The BEST Zhuàngyuɑn Gao (狀元糕)

Zhuangyuan Gao is sweet glutinous rice, steamed into cakes. They’re usually filled with fillings like sesame or red bean. The texture is somewhat like chewy coconut, obviously without the coconut flavour!

The rice powder is first put into wooden cups, filled with another powder of your choice, then topped with more rice. Then they’re stuck into tubes piping extremely hot steam. The vapours help the rice powder congeal, creating yummy bite-sized snacks.
You can purchase 6 cakes for 50 NT, 10 for 80NT and 13 for 100NT. The flavours available are (from left to right): Sesame, pork, red bean, peanut, coconut and almond. I especially like the coconut and almond flavours.




Parking: easy (on a major road)
Price: moderate
Directions: From MAK, take Hwy 10 and exit at Zihyou Rd. (自由路) Go straight under the highway until you hit Bo Ai Rd. (博愛路). Turn left. Go south on this road until you reach DaShun Rd. (大順路). Turn left. Drive until you reach the next MAJOR intersection, which is at Zhonghua First Rd. (中華一路), then turn left again. Keep going south until you get to the overpass and go over it, continuing on Zhonghua Third Rd. After you pass JianGuo Rd. (建國三路), you’ll see a smaller street, called SanMin Street (三民街). It should be the second street after JianGuo. On the southwest corner, you’ll see the stand.
Hours of operation: unknown (but probably in the morning since there’s a market there.)

Bite-sized Rice Dumplings (or Zongzi, 粽子)

“Zongzi” (粽子) are pyramid-shaped glutinous rice dumplings wrapped in bamboo leaves. Some are just rice. Others have savoury fillings such as pork, salted egg, mushrooms and boiled peanuts. Some have sweet dips. These zongzi are special because they’re called 一口粽子, or literally, One Bite Dumpling.



By the time we got to the store, which was just before noon, there was little selection left. The family makes a certain amount each day, and if they’re gone, they’re gone! They’re not cheap though – they range from 5 – 7 NT per dumpling, depending on the filling.

Parking: Moderate (depends on time of day – it is a small alley, but because it is, you can do whatever you want!)

Price: Moderate

Directions: From MAK, Take Hwy 1 south and exit at Zhong Zheng Rd. (中正路). As you come off the ramp, go straight past the big intersection of Zhong Zheng Rd. Follow the signs leading you to the next big street south of there, called San Duo Rd. (三多路). Take a left, and drive about 5-10 minutes until Fude Rd. (福德路). You should see a special school on your right called 三信家商. Right across from the front entrance of the school is a small alley. Turn left into this alley and you’ll see the store on your left-hand side, almost at the end of the alley.

Hours of operation: Unknown, but probably early morning (by 11am) is best.

Best Cold Noodles or Liang Mien (涼麵)

Tucked away on a small street in downtown Kaohsiung is this unassuming little restaurant. I would never have even set foot in this place, but because a Taiwanese friend took me there, I am now dying to go back. I’m not sure who claimed it to have the best Liang Mien in town, but it was really good (and they don’t use MSG!)


Liang Mien is literally translated as “cold noodles.” Traditionally, it has Chinese egg noodles (sort of spaghetti-like pasta), mixed with a garlic, sesame, vinegar & chili sauce, cucumbers and chicken.
The menu is simple (read from right to left):

• Vegetarian Liang Mien (S – 35, L – 45)
• Regular Liang Mien (S – 35, L – 45)
• Shredded Chicken Liang Mien (S – 50, L – 60)
• Shredded Beef Liang Mien (S – 60, L – 70)
• Miso Soup (10 NT)

Directions: From MAK, Take Hwy 1 south and exit at Zhong Zheng Rd. (中正路). As you come off the ramp, go straight past the big intersection of Zhong Zheng Rd. Follow the signs leading you to the next big street south of there, called San Duo Rd. (三多路). Take a left, and drive about 5-10 minutes until Fude Rd. (福德路). You should see a Blue, Red & White Grocery Store on the corner. Turn right onto Fude and the shop will be on your left hand side, a little ways down. (And on your way to this restaurant, stop off at the Bite-Sized Zongzi Store!)

Price: Economical
Parking: Moderate (depending on the time of day)
Hours of Operation: Mon – Sat., 7:30am – 2:30pm

Biggest Chicken Steak (雞排) in Dashe

For the biggest chicken steaks or cutlets, then look no further than this chain. They claim that their Chicken Steaks or Cutlets that are bigger than your head. I especially love that the name of the stand is 奶妹 (which means “Milk Sister”).
 
The stand opens around 5pm, which is the best time to go since it’s extremely popular. The lady seems to get less impatient as the night goes on, probably because she’s taking phone orders, live orders, and filling all the orders at the same time. If you go later than 5:30pm, then be prepared to wait anywhere between 15-30 minutes, depending on how large your order is.

