I have been to Taiwan few times, almost every 2 years. It's one of my most favorite countries to visit. And the thought of migrating there even occurred in my mind before. :) That shows how much I love Taiwan.
However, for Kaohsiung 高雄 and Kenting 垦丁, it was my first time to visit in February 2016.
During the 7D/6N stay, I ate many delicious Taiwanese dishes. (How could I resist? :)) However, during travel, I usually prefer street food.
Here is to recap my top 10 Taiwanese food and drink I love most during my recent Kaohsiung and Kenting trip.
1. Taiwanese Braised Beef Noodle Soup 红烧牛肉面
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| Taiwanese braised beef noodle soup (红烧牛肉面) |
I hardly eat beef - may be once or twice a year only if at all.
But in Taiwan, the famous Taiwanese braised beef noodle soup is too tempting not to eat. :) It's simply irresistible. When you pass by a shop selling Taiwanese braised beef noodle soup, the aroma of the beef broth and the dish permeates the air so thickly and fragrant that you wouldn't be able to walk pass without swallowing your saliva.
Well - don't pass by.
Walk into the restaurant or stall selling the braised beef noodle soup.
You won't be disappointed!
The ingredients include: Soy sauce, Chinese rice wine, Sherry, brown sugar, ginger, scallions. garlic, cilantro, tangerine peel. red pepper. beef ribs, bean sprouts, Chinese wheat noodle, Chinese pickled mustard greens, etc
This rich soup with Chinese wheat noodle has such exotic note from the dried tangerine peel and star anise. The pickled mustard greens provide a great contrast to the beefy broth.
And I have a confession to make:
I ate one bowl on my first day upon arrival in Kaohsiung at one of the famous restaurants close to our hotel. I ate again on the third day and subsequently on the 6th day at the Kaohsiung Airport before coming back to Malaysia.
For the 2 bowls I ate in Kaohsiung City, it was TWD$90 or RM 11.20 per bowl. Other types of noodle soup costs around TWD$60 (RM 7.50). Even though its is RM 3.70 more expensive due to the quality of beef, it's well worth it!
As for the 3rd bowl I ate at Kaohsiung Airport, the price was more expensive due to the location.
For a person who doesn't eat much beef. You can imagine how delicious this beef noodle soup must be! 3 times in 7 days :)
Where to find?
This is quite a popular dish and I believe you can find it along any streets with restaurants or cafe in Taiwan. Otherwise, just follow the aroma of beef broth. It will guide you there. :)
2. Fried Cow Milk ( Frying Milk :)) 炸鲜奶
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| The 3 little cubes of fried milk in a stick! Yummy! |
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| Frying Milk or Fried Milk? Don't matter :) It tastes simply irresistible! |
This is such an awesome snack at Kenting Main Street's night market. They call it Frying Milk - but I think it's actually called "Fried Cow Milk". :)
The milk is fresh from the Kenting Farm close by.
How it's made? I think the fresh milk is covered with a thin outer layer of cheese in a cube shape. After which, it is dipped into the hot oil for couple minutes to fry it. For each stick, it comes with 3 cubes of fried milk.
When I bit it, the fried milk inside the thin outer layer started to fill my mouth. It's sweet, still hot from the frying, and so milky and creamy at same time! Such a marvelous and healthy ( except the oil!) snack!!
I have bee to Taiwan several times but I have never tried this local street food before. I ended up eating "fried milk" 2 nights in a row - 3 sticks in total. haha! Now just thinking about it makes my mouth watery!! lol!
It costs about RM2.50 per stick. If you buy 3 sticks, it would be RM 6.25 ( RM 1.25 cheaper!
Where to find?
Kenting Main Street's Night Market which is held daily along Kenting Main Street (垦丁大街）.
3. Peanut Butter Ice Cream
Who would want to eat ice cream on a cool windy day in Kenting?
But after cycling whole day (8.5 hours on the road in total) on 23 Feb 2016 and with my skin turning tan, I was so thirsty and tired that I ended up in local convenience store Family Mart in Kenting Main Street looking for drinks to crunch my thirst.
Then I saw the promotion sign for the Peanut Butter Ice Cream!! :) Yohoo! So I decided to treat myself with the peanut butter flavor ice cream on a long exciting cycling day.
It's not an ordinary ice cream!! It's heavenly! And I ate 3 times within 4 days. twice with peanut butter flavor alone, and 1 time with peanut butter mixed with vanilla flavor!!
I love the single flavor peanut butter ice cream the best!! Yummy!!!
I ranked it rather high on my top 10 pick is because it was so refreshing, so delicious, so rich in peanut and butter smell and taste. It also comes with a cookie spoon which you can eat as well!! How creative and nice!
It's definitely MUST TRY!
Where to find?
You won't find it at 7-11 or any convenient store. It's uniquely found at Family Mart 全家便利商店.
4. Savory Rice Pudding (小南碗粿)
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| 3 must-eat dishes at 小南碗粿 restaurant |
We accidentally found this famous and popular restaurant called 小南碗粿 selling only few traditional dishes while we walked to the river bank.
I didn't know what to order. So I asked the friendly waitress to recommend. She then recommended the below must-try famous dishes that almost every customer there ordered:
Savory Rice Pudding
It's a special savory rice pudding cooked with pork, small prawns, mush rooms, herbs, etc. It's very delicious and fragrant and the name of the restaurant is named after this dish 碗粿.
