My Recommend restaurants near Chihkan Tower in Tainan

Here are my recommend restaurants and other places around Chihkan Tower

I’ll introduce some restaurants I visited during my stay in Tainan, as well as some noteworthy restaurants I wanted to visit but couldn’t.

1. Jia Hao Fresh Fish Soup and Beer House: A casual pub-style restaurant within walking distance of Chihkan Tower and Fu Xin Hotel Tainan.

2. Mei Xin Seafood Restaurant: A seafood restaurant within walking distance of Fu Xin Hotel Tainan.

3. Xiu’an Douhua: A famous shop specializing in Taiwanese douhua (tofu pudding).

家豪鮮魚湯啤酒屋　Kago fresh fish soup liquor store

This is a pub I visited on the night I arrived in Tainan.

Apparently, in Taiwan, pubs are referred to as “re chao.”

It’s located about a 5-minute walk from Chihkan Tower.

Despite being called an izakaya (Japanese pub), it doesn’t actually serve Japanese food. Ordering is done by filling out an order form on the table with your table number and what you want to eat, then handing it to the staff.

The menu is written on the wall and is easy to understand, but since it’s only in Chinese, it takes some time to figure out what’s on the menu.

Having already eaten on the plane, I opted for a light meal and beer here.

I ordered Taiwanese-style sausage and stir-fried water spinach, deep-fried spare ribs, and liver soup.

Drinks are self-service from the refrigerator.

The first dish to arrive was the Taiwanese-style sausage.

It was served with pickled garlic.

I first enjoyed this with a beer.

It was delicious on its own, and it paired perfectly with the beer!

The garlic served as a side dish was also tasty; this is a high-quality restaurant.

Next came stir-fried water spinach and liver soup.

The order slip listed the stir-fried water spinach as something like “菜炒” (stir-fried vegetables), and there was a square box next to it. I handed the menu to the waiter, wondering what it was, and he probably asked me in Chinese, “What kind of stir-fried vegetables do you want?”

I looked confused, and he led me to the area where the ingredients were kept.

I actually wanted stir-fried spinach, but I couldn’t say “spinach” in Chinese, so I tried saying “water spinach,” the only Chinese word I knew, and it worked.

This is the result.

The saltiness was just right, and it was truly delicious.

I ordered the liver soup, somewhat guessing the meaning of the kanji characters.

It was a light, salty soup with chopped ginger and green onions as condiments.

It was delicious, but I got tired of the liver towards the end.

I wish I had ordered something like offal soup instead.

Soon after, the deep-fried spare ribs arrived.

I ordered it because it was labeled “Pai Gu,” so I guessed it would be deep-fried meat with the bone still attached.

It was just as delicious as I imagined, and the piping hot meat was fantastic.

One of the good things about this izakaya (Japanese-style pub) is that the portion sizes aren’t too large.

I think it’s perfect for solo travelers or those who want to try a variety of foods in small portions.

The prices weren’t too high either, and I was glad to have a satisfying meal on my first day in Taiwan.

The restaurant was bustling with locals, and there were tables with large groups gathered around hot pot.

家豪鮮魚湯啤酒屋　Kago fresh fish soup liquor store

Address：No. 38, Section 3, Zhongyi Rd, North District, Tainan City, 台湾 704

704台南市北區忠義路三段38號

Business Hours：18:00~1:00  (Thursday 17:30~）

TEL：+886929188053

Restaurant Facebook：家豪鮮魚湯 | Facebook

梅鑫海産店　Meixin Seafood Store

It’s located on a main street about two blocks’ walk from the Fu Xin Hotel Tainan.

It’s a restaurant famous for its seafood.

I had researched it beforehand and it seemed to be quite popular, so I went in right when it opened.

Since neither English nor Japanese was spoken, I did thorough research beforehand, saving pictures of the dishes I wanted to order and writing down the menu items on paper.

I didn’t fully understand the system, but I think you first sit down and confirm your seat number.

The staff guided me to a table using gestures and speaking in Chinese, and I somehow understood the ordering system.

There are no order forms on the tables here.

It seems the ordering system involves lining up outside on the right side of the shop and telling the staff member your seat number.

Having secured a seat, I joined the line outside.

There were rows and rows of crabs displayed in front of the shop.

The customers’ eyes are fixed on a pile of finely chopped vegetables.

They’ll probably choose the vegetables they want to stir-fry from here.

They all look delicious!

It was my turn to order.

I ordered the appetizers first, pointing to the pictures.

Then, wanting seafood, I showed a picture of stir-fried clams, and the waiter seemed to recognize me as Japanese.

