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Best Food in Tainan: Where and What to Eat in Tainan Taiwan

on by queenie mak Tainan, Taiwan
A Cun Beef Soup

Tainan is a foodie destination. I knew I was in for a treat because the city is also known as city of snacks (probably because typical food portion tends to be quite small), which is great news for a solo traveller who wants try many food.

Besides all the traditional Taiwanese food, Tainan has a lot of unique local specialties and many seafood options. And the food tends to be sweeter than other parts of the country as Tainan was a hub for sugar production. There’s so much to try that I could barely fit every food in my two weeks in Tainan.

So I compiled everything I know (and ate) into this Tainan food guide. If you are a foodie and want to also experience the Tainan dining scene, then keep reading. Learn about what to eat in Tainan and where to find local specialities in the best restaurants in Tainan, Taiwan.

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Tainan Food Guide: what you need to know

Before trying all the best food in Tainan, check out my post on all the best tips for travelling to Taiwan. I included information like how to get a Taiwan prepaid SIM card, travel around the country, etc.

Plus, I have a solo travel guide on Tainan for those who have never been to the city.

Here are a few additional tips for trying some of the best Tainan must-eat food:

  • Taiwanese traditional food is very affordable, especially at night markets.
  • Most Tainan restaurants accept cash only, especially tiny mom-and-pop local restaurants and food stalls at the Tainan night markets.
  • The food portion is typically quite small compared to North American standards. But the good news is you can order several and try different food!
  • Check the hours of operation when you eat in Tainan. Some are open for a few hours, some for dinner, etc.
  • Look for long queues for any restaurants or food vendors. When there is a long queue, it means the food is excellent and worth the wait!
  • Don’t be afraid of the language barrier! Some places have English menus and photographs where you can point and order food.
  • Tipping is not required in Taiwan.
  • Note: some of these restaurants do not have English names. I described it as much as possible and included the Chinese name of the restaurant.

Best Food in Tainan Summary

Below is a summary of the best Tainan food. This is a quick guide for you when searching for what to eat in Tainan, Taiwan.

When you scroll down, I include a more extended explanation for each food and where you can find the local food.

Here is a quick summary of the best food in Tainan:

Breakfast in Tainan

  1. Beef Soup 牛肉湯 – fresh hand-sliced beef in bone broth
  2. Salty Rice Porridge 鹹粥 – soup made with fish broth, rice and ingredients like milkfish and oysters

Tainan Famous Food

  1. Milkfish 虱目魚 – a silvery marine fish used for soup, porridge and side dishes
  2. Eel Noodles 鱔魚意麵 – dry-fried eel noodles or eel noodle in thick sauce
  3. Oysters 蚵仔 – a type of shellfish abundant along the coast of Anping
  4. Pot Burn Noodles 燒意麵 – spongy and chewy fried egg noodles in a mildly sweet broth

Best Tainan Street Food and Snacks

  1. Danzai Noodles 擔仔麵 – wheat noodles with pork and shrimp broth
  2. Minced Pork Rice 肉燥飯 – Taiwanese braised pork over rice
  3. Bowl Rice Cake 碗糕 – steamed rice cake in a bowl
  4. Sticky Rice Cake 米糕 – steamed glutinous rice with braised pork sauce
  5. Rice Cake 米粿 – pan-fried rice cake
  6. Sticky Rice Dumpling 粽子 – triangle-shaped dumpling made with glutinous rice
  7. Shrimp Rolls 蝦捲 – deep-fried roll made with shrimp and other ingredients
  8. Coffin Bread 棺材板 – Taiwanese bread bowl that resembles a coffin

Tainan Desserts and Drinks

  1. Tofu Pudding 豆花 – soft tofu pudding with syrup and sweet toppings
  2. White Sugar Cake 白糖粿 – fried dough made with rice flour and sugar
  3. Winter Melon Drink 冬瓜茶 – a drink made by boiling winter melon and sugar

