詹記麻辣火鍋 西門大世界
【Foodholic Niko @ Taipei】
In the past, I always went to the Dun-Nan location to eat at Zhanji, but since the new branch opened in Ximen, I hadn't been there yet. Thinking that I hadn't had hot pot this winter, I decided to check out "Zhanji Spicy Hot Pot Ximen Dasha World."
"Zhanji Spicy Hot Pot Ximen Dasha World" is located near Ximen Station, about a 4-minute walk from Exit 6, right at the original location of Star Point. As soon as you open the door, you can smell the strong aroma of spicy hot pot. You walk down a nightclub-styled staircase to the basement, and to the right, you will see the entrance to Zhanji. On the left, there is an area with chairs for guests to sit and wait.
We arrived on Saturday at 4:30 PM, and the staff told us there were 17 groups ahead, meaning we would have to wait over three hours. They would call us when it was our turn, and we could also check our waiting status online. So we strolled around Ximen, and finally received a call around 7 PM, meaning we waited 2.5 hours.
We ordered a small hot pot for two (1-3 people), which costs NT$380 plus a 10% service charge. The pot came with 6 pieces of tofu and 6 pieces of duck blood; there are also medium pots (4-6 people) and large pots (7 or more).
If the pot base isn't enough, you can order more, but for the small pot, you are limited to adding only one extra portion each of tofu and duck blood.
We ordered using a QR code, and some meat slices and hot pot ingredients can be ordered in half portions, which is friendly for customers who want to try several items but don't have a large group.
We were quite full after our meal and also took home a portion of tofu and half a portion of duck blood, and our total bill was NT$1,709.
For the spicy hot pot part of the dual pot, you can choose the spiciness level; we chose mild, which was just right. The clear broth looked very light but was excellent for boiling vegetables. Even without dipping sauces, the vegetables tasted fresh and sweet, healthy and delicious!
Today, we ordered cabbage and water lily, and the vegetables were cleaned very well, with fresh, crunchy leaves.
The squid balls and flying fish roe dumplings were average; the squid balls had a hint of sweetness, and the dumplings were quite filling and very solid.
The plum blossom pork was delicious, with good meat quality; boiling it in spicy hot pot and dipping it in white vinegar and fragrant oil with green onions was quite flavorful—recommended to mix according to the store's suggestion.
The only item I wouldn’t recommend today was the lamb slices; the lamb smell was very strong and hard to mask whether dipped in white vinegar or chili sauce. Moreover, once added to the clear broth, the entire pot and vegetables took on a lamb flavor that I personally didn't like. I originally planned to give 4 stars, but deducted 0.5 due to the lamb slices.
After the meal, there was a free dessert, an ice cream shaped like candy, with a taste of Jin Xuan green tea—it was very delicious!
The staff were numerous and attentive to guests' needs, frequently coming by to help refill the soup; it was also very convenient to settle the bill at the table.