Tainan, Taiwan - The Paris of Taiwan - December 2016 {Travelogue}

I have to say, this was my first time going to Tainan on my own. Every other time, I went with family and they just took me around to eat. They warned me before during those trips that Tainan people don't like it if you speak Mandarin; and that's all I speak. And by "they," I mean the 本省人 (benshengren - literally translates to people of the province). My family is considered 外省人 (waishengren - literally translated to outside province people, basically, outsiders). Taiwan has a very complicated history. If you're interested, there are online resources, random books here and there, and this fantastic YouTube channel Taiwan Bar. Well researched and has cute animation to go with the history and contemporary topics, I highly recommended watching a few to learn more about Taiwan.

We arrive at the Tainan Train Station at night. It's dark and muggy outside. I'm not a huge fan of getting a cab from train stations because you don't get to choose who your driver will be. I've always had better luck getting a cab from the street. 

There was the old man who drove very scary from Taipei Main Station who told me that the street I needed to go to didn't exist (it did, but apparently it was a newer street he didn't know about). There was the portly taxi driver at the Taichung Train Station who complained I had too much luggage and that my uncle lived too far away and that he should move closer to the city. There was the one from the Zhongli Train Station who drove me to Longtan and told me that birds don't even land there, and lectured me on how I should live in Zhongli instead.

So back to Tainan. The taxi driver from Tainan Main Station hated that I spoke Mandarin (sorry dude, the train station is going to net you the most out of towners) and said the hotel I wanted him to take us to didn't exist. I showed the name on my phone to him and then he started grumbling about how I said the wrong name (I didn't, dude needed to clean his ears). We drove maybe a minute before we were stuck in traffic. There was a screeching sound followed by a loud CRASH. Then, "AAAAAAAAAAH!" Apparently a car hit a girl on a scooter. She plopped over like a bike that had its kickstand knocked away. The cab driver grumbles some more and in the midst of it I heard "stupid girl." This guy was surly! We made it to the hotel alive though, and really didn't want to take any more cabs for the time being. 

I have to say, not everyone was as rude as that cab driver, but I definitely stopped feelin the love that is everywhere else on the island. And I would like to add that most of my experiences with the cab drivers are pretty awesome. For some reason, my luck with the ones from the train stations have just been bad.

Breakfast

I researched pretty extensively on Tainan, looking up places I'd been to and some new ones that I thought we might enjoy. I usually don't like cooked fish as much, but there was one breakfast place that really caught my eye. That and the boyfriend didn't want to go for beef soup in the morning (it's a thing in Tainan. Similar to pho broth, but just beef and consomme). 

阿堂鹹粥
No. 728, Section 1, Ximen Rd,

West Central District,

Tainan City, Taiwan 700

Waking up early isn't something I look forward to. But, for this place, it's a breakfast place and closes early, is known to be busy, and sells out of things. So of course, I had to wake up and get there in time. They have a good variety of things to order, but everyone said this is the must get combo. It's a seafood congee with milkfish, oysters (local Tainan oysters), and fried fish bits. Of course, there is rice in there too. It's congee. Don't forget to get a side of oily sticks! 

Honestly, I still think about this meal. The bowl is not what I would call small, but I ate it all. It was so flavorful and texturally diverse. One of the things that I have eaten that is pure 旨い to me. It's simple food too. Most people don't eat milkfish because of the bones (it's like it's competing with trout to see which can be the bigger pain to eat), but in Tainan, milkfish are plentiful so it can be found in many soups and congee. Aside from Tainan, I only know of Filipinos who eat it (bangus, such a pretty word). 

Closer up shot of the oysters with my cellphone (once I added the oily sticks and mixed the soup up a bit more it changed the broth to a tanner color.

臺南都會博物館園區奇美館（奇美博物館）Chimei Museum

仁德區文華路二段66號
(臺南都會公園內)
Tainan, Tainan 71755

Website

I'm pretty sure I first saw this museum on someone's Instagram. I couldn't help but think it looked pretty amazing. What is this Greek looking museum doing in Taiwan, not to mention in the South? Of course, we had to go check it out. The bus is cheap and takes you directly to the front of the parking area, or there is always the fun cab way of getting there. We took the bus because it's cheap and convenient. Why not enjoy the benefits of what a great public transportation system could be like? 

