Young Soarlan Hotel - Tainan

Tainanese don’t need a sign to find good food in every nook and cranny of their city. This shop is one of such joints – a nondescript space clad in corrugated metal sheets, but that doesn’t stop regulars from queuing at the door. Its Tainan-style congee is more like soupy rice than the creamy type. Milkfish fillet, oysters, Chinese celery and rice are drenched in a clear stock to make the brunch favourite of many.

Its full-length windows and open kitchen may not look like your typical noodle shop. The owner-chef has honed his skills in French cuisine for over 10 years and opened this minimalistic shop in his hometown for Taiwanese noodles to mingle with French techniques and sauces. The short menu shows promising creativity and it changes every week, except seared ox tongue with noodles in truffle sauce, and cheese caramel flan that are always available.

Amid century-old shops on the same street, A Wen opened its doors only in 2016. But it has quickly won the hearts of many with their rice cake made from scratch. Rice milk is mixed with three sweet potato starches for the right consistency before steamed, sliced and fried till golden. Try the Zhao Pai variety for rice cake in bamboo shoot pork sauce. The over-easy egg is the icing on the cake (pun intended); try also their house-made chilli sauce.

After five decades of business in Guohua Street Market, the lamb soup stall shut its doors in 2013. Regulars lamented the loss but the owner’s nephew quit his job in Taipei to re-open the shop here. The famous soup made with freshly slaughtered local lamb meat and bones is the must-try item, but do order other lamb cuts and offal blanched in the soup and dressed in sesame oil. Come early – everything is sold out before 11 am.

Shaved ice is mandatory for anyone spending a summer afternoon in scorching Tainan. But even in winter, shaved ice has its loyal fans. For over 50 years, Yuan Zai Hui has been specialising in eight-treasure shaved ice, traditionally with eight toppings. But the owners serve a simplified version allowing customers to choose five toppings out of 10-plus house-made choices. Signature include mini mochi balls, candied taro and tapioca wedges.

Originally a hawker stall in a residential neighbourhood, Cheng Shi (‘honest’ in Chinese) took up this space in 2020 to serve health-conscious diners with all-natural egg noodle soup. Their clear broth made with kombu is a lot lighter than versions offered by their competitors and the variety generously topped with clams is especially popular. You can even specify how soft or firm you want your noodles. Expect to wait during peak hours.

Founded in 1935, this shop claims to be the creator of calamari rice noodle soup. Into the third generation, the owner still insists on making thick rice noodles with brown rice for its fragrance and firm texture. Calamari from Indonesian waters are cooked in a clear broth with intense flavour, a hint of peppery aroma and a sweet aftertaste. The shop is a bit congested, but clean and air-conditioned. Expect to queue for a table on holidays.