The dishes at Zhan Ji are plentiful, with the aromatic spicy hot pot base wafting through the air. The duck blood is tender, the tofu absorbs the broth, the pork from the plum blossom is of good quality, and the vegetables are fresh. The squid balls and surprise bags are average. However, the lamb slices have a strong gamey taste that affects the overall flavor.
The restaurant atmosphere is vintage and comfortable, with a reasonable space design that is suitable for gatherings, allowing one to experience the unique charm of modern Taiwanese style.
The service staff are friendly and attentive, proactively informing about the dishes and dining situation, and often refilling the soup, making one feel cared for.
【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.
📍Wanhua District, Taipei City (near Ximen MRT Station)
A spicy hot pot restaurant that maximizes the modern retro Taiwanese style 🕺🏻🍲🏰
Zhan Ji Spicy Hot Pot is one of the most famous and hardest-to-book hot pot restaurants in Taipei! After many years, eating here again still feels great 🤤
The newly opened site at Ximen Grand World is a star gathering point 🎶, and Zhan Ji has transformed it into a space with various Taiwanese flavors.
Before the opening, I saw extensive promotions for this restaurant. Upon entering, I found that the dining area is all located on B1. The entire space is not very large, but the tables are well-spaced apart, providing a comfortable dining experience 🎨
The service is also quite attentive; the staff informs you about each dish as they serve it, and they are considerate about guest dining conditions, such as adding soup or clearing empty plates.
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Order items:
▫️Dual-flavor hot pot base ($500):
Suitable for 4-6 people, we ordered the spicy pot at a mild level. For those who can handle spice, it should be considered mildly spicy, but the aroma of the hot pot is rich without being harsh on the throat.
It includes a fixed amount of duck blood and tofu (remember it was 10 pieces each; we ended up ordering additional half portions (duck blood $110, tofu $70)
Zhan Ji's duck blood is truly unforgettable, with a very tender texture, no gamey taste, and it absorbs the spicy flavor well. The tofu has large holes and absorbs soup very well.
▫️American Angus beef short ribs ($620):
Beautiful marbling, rich in fat, can be cooked in under 10 seconds, very tender, and impressively good quality meat.
▫️Selected Taiwan pork shoulder ($370):
This dish can be ordered at a member discount price of $99. We later ordered two more plates.
The meat quality is also very nice, and you can taste the aroma of the pork.
▫️American beef brisket ($470):
This dish has more marbling than the short ribs!
▫️Taiwanese Matsusaka pork ($390):
Cut into long, thin pieces, it has quite a nice chewiness.
▫️Taiwanese beef balls ($210):
Large and very chewy, when bitten into, there's meat juice inside—a recommendation!
▫️Mushroom and meat dumplings ($160):
Very delicious! These are exceptional egg dumplings with fragrant egg skin and a filling of mushrooms and meat creating a different flavor.
Although now seeing the price of 40 each seems a bit too expensive 🙁
▫️Mystery egg vinegar ($15):
This is a type of dipping sauce that feels like it's just raw egg + vinegar + garlic; we all thought it didn't have much flavor when mixed.
▫️White chrysanthemum and plum juice ($259):
The name is cute, haha 🐶
It's actually white chrysanthemum and black plum juice; the base is black plum juice, and the restaurant prepares a cup with white chrysanthemum and some herbs.
▫️Taro meatballs ($75) half serving
▫️Raw tofu skin ($110)
▫️Baby bok choy ($140)
▫️Water lily ($100)
▫️Napa cabbage ($100)
▫️White rice ($20)
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Would I visit again? Yes!
Aside from the difficulty in booking and the relatively high prices for a filling meal, the overall dining experience was wonderful. The atmosphere, ingredients, and service did not disappoint 🤩
Zhanji’s newly opened Ximen store!
Take you back to the 90s in one second🥳
As soon as you enter, it looks like the entrance to a dance hall in the past.
But the dining environment inside is very bright and not colorful and dazzling.
The open-plan ones usually seat 1-4 people.
There are also private seats inside!
The plates and all the utensils are very particular.
It’s full of details, I recommend you come and experience it.
I have never had Zhanji before.
So I don’t know if it’s because it just opened.
Each piece of meat is cut into large pieces and very thick.
If you become a member, you can buy a large plate (full plate) of plum blossom pig for 99 yuan.
The spicy hot pot soup doesn't taste like Sichuan style.
Prefers Taiwanese traditional spicy food.
I really like the pot tofu inside, it's very tasty and tender.
My favorite beef is beef short ribs.
The fat is just right, the thickness is enough, and the taste is good.
Other meat products are just average and in line with the price.
Dessert is plum green tea flavored ice cream.
Are you using the kind of black plum you used to have? Sour plum? traditional packaging,
Anyway, it's cute.
And this taste will come back sweet,
An interesting taste.
For the atmosphere, I highly recommend you go and grab a seat!