Things to note - check the hours before you go if you want to actually go inside. Most people just like going to take pictures around the grounds. You can also purchase tickets at 7-11 before you go to skip on the lines at the museum itself. The area outside is quite large, and it's always hot in the South, so dress accordingly or bring an umbrella and/or water.

This fountain is pretty amazing. When we first got there, it wasn't on. They turned it on for a few minutes - not more than five minutes! - and some woman came over to ask me to help her and her friend take a picture in front of it when they groundskeeper turned the water back off. 

Snack Time

丸作食茶旗舰店
No. 707, Section 1, Ximen Rd, 
West Central District, 
Tainan City, Taiwan 700

After our jaunt to the museum, we figured it was time for a light snack. Gotta take a pearl milk tea break, right? I came because of their pokeball specials, but they were sold out! I'm not going to say no to good pearl milk tea though, so I still bought a cup of their regular to see how they compare to my regular spot. If you're in the area, definitely give them a try! They make their balls in house and are super Q. This location was just next to the bus to the Chi-Mei Museum, so we grabbed it on our way back to drink with the stinky tofu fries. 

豪記臭豆腐
No. 1, Xialin Rd, 
South District, 
Tainan City, Taiwan 702

It'd been a while since went to HaoGei for some stinky tofu so we went there. The last time I went, the building was a dark red/maroon color. This time, it was painted blue. So I wasn't even sure if I was at the right place. But it was. Stinky tofu fries for everyone! I was happy to see it came in the same box that folds up for easy eating. We walked across the street with it and ate it in the park. These fries are tasty because they are fried really crispy, with the inside soft. I like that they have it crinkle cut so it looks like fries except for the super foul smell (the boyfriend was not prepared). 

The next step was heading in the direction of an actual lunch since all we had were snacks after breakfast. Pause for the kitty cleaning himself on the scooter though!

So we came upon some issues with lunch. The plan was to eat some eel noodles, but I had some serious trouble finding it. The address listed on foursquare was very, very wrong. I messaged my cousin to find out what the actual address was and she said that her friends told her to go to a different place that is supposedly better. But, it doesn't open until night time. We still need to figure out what to do for lunch. At this point I'm hungry and have started to just walk aimlessly down the street hoping for magic to happen. And it's hot. Fortunately, we pass this place:

布莉克手工冰棒

No. 278, Section 1, Hai'an Road, 

West Central District,

Tainan City, Taiwan 700

Facebook

Fresh fruit popsicles on a hot day? Yes, please! They have quite the variety, and a few locations. The fruit in there is a solid piece, so it's really worth the money. It made the walk that much better. While it lasted anyway.

Koxinga

延平郡王祠 Koxinga Shrine
No. 152, Kaishan Road, 
West Central District, 
Tainan City, Taiwan 700

Sources:

Wiki
Britannica
The Economist (Interesting article about how he is regarded as a hero by Japanese, Chinese, and Taiwanese people)

I enjoy walking around a city because of the chance that I might stumble upon something I normally wouldn't. Of course on a bicycle feels nicer when it's as hot as it is in Tainan, but I lived. While walking towards some sticky rice, we passed by this shrine for Koxinga. It's humongous statue, worthy of him. This man is the one who is responsible for getting the Dutch out of Taiwan (he also was monster enough to scare the Spanish so that they abandoned Mindanao - you're welcome!).  Anyway, he is one complicated fellow and worthy of further research. For now, enjoy the pictures of the peaceful park dedicated to him:

Just past the park was a puppet show. Not sure if it's always there as it looked portable, but it was worth watching for a few minutes before the stomachs started growling:

Lunch

小南米糕
No. 189號, Section 1, Datong Rd, 
East District, 
Tainan City, Taiwan 701

My aunt took me here a few years back and I think about it every so often. That sticky rice, 米糕, that Tainan is famous for. It uses pork floss, juicy pork belly, and thin sliced pickles. It's just all so good. I always get it with a stewed egg on the side too, along with a bowl of milkfish skin soup. If you haven't tried this combo yet in Tainan, you're missing out! The problem though, is if you are considering this your meal, you'll still be hungry. Unless you are able to get full off of small portions. Sometimes I can, but this was our first "meal" after breakfast so I was still hungry. Plus all of the walking and the heat. Which made me think after this, it would be great to get some coffee.

