Sushi Express

Sushi Express is a chain serving fresh sushi. The nearest location to MAK is near the Nantze train station (see the map below). The Chinese address is 高雄市楠梓區楠梓新路192之1號 and the phone number is (07)351-0947. It is open from 11-9:30 daily.

Parking is limited.

The way this place basically works is that you sit down and select any dish you'd like from the conveyor belt. You can also order from their menu. Hot tea is free and each plate you order costs 30 NT.



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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

Dumplings and potstickers

For some decent dumplings and potstickers, check out this restaurant in Dashe. It's on the main road (Jhong Shan Rd.), next to the "Presotea" tea shop. Look for this sign:

Their menu is basic, so once you learn one section, you'll know nearly half of the menu! The most important parts are pictured below. Basically, #1-4 are potstickers and #5-9 are boiled/steamed dumplings, and 10-12 are soups. All prices are per dumpling/potsticker.

Here's a translation of the menu, thanks to Ellen in Systems Services in Taichung:

1. Potstickers (regular ones, what the store is famous for, just regular pork.)
2. Veggie Potstickers
3. Curry Potstickers
4. Korean spicy potstickers
5. Dumplings(regular ones, what the store is famous for, just regular pork.)
6. Veggie dumplings
7. Curry dumplings
8. Korean spicy dumplings
9. shrimp and pork dumplings
10. hot and sour soup
11. Octopus ball and fish soup
12. Taiwanese cream of corn soup

Back left: vegetable potstickers (#2). Back right: veggie dumplings (#6). Front: pork dumplings (#5). Also recommended are the curry potstickers and dumplings (#4 and 7)

This is the fish ball soup (#11 on the menu):

Directions from MAK: Go into Dashe on the main road (Jhong Shan Rd. 中山路). At the first major intersection, go straight. It is located on the right-hand side (across the street from the Tea Elf and before getting to the Watston's/7-11 intersection). Walk past the kitchen to sit down and use the ordering form. You can pay on your way out, after eating.


Parking: Challenging because it's on the main road.

Costs: Economical.

Fried rice near the temple

This little fried rice/fried noodles restaurant provides a moderately-sized portion for a bargain price of about 50 NT! It's located near the temple on Jhong Hwa Rd. Look for this building:

The inside is rather simple (see below), but you get tea with your meal for free (self-serve in the container on the left).

This is their basic menu. It pretty much works as follows: decide if you want fried rice (炒飯 chǎo fàn), fried noodles (炒麵 chǎo miàn), or a gravy sauce over rice. Then, choose your meat (shrimp, beef, lamb/mutton, pork, seafood). Nearly all dishes are 50 NT. They also have veggies as sides.

This is the beef fried rice:

This is the lamb/mutton with gravy sauce:

Directions from MAK: Go into Dashe on the main road (Jhong Shan Rd. 中山路). At the first major intersection (where there is a Hi-Life Convenience Store), turn left. You'll now be on the morning market road (Jin Long Rd. 金龍路). Follow this road until the next major intersection (again, with a convenience store on your right). Turn right onto Jhong Hwa Rd. (中華路). When you see the temple on your right, go just past it to the building pictured above. You can pay on your way out, after eating.

Parking: Easy. You can park right next to the restaurant. If the temple isn't busy, you can also park in front of it.

Costs: Economical. Most dishes are 50NT or less. Dishes "to go" are good for lunches the next day.

Turkey Rice

One of Taiwan's "famous" foods in the city of the ChiaYi is turkey rice. It's incredibly simple (usually just consisting of white rice with pieces of shredded turkey on it), but makes for a simple, yet filling snack or meal. Dashe opened a turkey rice restaurant on the main road (Jhong Shan Rd.) in 2009, along with a partnering tea shop. Here is what the sign looks like (in red, reading "Fire Chicken Meat" a.k.a. turkey). The tea shop has the black sign.

And here's the entrance:

Most items on the menu are 60 NT or less. Clearly, the turkey rice item is what you'll want to try at some point. It is the first item on the paper menu. If you want the side dishes (which you may or may not be able to choose on your own, depending on what's available), mark the 1a option. For a large turkey rice (火雞飯 huǒ jī fàn), 1b, and for a small turkey rice, 1c. The 1a option looks like this (note the rice with turkey and a few pickles on the lower left):

The second menu item is a combination of fatty meat and sausage, coupled with some side dishes for 50 NT, and looks like this:

Directions from MAK: Go into Dashe on the main road (Jhong Shan Rd. 中山路). Go just past the first major intersection (where there is a Hi-Life Convenience Store), and just past Jack-Boy drink stand on your right.  The restaurant and tea shop are soon after that (just look for the black and red signs). You can pay on your way out, after eating.


Parking: Challenging. Any time you have to park on Jhong Shan Rd, it can be hit or miss.
Costs: Economical. Turkey rice also makes for good leftovers for lunches.