He said, “We have clams.”

The waiter could speak a little Japanese.

I ordered the stir-fried clams as he recommended.

I actually wanted to eat steamed shrimp and crab as well, but the portions looked large and I didn’t think I could finish them, so I gave up.

I wish I could have asked in Chinese, “How can I order smaller portions of many dishes?” but oh well.

The system is that you pick your own beer and soft drinks from the refrigerator inside the restaurant.

The beer labeled “draft” was a very tasty draft beer, so I recommend it.

As an appetizer, they served something like small shellfish stir-fried with garlic.

There wasn’t much edible meat, but the garlic flavor was quite nice.

I wasn’t really sure how to eat it, but looking around, it seemed like you were supposed to suck it up and eat the small pieces of meat.

Now, our order has arrived.

First to arrive was a cold bamboo shoot dish.

I ordered it after seeing the restaurant’s menu on Google Maps; it looked delicious.

The bamboo shoots weren’t seasoned, so we ate them with mayonnaise.

It was light and tasty, but the portion size was considerably larger than what we had at the izakaya the day before.

Next up was the clam stir-fry recommended by the waiter.

The clams were plump and juicy.

These green leaves had a rather strong flavor, so some people might not like them.

They tasted like the Asian herbs served with authentic Vietnamese pho, so I managed a couple of bites, but in the end I picked them out and ate only the clams.

I think it was oyster sauce, but the saltiness was balanced by a hint of ginger, making it delicious.

This dish was also very generous in portion size.

And then there was the fried rice, also recommended by the owner.

It had both shrimp and pork in it, and the rice was perfectly fluffy and delicious.

It was just the right amount for two people, and very filling.

The sausages from the day before were so delicious that I ordered them again.

I also ordered the thick-cut pork and the milkfish, a specialty of Tainan, as I hadn’t tried them yet.

Honestly, I thought three dishes were too much, but looking at the picture, I thought I had to order all three together, so I did.

Looking back, I realized I could have ordered each dish individually by pointing to them.

I was so focused on ordering that I didn’t notice.

The milkfish was fatty and the sweet and salty sauce was a perfect match; it was delicious.

Honestly, the sausages from the previous restaurant were better, so I think I should have just ordered the milkfish.

As you can see from the venue, this restaurant primarily features large tables, both inside and out, where large groups can gather.

At this time, the seats were still sparse, but within an hour, this spacious restaurant was filled with customers.

This area behind it will also be completely filled.

Other tables were laden with lavish meals of shrimp, crab, and hot pot, which might be a bit intimidating for tourists, but if you carefully choose from the menu, you can enjoy some really delicious seafood.

Next time, I’d like to try the grilled squid and some fish dishes.

梅鑫海産店

Address： No. 1號, Lane 330, Section 2, Hai’an Rd, West Central District, Tainan City, 台湾 700

700台南市中西區海安路二段330巷1號

Business Hours：17:30~23:30　（Tuesday Closed）

TEL：+88662296978

修安扁担豆花 Xiu’an Douhua

This is a sweets shop located on the street of Yongle Market, easily recognizable by its large lantern.

They serve a dessert similar to anmitsu (a Japanese dessert made with soft, sweet tofu), called Douhua (豆花), which is pronounced “Tongfa.”

I wanted to go to this shop because I heard their douhua (tofu pudding) is famous.

It seems to be a well-known shop that’s been featured in the media quite a bit within Taiwan.

It seems that Japanese tourists also visit, as there was a Japanese menu next to the register, making ordering easy.

They also seem to have shaved ice and pudding on the menu, but this time I was there for douhua (tofu pudding), so I ordered the second most popular item, the “Mixed” douhua.

The price was 75 Taiwanese dollars, which is about 300 yen.

The douhua was served almost immediately after ordering.

The size was about the size of a mini ramen bowl.

They provided spoons for everyone without us even having to ask, which shows they understand our needs.

The “Total” douhua had quite a variety of toppings, including red bean paste, tapioca, aiyu jelly, and a plum-based jelly-like dessert, making it quite filling.

It was also my first time trying douhua.

I thought it would just be sweet tofu, but it wasn’t as tofu-like as I expected, and it went down smoothly and easily.

It was a very pleasant treat after a long walk, as it was soothing to my tired body.

While there were many other douhua (tofu pudding) shops in Taiwan, I wanted to remember this shop’s douhua as the authentic Taiwanese taste, so I didn’t eat douhua anywhere else.

