A Taipei veteran reopens in Kaohsiung — savor tender "roast duck" as good as five-star hotel fare

Text & photos by /Shadow

When it comes to Yancheng’s Old Zhengxing, it was once a long-established Jiangsu–Zhejiang cuisine restaurant in Kaohsiung, operating for sixty years. Due to the owner’s advanced age, they eventually chose to retire, which many found regrettable. Later, the successor of Old Zhengxing, Kele Ge (Coke Brother), used his nickname as the shop name and aimed to revive the Old Zhengxing legacy.

Although Kele Ge had worked both front-of-house and back-of-house at Old Zhengxing in his youth, he had no intention of taking over the family business at the time and chose to explore opportunities elsewhere. Youth is wasted on the young — after weathering many storms out in the world, he felt it was a shame to let the flavors of the old shop, painstakingly maintained by the previous generation for sixty years, simply vanish. So he went independent and sought to reignite everyone’s memories of Old Zhengxing.

The revived Old Zhengxing originally opened in northern Kaohsiung. Due to the small size of the space and the fact that most delivery customers were from southern Kaohsiung, they later relocated to their current address. The first and second floors of the shop: the first floor is designed for small families, while the second floor has private rooms and large round tables suitable for family gatherings or group meals.

Compared to hotel prices, the prices here are very affordable, mostly under NT$200, making it economical and good value.

Roast duck is the signature dish of Old Zhengxing. Since it shares the same culinary roots as five-star hotels, the preparation method is identical, yet you can enjoy it at half the price — truly great value.

Roast Duck Three Ways – NT$650 (weekdays only)
The roast duck uses ducks that are freshly slaughtered each day, delivered to the shop every morning. Slicing the duck is a skilled process, done in three layers: first the skin, then the skin-with-meat layer, and finally the pure white meat.

The duck skin has a crispy texture and is rich in oily fragrance. Even the sweet bean sauce is homemade, with taste and texture that rival those of five-star hotels.

The pancake used to wrap the duck is slightly thick and has a bouncy (Q) texture.

Spread on sweet bean sauce, add scallion slices and skin-on duck meat — this is the traditional way to eat roast duck. You get juicy, flavorful duck meat with absolutely no fishy taste.

The second way to enjoy the roast duck isSalt & Pepper Crispy Duck— a dish that really tests your frying skills. It needs to be fried until it makes a light, crisp sound when picked up; that’s how you know it won’t be greasy. It also makes a great drink pairing.

The third way to enjoy the roast duck — Duck Meat Soup with Pickled Mustard Greens and Glass Noodles
Shadow really likes this soup. The broth is full of the subtle fragrance and slight tang of pickled mustard greens, making it quite appetizing.

The glass noodles absorb the rich flavor of the broth very well. The soup is refreshing and not greasy at all, similar to the Hakka-style Pickled Mustard Pork Soup that many are familiar with. The owner is also very generous, offering free refills on the soup.

Pickled Mustard Greens with Tofu Sheets – NT$140

An authentic Jiangsu–Zhejiang dish that’s also a classic home-style recipe. The simpler the ingredients, the more the cooking skill is tested. Only with the right heat control can the aroma of the vegetables truly shine.

Golden Sand Tofu – NT$120

The aroma of salted egg yolk fills the entire shop. These small square tofu pieces are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, coated with a sandy-textured, savory salted egg yolk that’s rich and delicious.

Red-Braised Crucian Carp – NT$120
This is a skillful dish. Kele Ge told us that red-braised crucian carp is mainly about enjoying the scallions on top and the fish roe inside. The fish roe has a rather firm texture — not the soft kind I prefer.

Golden Sand Squid – NT$220

Fresh squid caught daily is purchased from the market. It has a bouncy, crisp texture. The aroma from the stir-fried salted egg yolk is truly captivating, fully coating the squid. Every bite delivers that signature Golden Sand sandy-salty flavor.

Jinhua Ham Chicken Soup – NT$680
This pot of Jinhua ham chicken soup serves about six people. It’s made by simmering Jinhua ham, chicken legs, Chinese cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, tofu sheets, and other ingredients for a long time.

The broth is rich and not only absorbs the umami from various ingredients, but also layers flavors to create a classic, aromatic chicken soup.

Salted lemon juice – NT$70
This is a new drink invented by Brother Cola, who pickles his own lemons and adds fresh lemon juice. The taste is reminiscent of dried tangerine peel, with a lingering aftertaste that’s also soothing for the throat. It has become very popular with customers since its launch.

Coming to Brother Cola is like stepping into the third generation of Lao Zheng Xing. Unwilling to let the business his elders had worked so hard to build over decades come to an end, he reunited with former partners of the old Lao Zheng Xing and brought in a hotel chef. The relaunch of this longstanding eatery not only allows loyal patrons to rediscover its classic flavors, but also gives newcomers a chance to try roast duck and home-style dishes unlike anything else on the market. It even inspired Shadow to bring his family along for an affordable, delicious meal. The tasty roast duck here is highly recommended.

Lao Zheng Xing – Brother Cola’s Roast Duck & Home-style Dishes
Address: No. 332, Zhongshan 2nd Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07-3385300, 0939-074038
Business hours: 11:00–14:00, 17:00–21:00
Closed on Mondays

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