Food is no doubt a big part of Taiwanese culture. Ask any foodie in this world and they will tell you that Taiwan is a wonderful culinary destination. Each region in Taiwan has its own specialties, but some dishes are served throughout the entire country, with specific renowned restaurants in each region that serve up an exceptional standard of the nation’s common dishes. In this article, we will be covering the food of the city of Kaohsiung, the criminally underrated Southern port of Taiwan. So, if you are wondering what kind of food choices Kaohsiung has to offer, go ahead and check out the food guide below!
Beef Noodles
This dish is a must-try classic among Taiwan’s many food choices. Known as a common staple meal throughout Taiwan, you are most likely to chance upon a stall selling beef noodles while hunting for a place to settle down for a meal. To describe the meal: it is your standard beef shank plus noodles dipped in multi-layered flavourful soup broth. The well-blended taste of broth and beef is the reason why you simply can’t miss out on this common staple. With that, where can you actually experience one of the best beef noodles in the city of Kaohsiung?
Well, there is no better place to experience it than Gang Yuan Beef Noodles Restaurant, the most popular decades-old spot among locals and foreigners alike. The facade does not spell anything close to fancy, yet it evokes a similar experience to its fancier counterparts by relying on the concept of ‘sophistication is simplicity’. The usual long queues and huge crowds will signal that you are up for a treat and that is the exact experience you will obtain at Gang Yuan Beef Noodle Restaurant.
The restaurant is well-known for providing a pretty generous portion of beef and noodles. Their beef comes in numerous thick, tender chunks and its beefy flavour is livened up by pops of freshness from green onions. Both their dry beef noodle and soup beef noodle are worth trying out. Be it dry or soup, their noodles are thick and offer a robust chewiness.
Address: No. 55號, Dacheng Street, Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 803
Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 10:30am - 8pm
Braised Pork Rice (Lu Rou Fan)
This is the true classic Taiwanese dish of all time. A simple dish, Lu Rou Fan is essentially white rice topped with braised pork dipped with dark soy sauce. The braised pork is either served as an entire piece of pork belly or diced up pork belly, largely depending on where you eat this particular dish.
Within Kaohsiung, I will undoubtedly recommend you to visit the food stall called Qian Jin Rou Zao Fan. Rou Zao Fan is actually minced pork rice, which tastes similar to the Lu Rou Fan, except it is made of leaner meat. This shop has been operating for more than five full decades and you are bound to spot a huge crowd during peak hours.
Customers usually order braised pork meat with a duck egg cooked sunny-side-up. The portions they serve are rather generous, and you will realize that when you find yourself unconsciously staring at your bowl of rice filled with huge pieces of sumptuous pork belly. The steamed white rice with pickles on the side, when complemented by the rich-flavoured sauce and juicy tender pork, will easily provide you the most memorable meal of your vacation in Kaohsiung.
Address: 801, Taiwan, Kaohsiung City, Qianjin District, 大同二路26號
Opening Hours:
Monday - Friday: 7am - 6pm
Saturday: 7am - 2pm
Sunday: Closed
Fried Chicken
Fried chicken should not be a stranger to anyone who is non-vegetarian, unless you have something against eating it. Angel Fried Chicken is a must-try at Kaohsiung Night Market. It is completely different from Hot Star and outlets in Shilin Night Market located in Taipei; their chicken is super thick and incredibly tender. Certain parts of the cutlet can be a little hard to bite, but their chicken is truly tender and well seasoned too.
The serving is rather huge so you may either consider sharing it or arrive at the night market with an empty stomach. Overall, the soft and tender sweet meat hidden behind a thin layer of crispy flavour, is bound to enlighten your taste buds and leave you wanting more! Beware though, you have to embrace the long queues expected at the stall.
Address: No. 133號, Zhongshan Road, Fengshan District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 830
Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 2:30pm - 11:30pm
Milk Tea And Bubble Tea
Bubble tea is another crazed item in Taiwan. Typically, it is milk tea with chewy tapioca balls (commonly known as boba or pearls) lying at the base of your drink. With Taiwan’s strong tea culture, it is no surprise that you can find milk tea easily at almost any restaurant, convenience store, or stores that only sell milk tea.
If you are a fan of Taiwanese milk tea, patronize Shuang Fei Milk Tea in Kaohsiung as their milk tea allows you to add tapioca pearls at a zero cost. You can also try the bubble tea brand MACU. Originally established in Kaohsiung, the brand’s popularity surged rapidly and is now scattered all over the city. MACU is one of the few bubble tea chains that offers Jin Xuan, a type of tea with a combination of milky and flowery flavor that has become a real hit these days. Alternatively, you can try one of MACU’s popular juicy drinks.
Addresses & Opening Hours:
Shuang Fei Milk Tea
No. 173號, Xinyue Street, Yancheng District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 803
Monday - Sunday: 9am - 9pm
MACU
No. 116號, Zili 2nd Road, Xinxing District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 800
Monday - Sunday: 9am -11pm
Shaved Ice Dessert
When you order a bowl of Taiwanese shaved ice dessert, you will get a giant bowl of shaved ice piled up like a mountain, topped with various ingredients like ice-cream, tapioca, fruits etc. This dessert is a hot summer favourite among locals and tourists as it is super effective for combating the sweltering heat that Taiwan is known for. Imagine yourself sweating buckets from the scorching sun rays and the next moment, you are seated down with a heaving pile of shaved ice smothered in tasty toppings of your choice. How much more refreshing can it get?
DaWanGong (大碗公) is an iced dessert brand that has many outlets in Kaohsiung. After tasting their Mango shaved ice (highly recommended), you might have found yourself a solution to survive in a habitually hot Taiwan!
Address (Main Store):
No. 107號, Binhai 1st Road, Gushan District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 804
Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 10am -12am
Pineapple Cake
If there is one Taiwanese snack you should buy as a souvenir, it has to be the Pineapple Cake! A favourite amongst the locals, it is a tiny pastry filled with dried pineapple. It looks nothing fanciful but the taste is as addictive as it gets. There are many companies in Taiwan that manufacture pineapple cakes, and most retail stores have packaged pineapple cakes for customers to bring home conveniently. If you forget to pick up those pastries in the city area, you can also buy them from the airport’s duty-free shop.
To try some delicious pineapple cakes, head to Sunny Hills Kaohsiung Store. What’s more, you may even sample the cakes with tea at this store, a tourist-only privilege!
Address: 803, Taiwan, Kaohsiung City, Yancheng District, Dayi Street, 2-6號C11-1倉庫
Opening Hours:
Monday - Sunday: 11am - 7pm
In conclusion, with the outstanding quality and variety of choices out there, you will hardly be disappointed in terms of satisfying your taste buds. What’s more, tasting food in Kaohsiung will almost never shatter your budget. So, do not fret about that possible hole in your wallets and just feast on!
