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💠 Cheng Bian Zhen Wei Eel Noodle
Hi everyone! I’m Wolf Wolf🪽
Today I’m in Tainan, and I want to introduce you to an old establishment founded in 1970 – Cheng Bian Zhen Wei Eel Noodle!
This restaurant has a great reputation, drawing many locals and tourists alike. However, my dining experience this time had a bit of a discrepancy, which I’d like to share for your reference.
🔸 Eel Noodle Soup (140 NTD)
Features a Tainan-style sweet, thick broth that is smooth and rich. The eel has a nice chewy texture, and the noodles absorb the broth well, performing reasonably. However, this time the broth was a bit bland, lacking the rich and aromatic warmth that one might expect, which is a bit unfortunate.
🔥 Stir-Fried Eel Noodles (190 NTD)
This dish is supposed to be the highlight, but I must say the wok flavor was noticeably lacking this time! The stir-fry aroma didn’t come through, and while the eel was decent, the overall experience felt like it lacked that soul of a stir-fry, and the taste was rather flat. The price is on the higher side but didn’t deliver the surprise one would expect.
🦑 Squid Noodle Soup (140 NTD)
The squid was very fresh, crunchy, and without any fishy taste, which is a plus! The thick soup style is similar to the eel soup, but compared to it, the taste is lighter, suitable for those who prefer milder flavors.
✍️ Personal Thoughts:
Although this restaurant is a well-known brand and might have had great strength in the past, the waiting time for this meal was very long, and I didn’t experience the "high-heat wok flavor" I expected, which felt a bit overrated. If you are a fan of Tainan's wok flavor, you might be disappointed. However, if you want to try the flavors of a classic old restaurant, it can still be on your list of places to visit!
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🔹🏠：Cheng Bian Zhen Wei Eel Noodle
🔹📍： No. 235, Section 1, Dongmen Road, East District, Tainan City
The boss has a great attitude. I ordered sesame tofu pudding for 70, which allows me to choose three toppings, while my friend ordered the original flavor tofu pudding for 60, which also allows three toppings. The sesame flavor is very fragrant. As for the toppings, the sweet potato balls are delicious and very chewy and sweet, and the pearls are also very tasty. The boss said that if the tofu pudding is not enough, we can ask for more, and there's also a points card to collect points. The value for money is quite high.
Goffee (Doctor Coffee Shop) is a specialty coffee shop in Liujia, Tainan, which won the Bean Roasting Championship in 2022 and has gained some popularity online, being loved by coffee enthusiasts.
I especially recommend the single-origin latte, which has a rich and smooth texture, and the intense coffee aroma is intoxicating. Every sip feels satisfying!
The interior perfectly blends rustic charm with modern aesthetics, featuring a pseudo-exposed concrete structure paired with a Japanese-style small garden, creating a tranquil and elegant atmosphere.
If possible, I highly recommend visiting on a weekday when you can enjoy a quiet corner; on weekends, it tends to be more crowded, and you may need to wait for a seat or choose an outdoor spot to enjoy a leisurely time. If you're in Liujia, be sure to stop by Goffee for a coffee; you won’t be disappointed.
【Foodholic Nako @ Lanyu】
"Wenwen Taro Ice" is located in the Hongtou tribe on the southwest side of Lanyu, right on the main road. If you ride by, you can't miss the shop with a row of blue chairs!
In addition to selling ice drinks, they also offer some handicrafts, postcards, and souvenirs!
"Wenwen Taro Ice" is a shop that many people recommended before coming to Lanyu. However, I don't particularly like taro, so I found their ice products to be just average...
Most customers usually order taro ice cream or the special "Wenwen" blend (taro ice cream + caramel mung bean smoothie).
My friend ordered the Wenwen special for $70, and he said it was really delicious, so I understand why so many people recommend this place.
I personally ordered the caramel mung bean smoothie for $70. It was a huge cup! Served in an icy cup, it was super cold!! Although it's called caramel, I didn't find it too sweet, and the mung beans weren't crushed too finely, so I could still enjoy the texture of the beans.
I recommend taking your ice across the road to the edge of the embankment to enjoy the view of the sea while you eat!
But personally, I’m not a big fan of ice, so I only finished about 2/3 of it before I stopped eating, haha.
【Foodholic Niko @ Lanyu】
"The Dongqing Sweet Potato Cake / Millet Doughnut" is located in the Dongqing Night Market, and the place with the longest queue is definitely this one!
Perhaps because several YouTubers have introduced this shop, its popularity is truly high. We came to queue around 7 PM after dinner and ended up waiting for about 15 minutes...
Originally, we wanted to buy both the doughnut and the sweet potato cake, but since we were too full from dinner, we only ordered the doughnut in the end.
Millet Doughnut $45
To be honest, the price of this doughnut is really high! It’s quite small~ But it's okay, bringing ingredients to Lanyu is not easy at all!
The doughnut is best enjoyed fresh out of the fryer; it’s really very chewy and soft! I love the texture when you bite into it!
I personally suggest that if you visit the Dongqing Night Market, you should definitely buy one to try!
