台湾七天精品酒店

After starting out as a street stall in the night market over 45 years ago, it has since morphed into a full-blown restaurant with a bright, spruce interior. The room is filled with the heady aromas of its signature item – ‘black gold’ braised pork rice with a gelatinous sauce that tastes savoury-sweet. The rice goes well with stewed cabbage that cuts through the richness. Minced pork and pickled cucumber in broth are bouncy in texture and loaded with flavour. As well as minced pork and pickled cucumber in broth, try their steamed rice with ‘black gold’ pork sauce.

A 60-year-old shop selling buns stuffed with marinated pork belly, pickles, ground peanuts and coriander.

This venue sports a dark colour scheme, with an eclectic mix of Chinese garden motifs and European palatial glamour. The Hong Kong chef excels in refined Cantonese fare that showcases his high-flying skill and precision. He uses Cherry Valley ducks from Yilan for his Cantonese-style crispy-skin roast duck, and Peking duck four ways. Pre-order these items to avoid missing out. For dim sum, try meticulously crafted Chinese spinach and salted egg dumplings.

Now run by the third generation, this family shop is known for its authentic Tainan street food. Made from scratch daily, the must-try stewed pork belly shows alternate layers of fat and meat and comes with dried radish, pickles, cucumber and marinated dried tofu on a bed of steamed Tainan rice. The complex, aromatic sauce goes down a treat with the rice. The pork is just as good in gua bao sandwich. The madou rice cake tends to sell out early, so pre-order by phone.

This shop has been selling the same tasty popiah rolls for over 30 years, though it was renamed and changed location. The fillings, including braised pork belly, tofu skin, ground peanuts and pork floss, impart rich texture. Vegetarian version available.

This pushcart near the end of the market may lack a sign but it always attracts a queue. Their shaobing, fried in oil then baked in a clay oven, comes in two sweet and two savoury varieties – try the minced pork or sugar filling.

Established for over 10 years, this shop offers a menu specializing in medicinal stews. His signature pork ribs, simmered in claypot, remains highly popular for its unique blend of Chinese herbs and mild wine aromas. In addition to the pork ribs, lamb and chicken are also on offer. Don’t forget to dip in the fermented tofu sauce, which seduces with a rich soybean flavour. Free refills of broth mean no soup craving goes unsatisfied.