Taipei Banqiao Chongqing Market Xia Pin Xiang Braised Food Stall Review

(This post is in English; for the Chinese review, please click on the link below 🔗/ 此文為英文版開箱評價，欲看中文版評價請點以下連結🔗:)
https://fashionecstasy.com/xiapinxiang-luwei-kaixiang-shichi-pingjia-di-er-ji/

Watch our YouTube Open-box Mukbang Video First：

Regarding food enjoyment, I always look for dishes that push my boundaries and bring out amazing flavours. Last time, I reviewed the 30-years in business famed braised food stall, Xiapingxiang in Banqiao Chongqing Market, which made news all over Taiwan. Since my eczema flare-up, I’ve quit all irritating foods, such as onions, ginger, garlic, and spicy foods that cause eczema. The most crazy thing is that even soy products such as tofu and soy sauce are taboos for eczema. Hence, braised food is a big melting pot with all my dietary restrictions. In addition, Xiapinxiang specializes in “spicy” food, which puts me at greater risk of relapse. Last time when I unboxed and tried Xiapinxiang’s braised foods was my first break in three years, so I only dared to try a few dishes to test the water. My whole openbox includes duck meat, which is super dangerous for my eczema, so the behind-the-scenes footage of my strong face while I unbox, contains a lot of fear and tears. Do you know how much hardship and tears I put behind every article I write for you? Ah~~! The only meats on our table in the past three years have been white meat. I gave up my favourite beef, mutton, and all poultry except chicken, and I can’t even eat eggs.
My last unboxing review included dried tofu, duck, vegetarian tripe and Matsusaka pork. Since vegetarians inevitably add soy products to have a meat-like texture, I was careful when choosing the dishes. , looking at a whole box of delicious food, my heart bleeds. While in the video, I looked excited when I opened the box, but after seeing a large box of delicious food, I had to cut,” do a “take 1, 2, and 3 in between. The final footage was taken bravely after swallowing my tears. Since I broke so many taboos at once, I feared my flare-up would be worse than my worst, so I started with the safest, the Matsusaka pork, vegetarian belly and thousand-layer tofu. Among them, the thousand-layer tofu is presumably the most dangerous. Thank God all of them gave me a safe pass. So, today, I take it a step further and try Xiapinxiang’s braised chicken feet, duck tongue, braised duck wings and its signature bean curds. As mentioned last time, Mr. Zeng’s braised food is mainly prepared with Chinese herbs, salt, soy sauce and sugar. Though it’s labelled “spicy,” unlike most Taiwanese or Chinese spicy food, it does not make your head buzz or mouth burn but has extremely fragrant aromas. As a fussy food critic, I am very picky about any dish. I always seek opportunities to use my vitriol and creative vocabulary to criticize and review, but these dishes do not disappoint.

The Duck’s Tongue

Duck’s tongue is a delicacy that is often enjoyed in Chinese cuisine. It is a small, tender piece of meat packed with flavours. When braised with Chinese herbs, salt, sugar, chilli, and soy sauce, the duck’s tongue takes on a complex and delicious flavour profile. The texture of the braised duck’s tongue is genuinely unique. It is soft and tender, yet it also has a chewy texture and is extremely bouncy. It’s a piece of meat jam-packed with collagen. With each bite, I feel a decade younger. What’s even more mind-blowing is the bones inside each tongue. I’ve always been a dog person, possibly because I get them. You’d know if you watched how I devour bones in my mukbang YouTube videos. So, the bones inside the duck’s tongue make it a very satisfying dish for foodies like me. While I’m mind-blown and excited because I am just discovering my new favourite dish, I can’t help but wonder why ducks have bones inside their tongues. There is a saying in Chinese,「咬舌自盡 (“yao she zi jin”)」, which means killing oneself by biting off their ow togue. While I’m not sure if it’s scientifically accurate, It makes it not applicable to ducks. Yet it makes it a fun and exciting dish to eat.