修安扁担豆花 Xiu’an Douhua

Address： No. 157號, Section 3, Guohua St, West Central District, Tainan City, 台湾 700

700台南市中西區國華街三段157號

Business Hours：8:00~21:30

TEL：+88662261069

Store’s Facebook：修安扁擔豆花 | Tainan | Facebook

A shop that was on my list of places I wanted to go

These are places I had on my list of places I wanted to visit, but didn’t have time to go.

I definitely want to visit them the next time I’m in Tainan.

1.　阿明豬心冬粉：Ah Ming Pig’s Heart Dong Noodles: An extremely popular restaurant famous for its liver soup.

2.　莉莉水果店:Lili Fruit Shop: Famous for its fruits, shaved ice, etc.

3. 再發號肉粽：Re-release of meat zongzi: A locally famous zongzi shop

4. 阿霞飯店 台南店 A SHA Tainan Main Restaurant：A high-end restaurant in Tainan that has been in business for three generations.

5. 文章牛肉湯:A famous restaurant specializing in beef soup called Niuryu Tang.

1．阿明豬心冬粉

This popular restaurant opens at 5:00 PM and is completely packed by 5:30 PM.

Their sesame-dressed liver and offal soups are said to be delicious.

If you want to avoid the crowds, weekdays are recommended.

The location is near the Xiaoximen entrance of Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Tainan Xintiandi.

I’ll definitely go next time.

Address：No. 72號, Bao’an Rd, West Central District, Tainan City, 台湾 700

700台南市中西區保安路72號

Business Hours：17:00~0:00

TEL：+88662233741

2. 莉莉水果店

This shop is famous for its wide variety of fruits, shaved ice, and puddings.

The person pictured on the shop’s website is probably the owner.

It’s located on the main street south of Hayashi Department Store.

It’s on the same street as Ah Ming Pig’s Heart Dong Noodles.

A friend who’s an expert on Taiwan recommended this place, so I really wanted to go, but unfortunately, it was slightly outside my planned itinerary.

Tainan is apparently famous for its fruit, so I imagine it would be amazing to eat it during the hot summer months.

Next time, I definitely want to try it and stand in line!

Address：No. 199號, Section 1, Fuqian Rd, West Central District, Tainan City, 台湾 700

700台南市中西區府前路一段199號

Business Hours：11:00~22:00 (水曜日定休）

TEL：+88662137522 

 

3. 再發號肉粽

This is a chimaki (rice dumpling) shop located about two blocks north of Hayashi Department Store.

I saw a comment recommending their most expensive special eight-treasure meat dumpling, and I wanted to go, but unfortunately, I couldn’t this time.

Next time, I definitely want to try that delicious-looking dumpling.

Address：No. 71號, Section 2, Minquan Rd, West Central District, Tainan City, 台湾 700

700台南市中西區民權路二段71號

Business Hours：10:00~20:00

TEL：+88662223577

Restaurant’s Homepage: http://www.zaifahao.url.tw/

4. 阿霞飯店 台南店 A SHA Tainan Main Restaurant

A famous Tainan restaurant that has been around since 1940.

It’s currently run by the third generation.

They seem to have set courses that include shrimp and crab, and a friend who’s familiar with Taiwan recommended this restaurant.

Set courses start from 680 Taiwanese dollars per person, and with fried rice it comes to about 3,000 yen.

It’s quite expensive for Taiwan, but it’s a restaurant I’d like to try at least once.

They seem to have a Japanese menu, so it should be easy for Japanese people to use.

Address：No. 7號, Lane 84, Section 2, Zhongyi Rd, West Central District, Tainan City, 台湾 700

700台南市中西區忠義路二段84巷7號

Business Hours：11:00~14:00 / 17:00~21:00

TEL：+88662231418

Restaurant’s Homepage: https://www.asha-restaurant.com/

5. 文章牛肉湯

This is a famous beef soup restaurant located west of central Tainan, towards Anping.

I was sightseeing in Anping and wanted to stop by and try Tainan’s famous beef soup.

It opens at 10:00 AM.

I wasn’t hungry at 10:00 AM, so I walked around for a while and went back after 10:30 AM. The restaurant was full, and there was a line to order.

Since they have long opening hours, you might be able to get a seat if you go at a less crowded time!

Address：No. 300號, Anping Rd, Anping District, Tainan City, 台湾 708

708台南市安平區安平路300號

Business Hours：10:00~2:00 (月曜日定休）

TEL：+88663587910

Restaurant’s Homepage: 文章牛肉湯【本產牛肉料理專賣店】 | Tainan | Facebook