Guide to Tainan’s Specialty Breakfasts – A Variety of Morning Eats to Energize Your Day

Text and photos byReggie Sun

If you’re visiting Tainan, be sure to remember that most homestays don’t provide breakfasts！ XD It’s not because they’re stingy or inattentive, but because Tainan’s 【breakfasts】 are simply too iconic – from beef soup and savory congee to a dazzling array of choices, proving that no matter what time you head out in Tainan, whether it's dinner to late-night snacks, late-night to dawn, or dawn to noon, you’ll always find somewhere to eat！ And these local snacks are the essence of Tainan, which is why homestays here understand their culture so well that they’ve chosen not to offer breakfast service, allowing you to discover Tainan through every meal during your visit.

Over the past two years, I've been to Tainan several times and have tried various types of breakfasts. The classics range from savory congee and beef soup, to more recent finds like the soy milk szechuan spice egg pancake, and my longtime favorite brunch spot: ici cafe. In total, I’ve picked seven breakfast options. I’ve specially selected and organized them here, and will continue to update this article as I try new places. Feel free to save this for your next trip to Tainan！

Fish skin, fish maw, tofu, milkfish, fresh oysters – honestly, I didn’t even have the time or focus to distinguish all the varieties inside, because when you dig in, the white congee part only makes up about 50% of the bowl, and the rest is all toppings！ Packed full, when you eat it, you won’t taste any fish that’s off or fishy at all. It’s just an explosion of fresh seafood in your mouth. The added chopped leeks and fried shallots make the whole savory congee simple yet unforgettable, leaving you deeply enchanted after just one bite.

[A-Tang Savory Congee]: No. 728, Section 1, Ximen Rd., Tainan City (near Little Ximen Roundabout) ＼ Open 5 AM – 12 PM, sell out until closing

When a bowl of milkfish congee arrives, the first thing that hits you is the fragrant, fresh aroma. The milkfish meat melts in your mouth – it’s so fresh that even friends who usually avoid fish skin end up eating the whole piece. There are also oysters inside, along with shallots, scallion bits, and cilantro, all mixed into the congee. It’s truly irresistible, bite after bite.

[A-Xing Savory Congee]: No. 289, Section 3, Minzu Rd., West Central District, Tainan City ＼ Open 5 AM – 1 PM ＼ Tel: 06 220 0941

That day, I went for the basics and ordered a 【Szechuan Spice Egg Pancake】. This flavor was actually my first time trying it, and let me tell you, it was really delicious！ But the portion is about half the size of a regular egg pancake, so I’d recommend ordering two to share. As you can see in the photo, the portion is quite modest, but the pancake itself is aromatic and tender, hot off the griddle with that szechuan kick – perfect for a 【Tai-style hipster】 like me XD   We also got a 【Ham and Egg Toast】, which totally won our hearts. It’s simple – just ham, a fried egg, and probably a little butter, but not too much.

The toast is freshly baked, so you can feel that slight crisp on the outside, but it’s not overdone. The fried egg gives off a rich eggy aroma, paired with the just-cooked ham – it seriously makes us want to have this for breakfast every day！

[Soy Milk Zong]: No. 175, Section 2, Fuqian Rd., West Central District, Tainan City ＼ Open 10 PM – 11 AM

The next morning, I woke up late and rolled in around nine-ish！ I figured with business hours from midnight to noon the next day, there shouldn’t be a problem. But to my surprise, the beef soup only had one last bowl left！！！ Yep, this very bowl！！！ When the next customer came, the boss said “sold out,” and that’s when we realized how lucky we were！ The beef (it’s Taiwanese beef!) looked super fresh, blanched briefly, then served with shredded ginger and the original broth (which seems to have Chinese herbs or some secret recipe – the soup base is amazing). You get the tenderness of the beef and the sweetness of the broth, not greasy at all, and I finished the whole bowl！

[A-Cun Beef Soup: Bao’an Branch] No. 41, Bao’an Rd., Tainan City ／ Tel: 06 229 3908 ／ 10 PM – Noon (sell out until closing)
[A-Cun Beef Soup: Guohua Branch] No. 128, Section 3, Guohua St., Tainan City ／ Tel: 06 222 9446 ／ 4 AM – Noon (sell out until closing)

And then I ran into the “last piece of beef” dilemma again！ (Yeah, happened at A-Cun last time too XD) But no worries！ Because besides beef, there’s also beef offal and beef brisket. So if you're into those, you don’t have to stick to just beef. That day, I switched to two bowls of brisket soup and one beef, all stir-fried with scallions. The scallion stir-fry was super fragrant！ The beef was tender, fresh, and had a nice bounce to it, and the scallions were delicious too. Eating beef slices with scallions is great – you could even pair it with plain rice, but the best part is it’s not too salty！ The brisket soup had such a sweet broth！！ And the beauty of fresh beef is that the soup is naturally savory-sweet without needing heavy seasoning – you can really taste the freshness. There are also condiments like shredded ginger on the side that you can mix in as you like.

[Wen-Zhang Beef Soup]: No. 590, Anping Rd., Anping District, Tainan City ＼ Tel: 06 228 4626 ＼ 5 PM – 2 AM the next day

Shan-Ji Fish Shop – I’d passed by it on Fuqian Rd. in Tainan before and seen the crowds！ There were quite a few tables, and after about a 10-minute wait, it was our turn. Even though there were plenty of fish soups, I couldn’t bring myself to order one because I was hot and thirsty. So I went simple: sashimi, hand rolls, blanched greens, and salmon rice！ It was delicious and uncomplicated～

[Shan-Ji Fish Shop]: No. 120, Section 1, Fuqian Rd., Tainan City, Open 6 AM – 2 PM, Tel: 06-211-0851

The left and right walls preserve the original textures of this old building – the peeling surfaces look like an endlessly expanding treasure map, reminding me of ancient cave paintings by cavemen. The vertical ceiling and space before your eyes are painted in a calm blue, and the entire space is filled with collected vintage pieces, creating a magical corner that feels like a secret hideaway. The bold yellow on either side reaches every seat, loudly declaring that all 【charging is free】！ It’s clearly the owner’s statement against all those cafes that don’t offer charging ports. XD　It’s so generous, you can’t help but give a thumbs up～

That day, the three of us each ordered a set meal. There was a handmade Italian-style meat cutlet, and I was drawn to the plate right away, plus the generously and playfully arranged ingredients – every angle was photogenic！ There was a perfectly round sunny-side-up egg, and those potato shreds often mistaken for onions. Seriously, those potato shreds took a lot of work – anyone who’s cooked potatoes knows how much effort goes into getting them that thin. To present such a delicate hash brown, the craftsmanship is incredible, and the taste is even better – the fragrance of the potatoes fully melts in your mouth！！！

[ici cafe]: No. 108, Lane 93, Zhongxiao St., West Central District, Tainan City ＼ Tel: 06 222 3053 ＼FB ＼ Open 9 AM – 6 PM, closed Tues & Wed

 

[Enjoy life, don’t be bored. – Reggie Sun]