Fragrant for 30 years！Kaohsiung’s Nanguang Street Night Market, open only on Saturdays — over 20 food stalls

Text & Photos /Kaohsiung Food Map
Text compiled by Fifi | Map drawn by Fifi | Photography by Fifi | Special feature planned by Kaohsiung Food Map. All rights reserved.

“Night markets” are Taiwanese people’s favorite nighttime pastime. On specific days, an ordinary alley transforms as dusk falls and the streetlights go on — all kinds of vendors flood in, offering everything from food and entertainment to hardware and sundries.

Kaohsiung’s Nanguang Street Night Market in the Wujia area has been operating for over 30 years, and it’s heldevery Saturday evening,mainly stretching from Ziqiang 1st Road to Jintian Road. Key landmarks along the way include the FamilyMart on Ziqiang 1st Road, Gishburg Fresh Breakfast, Ziya Hair Salon, the FamilyMart on Tianxing Street, and the Weng Caiji Convenience Store on Jintian Road.

“The fresh burgers in front of Ziya,” “the fried dumplings in front of FamilyMart,” “that stall at the alley entrance selling grass jelly in summer and rice cake porridge in winter”

Stepping into Nanguang Street Night Market gives you the feeling of stepping back into the earlier days of night markets. The narrow road is bustling with people, and you might even spot a grandpa riding a scooter with his grandchild. Look to the left and you’ll find a stall selling CDs and music tapes, its weathered cardboard boxes telling stories of the past. There’s also a pinball machine surrounded by kids — just 5 NT per game, letting them play two or three times what they’d get for the same price elsewhere.

The vendors here aren’t like those in the more novel and artsy Liuhe or Ruifeng night markets. Most stalls have simple signs indicating what they sell — things like grass jelly or herbal tea. Some don’t even have signs. Locals refer to them by nearby landmarks and the items they sell, like “the fresh burgers in front of Ziya” or “the fried dumplings in front of FamilyMart.” Simple food carts serve up the same great tastes they’ve been making for twenty or thirty years. If you get the chance, we highly recommend visiting Nanguang Street Night Market to relive the simple joys of old-school night markets.

FamilyMart — Gishburg Fresh Breakfast
% Dique Record Cave, Deji Crispy Chicken is fried to a crisp without being greasy. Whenever it’s freshly cooked, there’s always a crowd waiting to buy. Also, Deji’s sweet potato balls are highly recommended too！

% Ji Tu Ci Niu, located at No. 78 (near Nanguang Street)
The iron plate noodles with their special sauce are a nostalgic taste of childhood for many locals. When you’re really hungry, be sure to order a pork chop too！

% Ji Tan Gu Chang, located at No. 78 (near Nanguang Street), front side
Located at the entrance of Nanguang Street Night Market, this green bean soup stall is always surrounded by crowds from opening until closing. The first thing everyone does when they come to the night market is grab a number for the green bean soup！ Over 90% of people come specifically for this — it’s not your typical sweet soup texture but rather an ultra-smooth, icy slush that melts in your mouth. It’s not overly sweet, and one sip will tell you why it’s so popular.

% Ji Zhi Xuan Dou Sha, located at the front of No.
Smoked tea-flavored marinated snacks are first braised then smoked. You can tell just by their glossy brown-yellow color that they’re full of flavor. You can smell the faint tea aroma even before you reach the stall. Recommended: hundred-page tofu, pig’s blood cake, and duck wings.

% Ji Wei Yan Wei, located at No. 10 front side

% Ji Jing Hua Mian, located at No. 4 front side (in front of True Jesus Church Wujia)
Chengdao Osaka Pancakes, a common sight in many night markets, are loved by regulars for their fluffy batter texture.

Gishburg Fresh Breakfast — Ziya Hair Salon

% Ji Ji Sou Mei, located at No. 5 (in front of Gishburg Fresh Breakfast)
A tea stall run by an elderly couple, using quality ingredients and offering pleasant flavors. Recommended: herbal tea, winter melon tea, and mountain yam balls.

% Ji Ji Su Mei, located at No. 7
Traditional-style liang sha wan (cool taro balls), 6 pieces for 20 NT. Choose between red bean paste or white bean paste fillings. The semi-transparent, chewy wrappers are delicious, and the nostalgic scent of banana ice cream upon biting in is particularly memorable.

% Jia Pin Xin Piao Ba (starts setting up after 8:30 PM) | No. 21, Nanguang Street
Don’t come too early to this old granny’s marinated snacks stall — she doesn’t open until 8:30 PM！ Highly recommended: pig’s blood cake, fish cake, intestines, and sausages. The flavors are tender and slightly sweet, and the prices are very affordable. You don’t have to worry too much about high prices per item when loading up your skewer.

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is)
Princess Terry, who has stalls at various night markets, is famous for her signature caramel pudding. The top layer of caramel is made to order, allowing customers to enjoy the crisp caramel right away along with the sweet pudding. Many visitors to the night market take home several puddings or cheeses to enjoy later.

