Tainan’s Popular Retro Oden Stall: Even Traffic Control Needed on Holidays

Text & Photos /Orange Dog Loves Candy

Ever since food shows and online media started hyping up hidden gems, no secretive eatery remains truly hidden anymore. Many of my favorite snacks or restaurants are packed with long lines on holidays. For example, both sides of Anbao Road in Tainan are lined with old-school snack shops, and during Lunar New Year, the crowds spill onto the streets. But this article isn’t about those old Tainan shops—it’s about the super-popular [A-Hui Oden] near Datong Road and Sports Park. As someone who lives in the East District, I usually come to this area around Daling Public Housing mostly for Xiangpu Noodle Shop, Kinmen Pavilion, Zhu Ji Teahouse, and this A-Hui place. After all, most visitors here are residents, students, or people coming to work out. There aren’t many tourist spots around. A-Hui has been doing great business since I first came here seven years ago, but now it’s so popular on holidays that it’s practically a battlefield.

I only found out about [A-Hui Oden] because a friend who used to live nearby brought me here. Otherwise, I would’ve only come late at night after playing basketball, since A-Hui isn’t open in the evenings. Before that, I had no idea there was such a delicious grilled oden and sausage stall here. Actually, even seven years ago when I first started coming, it was already pretty busy on holidays—the scene now is just even more insane.

It’s just a shabby tin-roofed shop, but on holidays, the parking lot in front is packed with cars and motorcycles, and they even have someone directing traffic. Now there’s even another stall next door selling grilled oden and sausages just like A-Hui, but theirs has hardly any customers. Every time I come to eat, I hear tables of regulars bringing friends over, and they all say pretty much the same thing. This place used to be a street vendor, then upgraded to a proper shop, and the current tricycle is the same one they used for the street stand. We all share the same thought—why are there so many people now when it used to be nothing like this? There are more seats than before, but you still have to wait.

The old motorcycle-turned-tricycle that used to be their street cart is now their serving counter—it’s also their signature feature. When you come here, don’t just blindly join the line. Grab a ticket first, find a seat, mark your order, and then get in line.

But make sure to check whether it’s a dine-in ticket (yellow) or takeout ticket (pink), or you’ll have to redo it and waste time. Then just wait for your food to be brought over and pay together. The staff here is surprisingly large—I think this is the most staff I’ve ever seen at an oden stall.

The grill is almost always fully loaded with rice sausages and grilled sausages taking up every inch of space. Once one batch is done, another goes right on. They also have fried items and oden simmered in broth. Despite being insanely busy, the staff never seem annoyed—which is rare for a super-popular, always-packed place. Plus, the prices are so reasonable, it’s no wonder so many people come. Honestly, instead of sending tourists to that overhyped 2-NTD oden on Fuzhong Street that’s just for visitors, I’d rather recommend they come all the way here and squeeze in with me at A-Hui Oden. That’s the real deal.

[Wei Wang Asparagus Juice / 10 NT]
I’ve been drinking this brand of asparagus juice for years, and I never thought the packaging would stay exactly the same, becoming totally retro. My grandpa loved it, and he used to buy six or seven cases at a time. Back then, it was the only drink I could have at his house. Even though it’s still 10 NT and the bottle looks the same, I can tell it’s slightly shrunk due to rising prices. But Wei Wang also got caught up in the toxic oil scandal, so who knows if this drink is even safe to drink anymore, haha.

[Clear Broth / Free Refills / Serve Yourself]
Just go up to the cart and scoop as much as you want. There’s simple pepper available to add.

[Taiwanese Fish Cake, Rice Sausage, Grilled Oden, Sausage, Shrimp Roll, Squid Ball Combo]
The Taiwanese fish cake and grilled oden here are deep-fried—crispy on the outside but not greasy, bursting with the sweet flavor of fish paste.

I also love the rice sausage and sausage. Remember to ask for extra garlic—traditionally, you bite into a piece of garlic and then a bite of sausage. Their fried items are all dry and not greasy, so you can try a few different ones. I think they’re all great, especially the fish cake.

[Rice Cake, Bitter Melon, Grilled Oden (Boiled), Radish, Meatball Combo]
No need to worry about overcooked, soggy rice cakes here—the business is so good they don’t even get the chance to soften up.

The bitter melon (25 NT) is coated in fish paste and simmered in the broth, similar to bitter melon en cocotte, but it’s not bitter or bland. The radish is 15 NT per piece, but it’s a huge chunk, and it doesn’t have that tough, stringy texture—definitely a must-order.

The prices are reasonable, the flavors are retro, and despite the busy business, the staff is still friendly (at least not annoyed). The food is also made with quality ingredients. No wonder from the first year I came here to now, seven years later, the crowds have only grown, not shrunk. It’s tolerable in the cooler autumn and winter months sitting in the tin shack, but in summer, it’s super stuffy, and the place is still packed. Out of all the oden stalls I’ve tried over the years, this one has always been my favorite. But it’s a bit off the main tourist areas—if you have time, it’s worth making the trip, just don’t come on a holiday.

◎ Shop Info: [A-Hui Oden, Daling Road, Datong Road, Sports Park │ South District]
◎ Address: No. 125, Daling Road, South District, Tainan City (Behind Daling Public Housing, next to Sports Park)
◎ Phone: 06-2249686
◎ Business Hours: 10:30 AM – 6:45 PM
◎ Note: Closed on Mondays; avoid visiting on holidays due to crowds

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