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| Savory Rice Pudding |
Fish ball soup made of milk fish
It's not ordinary fish ball. I think it's the type of fish it's made of. It's smooth, fresh and tender. This is a simple soup but it really tastes good with the savory rice pudding.
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| Fish ball soup made of milk fish |
Dumpling with peanut and 5-spice powder
It's so tender and fragrant. It tastes a bit like the savory rice pudding but texture is different. It's unique in its own way.
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| Dumplings |
When I ate these 3 very traditional Taiwanese dishes together, it was so heavenly! I could still feel the taste lingering in my mouth now! :)
Where to find?
小南碗粿 Restaurant
No. 89, Ziqiang 2nd Rd, Qianjin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 801
5. 4 Flavors Stinky Tofu （四色臭豆腐）
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| 4 Flavors Stinky Tofu - charcoal flavor, Kimchee flavor, preserved-egg flavor, normal flavor! Stinky but delicious especially dipping in the chili sauce |
1 time in Taipei many years ago - fried and steamed version. I didn't like it at all! In fact, I threw the steamed stinky tofu away. I almost vomited! :)
Another time in Sri Petaling Night Market, KL. Fried version! And I didn't quite like it either!
So in Kenting Night Market, I was thinking of giving it a pass. But there was a long queue and I thought it must be good with 4 different flavors: Kimchi flavor, standard flavor, preserved-egg flavor, and charcoal flavor.
So I decided to give stinky fried tofu my third try in my whole life!
And you know what? I love it! Yum yum! It smelled at the beginning but as I put it inside my mouth after dipping into chili sauce, the stinky smell was gone. And the smell of the 4 different flavors really filled my mouth!
It's simply finger licking good!
I am glad that I gave the stinky fried tofu another chance! haha!
Where to find?
Kenting Main Street's Night Market which is held daily along Kenting Main Street (垦丁大街）.
6. Papaya Milk （牛奶木瓜）
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| Yummy delicious Papaya Milk found in almost all convenient stores in Taiwan! |
I love drinking milk. And I have a strange habit of finding milk not found in Malaysia to drink.
In Thailand, my favorite is the black sesame milk. I could drink it daily! :)
And in Taiwan, my favorite is the Papaya Milk 牛奶木瓜. I bought 1 the moment I arrived at the Kaohsiung Airport. :) And I drank a few more during the trip!
It's simply refreshing! You should try it if you love milk too!
Where to find?
You can find it at 7-11, Family Mart 全家便利商店 or any convenient stores in Taiwan.
7. Baked Sweet Potato
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| Kenting-grown sweet potato!! Really really nice! |
I saw a street food vendor selling baked sweet potato at one of the tourist attractions during our cycling trip in Kenting.
I initially I didn't want to buy. But after chatting with him and I was told that the sweet potato is home grown in Kenting and it's famous, I decided to give it a try!!
Boy - was I glad I tried it, especially eating the hot fresh sweet tender sweet potato on a cold and windy day.
Where to find?
The one I ate was along the road from Kenting Main Road going down south to the most southern tip of Taiwan. But I also seem sold at Kenting Main Street's Night Market which is held daily along Kenting Main Street (垦丁大街）.
8. Beef Fried Rice 牛肉炒饭
Fried rice on my top 10 list? You think I must be kidding!!
No! No! I 'm not kidding! This beef fried rice at one of the only 2 restaurants in middle of nowhere at Southern Tip of Taiwan is really good! It has the home-cooked feel and taste!!
And after the long cycling hours, I guess I must be hungry too! And I finished the beef fried rice until I could see my own face reflecting from the emptied plate! haha!
Where to Find?
If you go around the Kenting National Park, this cafe is on the road side on hill top after the South Point (the most southern tip in Taiwan) along the Pacific Ocean. The restaurant is called Marie Juice Bar!
You shall be able to see the signage right outside the cafe. The dog Marie is also inside the cafe!
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| Marie Juice Bar |
9. Taiwanese Porridge
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| Yum yum!! My most favorite breakfast in Taiwan |
Look at how much "toppings" I have added in.... meat floss, peanut, vegetables, pickles, etc. And I love to add loads of meat floss!! You could even barely see the porridge beneath!
Where to Find:
Usually served in most hotel or home stay breakfast spread.
10. Mixed Rice with Taiwanese Chicken Chop, Steamed Pumpkin and Marinated Tofu
Along the streets of Kaohsiung during lunch hours, you will see rows of restaurants selling mixed rice with many varieties. It's quite like Malaysia's economy mixed rice. However, most of these restaurants have their kitchens outside.
What dish to choose? Of course when you come to Taiwan, the Chicken Chop is a must! And usually it comes with different flavors (kimchi, sour plum, black pepper, etc).
I have chosen this dish to wrap up the top 10 due to the variety of local food you can try. Just choose any vegetables or meat to your liking! Just be daring and adventurous!!
Where to find?
Any restaurants selling mixed rice during lunch hours in Kaohsiung.
Here you go -
My top 10 Taiwanese food and drink that I love most during my recent Kaohsiung and Kenting trip in February 2016.
I hope the listing doesn't make your stomach growling!! :) If so, just pick a date and fly to Taiwan! :) Surely you will enjoy the food there!
Written on March 10, 2016.
