Taipei Cuisine: LC Française French Concession Golden Chicken Soup Unveiled

When you access the restaurant's inline reservation system, you'll be greeted with this powerful statement: "In Chef Adam's world, cuisine is not defined. Featuring the signature 'Decade-in-the-Making Golden Chicken Soup' as the star." LC Française is a reservation-only restaurant tucked away in the alleys of Taipei's East District. Thanks to a foodie friend, I finally got to try this famous chicken soup that everyone in the area seems to know about! 💕 This visit was for a weekday business lunch on June 27. 🥰 Chef Adam Chen, who honed his exquisite French culinary skills under the tutelage of renowned chefs at De Loin and The Godfather, incorporates flavors reminiscent of his Taiwanese hometown. The table was already set with three appetizers: smoked peanuts, spicy corn, and codfish floss with Sichuan pepper. They may look simple, but they were surprisingly impressive! Next came the starters: crispy squid spring rolls with peeled chili sauce and deep-fried charcoal loofah, made with Japanese bamboo charcoal powder and French sparkling water batter. These were truly unique dishes I had never encountered before! The star of the meal, the Golden Chicken Soup, is made using "Jin Jing Chicken" from the foothills of Dawu Mountain in Taitung, known for its golden-feathered neck. The broth is first simmered with rooster for 6-8 hours, then strained and cooked with hen for another 2-3 hours. It is seasoned simply with sea salt from Zhou Nan Salt Fields. While the description might make it sound plain, unlike traditional Chinese chicken soup that uses Jinhua ham or pork trotters for added flavor and collagen, this soup focuses on highlighting the natural sweetness of the chicken itself. 😓 Amazingly, the soup still leaves a sticky sensation on your lips! For the main course, we had braised pork belly rice made with premium pork belly from Yunlin and topped with calendula chicken egg. It was a delightful bowl of rice! Dessert was malted flour ice cream, accompanied by coffee. This lunch exceeded expectations and was designed specifically for office workers in the area. The business lunch is priced at $1200 per person.