Recommended Japanese restaurant by locals in town—must-try items include Japanese-style karaage chicken and pork rice with kimchi!

Text and photos byGui Xiaosun

There are some places you just keep coming back to. Maybe it’s the distance, the culture, or the pace that draws you in so much, making you want to visit several times a year—Tainan is like that for me. Perhaps once every month, two months, or three months, when I have time and a free schedule, I want to go wandering around, enjoy some street food, and soak in Tainan’s vibe. This time, since I had plans with friends, I spontaneously put together a Tainan itinerary... Our first stop was Yongkang, where we had lunch at this place called ‘Fish Xiaolu’ (鱼小璐)! I’d heard about this spot for ages but hadn’t made it here until now XD

Yongkang is an area you can pass through on your way into central Tainan, and it’s also conveniently located near Anping. So basically, if you’re visiting Tainan, you could also plan to explore Yongkang a bit. For instance, this place ‘Fish Xiaolu’ gets way more weekend crowds than I expected XD And the crowd felt mainly like local families and residents. Perhaps we were among the rare ‘tourists’~

The restaurant isn’t very big, but it’s warm, clean, and cozy!

It has the vibe of a ‘Japanese-Western fusion canteen,’ and there’s always a steady stream of people coming and going. From the time we walked in till we left, there were hardly any empty tables XD The interior, dominated by white tones, gives off a uniquely relaxing and comforting vibe. Ordering is pretty straightforward—the most expensive combo is only 200 NTD. The combo comes with a side dish and soup.

We went straight for the combo, and immediately received three small side dishes per person. On a wooden rack sat three little white plates: one cold tofu, one salad, and one edamame. It’s perfect for hot summer days. Each dish is simple but appetizing, and they’re all really enjoyable to eat.

These side dishes are like starters, easing us into the meal after feeling the “enthusiasm” of Tainan as soon as we got out of the car. As we slowly ate and waited for our main courses, I noticed how focused everyone was at their tables, enjoying their meals. I sneakily snapped this shot below—it feels especially genuine.

Here comes the main event—pork belly with kimchi, served steaming hot and smoking right as it hit the table. That instantly got our thumbs up. Because it’s hot, you can really feel the passion of the freshly stir-fried kimchi and pork belly. Plus, the kimchi flavor is strong, and the pork slices are thick and meaty. Together, it’s seriously cravings-inducing and perfect with rice!

One spoonful of rice, one bite of pork belly with kimchi—this will make you want to pack a serving to take home for dinner. The soup that came with it was miso soup. It looked simple, but it gave me a little surprise. The miso had a rich aroma, and there was even a subtly sweet aftertaste… so savory. ^~^

Next came my most anticipated dish—the karaage chicken. It arrived as golden, fragrant, round pieces. Honestly, it reminded me a bit of fried squid balls. There were a solid six pieces in the serving. After trying each one, I have to say—I was really full afterward!!

This karaage chicken is truly special. The inside layer is tender meat that’s soft, juicy, and not dry at all. The outer layer—well, it’s the chicken skin around the edges. It’s fried that way. So when you bite into it, the outside is super crispy and fragrant, but not too thick. Inside, you get juicy chicken with warm juices. It’s super delicious.

But after just these two dishes, honestly, we were already craving other things to try. No wonder the business is so good—this is definitely the kind of place local people would want to come back to again and again, especially on weekends.

Time to start writing about this Tainan trip. XD Seems like I just finished writing about the last one, and here I am heading out again. It’s a really special feeling. Like I’m on my way to Tainan, or reminiscing about its stories.

Fish Xiaolu Japanese Kitchen:
No. 70, Dongqiao 10th Street, Yongkang District, Tainan City
No reservations accepted

［Enjoy life, don’t be bored. By Gui Xiaosun］、FB