San bei ji is the iconic Hakka-Taiwanese braise: chicken pieces stir-fried with equal cups of rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil, finished with handfuls of Thai basil.
Three-cup chicken is a Hakka dish brought to Taiwan by 17th-century settlers from Jiangxi province. The three cups (sometimes 'one cup' each of rice wine, soy sauce and sesame oil) give it its name and the explosive aroma. Shin Yeh, opened 1977 in Taipei, popularised the dish on Taipei tourist menus. The finishing handful of nine-layer Taiwan basil (jiu ceng ta) is what distinguishes it from mainland Chinese braises.
2 editor picks for Three-cup chicken in Taipei, ranked by editorial score. All Taipei signature dishes · Three-cup chicken across every city.
Mountain and Sea House ★ 4.7
zhongzheng · No. 94, Section 2, Ren'ai Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City 100
Mountain and Sea House revives 1930s Taiwanese banquet cooking inside a restored Ren'ai Road heritage mansion. One Michelin star plus a deep wine list.
Shin Yeh Shuanglian ★ 4.4
zhongshan · No. 34-1, Section 2, Shuangcheng Street, Zhongshan District, Taipei City 104
Shin Yeh opened 1977 and writes the menu for textbook Taiwanese home cooking. Bib Gourmand, sweet-potato congee on every table, round-table family portions.