Ai Zai Cheng Shrimp Rice

Review

Ai Zai Cheng, at No. 66, Section 1, Hai'an Road in West Central District, has been running for nearly a hundred years and is now in its fourth generation; it is one of the names that comes up first for Tainan shrimp rice. On 20 May 2024, the banquet held in Tainan for the presidential inauguration put its shrimp rice on the menu, with fourth-generation owner Song Zhan-wei helping prepare a thousand portions at short notice, which put the shop back in the headlines.

The shrimp are fire-roasted shrimp from the Anping and Xingda harbour area, peeled and deveined by hand and stir-fried with scallions. The rice is cooked with broth and sauce, so it comes out light brown, sweet-savoury and fairly moist. A bowl usually carries seven to nine shrimp, and free pickled cucumber on the table cuts the richness.

Fans say the rice soaks up the shrimp aroma and the shrimp taste fresh; the duck egg soup and cold pork liver are also popular, and the dining room is air-conditioned with quick service. The main complaints are small portions that don't fill you up, an overall sweetness, and the occasional soft shrimp; the rise from about NT$40 to about NT$60 a bowl has also been noticed by regulars.

It's open 8:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. and closed Tuesdays. Dine-in guests queue to be seated by staff and then order from the menu, while takeaway orders go straight to the counter. Crowds last from morning almost to closing, so avoid noon if you can. Street parking on Hai'an Road is comparatively easy, and Ji Pin Shrimp Rice, another popular shop, is diagonally opposite if you want to compare.

Good for travellers who want an iconic Tainan dish in an air-conditioned room. Solo diners can order shrimp rice and duck egg soup plus cold pork liver or garlic pork slices; big eaters can get two bowls of rice. The small plate of stir-fried shrimp is about NT$100 but modest in size, so it's not always good value.