A Culinary Expedition Through Taiwan’s Street Food Epicenter

The restaurant exudes charm, but its specialty is a standout. The hearty dish features large bowls of steamed rice accompanied by Hakka pickle, stewed bamboo, and tender, braised pigs’ trotters, or zhu jiao fan. To balance the richness, consider adding a side of vegetables or a bowl of dou bao tang (豆包湯), a mild soup with fried tofu balls. Open: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., 5 to 8 p.m.; closed on Mondays. Price: starting at $90 TWD ($3 USD).

Directions: From this spot, head north to the next intersection where you’ll find the entrance to Tainan Art Museum’s colonial-era Building 1. Turn right and walk about 300 feet along the north side of Youai Street to find a cooking station set up right against the sidewalk.

This isn’t just about the chef’s expert technique of pressing rice against the hot wok to achieve that perfect browning. This family-run gem, tucked away behind the art museum’s Building 1, takes fried rice to a new level. Each dish is enhanced with the clean, refreshing aroma of white sesame oil, known for its delicate smoke point, lending a bright and nutty flavor. The rice, generously mixed with beef, mutton, or lamb, is also packed with bell peppers, grated carrots, eggs, and shredded cabbage, making each portion substantial enough to share among three. Open: 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m., 4 to 8:30 p.m.; closed Sundays. Price: starting from $60 TWD ($2 USD).

Directions: Walk east to the nearest intersection, head north on Kaishan Road to the traffic circle, and take a counter-clockwise turn onto Qingnian Road. Look for Lane 8, Zhongshan Road on the north side of Qingnian Road, near the circle. The next stop will be about 150 feet into the lane on your right.

This spot is often referred to simply as Mi Gao (米糕), which isn’t its name but rather the first item on its quaint hand-painted sign. Mi Gao is a type of glutinous rice cake, and here it’s celebrated by those who cherish guzao wei (“ancient flavors”). It’s topped with tender chunks of braised pork belly and a hearty layer of pork floss (slow-cooked pork that’s shredded and crisped in a wok). The di gua ye tang, or sweet potato-leaf soup, is a traditional peasant dish. Today, the vibrant dark greens — akin to broccoli rabe — impart a sharp bitterness to the otherwise mild pork bone broth, which is free from the strong garlic and shallots that often dominate Taiwanese dishes. Open: 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., 5 to 8 p.m.; closed Sundays. Price: starting from $30 TWD ($1 USD).

Directions: Head back to Pigs’ Trotters and Rice (No. 1), walk south to Fuqian Road, then proceed west for half a mile to reach stop 4.

Ah Long specializes in hei bai qie, or “black and white cuts,” a term that closely resembles what we call “cold cuts” in English. This assortment includes a range of pork offal — heart, lung, liver, and stomach — alongside shark meat, deep-fried crab roe, and bitter gourd, all pre-cooked and served chilled. They also offer fen chang, a soft sausage made from pig chitterlings, and crispy deep-fried shrimp rolls (see No. 11 below). Each item is priced at just $20 TWD, and everything is displayed on the counter for easy selection. Your order comes with a side of mild mustard and thick soy sauce for dipping. Open: 10:30 a.m. until sold out; closed Mondays. Price: starting from $20 TWD (65 cents USD).

Directions: From here, head west for 800 feet, then south for another 500 feet to reach stop 5.

This Mytoury, which started as a humble stall, now operates with precision in their specialty. Marinated Spanish mackerel nuggets are breaded and deep-fried, then allowed to drain. Customers can choose to have them served with mian (wheat noodles), mǐ fen (rice-flour vermicelli), or just as fish in soup. The soup, thickened with cornstarch and seasoned with a splash of black vinegar, is poured over the fish only after the order is placed, ensuring the fish remains tender and flaky. Open: 6 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. daily. Price: starting from $60 TWD ($2 USD).

Directions: From here, head to Hai’an Road, walk north to Minsheng Road, then east to one of Tainan’s street-food hubs at stop 6.

