玉井-望明79

Next to Meinung Folk Village, Ibu Kitchen specialises in indigenous Taiwanese cuisine made with produce from the Bunun chef-owner's hometown in Mt Tengzhi. The menu is dominated by healthy options such as fried egg tofu in plum sauce with crisp-skinned silken tofu garnished with a compote of three-year-aged shiso plums, fresh plum juice and plum essence. On holidays, only set menus are served for a party of minimum two guests. Greenery and mountain views make for a unique experience.

Installed next to Cishan Old Street since 1986, this neat little shop has stood the test of time. Pork offal can be paired with egg noodles, glass noodles or steamed rice. The fleshy and springy pork tongue is the popular dish – best enjoyed with a dab of grated garlic for a kick. Braised ground pork rice topped with a sunny-side-up egg is also a must: pierce the yolk so it runs down over the rice for a mouthful of tasty goodness.

Bawan has been around for over a century in Taiwan – the savoury filling is wrapped in a translucent dough, steamed and served with a sweet-savoury sauce. This shop, opened in 2012, is a relative newcomer, but their smaller version stuffed with spear shrimps and pork shoulder butt have instantly won the hearts of gourmets in Tainan. Try it with a dribble of mustard, or pair it with Sishen soup or shiitake pork soup. Check their media page for closing.

The absence of both an obvious sign and air conditioning hasn’t deterred hungry locals from flocking here from 7am till late over the past four decades. With generous chunks of deep-fried Spanish mackerel in a stock made with halibut, bonito and fried garlic, the eponymous thick soup makes a great meal by itself or a snack between meals. If you’re lucky, you may even get to try the deep-fried mackerel skin that offers great seafood umami.

The early bird gets the worm; you really need to come early to get a taste of this restaurant’s famous beef soup – it tends to sell out before 11 am. Those in the know go for the hand-sliced Taiwanese beef in a beef bone stock that is amber-coloured and deeply flavoured, followed by stir-fried beef or offal and a bowl of braised pork rice on the side. The rice is slow cooked with pork rind and peanuts for exceptional richness.

Xingang, in Chiayi County, is famous for its duck thick soup – at Yeh San, you can taste the real thing without travelling there! The owner used to run a duck thick soup shop in Xingang and, when he relocated to Tainan in 2021, he decided to introduce his treasured recipe to locals. The duck is stir-fried in a small pot for lovely wok hei; garlic and bamboo shoots are added for extra depth and aromas. The duck rice is another top choice.

Its hallmark beef soup is simmered with beef bones, brisket, fat and onion and thin slices of lean beef are added just before serving. Pour on a dash of rice wine for extra fragrance or dip the beef in the fiery homemade chilli sauce for a kick. The broth delivers serious umami, while the sliced beef is tender and flavourful. To sample the varied textures and flavours of different beef cuts, also try cold beef appetisers and stir-fries.