Dong Xing Oyster Fritters

Review

Dong Xing Oyster Fritters is at No. 1 Gubao Street, right by Anping Old Fort and next door to A-Cai Beef Soup, one of the fried-snack stalls you are almost sure to pass on Anping Old Street. Several Anping food round-ups list it among the old street's signature snacks, and on busy weekends a line often forms in front.

The fritter filling pairs fresh oysters with cabbage, bean sprouts and pork rather than the usual garlic chives, inside a crisp fried shell, topped with a sweet-yet-spicy soy sauce and a dab of mustard. There are also shrimp rolls, which one writer describes as tasting more clearly of shrimp than the common city versions, so it is worth ordering both to compare. Each order is fried fresh, so expect a few minutes’ wait; the shell is hottest and crispest right when it is handed over.

Praise centers on the crisp shell, the salty-sweet sauce and coin-level prices, which make it easy to eat while walking. Opinions are divided overall, though: some find the ingredients and seasoning ordinary and unremarkable, and travel articles give it comparatively low scores, so it is best enjoyed as simple street food rather than a destination.

On weekdays it opens around noon and closes in the early evening, opening earlier in the morning on weekends; sources list slightly different closing times, so check before going. It is mainly takeaway, so you can snack while exploring the fort and old street. Parking nearby is hard on holidays, so park farther out and walk in.

It suits visitors who want to try Tainan-style fried snacks on Anping Old Street without sitting down for a full meal. Order one oyster fritter and a portion of shrimp rolls to share and eat them hot while they are crisp; afterward you can drop by the beef soup shop next door or head along the old street for dessert.