Miaoli Nanzhuang Food Cheat Sheet: Smoked Duck Heads, Osmanthus Ice, and Wheel Cakes

Text and photos byOld Man and Little Wife

Several friends from Nanzhuang have said, “There’s so much delicious food in Nanzhuang, so why does everyone only come here for Gougou noodles?” Okay, okay—we confess. Even Old Man and Little Wife, on previous visits to Nanzhuang, only knew about Sister Ying’s Gougou noodles. See also →Chill Travel in Nanzhuang.

Pressured—and basically begged—by a group of Nanzhuang friends, we’re revealing our hidden spots in Nanzhuang. Why didn’t we want to share them before? Because if we told everyone, soon the place would be packed with tourists (Nanzhuang friends: “That’d actually be great!”)

Man: “So what should we eat when we go to Nanzhuang?” Sigh… Today, let’s talk about the “hidden dishes” that most people don’t know about!

There are three noodle shops in Nanzhuang Market: one, Sister Ying’s; two, Songhe; and the third is the first hidden gem we, Old Man and Little Wife, are introducing today: smoked duck heads even better than those from Dongshan—“Smoked Duck Heads” from an unnamed noodle shop!

What? Is the once-popular blog “Unnamed Station” back in Miaoli throwing a feast again? And selling duck heads too?! Of course not—it’s just that this snack shop doesn’t have a name on the signboard; you’ll only find “Indigenous Snacks – Sister Chun” printed on the menu.

The signature dish here,Smoked Duck Heads! It’s not even on the menu—a true hidden gem—and the best part? It’s super delicious. Better than Dongshan’s by tenfold. For now it’s limited in supply—if word gets out, Old Man and Little Wife probably won’t be able to get any either. Smoky, sweet, tender meat, and crispy duck skin. You can really taste that wild game flavor in the duck.

You can ask the boss to chop it up for you—duck head, tongue, jowl, neck—all of it is tasty.

The reason they sell smoked duck is because the boss’s mom runs a chicken stall next door, so they also smoke duck on the side—but tourists have no idea. Only locals know about it.

Salted Chicken—also tender, juicy, and appetizing—is top-notch.

They also serve Hakka dishes, handmade noodles, |?酰?and dishes that make your mouth water. Of course, you’ll have to ask for them specifically.

After covering the main meals, let’s move on to snacks. “Jingjing’s Handmade Tapioca Balls” ! Seriously—they’re made completely by hand. Old Man and Little Wife once saw their whole production process. We’re not just bored, folks—when do city slickers from Taipei ever see handmade tapioca balls? The best part is, they’re super affordable.

Osmanthus tapioca balls, one cup NT$30—yes, just 30 bucks (price as of late 2016). Little Wife is obsessed with tapioca balls, and theirs are chewy, bouncy, and paired with osmanthus aroma—you’ll swallow your keys after one sip. Those packaged glutinous tapioca balls from Yilan, whether OO or XX, can’t compare. They sink while ours float.

The owner’s wife makes the tapioca balls herself. Because they sell out fast, you often see her rolling them right at the stall.

Freshly rolled tapioca balls? Haven’t seen those before (yep, we’re definitely city folk).

There’s usually a line in front of the shop, but you can still usually get some. Once we post this, we probably won’t be able to get any more.

So much filling—rich, plump, and full of flavor—just like our blog.Nanzhuang Crispy Wheel Cakes” The boss sells out fast and then disappears—getting your hands on one is all about luck. The key? They’re onlyNT$10at a friendship price.

My little wife’s favorite has shredded preserved radish filling, packed with ingredients and seasoned with little shrimp. The boss says he gets up early every morning to stir-fry the radish—it’s really tiring.

While grilling the wheel cakes, the boss mutters, “This crust is made from my own special recipe. Try it and see if it’s especially crispy.”

Nanzhuang Crispy Wheel Cakes show up bright and early every day, and once they’re sold out, the stand closes. Great for breakfast.

The boss says even the whipped cream sauce and red bean paste are homemade.

