Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide: Taipei, Tainan, and Kaohsiung

Bib Gourmand is an award standard that recognizes small eateries or street vendors where diners can have three delicious dishes (excluding drinks) at a very affordable price. The price limit varies with cities, but it is below NT$1000 in Taiwan. Tainan, the city newly included in the evaluation, has 27 eateries selected in the 2022 Michelin Bib Gourmand Guide, making it the city with the most new Bib Gourmand selections!

Taipei

Fu Hang Soy Milk

Fu Hang Soy Milk has been awarded the Michelin Bib Gourmand recommendation since 2018 and has been in business for 65 years. To enjoy this Taiwanese breakfast, one must wake up early and line up for about 25 minutes, even before the store opens. Soy milk can be served sweet or salty; the crispy and long youtiao is distinctive, and the shaobing and egg pancakes are the breakfast staples that most tables order.

Fu  Hang Soy Milk
Address: 2F, No. 108, Sec. 1, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Zhongzheng Dist., Taipei City
Phone: +886 2 2392 2175

Rong’s  Pork Liver 

Rong’s  Pork Liver has been in business for 73 years since 1950. The restaurant carefully selects the pork liver from the freshly slaughtered black pig of the day. The thick pork liver is cut and boiled on the spot, and only a limited amount is available daily. It has a tender and crispy texture that melts in your mouth. The restaurant also serves soft and sticky meat dumplings and Taiwanese-shaped taro cakes.

Rong’s Pork Liver 
Address: 010, Ningxia Night Market, Taipei

Yuan Huan Pien Oyster Egg Omelette 

This old store, founded in 1965, not only offers oyster omelet but also serves rice cakes, oyster soup, clam soup, garlic-flavored dried oysters, radish pork rib soup, pork chop soup, and more. The signature oyster omelet uses fresh, large, and delicious oysters directly delivered from Tainan and is paired with fragrant and rich native chicken eggs, becoming the restaurant's specialty. 

The garlic-flavored dried oysters, boiled and stirred with garlic sauce, are also a must-try dish, featuring the original and sweet flavor of the fresh oysters.

Yuan Huan Pien Oyster Egg Omelette
Address: No. 46, Ningxia Rd, Ningxia Night Market

Tainan

Tainan is known for its delicious local food, and here are some must-try eateries in the city.

Yi Wei Pin 

Yi Wei Pin is a small eatery that specializes in two dishes: rice pudding , known as “Wagui “ and milkfish soup. The   Wagui is filled with ingredients such as roasted shrimp, chunks of pork, and minced meat. The handmade fish soup is made with large and flavorful pieces of fish. Tainan locals usually enjoy the wagui with a bowl of fish soup, as it is the perfect combination.

Yi Wei Pin
Address: No. 177, Section 3, Guohua Street, West Central District, Tainan City.

A-Song Gua Bao

A-Song Gua Bao has been in business for 80 years and offers only one type of gua bao. The gua bao is filled with three kinds of meat: regular pork, lean meat, and pork tongue. Each order comes with two gua baos that can be mixed and matched. When dining in, the restaurant also serves a clear pork broth. The gua bao bun has a chewy texture and is filled with freshly sliced meats, pickled vegetables, and radish, topped with peanut sauce. It is a great choice for those who prefer a slightly sweet taste.

A-Song Gua Bao
Address: No. 181, Section 3, Guohua Street, West Central District, Tainan City.

Kaiyuan Fried Spanish Mackerel Thick Soup 

A visit to Tainan is incomplete without trying the local delicacy, braised Spanish mackerel soup. Kaiyuan has been serving this dish for over 30 years. In addition to the signature braised Spanish mackerel, they also offer minced meat rice, braised tofu, fish stomach, and fish skin with meatball soup. The Spanish mackerel is freshly fried, and it can be enjoyed with noodles, rice vermicelli, or rice, according to your preference.

Kaiyuan Fried Spanish Mackerel Thick Soup
Address: No. 307, Kaiyuan Road, North District, Tainan City.

Ice 8 Bao( Guohua street )

In the hot weather of Tainan, a refreshing shaved ice is a must. Ice 8 Bao (Ba Bao Bin ) is a traditional dessert shop that has been recommended by Michelin. 

With a variety of toppings, you can enjoy a bowl of shaved ice with five types of ingredients, such as lotus seeds, taro, jelly noodles, grass jelly, and red beans, all for just 50 New Taiwan Dollars.

Ice 8 Bao
Address: No. 99, Section 2, Guohua Street, West Central District, Tainan City.

Small Park Danzai Noodles

For late-night supper, the older generation in Tainan enjoys eating danzai noodles. Small Park Danzai Noodles has a history of 70 years and offers both soup-based and dry noodles. They also serve several side dishes such as duck blood, marinated leeks, and fish roe. Their minced pork is fragrant and not greasy, blending perfectly with the broth to create a rich and flavorful taste. Moreover, the prices are very affordable, with 100 New Taiwan Dollars being enough to satisfy your hunger.

Small Park Danzai Noodles
Address: No. 321, Section 2, Ximen Road, West Central District, Tainan City.

Po Jen Tang

In order to inherit the essence of Chinese medicine, the sixth-generation owner transformed the business into a health-preserving medicinal cuisine restaurant. For example, the Zhongshan Chenpi Red Bean Soup is known for its stomach-tonifying and spleen-regulating effects. The soup retains the texture of the red beans while having a subtle Chenpi (dried tangerine peel) flavor. Another recommended dish is the Ice Sugar Lily Bulb with Tremella Fuciformis. The red dates, goji berries, and longan are added to the syrup after being soaked separately. This is done to avoid excessive heatiness and to fully capture the medicinal properties of the ingredients. For the main course, the slow-cooked Polygonum Multiflorum Pork Ribs paired with "Guanmiao Mianxian" is highly recommended.

Po Jen Tang
Address: No. 27, Lane 300, Section 2, Ximen Road, West Central District, Tainan City.
Phone: +886 6 222 6473

Amei 

With over 60 years of dedication to Taiwanese cuisine, Amei carefully selects fresh and authentic ingredients to prepare traditional local dishes that have been passed down for centuries. Their signature dish, Clay Pot Duck, uses a large bone broth base with garlic and crispy dried fish as seasonings. The pot is then filled with two and a half kilograms of Chinese cabbage and simmered until tender. Finally, a tender duck from Kaohsiung's Haipu is added and cooked for three hours over charcoal fire, a tradition that has been upheld for 50 years. In addition to Taiwanese cuisine, their desserts such as Ba Bao Bing (Eight Treasure Ice) and Da Buding (Big Pudding) are full of nostalgic flavors.

Amei
Address: No. 98, Section 2, Minquan Road, West Central District, Tainan City.
Phone: +886 6 222 2848
Website: amei.com.tw

Kaohsiung

Caizong Li 

When it comes to establishments that excel at one thing, "Dugu Yi Wei" comes to mind. Caizong Li Kaohsiung is a prime example. With a history of 76 years, they focus solely on making vegetable rice dumplings (cai zong) and miso soup. The vegetable rice dumplings are typically served with peanut powder and drizzled with soy sauce paste. For those who prefer a spicier taste, they offer chili paste and minced garlic as additional toppings, catering to the Malaysian palate.

Caizong Li
Address: No. 159, Chenggong 1st Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City.
Phone: +886 7 331 3086