Another rooftop night market joins the scene – HowToTrip’s quick guide to Kaohsiung’s Jian-Gong Night Market

Photos & Text /Hu Li, All Smiles

The Jian-Gong Night Market, which grandly opened on November 20th, has attracted widespread attention. Hu Li also went on a pilgrimage to check out what delicious foods it has to offer XD. Who would’ve thought that our favorite Lao Jiang Black Tea with Milk also has a stall here? Even though it only sells drinks, it was still satisfying~ While exploring the night market, we also found some great food stalls—and you actually have to line up to get them all. This time, we’re introducing a few options for everyone’s reference. If any of them match your taste, be sure to add them to your must-try list ^^

▲ We rushed to the Jian-Gong Night Market by 4:30pm because we were worried that when the crowds exploded, we wouldn’t be able to buy anything. There are motorcycle parking spots nearby, but they fill up pretty easily. There’s also an official car park a short walk away. We parked at the back of the night market (it’s like an uneven, undeveloped concrete area).

▲ Lao Jiang Black Tea / Black Tea NT$30, Black Tea with Milk NT$40

As Hu Li drove in from Jian-Gong Road looking for parking, she spotted the Lao Jiang Black Tea stall right away!! So she parked the car and immediately dashed to the front of the line.... First thing’s first, bought two cups to drink~ Lao Jiang is pretty easy to find, but the shop numbers at Jian-Gong Night Market are all located directly under the stalls—you can’t see them XD. When hunting for food, you’ll just have to rely on your eyesight (fortunately, the night market isn’t huge, so it’s pretty easy to find things).

▲ Every time I see Lao Jiang’s black tea buckets chilling in the cabinet, it feels especially nostalgic. Their black tea has a slight coffee aroma, and it tastes even better with high-quality fresh milk. Plus, they don’t add ice, maintaining a rich flavor (and they don’t adjust the sweetness either).

▲ The freshly made Lao Jiang Black Tea is very popular. Come to the night market and grab a cup to sip on while shopping. That’s exactly what Little Hu and Shali did—eating food while sipping Lao Jiang ^^

▲ Loving classic-style black tea with fresh milk, sometimes you really miss it if you don’t have it.... For those living near Jian-Gong Night Market or just visiting, it’s so much easier to get Lao Jiang Black Tea. So lucky XD. Thankfully, we got to try it too. One sip and all worries fade away.....

▲ Thai Moon Shrimp Cakes (next to the Lao Jiang Black Tea stall)

Right after getting our drinks from Lao Jiang and ready to take a sip, we immediately asked the staff if they had any food recommendations. The friendly neighbor right away said the Thai Moon Shrimp Cakes next door are delicious XD. At the time, some shops hadn’t opened yet, but we saw a news segment playing at their stall, so we decided to give it a try.

▲ We can only say....no wonder the Lao Jiang staff recommended it—the taste is pretty good. These Thai Moon Shrimp Cakes are made fresh to order—you’ll have to wait a little while on-site. The shrimp meat is mixed with batter at the right ratio, then coated and deep-fried until golden brown~ Once cooked, it’s cut into triangular slices, and it doesn’t look greasy at all.

▲ Still hot and burning our hands, we first drizzled on a bit of plum sauce—it’s sweet and tangy, and also cuts down on the greasiness, making it super appetizing. When we ate it fresh and hot, it felt just okay, so we didn’t finish it all and brought the rest back to Tainan.... But when we ate it later, it turned out not greasy at all, and actually tasted even better (surprise)! Then we started regretting not buying more Lao Jiang to bring home to pair with it = =

▲ Japanese Takoyaki (6 pcs) / NT$60

On the outermost row along Jiande Road, there are also two food stalls we liked. One of them is Japanese Takoyaki—literally made by Japanese people. It’s said that there’s often a long queue, and you have to take a number and wait patiently~

▲ When Hu Li got to the Japanese Takoyaki stall, it wasn’t even 5pm yet, and she happened to see the owner preparing ingredients. Out of curiosity, she asked about their opening hours and learned you could pay upfront and take a number. So she got one right away ^\^. The owner said it’d take about 30 minutes to get the order, so we went off to explore first.....

