Tainan Confucius Temple Area Food Guide: Green Peel Pistachios & Nostalgic Tender Bone Rice

Written & Photos byGui Xiaosun

Ke Lijia Tender Bone Rice: No. 746, Section 2, Yonghua Rd., Anping District, Tainan City / 06 298 3518
Green Peel Pistachios: No. 128, Fuzhong St., West Central District, Tainan City / 06 220 6638 / facebook

If I were to describe a city through its food, I believe one of the first places that comes to mind for both of us when thinking of Taiwan’s street food scene must be Tainan. Perhaps it's because so much of its traditional flavor has been preserved, but these snacks have made Tainan a place that’s always packed on holidays... But aside from all the popular spots you and I might already know about, what are some of the “hidden gems locals secretly love”? That honestly really intrigued me. Over the past few years, I’ve made quite a few friends in Tainan, and those who really know their way around the local food scene have become my living encyclopedias XD. Even if I’m not planning a trip, just scrolling through my friends’ posts is enough to build up an appetite with all the mouthwatering dishes they share. So honestly, there’s no way I could ever finish trying all the food in Tainan~

For example, the first stop on this three-day trip was this local favorite spot for tender bone and cartilage rice. Coming from Yongkang Interchange to Yonghua Street, we avoided the usual bustling Fucheng Road area... which also meant our first stop wasn’t crowded with tourists at all. XD Maybe it’s because we arrived around 1:30 PM—after all, it took us almost three hours to get to Tainan during the four-day holiday, and even coming back somehow took over four hours T T.

This ‘Ke Lijia Tender Bone Rice’ place looks unassuming, and there weren’t even any customers in the shop that afternoon. The owner’s wife was just taking care of her child, and the faint aroma of the delicious braising sauce wafted through the air. We each ordered a bowl of tender bone rice—one original flavor and one red-braised... along with three simple side dishes.

The lighter-colored one on top is the original flavor tender bone rice, and the darker one below is the red-braised version. The red-braised one seems to have a richer braising sauce, but compared to other places’ salty sauces, this one isn’t salty at all. XD And notice those two pieces of tender bone in the bowls—the semi-transparent cartilage parts... they’re making my teeth itch just looking at them. I just want to crunch into them XD.

The side dishes are like what you’d pick at a bento shop or cafeteria—you choose your favorites from a few options. My personal favorites are the celery and shredded bamboo shoots. The warm texture paired with the tender bone rice is just so satisfying, bite after bite.

If I were just ordering the tender bone by itself, I think I’d be content for a long time. Because not only are there plenty of bones in the portion, but each piece is beautifully presented. The semi-transparent cartilage bones in the middle are crispy and springy when you bite them... they’re a dream for cartilage lovers. Then there’s the lean meat mixed with a bit of fat, giving it just the right amount of tenderness... when you bite into it, the layers are distinct—with the crispness of the cartilage and the smoothness of the meat, it’s just delicious.

That was lunch at our first stop. After eating, we drove straight to the Confucius Temple area for the next spot XD. That’s when we noticed ‘Ke Lijia Tender Bone Rice’ actually closes at 2 PM. No wonder we showed up right before their closing time. The sunny holiday weather in Tainan was beautiful—the sky was so blue, and you could barely see any clouds. It was such nice weather—even though it was super sunny, it was still a lot of fun XD.

When we got to the Confucius Temple area, over the three days in Tainan due to the holiday, parking was hard to find everywhere. The entire area was packed with people. Fortunately, I’m somewhat familiar with the place, so after parking, we walked over. We saw people cooling off on the grass and under the trees in the temple grounds... the atmosphere was really nice. Maybe the people under the trees weren’t tourists, but rather locals enjoying a relaxed day ^~^.

The Confucius Temple area isn’t very long, but it’s always been one of our favorite spots every time we come here. Especially with the sunlight streaming onto the pedestrian paths where only a few people pass by, the green trees on both sides give the alleys such a cozy vibe. There are lots of famous snacks inside, like this time we originally wanted to try Bao Ge’s Fried Instant Noodles... but as usual, the line was so long we had no idea how long we’d have to wait. Since we weren’t even that hungry anyway, XD we just went straight to ‘Green Peel Pistachios’ for some ice cream.

