Penghu food — do you know what’s worth trying? Every year from April to June, crowds fly to Penghu for the Fireworks Festival, which gets bigger every year. The show starts at 20:00 and the fireworks go off at 21:00. According to a friend, it’s truly stunning — a must-see every year, and if you can’t make it every year, go at least once. If you haven’t been yet, start planning a trip and catch the fireworks! The venue with the most shows is Guanyinting Recreation Area in Magong City, and there’s food everywhere within a 2-kilometer radius. If that sounds tempting, don’t miss the Penghu travel series the Go editor has put together for you below! How to get there? What to do? What to see? What to eat? All answered here
Haven’t added the Penghu Fireworks Festival to your itinerary yet? Don’t miss this:
The Penghu food and travel series
How to get there?[Fastest] Getting around Penghu: a transportation guide
What to do?[Insider picks] The 6 best viewing spots for the Penghu Fireworks Festival
What to see?[Latest] 2023 Penghu Fireworks Festival: dates and times
What to eat?
This article has the answers: four recommended Penghu eateries, plus two hidden gems we’ll let you in on (just swipe the map left and right to find them). Pretty generous, right? Remember Guanyinting Recreation Area in Magong City mentioned above? It hosts the most shows, so the crowds gather and the fireworks are a blast — and then everyone heads straight back to the guesthouse to sleep. Hey, going to bed without a late-night snack nearby? Where’s your sense of adventure! The area around Guanyinting is a food battleground: within two kilometers you’ll find grilled, fried and braised everything. When a craving hits, waiting is hard, so renting a car or scooter makes life a lot easier — these places all have lines, especially once the post-fireworks crowd starts moving in. Getting there first and claiming your spot really matters! Now, let the Go editor walk you through these shops in detail!
1. Jiajia Charcoal Grill
Must-order: chicken necks, tempura fish cake, pork blood cake
Locals say Jiajia Charcoal Grill is the unforgettable flavor they grew up with — grabbing three or four skewers on the way home from school or work was just an everyday thing. The stall is now run by the second generation, carrying on the same great taste. After the fireworks, Jiajia is the closest option, and also the one everyone rushes to. Besides the usual tempura fish cake and pork blood cake, chicken necks are a favorite. You can tell how good a place is from its simplest items, and Jiajia’s tempura fish cake is no joke! At other stalls we’ve tried, they slather on so much sauce that it masks the natural sweetness of the fish cake, but at Jiajia the sauce and the grilling are perfectly balanced, with salty and sweet blending in harmony. The big chicken necks are Jiajia’s superstar item and sell out in the blink of an eye. If you manage to snag one, gnawing on it street-side like a local or taking it back to your guesthouse to go with a beer are both great choices. 
Address: In front of Beijia Temple, Magong City, Penghu County
Hours: 15:00-00:00
Source: http://mimicat1531.pixnet.net/blog/post/45865366
2. Xiangre Braised Snacks
Must-order: duck blood cake, daikon radish
Xiangre Braised Snacks is a long-established Penghu institution, going strong for more than 30 years and filling the stomachs of countless locals and travelers — it has even opened a branch, Wenkang Braised Snacks! So if the line at Xiangre is too long, remember you can head to Wenkang instead. Both shops use the same family recipe braising liquid and win over every customer’s taste buds. Friends who’ve eaten there say the first bite shows how much care the owner puts in, plus the portions are generous — the worry isn’t going hungry, it’s finishing it all. Here’s the three-step ordering guide: first get the tender duck blood cake and refreshing radish, then pick your base of noodle soup, Prince instant noodles or glass noodles, and finally choose three of your favorite sides. Wait a few minutes and the owner sprinkles on the crunchy, punchy pickled mustard greens (a lot of them) — and your deluxe bowl of braised goodness is ready! Grab a seat nearby and dig in. 
Address: No. 6, Lane 5, Guangfu Rd., Magong City, Penghu County
Hours: early evening to 02:00
Phone: 06-9262506
Official website: Xiangre Braised Snacks Facebook page
Branch: Wenkang Braised Snacks
Address: No. 277, Guangfu Rd., Magong City
Hours: 17:00-23:00
Phone: 06-9262222
Official website: Wenkang Braised Snacks Facebook page
Sources: http://bonnie218.pixnet.net/blog/post/175902153, https://www.facebook.com/114832381937632/
3. Xianshuihao
Must-order: charcoal toast with flying fish roe sausage, signature roast pork egg crepe
On your first visit, what greets you is a wave of nostalgia, and inside you’ll spot retro knickknacks like a Tatung Boy figurine and printed tote bags that make you let your guard down and start playing with everything. Every now and then a dog trots over to say hello, too — it’s an unbelievably charming little shop. But while you’re admiring the decor, don’t forget to look at the menu: this humble little place hides flavors that travelers never forget! If you think soy milk, black tea, egg crepes and toast are nothing special, you couldn’t be more wrong. They look simple but they’re anything but. If you love savory food, order the charcoal toast with flying fish roe sausage — one bite and the roe pops on your tongue for a really unusual texture; bite after bite, the toast disappears in no time. Then wash it down with black tea with fresh milk for the perfect ending. Why the black tea with milk? Because Xianshuihao uses Kao Da fresh milk, and anyone who’s had it knows Kao Da just tastes better than the big-name brands! If you’re not into seafood, go for the signature roast pork egg crepe, with pork wrapped up in greens and mayonnaise — sweet-savory pork plus crisp vegetables makes for layers of texture. A must-try! 
