After hunting for good local food in di Taipei City and trying out the food in Taichung, I just had to get the low down on the eating situation in Kaohsiung. Because I was only in Kaohsiung for 2 nights, the following list is not everything you might want to try and it is heavy on market food, but it’s a good start. There are cafes, coffee shops and bakeries as well! Here’s what I tried!
1. Banana Roti
This first one isn’t really taiwanese specialty food, but it’s worth trying anyway at the Liuhe Night Market. I waited in line with a bunch of other people who were also waiting for the Banana Roti. It looks like a tourist friendly cart because of the 4 languages which are on display: Chinese, Korean, Japanese and English. The ordering process is really simple as you’d expect and you’re allowed to choose a topping: caramel (syrup), condensed milk, chocolate (syrup), sliced almonds, cotton candy and raisins.
I chose the standard combination: chocolate and condensed milk. The roti was cruchy and the banana was super sweet and soft because it had already been pre-cooked. Simple yet awesome. Especially for those who love sweet foods and don’t fear diabetes!
Location: Liuhe Night Market
Price: NT$60
2. Blackpepper Bun
I was curious about these blackpepper buns since seeing them at Raohe Night Market in Taipei. At that time there was a single counter with a massive line just to get these tiny blackpepper buns. Being someone who can’t stand waiting in long lines for food, I skipped the blackpepper buns at Raohe. So when I saw them for sale at Liuhe Night Market there was only one thing on my mind. MUST EAT BLACKPEPPER BUN!
The blackpepper buns are similar to bakpau with main difference being that one is baked and the other is steamed. It makes a massive difference mainly because there is no chance you’re going to get one of those over-steamed slimy bakpaus you often get in Asia *shudder*. In fact, this bun had distinct crispness about it that I really loved! The inside of the bun is filled with minced beef seasoned with black pepper and tastes similar to a black pepper beef you might get at a Chinese restaurant anywhere around the world — except much better!
Location: Liuhe Night Market
Price: NT$50
3. Rose Jelly Fig
I stumbled across this dessert accidentally when walking around the Pier 2 Arts Center and was impressed! From the front, the cafe itself looks really interesting and the fact that there is an English sign out the front invites you right inside. The cafe itself specialises in serving ice desserts containing fig jelly in the shape of roses — so weird! Who on earth comes up with these ideas?
The number of combinations of flavours is pretty staggering, so to save stressing about which flavour to get, I just got the standard recommended one. The bowl is filled with 4 jelly roses mixed with multi-coloured pearls, shaved ice and lemon syrup. It was a combination I’d never had before, but the flavour was fantastic and really refreshing. It’s definitely worth a stop if you’re in the area and it’s hot outside.
Location: Pier 2 Arts Center
Price: NT$90
4. Simtree Coffee
I really love cakes and pastries and if I find a bakery or cake shop in a new country, I have to try it. Simtree Coffee isn’t just a coffee shop as the name might suggest, but also a cake and pastry shop — I’m in heaven! And the pastries on offer aren’t just sweet ones, they also have a range of savoury ones making it a decent spot for lunch.
I tried a cake and a quiche both of which looked interesting! The cake itself was quite complicated and really interesting to eat — I love a cake which takes a departure for the same old same old. The cafe itself is quite big spreading over 2 spacious floors and it’s quite empty if you get there at opening time. The concept of the cafe is quite interesting in that they have an environmental focus with lots of reusable cutlery and cakes provided with just a napkin instead of also being placed on a paper plate. It’s a small point, but something which I’d love to see a lot more of.
Location: No 73, Zhongheng 3rd Road.
Price: NT$485 for 2 drinks and 2 cakes/pastries
5. OH! Cafe
If you’re searching the internet for coffee in Kaohsiung, you might run into OH! cafe. Unfortuntely, the cafe is more of a grab and go kind of place and not really built as a sit down place. The reason is that it’s right out the front of the ferry terminal leading to Cijin Island. So yeah, lots of people want to order a coffee in a paper cup and drink it on the ferry which is a shame as the coffee is really good!
If you hate drinking coffee from a paper cup (that’s me, I know it’s not a popular view), they do have one or two proper cups which they’ll gladly serve you your coffee in.
Location: In front of the ferry terminal to Cijin Island
Price: NT$140 for 1 coffee and 1 iced tea
6. Local Din Tai Fung
There are loads of restaurants in Taiwan that serve food which is similar to Din Tai Fung and they’re usually named something you can’t understand unless you can read Chinese characters. These “Local Din Tai Fungs” serve up delicious XLBs (pork dumplings with broth inside), dumplings in chili oil as well as lots of vege and meat dishes.
Prices at these places are almost always cheaper than the original Din Tai Fung and in my view, the taste is not all that different. If you love Din Tai Fung in your home country, look for these local versions all throughout Taiwan when you arrive. And don’t be afraid of the language barrier. Someone will always be willing to help you out. If all else fails, you can type what you want into google translate.