They sell 5 different kinds of chicken steaks, starting from the top left (at 45 NT), going down then to the second column:

(For each steak, you need to specify what topping you want on it WHEN you order. The choices are: white pepper, plum powder, seaweed, curry, garlic, Mexican, Black pepper, Wasabi, Spicy)

BBQ chicken steak (like the kind we normally get) – 45 NT
Teriyaki Chicken Steak – 50 NT
Very Crispy chicken steak – 45 NT
Crispy Chicken steak – 45 NT
Lemon chicken bites – 35 NT
Chicken thighs – 30 NT
Chicken nuggets – 30 NT
Boneless chicken steak – 35 NT

(Column 2):
Three Corner Bone (some sort of chicken piece) – 60 for large, 40 for small
Salted Chicken pieces – 50 (L), 30 (S)
Cuttlefish – 50 (L), 30 (S)
Calamari rings – 50 (L), 30 (S)
Sweet Potato Fries – 40NT
French Fries – 20 NT (choice of cheese or salted)
Yams – 20 NT (choice of plum powder or pepper)
Tien Bu La (fish paste snacks) – 20 NT
Tempura – 20 NT
Chicken Wing – 15 NT
Hot Dog – 10 NT (for 3)
Blood rice cake – 10 NT


Directions from MAK: This stand is right across from the Thai Restaurant. When coming from MAK, do not take the shortcut back road, but go all the way to Dashe Main Road. It is located beside another chicken stand and beside the red and black teashop “Da Pai.”
There are also other chains located around the city, including one in Nanzih by the Choi's church.

Parking: Easy (you can pull up anywhere and put your hazards on if necessary!)

Costs: Economical

Yang Bao Bao

For some of the tastiest local steamed dumplings and beef wraps, along with fried bread that will have you going back for more, try out Yang Bao Bao in Nantze. The restaurant looks like this:

This restaurant has food based on the northern-Chinese style (i.e. not rice, but heartier foods that would keep you warm on a cold day). This restaurant is EXTREMELY popular with local people and originally outgrew its nightmarket stand a few years back. It is often bursting at the seams, even on a weekday lunch, so don't be surprised if you have to wait to be seated. If you're getting food to go, take a pink menu from the front counter, order, turn it in to receive a number, and wait until they call your number. Or, go an order teas from the tea stand next door while you wait. :-) This restaurant can also be a fun one for visitors from your home country who are slightly leery of eating out in Taiwan because the restaurant is clean and the food is delicious.

Here is a basic run down of the menu:
a) pork steamed dumplings (8 of them) (pictured above)
b) beef steamed dumplings (8 of them)
c) veggie steamed dumplings (8 of them--highly recommended!)
d) fried dumplings
e) pork wraps (wrapped in fried bread)
f) beef wraps (pictured above)
g) fried bread, cut into triangles
h) fried bread, "shredded" into some pieces (highly recommended) (pictured above)
i) chicken broth soup
j) beef broth soup
k) hot and sour soup
l) corn chowder soup
m/n) sides (such as these green beans, pictured above)

Click on the menu for a larger view

Directions from MAK: When turning on to the "main" road (that runs under the freeway), turn right (towards E-Da Hospital). When the road T's into the next major road, turn left at the light. This is highway 22. Continue on this road until you enter Nantze several kilometers down the road. Once in Nantze, go straight through the intersection that has McDonald's/Donutes/KFC on your left and the train station on the right. At the next intersection, turn left. Go straight down this road until almost the end. The restaurant will be on your near a corner furniture store. Look for lots of scooters and cars outside. If you reach the back entrance of the hospital, you've gone too far.

Alternate route, via Dashe: Go through Dashe towards Nantze. Once in Nantze at the intersection with the Easy Shop straight ahead, 3C on the left, and McDonald's/Donutes/KFC/Subway/Dominos on the right, turn left. Go approximately one block. Turn right at the 7-11. Follow this road straight for a few blocks. The restaurant will be on one of the intersections, far right hand side, on the cross street. Park wherever you find space, or pay at one of the local lots. 

Parking: Challenging (may cost 30NT at a local lot)

Costs: Economical

The "small" and "Greek" restaurant in Dashe

The design of this restaurant is quite curious and fun. The food is moderately good and the atmosphere is fun (such as in the "small" room shown below). However, the food is, strangely enough, not Greek. They have coffees, hot pots, pasta, and fancy drinks. 

The pasta dishes come with a yummy soup and salad on the side (plus a sweet tea, too). The other two dishes below are a hot pot and pesto-sauce spaghetti with shrimp. The partial menu posted at the bottom has these two items marked in red (with the pork hotpot at the top and the spaghetti at the bottom).

 

Directions from MAK: This restaurant is right next to the 814 grocery store in Dashe. Go down the main road (JhongShan) until you see the 814 grocery store (nearly all the way down the road in Dashe). There's parking right outside of the restaurant (and potentially at 814). 

九逗窩: That "Cute little European-style restaurant" in Yanchao

In the mood for pasta or hotpot close to home? Want a set meal or curry? Hungry after hiking the reservoir in Yanchao? Then try out this cute little restaurant. Look for this sign above their restaurant and the front of their restaurant that looks like this:

Here are a few dishes you might want to try:
Spicy Thai coconut sauce on rice with an egg (泰式椰香辣...tài shì yé xiāng là...)

Baked chicken in a creamy sauce (with noodles or rice under the cheese): 奶油醬焗雞 nǎi yóu jiàng jú jī

A set meal  套餐 tào cān

Northern Thai spicy claypot rice 泰北辣瓦煲饭 tài běi là wǎ bào fàn

 

Spaghetti (義大利麵 yì dà lì miàn)

 

Here is the menu (click for a larger view):

Directions from MAK: When turning on to the "main" road (that runs under the freeway), turn right (towards E-Da Hospital). When the road T's into the next major road, turn left at the light. Turn right at the first light (as if you're going to part of E-Da Hospital). Follow this road straight for several kilometers to the town of Yenchao/Yanchao. Once in the city, look for the the hamburger/chicken sandwich shop with the pelican symbol (Dan Dan Hambow). The restaurant is just past that intersection, on the right-hand side. 

Parking: Moderate

Costs: Moderate.