窄門咖啡 Narrow Door Café

Nanmen Rd, 67號

West Central District,

Tainan City, Taiwan 700

The way to stay relevant in Taiwan is to have a "thing." At the Narrow Door Cafe, the "thing" is the... narrow door. In an old city like Tainan, you have the option of tearing everything down and starting over, or using the way the building was to begin with and just improve upon it. At the Narrow Door Cafe, they have taken an otherwise old building and turned it into a cafe. It's just across the street from the Confucius Temple, so from the upstairs you get a nice view of the park. When we went, being December and "winter," the A/C was off so the breeze was also nice. 

Note before you go that there is a minimum order per person, and that the drinks are nothing to write home about, but there is a bathroom and you get to walk through the teeny tiny alleyway. There are others who have posted the entranceway, but the novelty is that it's small. Have fun looking for it and squeezing through! The actual cafe is up some narrow stairs.  

I am pretty sure we didn't order the same drink, but they look almost the same. Mine is the one on the right and it is the Narrow Door Cafe Latte. As soon as we finished, we left.

Dinner

黃記鱔魚

No. 46, Section 3, Minquan Rd, 

West Central District, 

Tainan City, Taiwan 700

For dinner, we decided to try the eel restaurant my cousin's friend suggested. It was super busy and I felt lost when trying to grab a seat and order. Everyone seemed to know exactly what to do, while I stood in the way. Finally, someone asked what I wanted and I ordered. They told us to find a spot at a communal table. Another vendor at the same corner asked if we wanted some sticky rice. I was ok with having more so I ordered that too (it never came). 

I was pretty excited about the eel noodles. I had been thinking about them for a while. The noodles though, were a bit too soft even though the taste was right, and the eel? The eel meat itself was perfect. Next time I'm in Tainan though, I will have to try the place I used to go to.

Dessert

裕成水果店
民生路一段112號
Tainan, Tainan 700

Facebook

On the way back to the hotel, I mentioned that I wanted to eat more shaved ice. There's one I like back by the Confucius Temple, but after all of the walking, I am too tired to try. We were fortunate to pass by a promising looking fruit stand. Inside, we see that Super Taste/食尚玩家 has been there before, and autographed it. Huh. Same with JJ Lin. And some other stars. There were a lot of autographs. Apparently we stumbled upon a very popular place!

Rightly so. The fruit was delicious! Fresh, cold, crisp, with some mango sauce over it; it was the perfect way to finish the day. Have I mentioned I love good dragon fruit? The dragon fruit was sweet and delicious. Even the melon was good!

Breakfast

淉溱是Really Meal

No. 221, Section 1, Fuqian Rd, 

West Central District, 

Tainan City, Taiwan 700

I don't remember why or how we ended up here. It's possible I was walking to the bun shop around the corner and it was either not open yet or sold out of the ones I wanted. This is why I need to write things down! Either way, while passing by what looked like yet another coffee shop, I stopped for a coffee. And yes, I let the owner upsell me into buying one of their strawberry roll cakes. I'm glad he did! That cake was so light and fluffy! It wasn't too sweet at all. When he asked what we thought, we both nodded enthusiastically. Plus, he made my latte look so pretty with the kitty and the good morning :3

The owner came out to check on us again to make sure we were enjoying everything still. He also handed us his card, which is super cute. So here is the information, along with a QR code to scan!

Early Lunch

卓家汕頭魚麵
No. 158, Section 1, Minsheng Rd, 
West Central District, 
Tainan City, Taiwan 700

Facebook

I had a restaurant with no name saved to try in Kaohsiung. I wasn't sure if we would make it so I also found a restaurant with the same type of fare in Tainan. What made the restaurant so special that I really wanted to try it? Their noodles. The noodles are made from fish! It seems to be something that is done primarily in Kaohsiung and Tainan as both are port cities. 

What makes 卓家汕頭魚麵 special though, is how old it is. The restaurant is 50 years old. We both order a bowl of the fish noodles, while I added on some stewed tofu and a stewed egg. You can also order the fish noodles as a "dry" noodle, but I went with the soup version. The noodles were very different than anything else I'd had before. There was a harder texture to it, what with it being made from fish meat and flour, but the broth, that's what really won me over. It was so simple and clean tasting; I felt ready to go to to the next city and eat some more!

The menu.