"Unassuming Takeout Shop" Serves Golden, Crispy Chicken Thighs with Intense Flavor — 300 Sold Daily

▲An unassuming takeout shop that sells 300 chicken thighs a day — what’s the “charm” of these chicken thighs? (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)

Reported by Chen Ziying / Taipei

"Kinmi Chicken Thigh Rice," which sells only chicken thigh and pork rib bento, may look like an ordinary takeout shop, but it attracts long queues both inside and outside the store during mealtimes, proving the exceptional taste of its chicken thighs. The owner has secret techniques for marinating and frying the chicken thighs, with a record high of up to 300 thighs sold in a single day. Some customers even exclaim, "It's even better than KFC!"

Located in the more mountainous area of Beitou, Kinmi Chicken Thigh Rice has no eye-catching signboard, let alone luxurious décor. Just a few simple tables and chairs serve up its chicken thighs and pork ribs, which have been fragrant for 33 years. The shop’s signature chicken thigh, which is extremely popular, is humbly described by the owner as: "I wouldn’t dare say it’s better than others out there, but we really put our heart into making it."

 
▲Only chicken thigh and pork rib bento are sold, yet queues always form at mealtimes. (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)

The owner then explained that all chicken thighs are first washed before being soaked in a marinade made from garlic, vinegar, wine, sugar, soy sauce, and a unique blend of secret ingredients. The marinade process happens twice a day, for two hours each time, and the thighs must be split open during marination so the sauce can fully penetrate the meat. After marinating, the thighs are coated with a thin layer of a mix of Taiwanese sweet potato starch and Japanese cornstarch. The owner said, "The coating doesn’t need to be thick because customers are here for the meat, not the coating. In fact, the thinner the coating, the more skill it takes!" Selecting the chicken thighs is also an art — they can’t be too big or too small, and any meat that is too dark or bruised is rejected. To find the “perfect chicken thigh,” the owner has personally gone to the market to choose them for 33 years. The preparation method for pork ribs is largely similar, except that because the ribs are thinner, they only need to marinate for one hour to avoid becoming overly salty.

The freshly fried golden chicken thighs, when bitten into, reveal a crispy skin, sweet and juicy meat, and tender texture. The owner said the most important secret to achieving crispy chicken thighs is to fry them skin-side down first, let them sit for three minutes, then flip them. Also, the chicken must be completely raw when it goes into the fryer — if it’s pre-boiled before frying, the texture turns out worse.


▲The spicy radish and pickled vegetable sides are made by the owner’s wife — the spicy and bold radish paired with the pickled vegetables bring together sweet, sour, and spicy flavors in perfect harmony. (Photo / Reporter Huang Kexiang)
[Kinmi Chicken Thigh Rice]
Address: No. 481, Zhonghe Street, Xiushan Li, Beitou District, Taipei City
Phone: (02) 2892-8786

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