Nostalgic Taiwanese Foods In Nantou & Checheng
Come with me on a road trip to enjoy some Nostalgic Local Taiwanese Foods in my Dad’s hometown in Nantou, Taiwan. It’s my first time in Taiwan without my dad, and needless to say it’s quite an emotional time. Today, we’re on a quest to visit all the littlehole-in-the-wall, nostalgic Taiwanese eats in Nantou and Checheng that my Dad grew up taking me to, from some of the best stinky tofu to my dad’s childhood wonton noodles.
Road Trip To Nantou, My Dad’s Hometown
For most of my life, Taiwan has always been my happy place, filled with childhood memories, family traditions, and comfort. However, this trip was difficult, since it was our first time in Taiwan without my dad. And now, it’s also the place where I said my final goodbye to my dad.
Coming back felt overwhelming and I didn’t know if I was ready. It was hard to imagine Taiwan without him. But the moment we landed, it really felt like he was with us the whole time. We revisited all of his favorite places this trip, from his favorite childhood noodle shop to all the hidden gems around the area that we used to explore. Everything we ate, walked, and saw felt like a reminder of our time together.
How To Get To Nantou
To get to Nantou, you can either drive, or take public transport. Today, we’re driving from Taoyuan to Nantou via Highway 1. This drive always brings back so many memories. The drive takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes.
You can also get to Nantou county from the Airport by taking a combination of local train and High Speed Rail. This route also takes about 2 hours and 20 minutes, and is convenient if you don’t have access to a car. This route gets you close to popular tourist spots like Checheng 車埕 and Sun Moon Lake 日月潭 without having to drive.
Nantou
We’re heading to my dad’s hometown, Nantou, to explore some of the spots my dad used to take us to when we visited Taiwan. I know not everyone believes in signs. But throughout the trip, there were so many little moments that felt like quiet reminders from him.
Nantou is known as a quieter area compared to Taipei or Tainan, with beautiful landscapes. There are tons of bustling, nameless little stallswell loved by locals here with incredible, nostalgic Taiwanese foods. If you ever visit Nantou, or anywhere else in Taiwan, don’t be afraid to explore and try these little hole-in-the-wall places. If the locals are lining up, it’s probably something special.
Toasted Black Pepper Scallion Egg Buns – 日初
Before we head to Nantou, I had to come to 日初 for my favorite to-go breakfast. I know this technically isn’t in Nantou, but I come here every time before a road trip. We got here at 8:30 and it’s already almost all sold out.
We grabbed the last Black Pepper Scallion Egg Buns 胡椒餅蔥蛋 for about $1.14 CAD each. I don’t think anywhere else in Taiwan sells it like this. It’s like fluffy buns with egg and green onions on the inside and a flaky crust. It combines the fluffiness of steamed buns with the flakiness of shaobing 燒餅 or crispy flatbread and the flavors of the black pepper buns. It’s 3 ideas in one!
We met the owner today as well, who told us everything is made in-house. I’m not even kidding, there were 7 people behind me and she had to tell them, “We’re sold out already!” On a Sunday, their phone was ringing off the hook from people calling ahead to reserve. They also have steamed buns 饅頭, which is also completely sold out.
I think they are one of my favorite breakfast places ever in Taiwan. So, if you’re in the area and have a chance to grab these super popular buns, I highly recommend it.
Dried Wonton Noodles with Pork – 無名面店
Every time we’re visiting my dad’s hometown, we head over to this noodle shop 無名麵店 where he grew up eating with my grandpa. It’s a simple storefront with simple food, but truly packed with flavor. Their menu is a simple line up of combinations of noodle styles and soups, as well as a few cold dish options to enjoy with your noodles. Except for the frozen wontons, there’s nothing above 50 NTD on the menu!
My dad would always proudly asked us to try his favorite dish, dried wonton noodles with ground pork or 白餛飩麵. It also comes in a noodle soup version! At about $1.62 CAD a bowl, it comes with noodles drenched in meat sauce with a few juicy wontons. The first time I had it, I thought, “this tastes just like my dad’s cooking!” I love topping it with a little bit of their table-side chili oil and black vinegar. It’s a 10/10 every time!
For both to-go and dine-in, you line up first, order your noodles and side dishes, then either wait for your order or find a seat. They’re open daily from 7 AM to 2:30 PM, but closed on Saturdays. This restaurant is beloved by locals, so there might be a crowd!
Stinky Tofu – 阿嬤臭豆腐
We were then lucky enough to find his favorite stinky tofu restaurant, 阿嬤臭豆腐, doing their first deep fry. They’re usually actually closed, but somehow we caught it open. There’s only 2 things on the menu: their signature stinky tofu for 50 NTD, and a pork blood soup for 10 NTD.
