PART 04 - Traveling around the… table - marvelous exotic food in Tainan
Everybody knows Tainan is famous for unlimited number of snacks, night markets and traditional, special Tainan foods. But, what if somehow you want to take a break from that and want to try something truly exotic? Do you need to go to the airport and fly to another country? Well, that’s an option. But, don’t worry - there’s no need to look for your passport if you’re already in Tainan. Why? Because there are lots of mouth-watering dishes waiting for you right here in Tainan. Together we can explore a few of them. So are you ready?
Option number one: How about some Indian food?
瑪哈印度餐廳Maharaja Indian Restaurant
From time to time I crave some Indian food, and Maharaja is a good option. They have decorations that transports you to an Indian Palace, they play Bollywood music videos in the background and they have a solid menu - from Indian curries, kebabs, naan (Indian bread you can soak in sauces) and also typical drinks (mango lassi, Indian spiced teas. They also have starters, for example samosas - Indian fried dumplings. The food is really good, I got my favorite dishes including: palak paneer - spinach and cottage cheese sauce, chicken tikka masala, yellow masala lamb curry, chicken kebabs and more. All these delicious dishes were nicely washed with a mango lassi - Indian style of yogurt. Gotta admit - I loved it.
Option number two: Are you craving for some good Japanese food? Great - I have an excellent place just for you.
兩斤家廚房1.2KG Kitchen
Roasted beef steak, Pork fillet, Japanese bbq beef, cheese donburi, Japanese fried chicken (the difference between Taiwanese and Japanese style is that the one from Japan is juicier, Taiwanese style is usually crispier). You can also find hot pots and other dishes at 1.2KG. I love all the dishes - especially the steak.. I am usually a bit sceptical before ordering cheese in restaurants in Taiwan, but the bbq cheese donburi was truly delicious - hands down.
Apart from the tasty dishes, the interior of the restaurant is really stylish and the ambiance is great. You can really feel that the owner put lots of effort into it. You can take lots of great shots if you bring your camera along. The decoration is a bit of a fusion between Japanese and European styles. It feels really good :)
Option number three: Would you like to try the most famous south east asian cuisine here in Tainan? Let’s go Thai then!
泰味食足A Taste of Thailand
The place is well decorated and a cute elephant statue welcomes you from the street. I am always happy to eat some Thai food, and this restaurant made me happy as well.
Usually when I go to Thai restaurants I order my favorite meals: stir-fried spicy minced beef, shrimp pancake and green curry. They also have quite a selection of seafood dishes, steamed fish and steamed shrimps. I started with green papaya salad - it’s a healthy crispy dish full of veggies and unripe papaya. Yummy! Apart from that I tried the rest and I must say all were really good - but the spicy minced beef remains my favorite. If you are in Shanhua this restaurant is definitely a place to visit!
How about some dessert?
光芒果子．小旅行 義式冰淇淋Sunny Mango Gelato
Yujing district of Tainan is mostly famous for its mangoes. But there is way more to discover in that area. Apart from the gorgeous views you can also visit Yujing Old Street. One of the highlights of that place is a real gelato shop.
What is gelato? It’s Italian word that means “frozen” but most commonly it’s known as Italian ice cream. The difference between gelato and ice cream is very subtle - basically gelato is more icy and thick, ice cream is more creamy and soft. There is quite a selection of flavors - from classic ones (fruit, chocolate) to very special flavors (Sun Moon Lake tea, Taiwan beer flavor). Also, I believe the flavors change from time to time, so each time you come you can get some surprises. My favorite gelato was passion fruit, mango and sesame. But let’s be honest - everybody likes a different flavor, so the only way to find out which is your favorite is…. going to Sunny Mango Gelato!
Feel free to ask any questions that you have, feel free to share and tag friends that haven’t been to Tainan before or recently, and need to go there with you and… and…. and make sure you stay tuned because there are more stories coming soon!
More details:
瑪哈印度餐廳 Maharaja Indian Restaurant
Address: No. 67, Xialin Road, South District, Tainan City
Opening hours: 11:30-14:00, 17:30-21:30
兩斤家廚房 1.2 kg kitchen
Address: No. 46, Yunong Rd, East Dist., Tainan City
Opening hours: 11:00-14:00, 17:30-21:00 (Mon - day off)
泰味食足 A Taste of Thailand
Address: No. 266, Dacheng Road, Shanhua District, Tainan City
Opening hours: 11:00-14:00, 17:00-21:00
光芒果子．小旅行 義式冰淇淋 Sunny Mango Gelato
Address: No. 103, Zhongzheng Rd, Yujing Dist., Tainan City
Opening hours: 11:00-18:00 (Mon - day off)
