Xiang Duck Taipei Jinshan South Branch — Restaurant in Da'an District

If you're inclined to try their duck, reserve online beforehand. Luckily, we were able to for a same day reservation at 5 pm! The option to choose only half a duck for two people was in Chinese so I had to use Google Translate to decipher their online system. The restaurant itself is on the second floor of a non-descript building with a small reception. Once at the restaurant, ask and they'll hand you an English menu with the types of duck sets (half and whole), different options for each course, and other dishes (which we didn't bother to get seeing as the set was plenty). You'll need to ask explicitly for their help with ordering in English as they'll assume you know how to read and order their online menu via QR code, which is all in Chinese.

We went with a trio of pickled vegetables for our appetizer. The cucumber, cabbage, and mushrooms were delicious. We also chose the three treasures, which is duck wing and innards prepared 2 ways. These eventually went well with our additional duck leftover of rice porridge. We chose radish cakes, again a crowd favourite and then another pork fried cake, but this was one fried dish too many. I would have opted for a soup or vegetables instead.

You can ask them to prepare duck leftovers a number of ways for an additional NTD150, which came as a surprise since we've been to other restaurants that simply have this option included in the set. However, having this additional can be a good thing. Everything on the set was a lot for two people and we had to get our leftovers packed. Had we known, we would have refrained from the leftover duck option since we weren't very hungry to begin with.

The duck skin and sugar was of the best kind, melt in your mouth, crunchy, fatty, and delectable. Sliced in front of you, the duck meat itself was very well spiced and seasoned, only slightly tender and laced with a layer of skin. It was served with a chorus of dipping sauces and I enjoyed the passionfruit the most. For drinks we opted for the foamy milk tea, admittedly the best we've tasted in Taipei, and a cold Oolong tea.

Service was efficient and a bit hands-off, which can be intimidating. As English speakers, we had to ask for help a few times and the server who eventually did was helpful, quick, and gracious. If by the end of the meal you realise that you've ordered too much, they'll happily pack the food for you to take back to your hotel. In all, this was one of our best meals in Taipei. Several courses of delicious local dishes, sumptuous duck, and accommodating wait staff made for a wonderful experience! I'd recommend it if you want a taste of good duck...

I was not impressed by the place at all. Service was mediocre. Our server never came to the table to ask if we needed anything after we ordered our food. I had to get up to ask for bowls of rice and to take away extra dirty serving dish at our table of 6. Our server was serving 5 additional large tables so this means there was lack of personnel. As far as the duck, the thin pancake was extremely paper thin and difficult to peel off from the plastic backing. As you are folding the pancake with the duck and onions, the paper thin pancake would rip. A suggestion to the owner of the restaurant is to increase the thickness of the pancake. As we were a table of 6 people, we noticed that we were given the same size portion of the side plates as if we were a table of 2. Portion sizes are rather small. For example, a table of two (which I observed other tables) would receive a side dish of onions/cucumber for the duck. But we were a table of 6, and we only received one side dish of onions/cucumber and had to ask for another side dish of onions. However, one of the waitresses said there would be an extra charge. We indicated to her that we were a party of 6 and not two. Another downside was that all the dishes did not come around the same time. By the time the second round of dishes came, we were already finished. Certainly the service was poor and food portions were not adequate for the number of...

Xiang Duck Taipei Jinshan South Branch 106, Taiwan, Taipei City, Da’an District, Section 2, Jinshan S Rd, 2號2樓

PEKING DUCK

Xiang Duck Taipei Jinshan South Branch in Taiwan's Taipei City, Da’an District, is a delightful spot full of potential. Venturing in based on local recommendations, I eagerly anticipated savoring their renowned Peking Duck.

Summoning a ride through Uber, I rendezvoused with my girlfriend #7 and #21 at this charming establishment. To ensure a seamless experience, I wisely pre-ordered the duck and secured reservations in advance.

The total bill amounted to $107.72 USD, a fair price for the variety of dishes we indulged in. Noteworthy was the Peking Duck, priced at $56.26 USD

Reflecting on my experience with their Peking Duck:

Skin: Xiang: 2/5 Mott 32 Cebu: 6/5 Mott 32 Vegas: 4/5

Meat: Xiang: 3/5 Mott 32 Cebu: 6/5 Mott 32 Vegas: 4/5

Interacting with the staff:

Hostess: Xiang: 4/5 Mott 32 Cebu: 5/5 Mott 32 Vegas: -5/5 (due to a horrible experience)

Wait Staff: Xiang: 5/5 Mott 32 Cebu: 6/5 Mott 32 Vegas: 4/5

Notwithstanding my mixed impressions of Xiang, I believe they have the potential to impress. I choose to perceive my visit as an isolated incident, spurred by glowing endorsements from acquaintances. A return visit is a must to fully appreciate...