When I strolled around Ximending in Taipei, I felt like having a light meal for dinner. That’s when I decided to stop by Ximen Jin Feng (西門金峰魯肉飯 / 西門金鋒魯肉飯).
As the name suggests, this shop specializes in braised pork rice bowls. I heard it’s a branch of Jin Feng (金峰魯肉飯), the well-known shop near Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall. The kitchen faces a main street, and you’ll often see people stopping in front of the shop to take a look.
Ximending is known as a vibrant area for young people, and the interior of this shop reflects that. It’s stylish and feels more like a café compared to the main shop.
However, the ordering system is the same as the main shop. A staff member showed me to a seat and handed me an order sheet. I wrote down my order and returned it to the staff. Since I arrived around 9 p.m., the restaurant wasn’t busy, and there were plenty of seats available. However, during peak hours, you might need to share a table.
Here’s the order sheet. Don’t forget to write your table number in the upper right corner “卓號.” I often forget this step myself! Their menu offers the same dishes as the main shop, and I heard they have English and Japanese menus available if you ask the staff. The pig’s brain soup caught my eye, but I wasn’t brave enough to try it this time.
Unlike many other restaurants in Taiwan, this shop doesn’t offer set meals. Personally, I prefer this because I can order exactly the amount of food I can finish. Set meals are often too much for me, both in Taiwan and Japan! I kept it simple this time and ordered braised pork rice and soup.
This is their specialty: Braised pork rice. The large size costs 50 TWD.
The rice was generously topped with braised pork and flavorful broth. I remember feeling disappointed with the amount of braised pork when I visited the main shop, but this time, the portion was satisfying. The seasoning was excellent. The braised pork included mushrooms, which added a wonderful umami flavor. I also noticed a stronger hint of star anise compared to the main branch, which I really enjoyed. I much preferred this version.
Next, I had Pork ribs soup with Zhen Jin. Zhen Jin (Hemerocallis fulva, or daylily) is commonly grown in China, Korea, and Japan. It’s called Jin Zhen Cai (金針菜) in Chinese. The soup was packed with daylily, which had a delightful texture. Since daylilies are also used in traditional Chinese medicine, the soup felt warming and comforting.
The soup exceeded my expectations with the amount of pork ribs inside. It wasn’t just soup; it was practically a meal in itself! The seasoning was light but well-balanced, and there were plenty of ingredients to enjoy.
About
Name Ximen Jin Feng (西門金峰魯肉飯)
Open Day through night
Reservation Unavailable
Credit card Unavailable
Google Map
Comments