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Snacks
In addition to its night markets, Kaohsiung has a great range of snack shops and restaurants. The adventurous spirit of a port city is reflected in the constant offering of new treats. We've outlined just some of the snack venues a visitor absolutely mustn't miss!
Tachia Mini Hotpot
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| Hot pots in Kaohsiung don't cause excessive "inner heat,"thanks to a secret traditional soup stock. |
For this variety of hotpot, onions and slices of meat are fried then added to soup, a cooking style that brings out the sweetness of the onions. The custom-made wok is thick with a deep base, excellent for maintaining the temperature and sealing in the flavour. The proprietor Yang Shui-chu explains that Kaohsiung has a hot climate and according to Chinese medicine, eating hotpot dishes can easily cause excessive inner heat. Most hotpot businesses don't do particularly well but the Tachia Mini Hotpot has something special going for it. They use traditional Chinese medicinal herbs in their cooking and the soup stock there has cooling properties, so it's OK on a hot day.
359 Chi-hsien 2nd Road, Chienchin District, Kaohsiung City
Telephone: (07) 291-8228 |
Sun's Hsuchou Shaguo Restaurant
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| Hsuchou shaguo eaten with pancakes makes a really appetizing combination.
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Shaguo (crockpot) dishes originated in northern Jiangsu province. It's said that the Han-dynasty hero Liu Bang met with misfortune while in Xuchou and was given a bowl as alms. Afterwards he investigated how to make such food himself. Shaguo dishes are made by stewing different ingredients, including chicken, pork bones, oatmeal, and medicinal materials, until it's impossible to recognize what it contains, but the food's good!
Shaguo is usually eaten along with crispy pancakes, which are dipped into it. Plain pancakes balance the unusual flavor of shaguo.
In earlier times being able to eat food combining Kaohsiung flavors with the tastes of northern Jiangsu provided a welcome taste of home for people who'd come from those parts.
1-9 Chingnien 1st Rd., Lingya District, Kaohsiung City
Tel: (07) 726-0868 |
Mikao City
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| Just the thought of the marvelous local glutinous rice, accompanied by shredded fish or meat and pickled gherkins, make one's mouth water.
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You can see this company's name everywhere in Taiwan and even mainland China, a testament to the appeal of the products of this favorite Kaohsiung spot.
Kaohsiung's Mikao City actually has no other branches and isn't large, but it's been operating for over 50 years. Their unique way of steaming polished glutinous rice produces a finished product that has a pleasing soft chewy texture, yet doesn't stick to your teeth. Another specialty they do here is a shredded, dried fish made by pounding sailfish and salt from Kaohsiung Harbor. It doesn't contain any fishbones and it's crispiness complements rice perfectly. The proprietor, Wu Ku, recommends enjoying your mikao with some sishen soup. The flavors enhance each other and it cuts the oiliness.
107 Tajen Road, Yencheng District, Kaohsiung City
Telephone: (07) 533-3168 |
Granny's Ice Parlour
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| Fruit shaved ices and dragon fruit ices are new fea tures on the menu at Granny's Ice Parlor.
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There can't be anyone in Kaohsiung who doesn't know or hasn't heard of Granny's. When they return to their hometown, local people who've been away for many years come here for a shaved-ice treat and to revisit their youth. This family busi ness was set up in 1934 during the Japanese occupation and has been operating for three generations now. Originally called Hsinsheng Ice Parlour, its current name comes from the affectionate nickname by which students of the nearby Kaohsiung girls"secondary school used to address the first proprietor, Tsai Ku.
The favourite items are the shaved fruit ices, a sliced tomato dish, and red bean soup. The shaved fruit ices feature fresh fruit in season. In fall, for instance, persimmons are all the
go. The fruit is prepared using a sauce they make there and the results are fabulous. The sliced tomato is served with a unique sauce from southern Taiwan, a blend of ginger juice, soy paste, and sugar. The red bean soup containing mochi glutinous rice balls is slowly stewed on a stove. It's only available in winter. The proprietor has recently been developing some new items: dragon fruit ices and sea moss with mochi balls. You'll have a chance to try them out when Granny's opens up branches all over Taiwan next year.
Kaohsiung has a long summer and doesn't get cold in winter, so Granny's does a booming trade almost the whole year round.
159 Tajen Rd., Yencheng District, Kaohsiung City
Tel: (07) 551-3180
Website: www.ksno1.com.tw |
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