Kaohsiung Xingzhong Night Market Cheat Sheet: The 50-Year-Old Mushroom Meatball Soup Only Locals Know

Text/Photos byKaohsiung Food Map
(Text & photos: Mr. Alan. All rights reserved by Kaohsiung Food Map.)

Wenhe’er Road’s food street — the local snack map of Kaohsiung
No hunger worries for a full 12 hours from day to night, with affordable prices and little repetition in food types

Operating non-stop for food lovers over a solid 12 hours from day to night, Xingzhong Tourist Night Market is a go-to spot for Kaohsiung locals. Conveniently located next to the San Duo commercial district, Xingzhong Night Market is just a two-minute walk from the San Duo Business District MRT Station. Most food stalls are concentrated on Wenhe’er Road, creating a striking contrast with the nearby department stores and fashion boutiques on San Duo Road — yet this contrast is exactly what gives the San Duo area its diverse and vibrant character.

Turning from San Duo Road onto Wenhe’er Road, you’ll find over fifty to sixty shops and stalls, including long-established ones that have been around for forty or fifty years as well as newly emerged food vendors. These vendors share one thing in common: they’re very affordable, and there’s little repetition in the types of snacks offered. On weekdays, office workers from nearby buildings, shoppers from the department stores, and students are regulars here, while on weekends, tourists visiting the San Duo commercial district become the loyal supporters of Xingzhong Night Market.

Since you’re at Xingzhong Night Market, famous for its affordable street food, you can’t miss out on sampling its delicious offerings. Vendors generally start opening around 11 a.m. and stay bustling until midnight. From mushroom meatball soup, turkey rice, licorice guava, pork rib and chicken leg lunchboxes, Thai spicy chicken dishes, crispy chicken cutlets, lamb dishes, freshly blended juices, stinky tofu, danzai noodles, eel pasta, salted chicken, beef noodles, hot pot, sausage wraps, and freshly cooked porridge — walking along Wenhe’er Road feels like stepping into a paradise for foodies.

Although urban development has shifted northward and Xingzhong Night Market isn’t as bustling as it once was, it remains a spiritual icon of Kaohsiung’s local food culture. No matter how many decades pass, there will always be a group of loyal fans who support and cherish it, because the variety of street food here is simply too rich, the prices too good, and it keeps you full from morning till night.

[That Licorice Guava]
Don’t assume that sliced guava from a fruit stand is only served with plum powder. “That Licorice Guava” offers a mix of four flavors: licorice, lemon, plum, and kumquat. First, the vendor scoops out the seeds and cuts the pearl guava from Yanchao into pieces, then adds the sauce or powder of your choice. Customers can opt for a combo (licorice + plum), all four flavors (licorice + lemon + plum + kumquat), or any custom mix. These sauces and powders have a sweet-and-sour taste that enhances the natural sweetness of the pearl guava. The crisp, sweet guava becomes even more addictive with the added powders and sauces.
Address: Intersection of Sanduo 3rd Road and Wenhe’er 2nd Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 0978-293813
Business hours: 11:00–23:50

[Yicheng Turkey Rice]
Fluffy white rice topped with shredded turkey, which is drizzled with chicken broth and crispy fried shallots, and garnished with pickled radish to give the turkey a rich, savory, and tender texture, while the rice also takes on a salty flavor. In addition, Yicheng serves traditional snacks like “guabao” (steamed sandwich buns), as well as up to 15 varieties of soups such as Four-Gods Soup, bitter melon pork rib soup, pork chop soup, and pickled vegetable pork tripe soup — all equally delicious.
Address: No. 1, Wenhe’er 2nd Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07-3380719
Service hours: 11:00–20:30 (closed on Sundays)

[Naowei Mushroom Meatball Soup]
The lean meat from the hind leg of a local pig is marinated to perfection, then simmered in a broth with dried small sardines, napa cabbage, and mushrooms, thickened with starch — this bowl of mushroom meatball soup follows the traditional Beigang style, sweet but not greasy. You can add noodles, rice vermicelli, or rice for the same price. Established in 1967, Naowei Mushroom Meatball Soup has captured diners’ palates for 50 years with its simple, rustic flavors. As for the origin of the shop name “Naowei” (which roughly means “not tasty”), it’s said to have been divinely inspired.
Address: No. 1-1, Wenhe’er 2nd Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07-3316773
Business hours: 11:00–23:00

[A Liang Crispy Chicken Cutlet]
A Liang Crispy Chicken Cutlet is a chain that dominates various night markets, commercial districts, and food streets across southern Taiwan. There’s even a saying that business got so good for A Liang that even salt-and-pepper chicken stalls started selling chicken cutlets. At Xingzhong Night Market, although A Liang only sells crispy chicken cutlets and a few fried items, it remains very popular among young people. The chicken cutlet is marinated with Chinese medicinal herbs and spices, then double-coated and deep-fried to a golden brown, and finally sprinkled with pepper and chili powder. The cutlet is served uncut, ensuring juicy, flavorful meat with every bite.
Address: No. 6, Wenhe’er 2nd Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City
Business hours: 15:30–00:30 (closed on Mondays)

[Office Workers’ Pork Rib Lunchbox]
Operating in Xingzhong Night Market for over 20 years, Office Workers targets the takeout market for office workers — mall boutique sales assistants are also regulars. The most talked-about item here is the pork rib lunchbox. The shop marinates pork loin in a secret sauce, then fries it without breading, keeping the meat juicy. The sauce-infused ribs are flavorful and tender. For those who prefer chicken, the shop also offers a popular salt-and-pepper chicken leg lunchbox.
Address: No. 29-2, Wenhe’er 2nd Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07-3392395
Business hours: 11:00–20:00 (closed on Sundays)

[Dongtai Thai Spicy Chicken Rice]
Think Thai food is too pricey to enjoy alone? Combining Thai cuisine with a bento-style format, Dongtai Thai Spicy Chicken Rice is one of the most popular takeout options at Xingzhong Night Market. Its signature Thai spicy chicken features a crispy skin and tender meat, served with a specially made sweet-and-sour dipping sauce for a refreshing and appetizing experience. Like a bento shop, you can also choose three freshly stir-fried side dishes on-site, making it great value overall. Even during off-peak hours in the afternoon, it remains popular.
Address: No. 29-3, Wenhe’er 2nd Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City
Phone: 07-3315557
Business hours: 11:00–21:00

[Getting There]
Public transport: Exit 4 of Sanduo Business District MRT Station, Kaohsiung

Kaohsiung Food Map
About the author: Kaohsiung Food Map is run by Ah Xiong and Xiao Gao, who share southern Taiwan’s local cuisine and cultural flavors, along with occasional travel destination highlights. They’ve tasted all kinds of signature dishes and captured beautiful scenery, sharing Taiwan’s food and unique human touch with everyone.
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