A Tour of Tainan’s Time-Honored Eateries: Youcheng Shrimp & Pork Rice Balls & Kaishan Shuntian Ice Pops

Text & Photos bySan Gao Eats Han

Rice balls are one of Taiwan’s most iconic street snacks, with variations across the island in their wrappers, fillings, and sauces. The steamed rice balls from Tainan and Pingtung, made with a high proportion of glutinous rice slurry, aren’t really my thing—I’m not a fan of the overly mushy texture. For lunch near the Confucius Temple area, I stopped by Youcheng, then grabbed an ice pop from a shop across the alley from the Yenping Prince Shrine—otherwise, the heat would’ve been unbearable.

Youcheng is a modest storefront, with rice balls being made under the arcade at the entrance. Inside, the ordering and payment process is streamlined, with self-service trays for picking up your food. There’s also air conditioning, which adds a modern touch to this old-school eatery.

Each order comes with three rice balls served on a fan-shaped plate, drizzled with a sauce based on minced pork and pork juice. It has a subtle sweetness, and the skin is smooth, tender, and slightly elastic, though not overly firm.

What left the deepest impression after eating was the minced pork filling—crumbly bits with a hint of fat, fragrant but not greasy. The presence of the shrimp was noticeable… but, well… it was alright~ (Ah, I really want to eat shrimp rolls… )

The variation in the sauce is a nice touch too~

After finishing, I walked over to Kaishan Shuntian Ice Pops. I heard they’ve been around for about the same amount of time as Youcheng—fifty or sixty years. In Tainan, old shops are everywhere, and maintaining a multigenerational legacy isn’t easy.

These are traditional handmade ice pops, and what they can proudly claim is the use of quality ingredients. I bought one lemon-flavored and one plum-flavored and ate them right outside the shop. The lemon flavor left a strong impression—tangy, refreshing, and sweet without being cloying. It’s like turning a delicious old-fashioned lemonade into a stick you can bite into. Later, a couple came to buy the lemon flavor, and the owner said it was sold out. Huh? That was the last one?

The plum-flavored one had bits of preserved fruit inside—it was pretty good too—but I was more drawn to the lemon~ I still had another meal scheduled for the afternoon, followed by the evening food adventure in Jinhua Road’s battleground.

Youcheng Shrimp & Pork Rice Balls
Address: No. 118, Kailu Road, West Central District, Tainan City
Business Hours: 10:00 AM–8:00 PM
Kaishan Shuntian Ice Pops
Address: No. 7-1, Lane 151, Kailu Road, West Central District, Tainan City
Business Hours: 9:00 AM–9:00 PM

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