Other Traditional Taiwanese Food in Taiwan

  1. Mackerel thick soup 𩵚魠魚羹 – deep-fried mackerel filet in thick soup
  2. Pork lard rice 豬油拌飯– with raw egg yolk and fried shallots
  3. Shrimp Rice 蝦仁飯 – shrimp on rice (with or without fried duck egg) 
  4. Popiah 春捲 – fresh spring rolls 
  5. Gua Bao 割包 – steamed bun sandwich
  6. Egg Roll Cookie 蛋捲 – crispy thin crepe roll 
  7. Mung Bean Smoothie 綠豆沙牛奶 – milkshake made with mung bean paste 

Best Areas to Eat in Tainan Taiwan

If you have limited time in Tainan, go directly to one of these areas or streets so you can try all the best food in Tainan. Most of the eateries (including affordable Michelin level places) I mentioned below are located on one of these streets or in one of these markets:

  • Yongle Market – you can try many Tainan food at one of the eateries on Guohua Street including Bowl Rice Cake at Yi Wei Pin, Bowl Rice Cake at Fu Sheng Hao, tofu dessert at Xiu’an Douhua and guava coffee at Barista Ray Coffee.
  • Shuixian Gong Market – it is a wet market but also sell cooked food.
  • Kangle Market – local market selling food and clothing. Chikan Coffin Bread is inside the market as well.
  • Ximen Market – there are local food vendors around the perimeter of the market
  • Bao An Road – there are a few excellent restaurants (some Michelin) on this short road including Bao An Road Rice Cake, A Cun Beef Soup, Chun Yan Fang Pot Burn Noodles and A Wen Rice Cake.
Yongle Market on Guohua Street
Yongle Market on Guohua Street

Tainan Restaurants Map

I listed all the Tainan restaurants and eateries under each food category. Scroll down to see the hours of operation and description of each place to eat. If you click on the hyperlink for each restaurant, it will bring you to the location on Google Maps.

Also, I have included an interactive map of all the restaurants mentioned below so you can easily find the location of each eatery.

Tainan Food Guide: What and Where to Eat in Tainan

Breakfast in Tainan

1. Beef Soup 牛肉湯

What is Beef Soup: bone broth is poured over hand-sliced beef. Drink the savoury soup and eat the medium-rare beef with ginger slices and a sweet dipping sauce.

Best restaurants to eat Beef Soup in Tainan:

A Cun Beef Soup
A Cun Beef Soup

2. Salty Rice Porridge 鹹粥

What is Salty Rice Porridge: or congee, is made with soup broth, rice, and different ingredients like milkfish and oysters. In Tainan, rice is added to the fish broth so you can see the individual grains of rice. You can eat it by itself or with dough fritters. 

Where to eat Salty Rice Porridge in Tainan:

A Hsing Congee
A Hsing Congee

Tainan Famous Food

1. Milkfish 虱目魚

What is Milkfish: Tainan is the largest agricultural centre for milkfish. This silvery marine fish is the main ingredient in many soups, congees and side dishes.

Best Tainan restaurants to eat Milkfish:

Fu Tai Table Third Generation
Fu Tai Table Third Generation

2. Eel Noodles 鱔魚意麵

What is Eel Noodles: there are two types of eel noodles in Tainan: dry-fried eel noodles and eel noodle in thick sauce. The eel has no bones or fishy taste. An original dish from Tainan.

Where to eat Eel Noodles in Tainan:

De Xing Eel Noodles
De Xing Eel Noodles

3. Oyster 蚵仔

What is Oyster: the bivalve mollusc is a type of shellfish abundant along the coast of Anping. Many restaurants (especially in Anping) serve variations of this local specialty, including oyster rolls 蚵仔捲, fried oysters 炸蚵仔, oyster noodle soup 蚵仔麵線 and oyster omelette 蚵仔煎, which is a true Tainan original.

