Then, for the next bite, you can scoop up some fried rice, add a slightly oily piece of char siu, a few crisp, quickly stir-fried slices of cabbage, and don’t forget to top it off with a bit of egg crumb that’s also soaked up the rice aroma and char siu sweetness. That one bite will give you four distinct flavors and textures — it’s insanely delicious.

【Fuk Kee Roast Meats】
Address: No. 8, Lane 47, Section 2, Shuangshi Road, Banqiao District, New Taipei City
Phone: 02-2251-3090, 0919955716
Business Hours: 11:00 AM – 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Xiaohu Food Dreams
If eating were just about filling your stomach, then “food” would be far too boring～～