Location: everywhere
Price: NT$185 for 3 portions of dumplings and 1 sweet roti
7. Lu Rou Fan
If you’re looking for cheap food, Lu Rou Fan is Taiwanese budget fare which is super delicious! It’s a simple dish of steamed rice topped with soy sauce flavoured pork belly. Yum! I stumbled upon this particular place while on the way back from the ferry terminal to Cijin Island. Simply point to what you want on the menu and out it comes.
Location: Binhai 1st Road, next to Lane 88 Binhaiyi Road. Before the ferry terminal to Cijin Island.
Price: NT$65 for 1 portion of lu rou fan + 1 portion of noodles with minced meat
8. Souffle Pancake
I accidentally found this cafe while looking for something for breakfast around my hotel. From the name, I kind of expected that the cafe would have some sort of connection with Shiba Inu. And true to its name, the cafe is named Shiba Cafe because there is often a Shiba Inu dog hanging out in the corner.
But the main reason I visited this particular cafe was for the souffle pancake which I had read was awesome. And it was. Originally from Japan, the souffle pancake is a pancake made in a souffle style so that it rises and becomes super fluffy. Add some stewed fruit, a bit of cream and even some caramel sauce and you have sugar heaven.
Location: Shiba Cafe, intersection of Zhongzheng 4th Road Lane 63 and Nantai Road Lane 43.
Price: NT$330 for 1 souffle pancake & 2 drinks
9. Chicken Skewers
Chopped chicken on a stick. What could be better as a quick snack? The chicken stick is covered with some herbs and spices and placed on a hot plate where it is slightly burnt/caramelised. The chicken comes off the grill piping hot and super juicy — not a dry piece of chicken to be found! Better still, those spices amp the flavour levels right up giving you a perfectly delicious chicken stick. Simple food done right.
Location: Ruifeng Night Market
Price: NT$45
10. Taro Milk
For me, this was one my favourite food/drinks in Kaohsiung. Usually when you drink an ice taro latte or something of the sort, you’re usually drinking a coloured powder mixed with milk. But at this place they actually steam big chunks of taro and then blend them with milk to make a perfectly fresh and original taro milk — so awesome! Just to make sure you’re getting the freshest drink possible, they don’t make it in bulk in advance. They steam each piece of taro on the spot and blend it to order. Definitely something you need to seek out in Kaohsiung.
Location: Ruifeng Night Market
Price: NT$50
11. Fried Octopus
When walking through Ruifeng Night Market, I had the sudden feeling of being pulled in by these gigantic tentacles, battered and deep fried. Because you rarely see octopus tentacles for sale like this, I just had to order a portion. They even weigh the portion to make sure you get the same amount for the same price every single time. The tentacles are then chopped up again and served with a squeeze of lemon of the top. Sweet, juicy, delicious!
Location: Ruifeng Night Market
Price: NT$100
12. Bubble-filled Toast & Earl Grey Tea Jam
Toast filled with egg, sausage or cheese is pretty standard these days around the world. But at one counter at Ruifeng Night Market you can get toast filled with bubble pearls mixed with earl grey tea jam. So weird, but so good! As weird as it seems, it actually tastes pretty normal as all the flavours really go together — almost like a bubble tea with a bit of crispy bread in it. The bubbles are hot because the bread is toasted in a sandwich press just like you’d make a toasted cheese sandwich. Definitely worth trying out if you’re into bubbles and are looking for something different.
Location: Ruifeng Night Market
Price: NT$60
The food situation in Kaohsiung is really quite good as you’d expect. Enjoy your culinary journey in Kaohsiung!
Taichung meatballs are served hot in a small bowl, sprinkled with spices which go brilliantly with the meatballs themselves. Some use a sweet spicy sauce, but there is also one with soy sauce, a little vinegar and minced garlic. Taichung meatballs are freshly fried to order and are always served fresh from the pan. Yum!
There are a few places in Taichung which specialise Taichung meatball — I tried Mao Chuan Wonton & Taiwanese Meatball located near Second Market. Besides Taichung meatball they also serve noodle dumplings which are equally as awesome!
The topping is usually minced pork with a sprinkle of chopped shallots/spring onions. On the side you can either choose a plain broth or one with a few meatballs added. Interestingly, the meatballs are seafood rather than the more commonly seen beef. It’s located in the market itself, and even though there are actually two kiosks, tables are also placed in the corridor because it’s so popular. Finding this place is easy. Just visit Second Market and look for the busiest kiosk!
After that, fried egg whites are added as well as green onions and soy sauce. For those wanting something even more special, you can even add some cheese. It’s so awesome because the texture is crispy from the skin and juicy from the stuffing. I reckon this is a must-try snack in Taichung! I loved it that much.
The noodles which have been cut and boiled are then drained and served according to your specific order (either stir-fried or in a broth). I ordered the fried noodles cooked with beef, but I found the noodles to but uber-thick and not like I’m used to. The dish was generally enjoyable, but not something I would rave about — mainly because of the weird texture of the thick noodles.
