New Banqiao HK-style Char Siu Rice Box Shop – Sweet Meat with Honey-Glazed “Three Treasures Rice”

Text & Photos by /Xiaohu Dream Food Blog

Rice box, rice box… swing and miss... cold... Alright, because I used to work at construction sites for a long time, I almost never ate rice boxes after work. I’d rather grab some noodles or a simple meal at a street stall. But maybe it’s because there are more char siu shops here than anywhere else in Taiwan—“roast duck leg” always pops into my mind.

Over the seven or eight years I’ve lived and eaten around Banqiao, I started off eating at this Ying Ji shop on Julu Road every morning. But to be honest, I’m not sure if there’s really a “Ying Ji” in Hong Kong, nor do I know if there are other char siu shops in Taiwan by that name. I ate there for about three or four years until I found my true love —[Banqiao Food Radio] [Jiangzicui Station Food] Fu Ji Char Siu (BBQ Pork Fried Rice)—and then I guess I didn’t go back for about four or five years.

Later, because Fu Ji Char Siu was featured on “Taiwan Eat,” what was once just a short queue turned into a daily long line. After that, I stopped going as often, and only occasionally would I ask Huimei—who was willing to wait in line—to bring me a box of rice box home for a treat.

Ying Ji isn’t much different from your average char siu shop in terms of decor, and the items they sell are similar too. The dish I remember most fondly is the “rose chicken leg,” though it’s not actually my favorite “roast duck leg.”

Usually, when I walk into a char siu shop, I’ll order a “three treasures rice” (or sometimes four treasures) and then add on a single roast duck leg. For the record, the rice box dishes at Ying Ji are my second favorite—second only to Fu Ji’s. But I prefer Fu Ji more because around 80% of their dishes are hot, whereas Ying Ji’s are sometimes cold when you eat in. But whether it’s the freshness of the ingredients or the taste, I quite enjoy both, especially the pork with melon—I always order it when I see it.

Ying Ji’s three treasures rice is pretty high quality—the portions aren’t usually skimpy, unlike many shops where the three treasures rice uses the less desirable, tougher cuts. The char siu meat at Ying Ji is slightly better, which you can tell just by looking at the cross-section. The sweetness of the meat is also excellent, and the honey glaze on the outside is fragrant but not greasy—it’s really tasty and not overly oily. I find myself ordering it every now and then to take home with rice.

Ying Ji’s rose chicken has always been a favorite of mine, but I don’t know why, after not coming for a while, it doesn’t move me as much as before. That said, the meat quality and sweetness are still quite good, it’s just that I miss the oiliness I used to love, especially the sweet oiliness from the chicken skin.

I rarely order the “roast duck” at Ying Ji because I’ve always felt it’s not oily or fragrant enough—though some friends actually prefer it that way.

I’ve always preferred the richness of roast duck fat, so I go for the “roast duck leg.” Besides the fact that the skin near the leg is especially rich in subcutaneous fat, the leg meat is also less tough, even more tender and soft.

I hadn’t had the duck leg at Ying Ji in a while and had forgotten what it tasted like, but this time I actually thought the duck leg was better than the chicken. Maybe this particular duck leg was more oily and fragrant than the ones I had before? And the skin wasn’t as “tough” or hard to bite into as it used to be, although I’d still prefer it to be a bit more oily and crispier.

Drinks are self-serve iced black tea. Overall, I think the biggest advantages of Ying Ji are that it’s not greasy, it’s clean, and the freshness of the ingredients is quite good—whether it’s the main dishes or the sides. After all, being able to sell food on Julu Road for decades means they must have some real skill, or they would’ve been weeded out long ago.

[Xinpu Station Food – Hong Kong Ying Ji Char Siu Fast Food]
Recommendation Rating: ★★★★¼☆

Hong Kong Ying Ji Char Siu Fast Food
No. 36, Julu Road, Banqiao City, Taipei County
Phone: 02 2252 4369
Business Hours: 11:00–20:30

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