Securing a seat at this popular daytime spot can be a challenge, but it's worth it for the lu mian — a rich, starch-thickened soup brimming with shredded vegetables, wheat noodles, and pork-fish paste dumplings. Local patrons place orders hours in advance, resulting in a lengthy queue for their congee varieties, whether it's the taro congee, yu tou zhou (available only on Mondays and Fridays), or the Tuesday-special cabbage congee, gao li cai zhou. If you're in a hurry, you can still grab take-out rou zong, which are sticky, pork-and-mushroom-filled rice pyramids packed with whole peanuts. These are boiled to perfection and displayed across the street, where you'll also see the bamboo-leaf-wrapped bundles cooling. Open: 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; closed Sundays. Price: starting from $40 TWD ($1.30 USD).

Directions: Head north along the right side of the road to reach the next stop.

Seek out the distinctive, pot-bellied barrel on wheels roasting sweet potatoes to perfection. The yellow-fleshed treats, resting atop, sport crispy skins with caramelized spots where the juices have oozed and then hardened. Choose your sweet potato, and the price will be calculated based on its weight. Whether you peel it with your hands or dive right in, it’s up to you. Open: 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. daily. Price: approximately $30 TWD ($1 USD).

Directions: Walk north on the same side of Guohua Street for less than 165 feet to reach the next stop.

Mr. Chen, who prefers to be called by his surname, makes the two-hour journey from his Hakka community southeast of Tainan each morning before dawn. He brings with him an assortment of freshly crafted Hakka-style nian gao (sweet rice cakes) and mochi. These treats, made from glutinous rice pounded into a paste, are subtly sweetened with white or brown sugar and flavored with ingredients like adzuki beans, taro, banana, or a mix of millet, barley, and other grains. Each piece, roughly the size of a deck of cards and wrapped in plastic, offers a blind tasting experience due to their pale colors. Grab an extra box to enjoy on the train ride back to Taipei. Open: 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.; closed Sundays and Mondays. Price: starting from $30 TWD ($1 USD).

Directions: Head north on the opposite side of Guohua Street for 150 feet to find your next stop.

There’s no direct translation for the savory steamed rice pudding-like dish known in Taiwanese as wha guay. Yi Wei Pin offers some clarity with a wall chart showing how they prepare up to 500 bowls daily: First, they layer two freshly cooked shrimp, a piece of pig’s foot, and a small strip of pork loin at the bottom. Next, they add some diced braised fatty pork, followed by rice that’s been cooked, ground into a liquid, and steamed. Just before serving, they top it with pureed garlic, a mildly spicy sweet sauce, wasabi paste, and soy sauce. The bowl arrives with everything unmixed, allowing you to stir it yourself or savor the variety of flavors in each bite. Open: 5 a.m. to 5 p.m.; closed Tuesdays. Price: starting from $30 TWD ($1 USD).

Directions: Head a few steps north to the store marked with a toad image.

Taiwanese herbal tea recipes vary widely. They might include verbena, dandelion, or herbs like “heart of the earth” or “heal-all,” along with different mints and grasses. These herbs are boiled into a juice and then filtered. Some vendors sweeten the tea before cooling, but not this one. Established in the early 1950s, they serve a slightly bitter yet refreshing brew that’s perfect after indulging in street food. The shop also sells fresh and dried herbs for home brewing. Open: 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. daily. Price: from $30 TWD ($1).

Directions: The final stop of your food tour is half a mile away, easily reached by walking through the backstreets near Yuemen, one of the last remnants of Tainan’s old city walls. Alternatively, you can take a slightly longer route through the picturesque Shennong Street or catch a taxi.

Fucheng Huang Family Shrimp Rolls are slightly larger and darker than the typical Chinese or Vietnamese spring rolls. These crispy delights are filled with a flavorful mix of ground shrimp, shallots, pork, and pig offal. While many shrimp roll vendors in Tainan, including the renowned Chou’s, have switched from traditional caul fat wrappers to tofu skin, the Huang family sticks to the classic method. This commitment makes their rolls some of the crispiest you’ll find in town. For an authentic taste of old Tainan, savor these rolls with a touch of thickened soy sauce and zesty mustard provided at the table. Open: 2:30 to 8 p.m. daily. Price: starting at $50 TWD ($1.63 USD).