Taiwan Food Atlas

Taixi Temple Fish Ball Thick Soup

Fried fish paste pieces in starchy broth — a sixty-year temple-front stall using catch from the local fishing harbor
📍 Yunlin · Taixi Temple Front, Taixi Township🗂️ Collectible · Soup🔖 Fried fish paste pieces · Coastal temple market · 60-year legacy

Taixi Temple Fish Ball Thick Soup is a local snack stall in Taixi Township, Yunlin County, that has been serving customers on Minzu Road for more than sixty years. Fresh fish paste is hand-shaped into chunks, deep-fried, then simmered in a starch-thickened broth — a fixture of the morning-market rhythm of daily life in Taixi. The stall opens in the early morning and typically closes by late afternoon, with signature items including fish-ball noodle soup, fish-crisp noodle soup, and mixed thick soup. The fish pieces are crispy outside and tender inside, and the broth carries a sweet, briny depth born from Taixi's coastal fish resources and its temple-front market culture.

Taixi Temple Fish Ball Thick Soup is located at No. 12 Minzu Road, Taixi Township, Yunlin County, and has been in business for more than sixty years, open roughly from 6:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and closed on Wednesdays. Signature items include fish-ball noodle soup, fish-crisp noodle soup, mixed noodle soup, and mixed thick soup, priced at around NT$55–60 per bowl. Taixi Township is low-lying and faces the Taiwan Strait, with an economy centered on clam and milkfish pond farming as well as nearshore oyster and eel-fry cultivation.

What is Taixi Temple Fish Ball Thick Soup

The 'wan-zi' (丸仔) in this dish are not the standard round fish balls; instead, fresh fish paste is hand-shaped into irregular chunks and deep-fried in oil until golden, developing a crispy exterior. The fried fish paste pieces are then placed in a large pot of sweet potato starch broth made from bonito or dried flounder stock, with black vinegar added for tartness. The starch broth thickens to a medium consistency; as the fish paste absorbs the liquid, the exterior softens slightly while the interior retains its springy bite — a richly textured eating experience. Cilantro or minced celery is added as a garnish.

Taixi Township lies along the western coast of Yunlin County, facing the Taiwan Strait, with abundant fishing resources. The local temple-front market operates primarily as a morning market selling all kinds of seafood-based processed foods. The temple front in question is the main temple plaza of Taixi Township — a hub of daily community life, not a packaged tourist night market. A Taixi food feature in Travel Map (旅行圖中) confirms that this fish ball soup stall has been operating for more than sixty years and represents the most enduring food memory of Taixi Township.

How to eat it like a local

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Only available at the morning marketTemple-front stalls here operate on a morning market schedule, typically opening as early as 5 or 6 a.m. and selling out by midday. Visiting in the afternoon almost always means no stock remaining.
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Add black vinegar for tartnessA splash of black vinegar after the soup arrives brightens the seafood sweetness — the local way to eat it. White pepper can also be added to taste.
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More satisfying with steamed riceSpooning the thick soup over white rice and letting the starchy broth soak in is the standard Taixi breakfast-brunch combination for refueling.
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Stroll along the Taixi coast afterwardThe Taixi coastal highway has windmill scenery and shoreline walks. After eating at the temple front, a leisurely drive or walk along the coast captures the feel of a western Taiwan fishing village.

Local knowledge

Verified sources

  • A Taixi food feature in Travel Map (旅行圖中) confirms that the temple-front fish ball soup is the most representative local snack in Taixi Township, with a stall history of more than sixty years.
  • The preparation — deep-frying fish paste chunks before adding them to the thick broth — produces a texture distinct from ordinary fish ball soup and is a specialty of Taixi's coastal food culture.
  • The temple-front market is the core of the local morning market, not a tourist commercial zone. Google reviews are predominantly from regular local customers.

Practical tips

  • The Taixi Temple Front is located near the main temple plaza in Taixi Township's town center. Public transport to this area is limited — driving is recommended.
  • The stall operates on a morning market schedule; afternoon visits will almost certainly find it closed. Arriving before 9 a.m. gives you the best selection.
  • Taixi Township has attracted attention in recent years for coastal erosion issues; some road sections are in poor condition. Drive carefully.

Sources: Travel Map (旅行圖中) Taixi Food Guide, Taixi Township Office tourism information. Photos pending Dio's on-site photography.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the opening hours of Taixi Temple Fish Ball Thick Soup?

It opens around 6:30 a.m. and closes by about 5 p.m., closed on Wednesdays; arriving in the morning gives you the fullest menu selection.

Are the 'wan-zi' in this dish regular round fish balls?

No — they are irregular chunks of fresh fish paste that are deep-fried until crispy outside and springy inside, distinct from standard round fish balls.

Where is Taixi Temple Fish Ball Thick Soup located?

It is at No. 12 Minzu Road, Taixi Township, Yunlin County, near the town center's main temple plaza; driving is recommended.

Sources

🗺️ View on the map ← All Yunlin dishes