3 Places in Kaohsiung for Taiwan’s Sumptuous Braised Pork Rice

Over the past few months, I have been visiting Kaohsiung frequently. Besides exploring some touristic and some off-the-beaten-path attractions, I decided to focus on the local food that Kaohsiung has to offer. As compared to Taipei, the pace of life is slower in Kaohsiung, and the traffic is so systematic and smooth. Drivers and pedestrians respect and understand each other, and I felt quite safe walking along the streets looking for good food. Since braised pork rice (魯肉飯) is my favourite Taiwanese food, I’ve rounded up 3 stalls that I like best in Kaohsiung.

#1 – Nan Feng Braised Pork Rice 南豐魯肉飯

There are two versions of braised pork rice served at this popular stall. If you order the usual “lu rou fan (魯肉飯)”, you will get a huge slab of fatty pork belly with salted vegetables served on rice, and drenched in the flavourful gravy. The irresistibly flavourful fatty layers melted in my mouth, and made me go for a second helping. If you order “rou zao fan (肉燥飯)”, expect minced meat instead of the fatty pork belly. I prefer the latter and usually order that, but decided to try the former just to have something different during that particular trip.

Nan Feng Braised Pork Rice
Address: No. 134, Ziqiang 3rd Road, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 802
Opening Hours: 5pm to 1am daily

#2 – 魯肉飯 at Liuhe Night Market

My apologies for not remembering the name of this braised pork rice stall. It’s located in a corner at the end of Liuhe night market. The stall owner was very generous with drenching the rice with the savoury braised gravy, and each mouthful consisted of a good balance of fatty chunks and lean meat. Trust me, one bowl is definitely not enough!

Liuhe Night Market
Address: Xinxing District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 800
Opening Hours: 6pm to 12 midnight daily

#3 – Qian Jin Braised Pork Rice 前金肉燥饭

This shop has been in business for more than 50 years, and today, it is manned by the third generation son. It is almost always crowded during meal times, and people usually order the braised pork meat with a sunny-side-up duck egg. The braised pork rice itself tasted really good but, I made the mistake of ordering the braised duck egg instead, so I didn’t get to enjoy the runny yolk.

Qian Jin Braised Pork Rice
Address: No. 26, Datong 2nd Road, Qianjin District, Kaohsiung City, Taiwan 801
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri 7am to 6pm. Sat 7am to 2pm. Closed on Sundays.

I’ve tried matcha desserts at 7 cafes in Kaohsiung, and visited the top 3 night markets in Kaohsiung. What local food should I try next? Please feel free to comment below and provide me with some suggestions.