A rare fried rice ball in Dapu, Pingtung — soft and chewy exterior with rich filling

▲ The exterior of the rice ball is a hybrid of fried and steamed styles — slightly soft and chewy. The filling includes diced bamboo shoots, dried shrimp, meat chunks, and more, offering a rich and quite tasty flavor.

Photo & Text /Shadow


If you often read Shadow’s articles, you’ll surely notice the word “Dapu” mentioned frequently. In the early days, Dapu referred collectively to neighborhoods in Pingtung City such as Dapu, Chongli, Chongzhi, Bixin, Minquan, and Weixin. Even though these areas now have their own official names, the older generation still habitually refers to the whole district as Dapu.

As a result, early shops often used “Dapu” in their names, such as Dapu Songzijiao Meat Sauce, Jun Si Dian, Qian Sheng Dian, and others. This article introduces Dapu Rice Ball Shop. Its main dining area is relatively small, but there’s also an outdoor seating section at the back, making the space feel more spacious. Most customers sit in the outdoor area. The shop is located in a quieter part of the street, with fewer pedestrians, creating a calm dining atmosphere.

Dapu Rice Balls are one of the few in Pingtung that focus on fried versions, making them relatively rare and special locally — which is why we want to introduce them to everyone. These rice balls have a history of over 60 years in Dapu. In the early days, they may have primarily served rice balls, but over time and through different eras, they adapted to the changing times and expanded their offerings.

Eventually, the shop evolved into its current scale. It no longer sells just rice balls but offers a variety of items, giving customers more choices and allowing the business to survive and thrive in a competitive market. The Dapu Rice Ball Shop starts serving lunch at noon and quickly attracts a crowd. From rice balls to noodles, there’s something to satisfy every palate. Besides the rice balls, this time we’re also trying the large intestines and blood sausage.

The dining area has retro terrazzo flooring. After 60 years in business, the snack shop has expanded into two storefronts to accommodate more guests. The environment is well-maintained, the tables are very clean, and the seating arrangement doesn’t make customers feel cramped.


There’s also a price list posted at the entrance for easy ordering. Since there are no printed menus, customers need to verbally tell the staff what they want, maintaining the traditional ordering style.

This table is where we had our lunch. Fried rice balls are not commonly seen in Pingtung. They are slightly more expensive per piece than steamed ones, and the filling inside is much richer. We also ordered a portion of large intestines and blood sausage — both classic Taiwanese street snacks.

The rice balls cost 25 NT dollars each. The edges are a bit crispy and hard, but most of the texture is soft and chewy. The amber-colored sauce is likely homemade by the shop, resembling a thin soy paste, with just a simple salty taste. It lacks a standout flavor, which is a bit of a pity, but adding some mashed garlic improves the taste.


The large intestines and blood sausage are sold by portion. We’re not sure of the individual prices, but the blood sausage is a matter of personal taste — in my opinion, it’s just average.


The large intestines have a firmer and more substantial bite, with lots of peanut bits inside, giving off a nostalgic, old-school flavor. However, I personally prefer charcoal-grilled large intestines, which have a smoky aroma and a softer texture.


Mushroom pork ball soup costs 35 NT dollars. The soup has a sweet and fresh vegetable aroma, with plenty of vegetables, fish balls, and pork balls. The overall taste is decent, though the broth might be a bit too thickly thickened.

The broth that comes with the rice balls has a flavor similar to big bone soup, but it’s a bit too salty.

Writing this reminds me of Fengmingting Restaurant in the Second Public Market in Zuoying, which shares similarities with Dapu Rice Ball Shop. Both sell large intestines, blood sausage, and rice balls. Both are long-established snack shops from Kaohsiung and Pingtung, operating for over 60 years and still hugely popular — truly shining stars of southern Taiwan. If you happen to pass through Dapu in Pingtung, there are many snacks to try here — come give them a shot!


[Dapu Rice Balls]

Address:No. 14-1, Zhongxiao Road, Pingtung City
Phone:08-7325761
Business Hours:11:00～19:30
Closed:Sundays
ShadowSpecializes in introducing local snacks from Kaohsiung and Pingtung. Hopes to find more food buddies through sharing. Also welcome everyone to leave the address, name, and recommended dishes of your hidden gem snacks on the “Food Lovers’ Wall” in the “Foodies’ Club”. Food reviews will be shared with you soon.

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