In the bone-chilling winter of Taipei, if there is one bowl of hot soup that can warm both the stomach and the heart, the sesame oil pork kidney at Shi's family restaurant is definitely the top choice for many food lovers. This place is famous for its various sesame oil-based soups, and every winter, I almost always come here to enjoy the soothing healing brought by the aromatic sesame oil rising from the soup.

Braised Pork Rice (Small)
The restaurant generously pours a generous amount of braising sauce, ensuring that every bite of rice is coated with a dark sheen and rich aroma, avoiding the awkward situation of having only plain rice left. The braised pork has a higher fat ratio, but this is exactly its soul— the fat melts in your mouth, with a salty yet sweet flavor and rich gelatin; overall, it is fragrant without being greasy, exuding a nostalgic taste!

Paired with Blanched Vegetables
They chose to use Chinese cabbage. It's cleaned and blanched simply, topped with minced garlic and sauce, bringing a refreshing yet slightly salty flavor that perfectly balances the richness of the braised pork rice, achieving a harmonious taste in the whole meal. 🥬

Although I didn't order their signature sesame oil pork kidney soup on this day, just this simple meal combination already made me feel the unique homely warmth and sincerity of Shi's family. There’s no excessive packaging, just solid and simple good flavors. If you haven’t had a bowl of sesame oil soup on a cold day, you definitely need to find time for it; and if, like me, you're just craving a bowl of fragrant braised pork rice, you absolutely won’t be disappointed!

Shijia Sesame Oil Kidney has been in operation for over 50 years, and it's a well-loved local eatery that many residents have been dining at since childhood. The space is not large and the seating is tight, but the dining pace is quick with a high table turnover rate, so even if you have to queue, the wait isn't too long.

Their sesame oil dishes, clear soup series, and braised pork rice are very famous. They offer a variety of offal soups such as sesame oil chicken, kidney, pig heart, pig liver, pig stomach, and lean meat, each with its dedicated fans. If you're adventurous with offal, you absolutely must try their signature sesame oil kidney – it has a rich aroma, is perfectly cooked, and the kidneys are tender without any fishy taste.

Personally, I often order the "Pig Liver Clear Soup." The broth is refreshing with a generous portion of ginger strips, the pig liver is well-sized, cooked just right, and has no fishy flavor at all. It's especially suitable for replenishing blood and warming the body during menstruation, so I often take a bowl home to enjoy slowly.

Another signature dish is their "Braised Pork Rice." A small bowl is only 35 NT dollars, featuring strips of braised pork primarily made from fatty cuts. It's flavorful, oily, and smooth, and eating it with spicy pickled radish is very satisfying. They are generous with the sauce, allowing each bite of rice to soak up the flavor thoroughly, avoiding that awkward situation where there’s only plain rice without sauce. The braising sauce has a clean flavor, free from excessive pepper or spices, allowing the natural sweetness and savory aroma of the ingredients to shine through, which fits my taste for pure traditional flavors.

Although you inevitably smell the offal preparation from the front counter while dining in, this is also part of the authenticity of an old shop. Shijia Sesame Oil Kidney is not a place with exquisite decor; it offers a simple bowl of soup and a bowl of rice to comfort both body and mind with everyday flavors.

The address of Shi Family Sesame Oil Kidney is located on Songshan Road, but the actual entrance is in the neighboring alley No. 540. The shop is always crowded during business hours, and during the beginning of winter, the whole restaurant was cleared out to the point where only rice was left to sell.

Today, I enjoyed sesame oil kidney, braised pork rice, braised bamboo shoots, and also took out sesame oil chicken and sesame oil pig heart, totaling 530 NT dollars.

Sesame Oil Kidney:
The kidney is processed very delicately, with a crunchy and bouncy texture. The sesame oil soup base is rich yet has a sweet fragrance. As you slowly bite into the kidney, the unique texture is truly something you can only understand by tasting it yourself. The tender ginger in the soup is so soft that you can enjoy it with the kidney, providing a different flavor experience.

Braised Pork Rice:
Shi Family's braised pork rice is impressive; each grain of rice is distinct, and the braised pork, while rich, is not greasy. Even if the sesame oil base is sold out, this braised pork rice is still worth trying.

Braised Bamboo Shoots:
Standard fare, it serves as a transitional side dish between the braised pork rice and kidney. It's not bad, but it doesn't stand out; the addition of some braised pork among the bamboo shoots is an interesting highlight.

Sesame Oil Chicken:
Bone-in, but compared to other sesame oil dishes, it's served in a larger bowl. The sesame oil itself needs no further mention. The portion of chicken with soft bones is quite satisfying, and the meat is very tender. The only downside is that the cooking wine in the sesame oil chicken seems a bit heavy... if you need to drive afterwards, you might want to reconsider drinking the soup.

Sesame Oil Pig Heart:
The bouncy texture of the pig heart is also worth trying; it's a different type of bounciness compared to the kidney.

Overall, I've specifically taken the time to visit three or more times just to enjoy this kidney dish. Even with the effort, it feels worthwhile because it's just that delicious.

The restaurant itself is very narrow; to improve seating efficiency, they even use partitions, so if possible, it's better to take it to go.

Highly recommended to everyone!

Over fifty years of local cuisine - Shi's sesame oil kidney dish.
The first time I tried it was recommended by a friend living in Yongchun. After the first bite, I was amazed; I personally think it surpasses any sesame oil offal restaurant in Taipei.

I believe their braised pork rice is among the best I've had in the Taipei area (the top one is Lai Gang Mountain Goat Meat in Xindian). The fatty pork is tender without being overly greasy, and the portion is ample. Although prices have risen in recent years, it’s still very delicious.

I came this time at ten-thirty in the evening, and surprisingly, all the offal was still available, so I ordered the kidney clear soup.

Their kidney is really crunchy; when you bite into it, there’s also a creamy texture. It looks like konjac but tastes very fresh!

Because it’s been too hot lately, I didn’t order dishes from the sesame oil series. If you don’t like scallions and shredded ginger, remember to tell the staff in advance. The sesame oil part was omitted.

In winter, they also sell sesame oil chicken, which I’ve ordered twice and was amazed both times. The rice wine truly makes you feel a bit tipsy after drinking the soup, and the meat is fresh and served in large pieces.

Their side dishes are also highly recommended, but since I was eating alone, I ordered them less frequently. Overall, I highly recommend this place!

Having been eating at Shijia for more than ten years, I came to eat after the meal time this day, and there was still a lot of people.

Although the most famous one is sesame oil kidney, I don’t like sesame oil soup and rarely order this dish.

It's o'clock today

Lean meat soup
This is the item I order most often, and the portion of lean meat is very generous! It’s just that the lean meat today was a bit too blanched, so it didn’t taste very good and it was hard to bite😅

Lu Pork Rice
This is also a classic dish of the Shi family. Although the hand-cut pork belly is on the fatty side, it doesn’t taste greasy at all!

Lusun silk
If you want side dishes, this is my first choice! I always feel that it is getting harder and harder to get delicious shredded bamboo shoots nowadays. The ones sold in many stores are either tasteless or have a bit of a stinky smell. Shijia’s is seasoned properly, with a little sourness, and goes very well with rice!

The taste of this restaurant is quite to my liking, but unfortunately the environment is not good.