Each stinky tofu order comes with a small pile of pungent, freshly fried tofu stuffed with a bit of pickled cabbages and drizzled with sauce. Unlike most places that make their fried stinky tofu super crispy, this place actually slow cooks the tofu until it’s soft, juicy, and full of flavor.
I don’t know if it’s the nostalgia, but Dom and I both agree that this is probably one of the best stinky tofus we’ve ever had. If you’re ever in town, you should definitely come try these iconic tofu. Their opening hours state 2 PM to 6:30 PM daily, but they can have varied opening days. They’re located near the train station, so you won’t miss it!
Traditional Popsicles – 二坪冰店
While taking my brother-in-law around Nantou recently, we stopped by 二坪冰店, an old-school Taiwanese popsicle shop that my dad used to walk hours to get as a kid. They might be the best popsicles ever. This family-run shop has been around for over 50 years selling perfectly frozen popsicles that you honestly can’t find in many places even in Taiwan anymore.
Fun fact, they actually first became famous for their plain sugar water popsicle, which they still sell for 8 NTD. No fancy flavor, just clean water and freezing technique that’s so smooth and refreshing that became the summer treat of the area. They also offer a range of traditional Taiwanese flavors that are so, so good. There’s everything like hibiscus, mung beans, passion fruit, red bean with milk, and more. My favorites are the pineapple flavor, and peanut flavor. Plus, it’s so cheap, they range from 13-15 NTD each.
This popsicle shop can get pretty popular on weekends because they’re a local favorite, and they have a great view of the mountain area around. But, they’re open everyday from 9 AM to 6 PM, so you can come on a weekday for a slower crowd!
Checheng
Checheng 車埕 is a quiet mountain village in Nantou county with just the right amount of nostalgic charm. Once a logging hub, it’s now known for its scenic timber pond, the old Checheng train station, and a small woodcraft museum. Its “Old Street” is lined with traditional Taiwanese treats and drinks, like wintermelon tea. There’s tons of wooden souvenirs and products in the stores, since the main industry was lumber.
I actually came here years ago with my grandma and my dad. It’s so different now, but it’s still so beautiful. I highly recommend checking out the area if you’re coming to Nantou.
Soft Serve – 蒜你厲害
It’s definitely heating up in Taiwan, so while we were walking around, I decided to grab a frozen treat at 蒜你厲害. This stall is located near the woodwork museum. The open-air stall is lined with all sorts of dried Taiwanese fruits, like mango, banana, and pineapples, as well as crunchy vegetable chips.
Depending on the season, they also sell soft serve and ice cream here! I got a vanilla soft serve cone to enjoy while walking, a perfect way to cool down in the quiet little town.
Wintermelon Tea – 車埕冬瓜伯
If you ever come to Chechen, you can’t miss the wintermelon tea from 車埕冬瓜伯. In fact, while we were visiting the historical train station, most of the people we passed by were drinking a drink from this yummy shop. Their menu is mainly full of traditionally brewed wintermelon tea and black tea boba drinks, as well as shaved ice. The owner grows his own wintermelons, and makes all the ingredients from scratch.
Their classic wintermelon tea It’s a refreshing stop for a quick drink in the heat. They’re open daily from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Taiwanese Fried Meat Ball – 董家三兄弟肉丸
The last thing on my must eat list when in Nantou is the traditional fried meat ball 肉丸 from 董家三兄弟肉丸 四弟的店. This shop is hands down my favorite in all of Taiwan, and it ONLY sells fried meat balls for 40 NTD each. My dad brought me here a few years ago and now every time we come to Nantou, we have to stop by. This trip, we visited on the drive home from Sun Moon Lake for a quick meal.
These giant fried meat balls, mixed in with chunks of pork and crunchy bamboo shoots, are covered in a layer of chewy tapioca batter. Then, they’re deep fried until the insides are cooked through. They’re served covered in garlic paste and their signature sauce.
On the side, there are some giant tea kettles filled with free bone broth. Some of the locals like to eat the chewy batter on the outside first, and then add bone broth to finish their meatballs inside. Or, you can enjoy your meatball and drink the bone broth with the leftover sauce.
This restaurant it so popular, it actually has 3 other branches nearby, operated by the other brothers of the family. They’re always packed, but the lines go by fast because most locals buy it to-go. The one we went to, managed by the youngest brother, is open daily from 1 PM to 6:30 PM. If you stop by and the lines is too long, visit a different branch and it might have less people!
Explore Taiwan’s Hidden Foods and Attractions with me!
