The Culinary Hub of Taiwan's Streets - A Culinary Guide to Guohua Street in Tainan

Located in the southern part of Taiwan, Tainan is about to celebrate its 400th anniversary of establishment. Known as the "Street Food Capital" of Taiwan, it boasts delicacies such as beef noodle soup, oyster omelets, and various local snacks. Tainan also offers beautiful landscapes like Cingshuei Moon World (草山月世界) and stunning sunsets at the salt fields. Additionally, the city is adorned with colorful ancient temples and various cool museums.

On Guohua Street (國華街) in Tainan City, there is a plethora of street food stalls, some of which have even graced the covers of Japanese magazines. Guohua Street, although not short, is fortunately concentrated between "Minzu Road (民族路) " and "Fuqian Road (府前路)." The primary battleground for food, however, is centered around three main areas: "Yongle Market(永樂市場)," "Shuixian Temple Market (水仙宮市場)," and "Dacai Market (大菜市)" also know as “Ximen Market (西門市場)."

Guohua Street is surrounded by many well-known streets, such as the popular walking spots of "Shennong Street (神農街)" and "Zhengxing Street (正興街)." Moreover, "Hai'an Road (海安路)" and "Youai Street (友愛街)" also offer numerous culinary delights and attractions. Exploring the surroundings of Guohua Street not only provides excellent food options but also offers interesting sights. However, it's worth noting that the closing days of the shops on Guohua Street seem to vary, with most closing on Mondays, while some may have different days off, such as Tuesdays, Wednesdays, or Thursdays. Friends planning to visit specific shops should pay attention to their individual schedules.

Below are some of the eateries on Guohua Street that I, Work Bear, have tried, offering them as references for your consideration. In the future, I'll gradually share more about the delectable offerings along Guohua Street.

Xiang Xiang Teacher's Home Cooking

"Xiang Xiang Teacher's Home Cooking" is a railway bento shop located inside Dacai Market on Guohua Street in Tainan City. It specializes in selling traditional dishes such as pork chop rice, pork knuckle rice, and chicken leg rice. Due to its abundant and solid ingredients, reasonable prices, and effective marketing, it has gained popularity among tourists. However, given the hot weather and the small, non-air-conditioned market space of only three ping (around 10 square meters), be prepared to endure the challenge of sweating while enjoying the nostalgic bento. I would personally recommend takeout or choosing to sit outside.

• Restaurant Address: Temporarily relocated to 27, Section 3, Guohua Street, Central West District, Tainan City (temporary container house).
• Restaurant Phone: 06-223-2128
• Business Hours: 10:30 AM – 2:00 PM
• Closed on: Every Sundays and Mondays

Fried Chicken Foreign Mission

"Fried Chicken Foreign Mission" offers five types of products: Eight-Li Chicken (chicken leg fillet), Three-Li Leg (pure chicken leg), Crispy Chicken Nuggets (similar to salt and pepper chicken but larger), Double-Spiced Wings (chicken wings), and Two Potatoes.

After trying it, Work Bear feels that the texture is decent, but it's not as delicious as many people claim on the internet. The prices are reasonable, and if you have to say something, compared to similar products in northern Taiwan, it is relatively inexpensive. Perhaps most tourists find it especially tasty because they haven't tried other fried chicken options in Tainan.

• Restaurant Address: Temporarily relocated to 27, Section 3, Guohua Street, Central West District, Tainan City (temporary container house).
• Restaurant Phone: 0976-65699
• Business Hours: 12:00 PM – 6:00 PM (Until sold out)
• Closed on: Mondays and Tuesdays

Furong Snack Shop - Ah Rui's Noodles and Wontons

This snack shop is known for its homemade noodles, which seem to be fried before cooking, resulting in a slightly firm texture reminiscent of Hong Kong-style doll noodles. Most people should find it acceptable. Other options include rice noodles and oily noodles. The wontons are freshly made and individually wrapped.

• Restaurant Address: Temporarily relocated to 27, Section 3, Guohua Street, Central West District, Tainan City (temporary container house)
• Business Hours: 08:00 AM – 9:00 PM
• Closed on: Every Tuesdays
• Note: Self-service for utensils, settle the bill after the meal.

Noodle King Seafood Noodles (Shuixian Temple Market)

When ordering the "Seafood Noodles" at this restaurant, be aware that there are three options: 1) with soup, 2) dry, 3) separately. If not specified, the default is "Seafood Soup Noodles." Work Bear's first visit resulted in the default soup noodles, which he found lacked a distinctive flavor. Many patrons order the dry or separate options. Ordering separately means dry noodles with a side bowl of seafood soup. Work Bear's second visit confirmed that the noodles are indeed more delicious when served "dry."

• Restaurant Address: 6 Shennong Street, Central West District, Tainan City (in front of Shuixian Temple)
• Restaurant Phone: 06-226-5178
• Business Hours: 08:00 AM – 2:00 PM
• Closed on: Mondays

Dahya Hamajyo Fishery (Shuixian Temple Market)

The seafood in the sushi and seafood rice bowl at "Dahya Hamajyo Fishery" is undeniably fresh. However, if you're looking for inexpensive and generously portioned sashimi, you might be disappointed. During Work Bear's visit, he and a friend ordered a seafood rice bowl and a mixed seared sushi. While the ingredients were abundant, the portions were not large. Even with Work Bear's not-so-large stomach, he felt unsatisfied. If you want to leave with a full stomach, consider preparing some extra room for money or other places.

