San bei ji is the signature Hakka-Taiwanese braise: chicken pieces stir-fried with equal cups of rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil, finished with handfuls of Thai basil.
Where to eat it: 1 restaurant across 1 city.
Three-cup chicken is usually traced to Jiangxi province, where it is a Hakka speciality, and folklore ties it to the Song dynasty general Wen Tianxiang; Taiwanese food historian Chunghao Kuo found no evidence for that story, and the veteran chefs he interviewed point to the dish taking its Taiwanese shape on the island itself, spreading with local chicken restaurants. The three cups (one each of rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil) give it its name and the explosive aroma. Shin Yeh, opened 1977 on Shuangcheng Street, keeps it on the menu of its original Taipei branch. The finishing handful of nine-layer Taiwan basil (jiu ceng ta) is what distinguishes it from the Jiangxi original.
Common allergens: Gluten, Soy
Tip from the editors. Thai basil is the only viable substitute for nine-layer Taiwan basil; sweet Italian basil doesn't carry the right note. The dish should be glossy, not soupy.
Shin Yeh Shuanglian is round-table taiwanese banquet cooking in zhongshan since 1977, the family-table standard locals book for new-year reunion meals.
Why locals love it: Round-table Taiwanese banquet cooking in Zhongshan since 1977, the family-table standard locals book for new-year reunion meals.
Tip: Phone reservations. Service charge added.
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