Address: No. 162, Sanduo Rd., Magong City, Penghu County
Hours: 18:00-11:00
Phone: (06)926-4955 / 0985-195-191
Sources: http://sam76227.pixnet.net/blog/post/111374842, http://rocky.tw/2015-08-03-1313/
4. Taiwan Diyijia Fried Chicken
Must-order: river shrimp, squid
Penghu is surrounded by the sea, so seafood is naturally the specialty at Taiwan Diyijia Fried Chicken! You rarely find river shrimp at a typical fried chicken stand. What does it taste like? A bit like a real-life version of those shrimp-flavored crackers. A full portion is just NT$50 — the owner is seriously generous. The fried river shrimp are super crispy, and the owner often tosses in a handful of basil and garlic, so it all comes out fragrant and crunchy and vanishes in no time… why is everything in Penghu so addictive? The other item insiders always order is the squid! It’s surprisingly chewy — clearly very fresh. And don’t assume only the river shrimp and squid are worth ordering: taro strips, chicken hearts, chicken gizzards, tofu and meatballs are all highly recommended too. The taro strips especially — Taiwan Diyijia makes them wonderfully soft and chewy, so if you’re after a different texture, remember the NT$10 taro strips. 
Address: On Sanduo Rd., Magong City, Penghu County (across from the Hu Diwen OB/GYN clinic)
Hours: 15:30-23:30
Phone: 06-9264193
Source: http://mimicat1531.pixnet.net/blog/post/46038949
Hidden gems
Plenty of people never get to try these two hidden gems because of their itineraries — one is in Huxi Township and the other in Xiyu Township, both a fair distance from Magong, where most visitors stay. If you love to eat, rent a car or scooter first so you can feast properly. As for what makes them so good? Let the Go editor explain!
5. Fuqi Breakfast Shop
Must-order: gua bao, molten brown sugar mantou, egg crepe
Setting out from downtown and crossing the Penghu Great Bridge toward Wai’an, you’ll arrive in about fifty minutes. Fuqi Breakfast Shop has simple decor and serves the usual Taiwanese breakfast items — egg crepes, rice rolls and so on. The ones worth special mention are the gua bao, the egg crepe and the molten brown sugar mantou. The gua bao is a brown sugar steamed bun filled with egg plus lean and fatty pork, making it more filling than the standard version, while the egg crepe wrapper is on the chewy side because the shop mixes its own batter, giving it a texture unlike ordinary egg crepes — whether you like it comes down to personal taste! The most popular takeout item is the molten brown sugar mantou, because it’s delicious either cold or hot. Take a bite and brown sugar syrup bursts out, so be careful not to get it on your clothes; on the second bite you’ll taste crunchy, grainy bits of brown sugar against the soft, fluffy bun, and the two set each other off beautifully. The Go editor recommends starting with the savory egg crepe and finishing with the sweet molten brown sugar mantou to cover all the local breakfast highlights. 
Address: No. 163-1, Wai’an Village, Xiyu Township, Penghu County — the metal-sheet shack beside the main road in Wai’an Village, next to Golden Apple Pharmacy
Hours: 01:30-12:00 (open until 6 p.m. after April; please call ahead to check)
Phone: 06-9982815
Sources: http://elsa30.pixnet.net/blog/post/42334465, https://www.flickr.com/photos/01030110/18378747966, https://m.fun-taiwan.com/gourmet.aspx?id=g20150512114725
6. Longmen Grilled Sandwiches
Must-order dishes: charcoal-grilled sandwich, handmade tofu sheets, grilled chicken tails
The last hidden gem on our list — it sells out within seconds at night, and it’s the perfect finale! Located in Longmen Village, Huxi Township, Penghu, Longmen Grilled Sandwiches is seriously good. Everything here is made by hand. The charcoal-grilled sandwich layers meat and a fried egg between slices of toast, finished with satay sauce — you have to hand it to the owner for the pairing, because the smoky charcoal aroma and the satay complement each other perfectly, bringing out much more flavor in the egg and meat. Unforgettable! The handmade tofu sheets are made from soybean pulp, so they’re soft and fluffy yet light and never heavy — quite different from the usual springy, chewy tofu sheets, so give them a try. Last up are the grilled chicken tails, which sell out in no time: crispy but not burnt, with tender, juicy meat. One skewer makes the trip worth it, so come early and get in line! Show up late and there’ll be nothing left. 
Address: No. 76-4, Huxi Township, Penghu County 885 (they’ve moved to a new address)
Hours: 19:00-00:00
Phone: 0963 165 903
Source: https://supertaste.tvbs.com.tw/topic/article/305007
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This article was translated by AI from the original Chinese version.