Best places to eat Oyster in Tainan:

  • Ou Family Oyster Omelette 歐家蚵仔煎 (10am-6pm) – oyster is the main ingredient at this restaurant in Anping. I tried the oyster omelette, fried oyster and oyster rolls
  • Chen Family Oyster Roll 陳家蚵捲 (10am-8:30pm) – in addition to shrimp rolls, they also offer oysters, including grilled oysters (but they are pretty small).
  • YangHe ShiJia 養蚵世家 (10:30am-8pm; closed Mondays) – the menu features many oyster dishes, including oyster omelette, oyster fried rice, oyster fried noodles, oyster soup, oyster rolls, and fried oysters. I really liked the sesame oil oyster noodles and fried oyster rolls. It’s off-the-beaten-path from the main Anping area but worth the 10-minute walk.
Ou Family Oyster Omelette
YangHe ShiJia
Left: Ou Family Oyster Omelette; Right: YangHe ShiJia

4. Pot Burn Noodles 燒意麵

What is Pot Burn Noodles: spongy and chewy fried egg noodles in a mildly sweet broth. Different ingredients are added on top. It is also referred as Nabeyaki Noodles (one-pot noodle made in a small claypot) when the soup noodle is served with tempura, vegetables and egg. 

Best restaurants to eat Pot Burn Noodles in Tainan:

Chun Yan Fang Pot Burn Noodles
Chun Yan Fang Pot Burn Noodles

Best Tainan Street Food and Snacks

1. Danzai Noodles 擔仔麵

What is Danzai Noodles: thin wheat noodle with minced meat and shrimp in a flavourful pork and shrimp broth. Then garnished with bean sprouts, coriander and minced garlic. Originated in Tainan, this is a perfect snack as the portion of the noodle is quite small.

Best places to eat Danzai Noodles in Tainan:

  • Small Park Danzai Noodles 小公園擔仔麵 (4:30-10pm; closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays) – I had the dry Danzai Noodles at this Michelin Bib Gourmand local resto. They also have braised food, octopus and fish egg.
  • Du Hsiao Yueh 度小月擔仔麵 (11am-2:30pm & 5-8:45pm) – first originated in 1895 in Tainan, but you can find a franchise location in other parts of Taiwan. While at the flagship location, try their famous danzai noodles and minced pork rice.
  • Restaurants west of Chihkan Tower – several restaurants serve this classic Tainan noodle dish.
Small Park Danzai Noodles
Small Park Danzai Noodles

2. Minced Pork Rice 肉燥飯

What is Minced Pork Rice: pork belly braised in soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and sugar then served over steamed white rice. In Southern Taiwan, the dish is made with diced pork belly instead of a large piece of pork.

Best places to eat Minced Pork Rice in Tainan:

  • Guohua Street Minced Pork Rice 國華街肉燥飯 (7am-2:30pm; closed Thursdays) – known for their minced pork rice. They have other things on the menu like milkfish congee.
  • VASO弘肉燥飯舖 (11:30am-2:30pm & 5-8:30pm Monday to Friday; 11:30-8:30pm Saturdays & Sundays) – known for their braised pork rice, they also have many soups and side dishes. 
  • Du Hsiao Yueh 度小月擔仔麵 (11am-2:30pm & 5-8:45pm) – besides danzai noodles, they also have an excellent minced pork rice.
  • Almost all local eateries in Tainan – choose small or large
Guohua Street Minced Pork Rice
Guohua Street Minced Pork Rice

3. Bowl Rice Cake 碗糕

What is Bowl Rice Cake: a steamed bowl of savoury rice pudding made with white rice and various ingredients like braised pork, shrimp, and seasonings. Texture is a bit firm but tasty. Option to add fresh minced garlic for extra flavour.

Where to eat Bowl Rice Cake in Tainan:

  • Yi Wei Pin 一味品碗粿魚羹 (5am-5pm; closed Tuesdays) – the Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant at Yongle Market only has two things on the menu: bowl rice cake with pork, shrimp and homemade sauce and milkfish thick soup.
  • Fu Sheng Hao 富盛號 (7am-7pm; closed Thursdays) – they also only have two items on the menu: bowl rice cake with pork and dried shrimp and swordfish thick soup. They are both delicious!
Fu Sheng Hao
Fu Sheng Hao

4. Sticky Rice Cake 米糕

What is Sticky Rice Cake: or Migao, is glutinous rice cooked in a large steamer. Then ingredients like braised pork sauce, fish floss and pickled vegetables are added on top.