They sell dessert called Fong Ran Ice. Fong Ran Ice is shaved ice topped with red beans and ice cream then sprinkled with plum sauce. On first taste, the sauce is weird! It’s a balance strong sweet plum combined with intense saltiness. After a while you get used to it and it becomes really enjoyable. Just strange!
There are 3 options: more red bean but only 2 scoops of ice cream (NT$35), 4 scoops of ice cream but a small amount of red bean (NT$35) or plain without red bean and ice cream (NT$25).
Most people come here to drink coffee and eat cake while hanging out with friends. But if you want more heavy food there are also several options which should do the trick. Also, if you’re not into coffee, there are plenty of other hot and cold drinks to choose from.
The system of selecting food is to pay first at the cashier and then find a seat. You’ll be given a buzzer so that when you’re food is ready, you can go pick it up yourself. This is an expensive cafe and totally different to anything I would normally try in Taiwan. But it’s sometimes great to just escape with a coffee and cake and cool down in the AC — and this is a great place for that. FYI, Caffaina is not just in Taichung, but also other cities in Taiwan.
Buuuuuuut… the donuts were awesome! The donuts are more ball shaped than normal donuts and don’t have holes in the middle. The dough is soft, kind of chewy and the filling is also delicious. I tried the matcha and raspberry white choc and they were both crazy good.
Interestingly, the dough of each donut was different based on the filling I chose. These donuts are not expensive (about NT$45-50). I can’t wait to try these donuts in Japan soon.
The first location of Chun Shui Tang in Siwei Street opened in 1983. It originally just sold Pearl Milk Tea, but now they also sell food such as dimsum as well as some heavier meals. The pearls were tasty, chewy, soft and not overly sweet.
I originally was just going to order the famous Pearl Milk Tea, but I was tempted by the brunch snacks and ordered some shrimp spring rolls, butter toast and a portion of fried mantau with condensed milk for dipping. Delicious!
They grill that sucker hard until the skin shrinks and becomes crispy while the inside oozes with juices. Before serving, they sprinkle the sausage with some powder to amp up the flavour even more. So delicious!
The bottom floor of Coffee Stopover is more for people interested in and wanting to know more about coffee. Scattered around are roasting machines, coffee beans and an assortment of coffee brewing tools. The 2nd floor is for sitting and relaxing and there is a big tall bench that can be used for small groups as well as a few tables & chairs for couples.
Coffee sold here has been specially formulated and divided into 5 different types: Dancer, Backpacker, Painter, Dauber & Professor. Each blend has a distinctive aroma and strength. If you like strong coffee, choose Professor. If you don’t like strong, choose Dancer. This is one of the best coffees I had in Taiwan. Simply sensational.
Sellers will usually grab a freshly fried milk stick and hand it to you while saying “careful hot”. And it bloody well is — I burnt my mouth immediately! The outside is crunchy, the inside gooey and the flavour predictably like milk. This isn’t a meal in itself, but it’s worth a try when passing through one of the markets.
Before being given your hunk of fried chicken, you’ll be asked if you prefer spicy or not. Even if you choose the spicy option, it’s not too bad — just a little bit of a kick to turn the flavour up to the next notch. I also found Hot Star Fried Chicken again in the Ximending area, but in this outlet the food options were many. Not just large hunks of fried chicken, but also fried mushrooms, fried boneless chicken nuggets, fried scallops and squid balls, tempura, etc.
Lu Rou Fan small portions are very cheap and quite filling, but I did spot a guy eating two portions of it — depends how hungry you are, I guess. I tried the Lu Rou Fan at Jing Fen Braised Pork Rice where the line is long, but the turnover very fast. I highly recommend it. There are braised pork rice joints all over Taipei, so don’t be afraid to try other places as well.
I thought strawberries were a fantastic fruit to coat in sugar and I actually prefer them much more than I do a standard candy/toffee apple.
Clenched in the hand of the soy milk seller there is a secret ingredient which functions as a thickening agent for the soy milk. The milk separates into a clear liquid and clumps of more solid soy milk (tofu!). It tastes good and the texture is like eating fried tofu without the skin on the outside.
I tried a version at Raohe Night Market and I wasn’t that impressed to be honest. The texture was so overly chewy and it wasn’t pleasant despite many locals seeming to enjoy themselves. The more modern style is that of Hong Tang which is available around the world. But if you can get it anywhere in the world, it’s not really special to have it in Taiwan. For me, these desserts are a work in progress!
I tried the grilled pork lightly sprayed with lemon juice. The texture is to die for, soft when chewed but still crunchy. The flavours also are not over the top because they don’t use a lot of spice or lemon spray — just a sprinkle to freshen things up and cut through the fatiness.
The mochi which is shaped into a block is stabbed with a skewer. It’s then grilled like satay, flipped back and forth until it’s charred on the outside. The queue is sometimes long, but in my opinion the sauce was rather disappointing and not worth lining up for.
I tried every single one of these dishes myself, so you know this is not one of those random listicles that someone researched from their bedroom without actually visiting Taiwan!
