Kaohsiung Breakfast Shop ❶ Xinglongju -- Sweet and savory soup, be careful not to burn your mouth!
Locals in Kaohsiung are very familiar with Xinglongju, a traditional Taiwanese breakfast spot for those going to karaoke, having late-night snacks, and heading to early work. Its breakfast aroma has been a part of Kaohsiung's lives for 62 years. Every morning at 3:30 AM, customers eagerly await the arrival of steaming baskets of freshly made soup dumplings. Xinglongju's soup dumplings are similar to the vegetable and pork dumplings we eat in Hong Kong teahouses, filled with cabbage and pork, with a thin skin and generous filling. It's recommended to take a small bite of the outer layer first to enjoy the sweet and savory broth; be careful not to burn your lips when they're piping hot fresh out of the steamer. Long-time customers have been eating here since childhood, praising the consistently high quality of the taste over the decades.
►Address:No. 186, Liuhe 2nd Road, Kaohsiung (City Council Station)
►Business Hours: 3:30am to 11:00am
Kaohsiung Breakfast Shop ❷ Guomao Breakfast – On-site Bun Making
Near Liuhe 2nd Road, besides Xinglongju, a must-eat for breakfast, there's also Guomao Breakfast next door. Located at the corner of the intersection, the shop makes its own pastries on-site, offering over ten kinds of traditional buns such as pan-fried buns, sesame seed cakes, and egg pancakes, both sweet and savory. Locals highly recommend the radish pancake; the filling is quite substantial, soft on the outside, and the radish filling is very fresh and sweet, not greasy at all. Generally, pastries taste best freshly baked, but importantly, Guomao Breakfast's radish pancakes remain crispy on the outside and soft on the inside even after several hours. Each radish pancake costs only NT$$13, and locals suggest buying several for afternoon tea.
►Address:No. 184, Liuhe 2nd Road, Kaohsiung (City Council Station)
►Business Hours: 5:30am to 10:00am
Kaohsiung Breakfast Shop 3: Dagang Rice Balls – Long queues every morning around 7 or 8 am
Located on Zhengxing Road, the 50-year-old Dagang Rice Ball stall boasts a sign that reads "Super Popular Salted Egg Rice Balls," and indeed, long queues form as early as 7 or 8 in the morning, all drawn by the "salted egg." Is eating salted egg for breakfast too heavy a flavor? The stall is lined with rows of salted eggs. The owner skillfully cracks open the shells, crushes the orange-red salted egg, and places it evenly on top of the glutinous rice. One salted egg per rice ball, no more, no less, accompanied by homemade stir-fried preserved radish, crispy fried dough sticks, pickled cabbage, and pork floss. The salted egg oil coats the rice grains, the yolk isn't too salty, and Dagang's glutinous rice is steamed in wooden buckets, giving it a woody aroma. The hot rice balls with salted egg are indeed an unexpectedly perfect match. While the salted egg rice balls are indeed delicious, salted eggs are high in cholesterol, so moderation is advised.
►Address:No. 158, Zhengxing Road, Sanmin District, Kaohsiung
►Business Hours: 5:30am to 11:20am
Kaohsiung Breakfast Shop 4: Medi-Dia Pot-Fried Noodles – Kaohsiung's Best Pot-Fried Noodles
It's believed that this unique characteristic exists only in Kaohsiung, Taiwan – eating braised noodles for breakfast. Sounds exaggerated? Absolutely. Some locals jokingly say the difference between Taipei and Kaohsiung residents is that Kaohsiung people eat braised noodles for breakfast. This bowl, arguably the "best braised noodles in Kaohsiung," is truly exceptional. Located near Liuhe Night Market, Mediha Seafood Braised Noodles is a truly impressive place. Each bowl costs NT$70 and includes shrimp, clams, cuttlefish balls, meatballs, lettuce, egg, and shredded chicken. The broth is made with homemade pork bones, and the noodles are lightly cooked over high heat until they're perfectly tender and soft – the texture is just right. The entire bowl is devoured in under 15 minutes.
►Address: No. 124, Liuhe 2nd Rd., Kaohsiung (near Formosa Boulevard MRT Station)
►Business Hours: Monday to Friday 8:00am to 8:00pm, Saturday 8:00am to 3:30pm (Closed on Sundays)
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