Best Tainan restaurants to eat Sticky Rice Cake:

  • Nuo Fu Migao 糯夫米糕 (10am-5pm; closed Wednesdays & Thursdays) – the cute retro eatery only sells two types of migao and thick soup.
  • Bao An Lu Rice Cake 保安路米糕 (10am-8pm; closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays) – I tried the a small portion of the migao and sishen soup (Chinese herb pork stomach soup)
  • Luo Cheng Migao 落成米糕 (10:30am-6:30pm; closed Wednesdays & Fridays) – the migao is super popular at this Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant.
Nuo Fu Migao
Nuo Fu Migao

5. Rice Cake 米粿

What is Rice Cake: this is also a type of Tainan rice cake but it is shaped like a pancake and is pan-fried. It is mainly made of rice ground into rice pulp and potato starch. The classic version is served with a pork sauce. Can also pan fry the rice with eggs.

Best places to eat Rice Cake in Tainan:

  • A Wen Rice Cake 阿文米粿 (8:30am-8:30pm) – the Michelin Bib Gourmand has several rice cake items on the menu. I tried the original flavour, but they also have rice cake in soup and rice cake with rice.
  • Rice Cake 七誠米粿 (7:30am-9pm) – eatery on Guohua Street that features rice cake on the menu. The menu has many rice cake items, including fried egg and braised pork.
A Wen Rice Cake
A Wen Rice Cake

6. Sticky Rice Dumpling 粽子

What is Sticky Rice Dumpling: or Zongzi, is a triangle-shaped dumpling made with glutinous rice and different fillings. All the ingredients are wrapped in bamboo leaves and then steamed. It is commonly served during Dragon Boat Festival.

Where to eat Sticky Rice Dumpling in Tainan:

Zai Fa Hao
Zai Fa Hao

7. Shrimp Roll 蝦捲 

What is Shrimp Roll: a popular Taiwanese snack made with shrimp, minced pork, fish paste and seasonings. All the ingredients are mixed and filled in pig intestines or popiah skin and deep fried until golden.

Best Tainan restaurants to eat Shrimp Roll:

  • Huang Chia Shrimp Roll 府城黃家蝦捲 (2:30-7pm; closed Fridays & Saturdays) – this Michelin Bib Gourmand eatery sells deep-fried shrimp rolls and soups. Super popular with locals.
  • Chou’s Shrimp Rolls 周氏蝦捲 (9:30am-7pm) – fast food joint serving shrimp rolls and other traditional Tainan food.
  • Chen Family Oyster Roll 陳家蚵捲 (10am-8:30pm) – in addition to oysters, they also have shrimp rolls.
Huang Chia Shrimp Roll
Huang Chia Shrimp Roll

8. Coffin Bread 棺材板

What is Coffin Bread: a Taiwanese bread bowl that resembles a coffin. A thick slice of white bread is deep-fried and hollowed. Then, it is filled with a creamy sauce containing ingredients like chicken, radish, and cuttlefish. Then, the fried bread is put back on top. This unique snack originated in Tainan.

Best places to eat Coffin Bread in Tainan:

Zhang Family Coffin Bread
Zhang Family Coffin Bread

Tainan Desserts and Drinks

1. Tofu Pudding 豆花

What is Tofu Pudding: or Douhua, is soft tofu pudding with syrup. Have it by itself or add toppings like red beans, mung beans, tapioca or other sweet treats. 

Where to eat Tofu Pudding in Tainan:

Xiu’an Douhua
Xiu’an Douhua

2. White Sugar Cake 白糖粿

What is White Sugar Cake: fried dough made with rice flour and sugar. It tastes mildly sweet and has a soft mochi texture.

Best restaurants to eat White Sugar Cake in Tainan:

White Sugar Cake
White Sugar Cake

3. Winter Melon Tea 冬瓜茶

What is Winter Melon Tea: ripe winter melon and sugar boiled for many hours. The drink is typically served cold. It is good for your gut health and super refreshing. 

