The history of jar-roasted chicken (甕窯雞) is lost in the mists of time, but it has certainly become quite popular around Taiwan, especially in areas that cater to the domestic tourist trade. Located just outside the hot springs town of Yilan County’s Jiaosi Township (礁溪), Wengyao Roast Chicken claims to have invented the dish.
Whether or not the owners of Wengyao originated this method of preparation, there is no doubt that they produce one of the very best versions of this dish, as testified by Internet plaudits and a roaring business.
The jar-roasted chicken is the centerpiece of almost every meal at Wengyao. As it is necessary to purchase a whole chicken, it is best to visit with a group of at least three or four. The chicken, which costs NT$600 and is roasted in thick earthenware jars using longan wood (龍眼木), arrives at the table proudly unadorned. Squeamish eaters should be warned that head and feet are all in place. Accompanying the chicken are two pairs of gloves: a pair of thin plastic gloves and a pair of thick cotton workman’s gloves. Someone at the table is designated to put on the gloves, first the plastic ones to keep your hands clean, then the cotton ones to prevent burns and aid in getting a grip on the piping hot bird. Ripping the bird apart is a sight guaranteed to gladden the heart and quicken the gastric juices of confirmed carnivores.
Photo: Ian Bartholomew, Taipei Times
The roast chicken is richly flavored with herbs and spices, with a strong note of cumin and wood smoke. The restaurant says that they select only free-range hens of about 130 to 150 days old, and the birds are relatively small, weighing in at about a kilo. The result is meat that is remarkably tender and moist. The flesh has a good texture and the skin is beautifully crispy and flavorsome.
Even without any garnishing, the chicken tastes delicious, but for those who want some added flavor, the chicken comes with cloves of roasted garlic, a large slice of lemon, a bowl of chicken drippings and a spiced salt. The addition of these simple ingredients gives every mouthful an explosive flavor.
Although it would be a great pity to visit Wengyao without tasting the signature roast chicken, those who want less meat could opt for the boiled chicken in spring onion oil (蔥油雞), which is available in a half-chicken option (NT$350).
There are plenty of dishes to accompany and enhance the chicken feast, including a bewildering range of vegetables and mushrooms. While the rustic presentation of the chicken has its own appeal, the haphazard presentation of the side dishes is less attractive.
Sixteen types of mushrooms are on offer, ranging in price from NT$100 to NT$200 a plate. The dish of mixed mushrooms that I ordered was perfectly tasty and a good accompaniment to the highly flavored chicken, but in itself was rather unremarkable, and the arrangement of the pale and flaccid fungus on the plate was unattractive to the point of being off-putting. The vegetable menu adds many exotic mountain plants to the usual standards (also priced from NT$100 to NT$200). The minimal preparation, mostly served lightly stir fried with garlic, allows the unusual flavors to shine through, for better or worse. A tasty and refreshingly light soup with bamboo shoots is offered free.
While Wengyao has the superficial appearance of a chaotic roadside eatery, it has a remarkably sophisticated computerized ordering system and the service is very efficient. You can be in and out in half an hour (if you don’t have to queue), but it is also a pleasant place to sit with friends and family to chew the fat, both literally and metaphorically.
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