If you’re in Kaohsiung, you have to go to Duck Zhen. I’m not saying you should go to Duck Zhen; I’m saying you must. It’s that good. Mandatory.
I honestly can’t remember the last time a meal made me so profoundly sad. The food in Taiwan is so good, and you can’t walk more than a block or two without stumbling upon several restaurants serving something that looks amazing.
The Taiwanese version of McDonald’s, on the other hand… Yikes. It might be the worst food I’ve had at McDonald’s since starting this blog, and that’s really saying something — I’ve had some pretty atrocious meals courtesy of old Ronald McDonald.
Some dishes that you eat while traveling are good, but they take you out of your comfort zone. The taste or the texture is unfamiliar, and you need to eat a few bites to even decide what you think of it.
On the other hand, there are dishes like the grilled pork rice at Yongle Shao Rou Fan. It doesn’t ask anything of you but to enjoy it.
I showed up at Qiu Jia Xiao Juan Mi Fen about ten minutes after it opened, and the place was already packed. Suffice it to say, the place is quite popular; always a good sign.
I think there might have been other stuff on the menu, but this place is known for one particular dish, and that’s what everyone was eating: squid noodles.
One thing I’ve noticed about the food in Tainan: it’s noticeably sweeter than the cuisine in Taipei or Taichung. Most of the things I’ve tried here have been at least a little bit sweet.
Ah Song Gua Bao is a good example of this: they sell pork buns, and they’re distinctly sweeter than the version I had in Taipei.
Ah Tang is famous for something called milkfish porridge, which is essentially a very ricey soup with a whole bunch of fish chunks in it, traditionally eaten for breakfast.
I was a little concerned about having something so fishy first thing in the morning, but of course, I shouldn’t have been. When it comes to food, Taiwan knows where it’s at. They won’t steer you wrong.
There’s no mistaking a place that sells stinky tofu; you’ll smell it before you see it.
Yes, stinky tofu absolutely lives up to its name — it’s quite pungent.
A bowl of eel noodles is a must-try Tainan specialty, and the most well-known place to get it is easily A Jiang Stir-Fried Eel noodles.
I wasn’t even particularly hungry when I walked by Kintoku and saw the huge crowd of people lining up for what appeared to be some kind of burrito. I tried to resist, I really did — but I couldn’t. If there’s a bunch of people lining up for food, I’m getting in that line. It can’t be stopped.
Were the pies from Pie Man the greasiest thing I’ve had in my life? I don’t know; maybe. Were they delicious? Most definitely.