Best places to drink Winter Melon Tea in Tainan:

Anping Old Street
Uncle Yang Sour Plum Drink on Anping Old Street (left)

Other must-eat food in Tainan & Places to Eat

Besides the unique food Tainan is known for, there are other Taiwanese foods in Tainan City that you should try.

Popular Taiwanese Food and Tainan Restaurants

  1. Kaiyuan Fried Spanish Mackerel Thick Soup 開元紅燒𩵚魠魚羹 (9am-6:30pm) – try the fried mackerel in thick soup at this Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant. English menu available.
  2. Ding Fu Fa 鼎富發豬油拌飯 (10:30am-7:30pm) – their pork lard rice is so good! Get a bowl with raw egg yolk. It comes with fried shallots. Mix and eat. Yum!
  3. Shrimp Rice 集品蝦仁飯 (9:30am-8pm) – known for their shrimp rice, shrimp and duck egg soup.
  4. Jin de Spring Rolls 金得春捲 (7:30am-4:30pm; closed Tuesdays) – they only sell one thing: Popiah (fresh spring roll). Inside is filled with cabbage, dried tofu, lima beans, shrimp, pork, egg, garlic, coriander and sugar.
  5. A Song Gua Bao 阿松割包 (8am-3:30pm; closed Thursdays) – try a Gua Bao (steamed bun sandwich) with lean pork, pork skin or pork tongue. It comes with a delicious pork broth.
  6. Leng Tih Tong 連得堂餅家 (8am-6pm; closed Sundays) – famous for their traditional homemade cookie.
  7. Handmade Egg Rolls 時之幸福輕手工蛋捲 (10am-8pm) – the traditional egg roll cookie is rolled into a cone for their homemade ice cream. I chose the whiskered velvet shrimp egg roll – sounds weird but it tastes like shrimp chips!
  8. Barista Ray Coffee (10am-6pm) – I tried the popular guava coffee. It actually tastes really good and balanced. There’s another location at the north end of Yongle Market but that one is busy all the time.
  9. Shuànsên Tainan 双生綠豆沙牛奶 (11am-6pm; closed Mondays & Tuesdays) – they only sell two types of drinks: mung bean (smoothie) drink and black tea (with or without milk). 
Kaiyuan Fried Spanish Mackerel Thick Soup
Ding Fu Fa
Shrimp Rice
Leng Tin Tong
Shuànsên Tainan
A Song Gua Bao
Barista Ray Coffee
Handmade Egg Rolls
Clockwise from Top Left: Kaiyuan Fried Spanish Mackerel Thick Soup; Ding Fu Fa; Jin de Spring Rolls; Shuànsên Tainan; Barista Ray Coffee; Handmade Egg Rolls; A Song Gua Bao; Leng Tin Tong; Shrimp Rice

Which must-eat Tainan food are you most excited to try?

I hope you get to try all the Tainan food in this post. I only spent a few weeks in the city and ate as much as possible. I would’ve liked to repeat some of these famous foods because they are so good!

Tainan has been my favourite city in Taiwan for eating. There’s so much variety, and everything is so tasty. I hope you can also experience this when you travel to Tainan. If you find other places or food that are not part of this list, let me know in the comments below. Happy eating!

Ready to plan your trip to Tainan? Here are some of my go-to travel planning resources:
* Book your flight: find flight deals on Skyscanner 
* Book accommodation: find the best Tainan accommodations on Agoda or Booking
* Buy insurance: Safetywing is my go-to provider for travel insurance, as it covers many things. I will never travel without the Nomad Insurance Package because it protects me against unforeseen events. Get a quote today.
* Order a SIM card: order a SIM card in advance, collect it upon arrival, and set up your mobile phone before arriving at your destination. Or find out how and where to get a SIM Card in Taiwan.
* Join tours: check Klook or Get Your Guide for the best tours around Tainan.

Thank you for reading my Tainan Food Guide

I have many posts on Taiwan, and you might also like these other posts on solo travel in Taiwan and food around the world:

Introduction to Taiwan
Southern Taiwan posts
Food around the world

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