Zi Ya Hair Salon — FamilyMart

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) (located in front of Zi Ya Hair Salon at stall 0)
The most eye-catching part of the bread stall is the frying station nearby, where they make their signature freshly grilled hamburgers. The burger patties are perfectly seared before flipping—not the juicy, hand-formed American-style patties—but soft buns filled with fluffy meat, a fried egg, shredded cucumber, and a few squirts of ketchup. One bite brings back memories of buying burgers before school at the local burger shop—best enjoyed hot out of the fryer.

Another popular item from the shop is the garlic bread, crispy outside and flaky inside, priced at just NT$5 per piece.

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) (located at stall 2, diagonally in front of Zi Ya Hair Salon)
Those familiar with night markets will know this Ming Chicken Feet stall. Its biggest draw is the fragrant white-braised chicken feet in garlic sauce. The owner’s wife is generous with samples—you can try an entire chicken foot first to see if you like the flavor before you buy.

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) | Intersection of Fuxing Road and Yide Road
This pinball machine stall is a non-food favorite at Nanguang Street Night Market. There’s always a line of kids waiting to play. Each game costs just NT$5, and the prizes are surprisingly good—the kids have a blast.

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) | Also a retro-style game, each round costs NT$10. Just throw darts to pop water balloons and win a prize.

FamilyMart — Wong Tsai Kee Mart

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-as-is) (also located near Wong Tsai Kee Mart) The fried dumplings in front of FamilyMart are also from a long-standing stall. The aunties behind the counter work hard making fresh fried dumplings on the spot. The handmade dumpling wrappers have a nice chewy texture, the bottoms are crispy, and they’re served with chili oil for extra flavor.

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) | Serves grilled squid without sauce, letting you enjoy the natural sweetness of the squid. For those who prefer bold flavors, try the wasabi for a nose-clearing kick.

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) (located near stall 5)
This flatbread really stands out. The lineup includes everyone from kids to seniors—not just the usual middle-aged-and-up crowd that typically eats flatbread. Each person is limited to five pieces, so the wait is usually over 15 minutes. The freshly pan-fried flatbread has a sweet aroma, golden brown and slightly crispy on both sides, with a soft and moist interior. No wonder there’s always a line, with people willing to wait fifteen or even twenty minutes for a taste.

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) (near stall 03)
Nanguang Street Night Market has many stewed snack stalls, mostly cold dishes. This Chinese Old Stew stand also serves cold dishes, but compared to other shops, it offers more variety including instant noodles, fruits, vegetables, and mushrooms. Tossed with pickled mustard greens, sauce, and a sprinkle of pepper, it has a tangy flavor that stimulates the appetite. The vegetable and fruit pieces are prepared crisp and refreshing.

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) | 10NT$ DIY cotton candy | No. 71 Nanguang Street
For just one coin (NT$10), you can enjoy the fun of making your own cotton candy. If you don’t know how to operate the machine, the owner’s wife will kindly show you how to spin it into a fluffy ball.

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) | Intersection of Nanguang Street and Wujia 2nd Road, Lane 603
For one coin (NT$10), you get 10 balls. The fast-paced music and colorful lights add a bit of thrill—it’s the same kind of game machine you’d have played with as a kid.

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) (located near the entrance of the night market) Vintage hawthorn skewers and tomato skewers, 20NT$ per stick or 50NT$ for three. These hawthorn skewers, which haven’t raised their prices with the times, have parents reaching for their wallets to buy them for their kids.

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) (located near the entrance of the grilled meat stall) When you see the smoky scene, you know you’ve reached the Pin Ge BBQ stall. Their super affordable skewers attract a constant stream of customers, and the boss is constantly flipping the meat on the grill.

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) (located near the grilled meat stall) Their signature fragrant tofu skewers are lightly crispy on the grilled parts, and the peanut sauce is sweet and salty—an unexpectedly great match with the tofu. As for the fried tofu, it’s fried to perfection, crispy outside and tender within, and they serve a generous portion of pickled vegetables.

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) (located near the stinky tofu stall) For those in Kaohsiung who love stinky tofu, Fu Ju Stinky Tofu is definitely a name you know. With generous portions, great flavor, and affordable prices, it’s the go-to choice for budget-conscious diners—and there’s usually a line during meal hours.

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) (located opposite stall 68)
This unnamed salt-and-pepper chicken and chicken cutlet stall uses fresh ingredients and excellent frying skills, making it another popular night market queue-worthy spot.

Wong Tsai Kee Mart —

% (Untranslatable gibberish segment, returned as-is) (located near the unnamed black tea milk stall) This unnamed black tea milk uses Guang Quan fresh milk. Recommended for those who prefer a milder milky flavor—the tea has a subtle, fragrant sweetness aftertaste.

%... (原文为乱码/无法辨识的混合字符，未作改动)
Located at the quieter end of the night market, there are always locals buying freshly made papaya milk. When in doubt, follow the locals!

Kaohsiung Food Map

Author Introduction: Kaohsiung Food Map is run by Ah Hsiung and Hsiao Kao, who share southern Taiwanese cuisine and cultural experiences. They also introduce various attractions, showcase signature dishes, and share Taiwan's food culture and unique charm through photos.
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