Tainan Love & Friendship Smart Stay

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.

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.

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.

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.

This century-old Chinese medicine shop was converted into a restaurant specialising in therapeutic food. The sixth-generation owner intentionally kept the apothecary cabinets and used some inscribed plaques as dining tables. Eight tonic soups are offered each day, all tasty and mild in herbal flavour – refer to the menu for their medicinal actions. Make it a complete meal by ordering a set – with noodles tossed in sesame oil, a drink and sweet soup.

Over 70 years ago, a stall opened by a small park and the owner would sit on a tiny stool to blanch the noodles, to be tossed in pork sauce or served in soup. Nowadays, the park no longer exists, but the owner still sits on a stool like the old days. Soup noodles are recommended – silky, al dente thin egg noodles in a flavoursome broth, topped with velvet shrimps and braised minced pork. Do order sides or braised dishes on top.