Tainan, Taiwan. Photo / Unsplash
Most hungry travellers make a beeline for the dumpling houses and night markets of Taipei. But head south to Tainan, and you’ll find the country’s unofficial food capital, writes Katie Lockhart.
“Tainan is the oldest city in Taiwan and has had centuries to perfect its culinary traditions,” says Clarissa Wei, author of Made in Taiwan. “It is a living museum of street food, but also houses some of the best contemporary coffee shops on the island.”
Beloved for its fragrant beef soup, rich coffin bread and what many consider the country’s best night markets, you can’t throw a chopstick on the streets of Tainan without hitting a world-class bowl of food. Here are some of the city’s best places to try Taiwanese food.
Open on Monday, Tuesday and Friday nights, this is one of the city’s go-to night markets, so come on an empty stomach with good shoes to walk its many rows of vendors. You could spend hours here stopping at the hundreds of stalls selling fresh oysters, scallion pancakes, oyster omelettes, meat skewers and fried sweet potato balls. If you start to smell something rotten, it’s probably the stinky tofu stall. Trust us, it tastes better than it smells.
No. 276, Section 1, Linsen Rd, East District, Tainan City
This Michelin Bib Gourmand street food stop has been serving the city’s best danzai noodles for 70 years. Pull up a tiny blue stool as the married couple drops egg noodles into a bubbling vat of water. Diners can choose between dry or soup danzai noodles with egg, braised pork and boiled shrimp. We recommend trying both and ordering a few random sides to go with it.
No. 321, Section 2, Ximen Rd, West Central District, Tainan City
If you see a perpetual line of people out front, you’re in the right place. Duck leg rice is the specialty here, where it’s served to-go during lunch time. Large pieces of sliced, marinated duck leg are placed on fragrant white rice, accompanied by a marinated hard-boiled egg, bamboo shoots, and greens. The salty broth served on the white rice makes the dish, but be sure to add plenty of homemade chilli sauce; it’s arguably the best part. To avoid disappointment, get here when they open at 11am, as it sells out fast.
No. 190, Section 3, Minzu Road, Zhongxi District, Tainan City
Half for the experience, half for the coffee, Narrow Door is one of the city’s most unique cafes. Hidden down what may be the world’s tiniest alley, you’ll need to shimmy sideways to reach the stairs that take you to this old-school cafe. Interiors are a blast from the past with antique furniture and vintage decor. But the drink options are modern with everything from boozy Irish coffee to kumquat iced tea. Skip the food here and save your stomach for one of the night markets instead.
F2, No.67, Nanmen Road, Zhongxi District, West Central District, Tainan City
This streetside spot in YongLe Market is a favourite for Tainan’s famous eel noodles. Aunties stir-fry big chunks of eel with a heaping serving of chewy noodles in a sweet soy sauce with a hint of sour vinegar. The eel texture isn’t for everyone, but this is the place to try this classic Taiwanese dish.
No. 161, Section 3, Guohua St, West Central District, Tainan City
If you only have time for one night market in Tainan, make it this one. Only open on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, it’s also known as Flower Night Market. You’ll have to brave the crowds here, but the dishes are worth it. As it’s the city’s biggest, with roughly 400 stalls to sift through, it’s easy to get overwhelmed. Try a sweet souffle pancake, coffin bread, buns stuffed with pork belly, fried chicken and just about anything you can think of.
No. 533, Section 3, Hai’an Rd, North District, Tainan City
Every Tainanese has their favourite beef soup restaurant, a place they’ve been going to since childhood. Xiluodian Beef Soup is one of those places. Commonly eaten for breakfast, beef soup is considered to be Tainan’s signature dish. This Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant serves steaming bowls of high-quality, thinly sliced beef in a dark, layered, slightly sweet beef broth. It comes with a choice of rice with braised pork or white rice—go with the braised pork rice.
No. 98, Gongyuan S Rd, North District, Tainan City
This small, take-out tea spot serves top-quality black tea with fresh milk. Super simple, top-quality ingredients create some of the best and most refreshing milk teas in town.
No. 125, Section 2, Minsheng Rd, West Central District, Tainan City
Invented in the 1950s, at this restaurant in Kangle Market, coffin bread is a must-try when in Tainan. The original recipe is a thick and creamy chicken liver and squid stew served inside a hollowed-out, deep-fried piece of toast. It’s covered with a deep-fried toast top, hence the morbid coffin moniker. Diners can still get the comforting original recipe or try the curry flavour instead.
700 Jhongjheng Rd, West Central District, Tainan City