Xiapinxiang’s braised duck wings

The second runner-up is Xiapinxiang’s braised duck wings. The scholar inside me can’t help but find out why ducks have bones inside their tongues. Turns out, The duck’s tongue has a hollow round bone inside because it is a пневматизированная кость, or air-filled bone. This type of bone is found in many birds, and it helps to reduce the weight of the bird’s head. The hollow round bone in the duck’s tongue also helps to amplify the sound of the duck’s quack. The hollow round bone in the duck’s tongue acts as a resonator, amplifying the sound of the quack. The bone is shaped like a tube, with a thin wall and ample air space inside. When the duck quacks, the air inside the bone vibrates, creating a louder and more resonant sound. The shape of the bone also helps to focus the sound waves, making them more directional and allowing the duck’s quack to be heard over long distances.
Though I’m unsure if this is my first time trying duck wings, I hit my G spot again. The first thing that struck me was the texture of the meat and skin. The braising technique used here was executed with precision. The flesh is firm, indicating that it had lived an athletic life. The braising process allows the flavours to penetrate every fibre of the wings. The skin is thin and springy, adding a textural contrast that joys each bite. Since the skin and meat are closely attached, it makes it legitimate for a lady to devour the whole wing like a dog barbarically.

A Delightfully Textural Odyssey: The Braised Bean Curd Dance

One often anticipates a symphony of flavours when embarking on a gastronomic journey. But what happens when the orchestra’s conductor is not the taste but the texture? Welcome to the unexpected, rollicking adventure of the humble yet extraordinary dish, the Braised Bean Curd.
Imagine a chunk of bean curd. Yes, tofu – that squishy, custard-like square often scoffed at for being the plain Jane of the culinary world. But when braised with Chinese herbs, salt, sugar, chilli, and soy sauce, it transforms into a texture-focused superstar, a Picasso on your palate.
The bean curd’s initial texture resembles a fluffy cloud, as if a marshmallow and a feather pillow had a love child. But the magic begins when subjected to the slow, gentle braising process. The bean curd, now swaddled in a bath of aromatic herbs, salt, sugar, and soy sauce, begins to evolve. It’s like watching a caterpillar metamorphose into a butterfly, only this time, it’s going from soft and squishy to a texture wizard.
Post-braise, our bean curd emerges with a texture that’s a delightful paradox. Imagine a gelatinous silk gown with a velvet underbelly, a combination of smooth and wobbly, firm yet yielding. It’s like biting into an edible paradox, a culinary contradiction that is as baffling as it is incredibly satisfying.
The exterior, lightly caramelized by the soy sauce, offers a thin, pleasantly chewy resistance. It’s a texture not unlike a well-cooked pasta noodle – al dente, the Italians would say. But the interior, oh, the interior, is where the real fun begins. It’s a jiggly wonderland, a gelatinous joy ride, a custardy chaos that makes each bite a textural lottery.
The Chinese herbs, salt, and sugar create an infusing symphony that permeates the bean curd, giving it a stealthy depth of flavour that is second fiddle to the texture but essential. And the chilli? It’s the jester in this royal court of textures, a cheeky spark of heat that makes everything more interesting, like a sudden plot twist in a gripping novel.
So, why should one try this braised bean curd? Well, why not? It’s the gastronomic equivalent of a funhouse, a dish that’s all about the tactile, the tangible, the teeth-sinking goodness. It’s a dish that invites you to play, explore, and experience food in a way you never thought possible.
In conclusion, this braised bean curd is a textural titan, a palate party, a love letter to your tongue. It’s not just a dish; it’s an experience. And like the best experiences, it leaves a lasting impression, a delightful memory you can revisit anytime you wish.

Fashion Ecstasy Xia Pin Xiang Braised Food Stall Review in a nutshell:

First time I could get away with luck, but this is my second review on Xiapinxiang, and it didn’t fail me. With almost every possible eczema allergens involved, the only explanation I can imagine is the cleanliness they put into the preparation of their foods. However, please keep in mind that symptoms and the severity of allergic reactions can vary each time. Please consult your health professional before trying anything new, and proceed at your own risk.