A whole big crab lying across a Tainan rice cake slice of glutinous rice cake with preserved radish and pork floss (米糕)! Six drunken shrimp cost just NT$70.

Reporter Guo Xuansuan / Comprehensive report

Yet another high-value-for-money traditional Taiwanese snack spot in Tainan."Nan Ren Wei", which gained popularity with its traditional sesame oil chicken leg rice cake in Tainan, now also offers a limited-edition crab-flavored rice cake that requires advance booking. The owner goes to the fish market every morning to pick the freshest ingredients. A whole big crab is placed on the rice cake—absolutely over the top. Wild crabs such as the Wanli Crab, wild virgin crab (野生处女?), and the hard-to-come-by three-spot crab are all carefully selected by the owner. The daily limited quantity and price of crabs are announced at noon, priced according to the market rate. The tempting aroma of sesame oil paired with the sweet taste of the crab makes it a dish you have to get lucky to try.

▲ Premium autumn crab rice cake—you can enjoy it for just a hundred bucks. (Photo/IG@amos0716Provided, please do not reproduce without permission to avoid copyright infringement)

The rice cake, sautéed with a base of sesame oil and aged ginger, is full of fragrance. The sticky rice is soft, chewy, and flavorful, while the rich mix-ins—peanuts, mushrooms, potatoes, and taro—add even more texture. The staple of the stall, the "sesame oil chicken leg rice cake," uses chicken leg meat slaughtered that very day. At "Nan Ren Wei," everything from purchasing, preparing ingredients to making and selling is handled by the owner, Nan Nan, alone. To preserve the simple flavors of traditional home-style cooking, she insists on doing her best and providing the freshest seafood. If she doesn’t find high-quality crabs at the fishing port that day, she will inform customers and cancel orders.

▲ Drunken shrimp rice cake—fresh white shrimp steamed with Taiwanese beer, served on a bed of sesame oil rice cake. Daily weight varies, and you can get a box of about 4–7 shrimp for just NT$70. (Photo/IG@uhvdshbProvided, please do not reproduce without permission to avoid copyright infringement)

One bite of rice cake, one bite of crab, a big chomp of tender chicken leg meat, plus the fragrant aroma of fresh white shrimp. "Nan Ren Wei" rice cakes combine seasonal ingredients, offering authentic, high-quality traditional snacks that are great value for money, and also convey the warm hospitality of Tainan.

Nan Ren Wei
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Address: No. 26, Chidong St., West Central District, Tainan City
Business hours: 5:30 PM – 8:00 PM (Closed Mondays)