[Xingtian Temple Food, Taipei] Manager Duck Blood: comforting mala for one! A personal weekly favorite 🌶️
For a picky eater, few Taipei restaurants inspire a weekly visit. Near Xingtian Temple, Manager Duck Blood feels like a friend who understands my appetite: whenever I miss mala aroma but do not want to organize a group, it is my first choice! XD
I eat here so often that today I am finally sharing my favorite instead of keeping it secret!
🥘 Essential order: Mixed Mala Duck Blood and Tofu Pot + Sliced Beef
First visit? Follow this order. Beyond duck blood and tofu, the pot has greens, enoki, and 6-8 kinds of hot-pot items. Their quality is genuinely good, without the cheap refrigerator odor sometimes found in inexpensive small hot pots, which deserves real praise.
This time I added sliced beef. One thoughtful detail deserves mention: their meat slices areindividually portioned in packets! Every serving is therefore precise and consistent, never one slice more today and one less tomorrow. For a regular, that consistency creates reassuring trust.
🥢 Soulful broth and two flavor-soaked stars
For mala duck blood, the soul is unquestionably the broth and pot base.
Manager Duck Blood's broth is excellent. The moment you sip it, the captivatingSichuan pepper fragrancerushes upward 😌, mellow rather than harshly salty. When you crave mala hot pot without wanting something too heavy, this broth satisfies perfectly!
Unbeatably tender duck blood: It is handled very cleanly, exceptionally silky, and deeply flavored, releasing a little juice when bitten.
Mysteriously textured tofu: The tofu is saturated with mala broth, fragrant and tender. Most unusual is a slight springiness like hundred-layer tofu, though I am certain it is not! That distinctive chew keeps you taking another bite.
🌶️ Heat guide and friendly reminder
If you eat even a little spice, start directly at 'mild'; the fragrance and heat are very well balanced.
Finally, special praise for the kind owner. Business is brisk and cooking to order takes time, but she always gently lets guests know they will need to wait a little. This warm interaction is one reason I gladly return every week.
If you seek a high-quality mala pot easily enjoyed alone, this old friend's recommendation, Manager Duck Blood, is absolutely worth trying!