‘Green Peel Pistachios’ is another place I found on Instagram. At the time, I thought it was a coffee shop—I often get drawn in by Instagram photos, whether it’s food or architecture. But I can’t resist those beautiful visuals, like this ‘Green Peel Pistachios’ place with its white and green building that caught my eye right away. It’s tucked away in an alley behind Fuzhong Street, but luckily there are signs along the way, so it’s pretty easy to find. As soon as we got to the entrance, we saw it was packed with people XD.

We figured we’d wait until everyone else had ordered before going in. We wandered around the lounge area in the back and the little indoor garden in the middle. In the end, we didn’t even go into the lounge—when we looked inside from the outside, it was already too crowded for the two of us XD. So even though it was a bit hotter outside, hanging out in the little garden felt pretty nice.

This little garden between the ice cream area and the lounge area was especially appealing to me. Maybe it’s because the shop left this open space as part of the ice cream store, which gives it its own unique charm. The plants around your feet are lush and green, and even though the sun might have been pretty warm... it was hard to leave these gentle green sprites.

Once there were fewer people, we headed back to the ice cream room to order. There were also lots of green potted plants here, making the whole space feel really comfortable—and it kept making me want to take pictures. Whether it was next to the restroom, or upstairs, downstairs, there were little green gardens everywhere.

Summer temperatures are just around the corner. Or maybe I should say the current temperatures in Tainan are nothing to underestimate. That’s why ice cream shops are always a favorite. This ‘Green Peel Pistachios’ place is definitely going to become a new sweet treat spot for strolls around the Confucius Temple area.

The purity of white and the natural tones of green... fill the space, and they’re also the colors closest to nature, making you feel relaxed. And because of these clean colors... it also feels especially cool.

We ordered one cranberry flavor and one with alcohol in it—what was it again? (The downside of taking too many photos XD). The funniest part was after we ordered, we heard someone say: ‘Kiwi, kiwi!’ and then we realized... oh right. We came to ‘Green Peel Pistachios’ and didn’t order kiwi!!! (I was in shock...)

Alright, let’s not dwell on the fact that we didn’t get kiwi. At least the passerby reminded us, ‘Kiwi, kiwi!’ XD. But the cranberry one was really cranberry-flavored, and the other one tasted like vanilla with a hint of alcohol. One was sour, the other slightly sweet—they were perfect for sharing. XD And the best part is neither was too sweet or too heavy. It really gave off a fresh vibe.

In the end, we raised our cute ‘Green Peel Pistachios’ cups (that didn’t have kiwi) and toasted to the distant green ‘Green Peel Pistachios’ sign. XD. The cup design is so adorable. :P :P :P Let’s all smile together.

Using food to connect the streets and alleys of Tainan is truly wonderful. Each of these fresh and historic spots links together, and the conversations never end. It seems like there are so many ideas just beginning, and those old stories never really end. Tainan’s ‘modern’ is being written from more and more perspectives.

Writing this, I also compiled a list of the foods from the 【Confucius Temple Area】 for everyone.
So that when you come here, you’ll have a few more notes to bring along. A little 【Confucius Temple Area Lazy Pack】 ^~^

Cube: No. 20, Lane 56, Alley 122, Kaishan Rd., West Central District, Tainan City / 06 221 4059 / facebook

Third Generation Milkfish Ball: No. 210, Section 1, Fuzheng Rd., Tainan City / 06 220 9539
Lily’s Fruit Shop: No. 199, Section 1, Fuzheng Rd., Tainan City / 06 213 7522

Two-Yuan Oden: No. 74, Kaisyuan Road, West Central District, Tainan City

Sunshine Café: No. 91, Kaisyuan Road, West Central District, Tainan City ＼ 06 222 5048 ＼ facebook

[Life is more fun with small joys. – Xiao Sun]