Speaking of breakfast, you absolutely have to try this stall “Ah Xi,” serving almond tea—an uncommon breakfast spot in Nanzhuang Market that offers old-school almond tea with youtiao (fried dough sticks). The catch? It’s seasonal, not available in summer, and sells out fast, making it another hard-to-get hidden gem.

With a secret recipe featuring a carefully balanced ratio of northern and southern almonds, their signature almond tea: 1. is definitely ground from real almonds, 2. contains absolutely no artificial flavoring, and 3. has multiple health benefits—all written right on the can.

The boss is super talkative and a local Hakka from Nanzhuang. Sipping a cup of almond tea here is also like taking a journey through Nanzhuang’s history.

Ah Xi Almond Tea doesn’t smell strong from afar because it has no additives, but once you sit down and take a sip, a sweet, fragrant warmth spreads through your whole body.

In Osmanthus Lane, there’s “Osmanthus Lane,” Jiang Ji’s Floral Honey Osmanthus Brew—a place everyone knows about, but they’ve got a new product not advertised on the big sign.

Their newly launchedOsmanthus Matcha Ice, NT$50, has a rich matcha flavor. It’s a modern twist from an old shop—definitely worth trying.

Chilled glutinous rice ballsare a crowd-pleaser, loaded with fresh fruit plus Nanzhuang’s osmanthus honey and Hakka-style rice balls—for justNT$60, it’s a must-try in Osmanthus Lane.

Jiang Ji’s chilled glutinous rice balls are on the lighter side. If you think “it has to be super sweet to be a dessert,” like some might say, then you can go forSoybean Paste Ice, NT$40.

At the very end of Osmanthus Lane, there’s the famously iconic “Nanzhuang · Squid Burn · Squid Balls.” When they see someone taking photos, the boss strikes his signature pose—holding up two big squid. But does this shop have any lesser-known “secrets”? Of course it does!! The “secret dipping sauce” of Nanzhuang’s only fried food joint.

Their bestsellers are the squid burn and squid balls (highly recommended by both the old man and my little wife), and the boss will also suggest popcorn chicken—but there’s one thing he might not bring up himself.

Extra spicy dipping sauce, because this sauce is what his kid loves to eat, so the boss only offers it to regulars. It’s really delicious when you dip in it. If it’s that good, why doesn’t the boss promote it? Because if everyone asks for it, his kid won’t get any. Sigh, now that I’ve leaked this secret, next time we go to Nanzhuang we’ll have to go apologize to the boss.

The only fried food stall in Nanzhuang.

They participate in the Taiwan High-Speed Rail’s Taiwan Tourist Shuttle program. Taking the shuttle is more fun than driving yourself, and now it’s only 150 NT per person. If you’re staying at a homestay in Nanzhuang, you can even use the ticket the next day.

The last “Mother-in-Law’s Tofu”—the old man calls it “street food for strolling.”

It’s a shop many people know about and many love to eat at. Mother-in-Law’s Tofu has a nice chewy texture. Buy a bowl to go, and you probably won’t finish chewing through it even after walking the whole Osmanthus Alley. “Buying a bowl and eating while strolling” is the old man’s “secret way to enjoy it,” and there’s one particular feature of their tofu he really likes.

It’s this generous helping of scallion-spiked spicy soy sauce. Every time the old man buys it, he tells the “Mother-in-Law”: “More scallions, please.” Scallions are expensive these days.

Finally, the old man says: let me add one more secret spot—it’s on the slope right across from Mother-in-Law’s Tofu, there’s a “Flower Whisper Boutique”. In front of the boutique, there’s a stall selling handmade preserved fruits. Their licorice olives and raisins are both really tasty. The licorice olives have tons of licorice powder—it’s their specialty, and they’re super juicy juice juice!! You can’t find this anywhere else. The raisins are super sweet, like all the sunlight of the year condensed into one raisin—eating them gives you a sense of happiness.

The Old Man and the Little Wife
NL⟧☆ Love food, travel, and spa—sweet adventures for two ☆ ★