Future post
Will be published at 2026-10-12 14:06:00
Stepping into the Zhonghe Xingnan Night Market entrance, you can see a shop right by the side where people are always lining up. This place is practically a legend in the current Nanshijiao Night Market scene. It doesn’t just win over foodies with its flavor—it also pushes everyone’s patience to the limit with its extremely willful operating hours! Clutching a number tag, eyes filled with longing for the deliciousness, because this is the super limited-edition treat that “sells only five hours a day and closes three days a week”! Except on rainy days, it’s basically impossible to get anything without waiting at least 10 minutes, so I really want to recommend it!
Nanshijiao Dongshan Duck Head
No. 1, Xinyi Street, Zhonghe District, New Taipei City (at the Xingnan Night Market entrance, diagonally across from MRT Nanshijiao Station Exit 4)
Phone: None
Business Hours: Tuesday to Friday 18:00-23:00 (only five hours a day). Closed Saturday, Sunday, and Monday (three days off per week)
First-time visitors are sure to be intimidated by the massive line. Although the owner and staff are extremely busy, their movements are quick and efficient—each person has a dedicated station for picking ingredients, frying, cutting, and packing. The process is actually quite fast. Watching those ingredients that have been braised to a glossy, deep color turn golden and crispy in the hot oil really makes the wait feel worthwhile.
What convinced me to try it was how neatly every ingredient is displayed on the stall. All kinds of braised items are arranged in orderly rows on the racks—from classic duck head, duck neck, and duck wings to tianbula, rice blood cake, quail eggs, tofu, and what looks like well-cleaned large intestine and chicken tail. Each piece has an enticing caramelized color. Some Dongshan Duck Head stalls look messy and make me hesitant to eat there, but this one is genuinely clean—extra 20 points for that.
Although night-market stall prices seem to be creeping up these days, this place keeps things transparent and affordable. A clear price list hangs above the stall so you can see the cost of each item at a glance: tianbula three slices for NT$20, rice blood cake one slice for NT$10, duck neck NT$35, chicken skin NT$30, chicken tail NT$30, quail eggs NT$30, tofu three slices for NT$10, duck wings NT$25 or NT$30, large intestine NT$25, duck gizzard NT$30, etc. These pocket-friendly prices let you fill your tray without worrying about breaking the bank. The customer ahead of me got a huge bag for just over NT$400—clearly knows how to order!
After waiting about 10 minutes, the fragrant Dongshan Duck Head snacks finally arrived. By the time I got home and laid everything out, they had been in the paper bag for over 20 minutes. I had ordered a big bowl of mixed braised items, and when I poured them onto the plate, that unique aroma—forged from braising liquid and frying oil—immediately hit me. It smelled incredibly good! Even after nearly 30 minutes, everything stayed crispy and didn’t turn soggy. That’s seriously impressive.
The golden, crispy tianbula is my favorite! It has a slightly crunchy exterior but a chewy, bouncy bite inside, letting you taste the fresh sweetness of the fish paste and the savory aroma of the braising sauce—perfectly blended in your mouth. Because it’s marinated first then fried, the flavor layers are instantly elevated, making it impossible to stop at just one piece. The rice blood cake next to it is equally impressive; unlike the soft, mushy version at typical salty crispy chicken stalls, this one is fried to just the right dry, fragrant texture—solid without being overly hard. I also added a duck gizzard. It’s thoroughly braised, elastic, and full of chew; the more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes, with zero gamey taste.
The signature sweet-and-savory profile of Dongshan Duck Head, combined with the unique technique of marinating first then frying, is truly a great alternative for anyone tired of purely deep-fried snacks. If you happen to visit the now less-crowded Zhonghe Xingnan Night Market, take some time to line up and try it—you’ll find it tastes even better than other night-market Dongshan Duck Head stalls!