Local’s Unfiltered Recommendations: 7 Must-Try Classic Eateries at Kaohsiung’s Sanmin Market

Text & Photos /Kaohsiung Food Map

Sanmin Market takes on a different vibe during the day and night. By day, it’s a bustling vegetable market frequented by homemakers and families, while in the evening, it transforms into a compact food night market—a veritable culinary paradise highly recommended by locals. The main lively area of Sanmin Market lies between Zhonghua 3rd Road & Ziqiang 1st Road, and it’s no exaggeration to say you’ll find an old eatery just steps away. Nearly every stall has been around for over 40 or 50 years, offering everything from noodles and rice dishes to post-meal ice creams and drinks. The place is packed with people almost every evening, and business is brisk.

Ah Wan’s Yi Mian (Noodles)

It’s easy to tell this is a historic eatery just by looking at its faded and worn signboard. The yi mian (noodles) sold here actually refer to a traditional noodle dish from Yanshui in Tainan. Legend has it that the owner moved from his hometown of Yanshui to Kaohsiung to settle down and start a business, so the flavors here remain close to the authentic taste of Yanshui. This simple yet delicious fare became extremely popular among locals after arriving in Kaohsiung, and the place is often packed no matter the time of day.

Their signature Yanshui Yi Mian features just a simple topping of minced pork sauce, a few slices of dried barbecued pork, and some bean sprouts. The pork sauce is mostly lean meat, not overly salty, with a faint hint of onion aroma. The term “yi mian” here doesn’t refer to the thick, round, deep-fried noodles found in guo bao mian, but rather flat noodles made simply from flour, water, and duck eggs. Compared to regular noodles, they have a richer flavor and a pleasantly chewy texture.

Ah Wan’s Yanshui Yi Mian
Address: No. 184, Sanmin St., Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City (inside Sanmin Market)
Phone: 07-231-3207
Business Hours: 15:30–22:00

Liao Family Oden

When eating oden at Sanmin Market, grilled oden skewers are definitely a must-try, best paired with some large intestines, sausages, and a serving of free pickled side dishes. As one of the old-time shops, Liao Family Oden’s owner barely stops working—grilling oden in the sweltering heat seems like tough work.

What makes Liao Family Oden special is their commitment to using handmade fish paste oden slices made from lizardfish, which offer more chew and aroma compared to machine-pressed ones. The oden is grilled to perfection—with lightly crisp edges and an elastic, juicy center.

Liao Family Oden
Address: No. 191, Sanmin St., Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07-201-1020
Business Hours: 10:30–22:00

Duck Meat Rice

This modestly priced duck meat rice spot, located next to Sanchong Central Street and near Sanmin Market, does brisk business from morning till night. Arrive late and you might find some ingredients sold out.

What sets their duck meat rice apart is the addition of finely shredded duck meat with skin and thin slivers of bamboo shoots. The dish is lightly seasoned, with only a subtle fragrance from the duck fat, complemented by the refreshing crunch of bamboo shoots for a uniquely light and clean flavor.

The broth has a sweet and savory taste without being overly medicinal, and though the layer of oil on top may look heavy, it doesn’t make the soup feel greasy when you drink it.

Duck Meat Rice
Address: No. 395-1, Jianguo 3rd Rd., Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07-281-2988
Business Hours: 10:00–21:30

60-Year-Old Handmade Noodle Shop — Shantou Yangchun Noodles

In business for about 50 to 60 years, this shop is now reportedly run by the third generation. With rising costs, prices can’t stay as low as they once were, but the classic old-school flavors remain intact.

For a street noodle stall, the selection of toppings here is fairly extensive, including some less common options like shark meat smoke and octopus among other seafood varieties.

They start business every day from the evening until close to midnight, and many office workers also choose to have a late-night snack here.

Sixty Years of Shantou Plain Noodles
Address: No. 131, Sanmin St., Qianjin District, Kaohsiung City, Lane 133
Business Hours: 16:00–23:00

Deng Family Tapioca Ice

This old ice shop, famous for its tapioca ice, has become widely known after being featured in numerous media reports, and business is booming. Next to the counter, you can see several large and small pots where ingredients like tapioca pearls and Job’s tears seen in the drinks are cooked on the spot.

The homemade syrup and tapioca pearls, paired with a bit of crushed ice, make for a simple yet refreshing dessert. There’s also no shortage of tapioca pearls—it doesn’t feel like you’re getting less despite the super low price; on the contrary, it feels like an amazing deal.

Deng Family Tapioca Ice
Address: No. 2, Lane 1, Lide St., Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07-286-2856
Business Hours: 10:00–22:45

Ah Zhi Plum Juice

This “Ah Zhi Plum Juice” at Sanmin Market was established in 1977 as Ah Zhi Tea House—it’s been around for over 30 years now. Their plum juice doesn’t use fructose but insists on boiling white sugar for over two hours daily. It tastes sweet and sour, with a rich and mellow aroma of plum that’s very sweet and smooth. Though famous for its plum juice, the other drink flavors are also quite good.

Ah Zhi Plum Juice
Address: No. 179, Sanmin St., Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07-241-5652

Old Zhou Cold Drinks

The place we’re visiting today, Old Zhou Cold Drinks, may be called a cold drink shop, but strictly speaking, it should be considered more of an ice dessert shop.

The shop mainly sells various sweet soups including Eight-Treasure Ice, which, as the name suggests, allows you to freely choose eight toppings. There are about ten kinds of toppings available to pick from on-site. Old Zhou’s Eight-Treasure Ice, both in appearance and taste, is a truly classic-style bowl of Eight-Treasure Ice—you need to stir it before eating to mix up the ingredients at the bottom.

Aside from ice desserts, they also serve grilled eel | braised dishes all year round, a specialty with distinctive characteristics. The grilled eel here is served with basil and garlic | the grilled eel has a rich umami flavor, and the texture is slightly moist. Fans of grilled eel | definitely shouldn’t miss trying it when it's freshly made.

Old Zhou Cold Drinks
Address: No. 126, Sanmin St., Sanmin District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07-281-6780
Business Hours: 10:00–00:00

Kaohsiung Food Map
Author Introduction: Kaohsiung Food Map is shared by Ah Xiong and Xiao Gao, featuring local southern Taiwanese cuisine and cultural flavors. They also occasionally introduce tourist spots from various regions, tasting signature dishes from all over and capturing beautiful scenery, sharing Taiwan’s food and unique human touch with everyone.
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