A family-style skewered food izakaya, clean, bright, comfortable, and warm, with a bar counter, tables, and tatami mats. It has a very early Japanese style, and it feels like it's being run by a grandmother and the next generation together. However, I'm unsure if it's the end of the snow season or due to population decline, but it feels a bit quiet with not many customers.
I ordered some skewers and snacks to go with the drinks, and had beer warmed with sake, following the standard izakaya set. The dishes were served quickly; the skewers come in pairs with generous portions. The pork tongue was tasty, the pork liver was super large but not overcooked, and the chicken wings were juicy. Fried tofu is a must-order at a place like this in Japan. Overall, it was standard; the snacks weren't overly salty but didn't impress either. Enjoying big bites of meat and sipping drinks, I felt pleasantly tipsy while walking on the snow-flaked streets… so cold~
This restaurant, "Stone Town Braised Spicy Corn," is located on Bao'an Road in the Central-West District of Tainan. If you wait on-site, the wait usually starts from 15 to 30 minutes, so it's recommended to call ahead for a reservation.
The corn here is prepared using a braising and brushing sauce method, resulting in a chewy, bouncy texture that is not hard, and the sauce is really impressive. It seems the owner also notes the texture of the corn for the day, which feels quite professional. The satay flavor is incredibly unbeatable, with a rich aroma and a hint of mild spiciness that leaves a delightful satay fragrance lingering in your mouth after eating.
However, regarding phone reservations... I sincerely suggest that first-timers be cautious. When we called, the staff spoke very hurriedly and didn’t introduce the flavors. We initially thought there was only one option, but upon arriving, we discovered there were many flavors to choose from, as well as different types of sauces available. However, if you don’t ask, they won’t offer this information proactively.
If you order on-site, it usually takes 15-30 minutes to wait. In any case, if you’re a fan of grilled corn, this place is definitely worth keeping in mind, but remember to call first and clarify the flavors, or you might miss out on the best options.
The whole shop actually sells "Qiao Tou Gao" (a type of cake)~
Everyone who visits the Gubei Water Town knows this shop selling Qiao Tou Gao, as it is located right at the entrance of the food street 🍜. If you want to go in and eat other things, you will definitely pass by this Qiao Tou Gao shop, and no matter who you are, if you've been to Gubei Water Town, you've probably tried this Qiao Tou Gao!
Even we, who didn't plan to eat it, saw everyone coming and going to buy Qiao Tou Gao, so we ended up getting a serving too!
The owner is very polite, and when you purchase, he will tell you that if you buy a discount coupon 🎫 on Meituan first, it can be cheaper. However, since we are Taiwanese, some things cannot be logged in while in mainland China. The owner was even kinder and gave me a serving for free, and later I felt embarrassed and transferred him the money through Alipay 💰!
The taste of Qiao Tou Gao is actually quite good; it has a fresh and light flavor without too many other tastes. It’s somewhat similar to the "Zhuang Yuan Gao," but a bit harder, and there are more nuts added. When you reach the bottom, you can even taste some red bean paste. Personally, I think it tastes pretty good since it’s not too sweet and easy to eat—it's a nice little dessert after a meal!
Overall, I think if you're going to visit, it’s only 10 yuan, so you can buy it and enjoy it while having fun. Although some people don’t rate it very highly, others think it’s great. I believe that when opinions are so polarized, you really need to experience it yourself. I recommend it to those who go and taste it personally!
The restaurants around Sun Moon Lake seem to close quite early. The restaurant I originally planned to eat at was already closed, so I ended up going to the restaurant mentioned by the owner of the B&B - Sun Moon Restaurant.
It's a type of stir-fry restaurant that offers set meals at different price points or à la carte dishes. Since there were only two of us, we chose à la carte and ordered:
The Hakka oil chicken leg was quite tender, and the bamboo tube rice was a bit small in portion. The flavors were okay. As someone who dislikes vegetables, I only sampled the Shuzi Mountain fern and the fried Japanese coriander, and I thought the fried Japanese coriander was quite nice when it was crispy. My friend, who loves vegetables, preferred the Shuzi Mountain fern.
What I was most looking forward to were the passion fruit shrimp balls. The shrimp was fried well, but it felt like the passion fruit was just a companion rather than being blended together; I initially thought it would have a more integrated flavor, but the combination of passion fruit and shrimp balls did work flavor-wise.
Finally, we were served some complimentary fruit - pineapple, which was sweet.
The dining environment was nice, and the presentation was thoughtful. Except for the bamboo tube rice being on the smaller side, the portion sizes of the other dishes were sufficient. There was parking available next to the restaurant, making it driver-friendly.
Located in the Sanmin shopping district of Nanjing, Wangji Water-Fried Buns specializes in freshly fried water buns and often has long lines of customers. This time, I tried two flavors: cabbage and pork, and chives with vermicelli. The outer skin was crispy, and the filling was generous, with a nice flavor. The cabbage was savory and juicy, while the chives were refreshing. Although the bottom was fried well, it felt a bit greasy, and eating too many could be overwhelming.
The scallion pancakes sold nearby are also very popular, but they often sell out quickly if you arrive too late, so it's recommended to go early if you want to try them.