▲ We estimated it’d be about 40 minutes before we got back to the Japanese Takoyaki stall—but when we returned, it was already swarmed with people.... We secretly felt lucky to have secured a number (and it was even number 1 XD). The Japanese really take their time making these takoyaki balls. They use almost no oil, so you have to wait for them to cook slowly through.

▲ The takoyaki filling is moist and packed with thick chunks of octopus. Originally, both of us didn’t think this version of takoyaki was that delicious... maybe we weren’t used to authentic Japanese style. We didn’t finish it all and brought the leftovers back to Tainan =..=. But then—turns out it’s actually better when it cools down. The filling firms up a bit, which suits our taste more. Those who love Japanese-style takoyaki or are adventurous eaters like Hu Li should definitely give it a try.

▲ Zhen Hao Jia QQ Sweet Potato Balls – 1 portion NT$30 / 2 portions NT$50

The sweet potato ball stall near the takoyaki place is also very popular—the boss can be seen from afar constantly stirring the oil pot and pressing down on the fried sweet potato balls.

▲ We prefer freshly fried, chewy sweet potato balls over pre-packaged ones kept warm for sale.

▲ You can still see the fibers in the sweet potato filling before it goes into the fryer. Once fried, it comes out beautifully golden, with a crispy outside and chewy inside. While waiting in line, you can watch the boss constantly flipping the scoop and pressing down the balls... that’s how they get so big and solid.

▲ The beautiful and tasty sweet potato balls are snapped up as soon as they come out of the fryer. Hu Li also bought a portion to try~ it’s exactly the delicious taste of sweet potato balls from our memories. Crispy with a nice chew, and the texture is great. They’re still yummy even when cooled down ^^

▲ Choduozi Hungarian Chimney Rolls NT$60

This stall’s sign says it’s a 500-year-old Eastern European dessert—you can’t not try it XD. After finishing the savory snacks, we were in the mood for something sweet, so we got in line for a number too~ (A lot of stalls at Jian-Gong Night Market require you to queue up or get a meal number)

▲ The Hungarian Chimney Rolls, which look like layered doughnuts, are also made fresh to order, so the wait is a bit longer. We picked ours up after about 30 minutes.

▲ They’re being baked roll by roll—thankfully not deep-fried XD

▲ There are signs next to the stall explaining how to order, and the staff will also guide you through the choices by asking questions. Hu Li chose cinnamon crust with vanilla custard filling. Little Hu originally thought it’d be too sweet, but even she—a salt-lover—found it acceptable. The bread has a nice bite to it, not hollow at all ^^ If you’re a flour lover who enjoys sweets, you’ve gotta try this. We froze the leftover chimney rolls when we got home, and they were still great the next day when eaten straight from the freezer.

▲ The Jian Gong Night Market has a rest area on the second floor, and the whole place has a very classic old-world charm... There are also wooden benches where you can sit and enjoy your food ^^ However, the staircase is a bit steep, so people with knee problems or seniors are advised to avoid going upstairs.

▲ This is what the night market looks like when viewed from the second floor～with red lanterns hanging, it has a really retro vibe!

▲ The walkways in Jian Gong Night Market aren’t very wide, so it’s quite easy to end up squished among the crowd, but the atmosphere is super cozy and warm. All the stalls are indoors, so you can still enjoy the night market comfortably even when it rains. It’s actually pretty nice ^^

Although the night market isn’t huge, there’s still a mini train that kids absolutely love XD Parents can stroll around the night market and enjoy delicious food while bringing their little ones along for fun. Taking a relaxing walk and stopping for entertainment here and there makes for a great little holiday activity. Let me briefly introduce a few stalls we really enjoyed for all you Up’s～～

Jian Gong Night Market
Free WIFI available; parking available for motorcycles and cars
Address: Intersection of Jianguo Road and Jiande Road, Kaohsiung City
Business hours: Monday to Sunday, closed on Tuesdays and Thursdays (first row of food stalls open daily)

Hu Li Xiao Hai Hai
Life is about experiences, and living is about trying new things. “Taste” is a highly subjective thing—it’s only when expectations are met and emotions are stirred that the flavor of love can truly be savored.Blog、Fan Page

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