• Restaurant Address: 78 Section 3, Minquan Road, Central West District, Tainan City (inside Shuixian Temple Market near Minquan 2nd Road)
• Business Hours: 09:00 AM – 2:00 PM (Weekdays), 09:00 AM – 7:00 PM (Weekends)
• Closed on: Mondays and Tuesdays

Spring Oyster Daddy, Meat Skewers, Shrimp Skewers (Yongle Market)

The oyster daddy, meat skewers, and shrimp skewers at Spring Oyster Daddy are almost always freshly made and fried on the spot. Due to the high number of customers, there might be a queue. Typically, these kinds of snacks taste delicious as long as the ingredients are fresh.

• Restaurant Address: 169 Section 3, Guohua Street, Central West District, Tainan City
• Restaurant Phone: 06-225-1006
• Business Hours: 10:30 AM – 6:30 PM

Delicious Fried Fish Chop Soup (Yongle Market)

In Tainan, there are several shops specializing in fried fish chop soup, with similar tastes. However, the key to a good fried fish chop soup is the use of quality ingredients. At "Delicious Fried Chop Fish Soup," the narrow-barred Spanish mackerel is marinated and deep-fried until golden and crispy, ensuring freshness and great flavor.

• Restaurant Address: 186 Section 3, Guohua Street, Central West District, Tainan City
• Business Hours: 08:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Closed on: Tuesdays
• Restaurant Phone: 06-224-1880

Ah Song Cut Bun (Yongle Market)

"Cut bun" or "Gua Bao," initially known as "Tiger Bites Pig," got its name from the appearance resembling a tiger biting onto a piece of pork. It is a simple and traditional Taiwanese food where a steamed bun is cut in half, filled with braised meat. At Ah Song Cut Bun, the filling includes braised pork, pickled vegetables, ground peanuts, and sugar, creating a savory and sweet taste, earning it the title of "Traditional Taiwanese Hamburger."

• Restaurant Address: 181 Section 3, Guohua Street, Central West District, Tainan City
• Business Hours: Monday to Sunday 08:00 AM – 3:30 PM
• Closed on: Thursdays
• Restaurant Phone: 06-211-0453

Yongle Grilled Meat Rice (Yongle Market)

Yongle Grilled Meat Rice, located near the intersection of Guohua Street and Minzu Road, is a traditional restaurant known for its affordable and delicious charcoal-grilled meat rice. Served with salad, it offers a satisfying dining experience.

The grilled meat rice has a taste reminiscent of dried shredded pork. Topped with dried bamboo shoots and tender ginger, it is drizzled with flavorful sauce, creating a delicious combination.

• Restaurant Address: 16 Section 3, Minzu Road, Central West District, Tainan City (near Yongle Market)
• Business Hours: 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM
• Closed on: Wednesdays
• Restaurant Phone: 06-228-1516

Minzu Grilled Meat Rice (Yongle Market)

In Yongle Market, Minzu Grilled Meat Rice is not the only shop selling grilled meat rice. There is another shop called "Minzu Grilled Meat Rice," located across from "Spring Oyster Daddy." While it may be less famous and traditional, it offers a different take on grilled meat rice. Instead of the typical grilled meat, they use red yeast rice-cooked meat. The red yeast rice-cooked meat lacks the shiny oil patterns found in typical grilled meat but is recommended for its delicious oil chicken leg rice.

• Restaurant Address: 178 Section 3, Guohua Street, Central West District, Tainan City
• Restaurant Phone: 06-222-4458
• Business Hours: 11:00 AM – 6:30 PM
• Closed on: Thursdays

Yi Wei Pin Rice Cake and Fish Soup (Yongle Market)

Personally, WorkBearing isn't a big fan of rice cakes, but "Yi Wei Pin's" rice cake turned out to be delicious. Originally, the plan was to eat fish soup, but somehow, the order ended up being two rice cakes and a bowl of fish soup. Whether it was a misunderstanding or intentional, one thing is for sure: the rice cake was surprisingly good. Perhaps it was the shrimp in the first bite that tasted great, and then the chewy texture and the fragrant aroma of rice took over. Drizzled with soy sauce, the combination of savory and slightly sweet flavors was delightful.

• Restaurant Address: 177 Section 3, Guohua Street, Central West District, Tainan City
• Restaurant Phone: 06-228-8563
• Business Hours: 05:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Closed on: Tuesdays

Fushenghao Rice Cake and Fish Soup (Yongle Market)

After reluctantly trying rice cakes at Yi Wei Pin, Work Bear found them surprisingly acceptable. So, this time, he continued the rice cake exploration with "Fushenghao." Rumor has it that "Fushenghao" and "Yi Wei Pin" share the same origin, inheriting recipes from the same master. The buzz online seems to favor Fushenghao slightly more. If you're a fan of rice cakes, Work Bear strongly suggests trying both and savoring the subtle differences between the two. After all, the two shops are not far from each other.

• Restaurant Address: 11 Section 3, Minzu Road, Central West District, Tainan City
• Restaurant Phone: 06-227-4101
• Business Hours: 07:00 AM – 5:00 PM
• Closed on: Thursdays

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