Fu Tai Table (3rd Gen)

Review

Fu Tai Table (3rd Gen) is at No. 219, Section 2, Minzu Road, on the same stretch as Lo Cheng Migao. According to the MICHELIN Guide, Fu Tai Table has been around for more than eighty years, and the second and third generations opened this shop in 2015 with a bright indoor dining room, so guests can experience Tainan's traditional rice-table culture in more comfort. It is a regular on the Bib Gourmand list, and the guide flags it as worth queuing for.

A rice table works by pointing at what looks good: dishes depend on that day's market shopping and come in small, neat portions, so you can order several to go with plain rice, braised pork rice or congee. MICHELIN recommends the mixed ball soup, whose meatballs are handmade daily and have a fresh, springy bite, and a small blackboard lists the day's fish and seasonal dishes. Diners most often mention the boneless pan-fried milkfish belly, braised pork rice and braised napa cabbage, praising them as homely and not greasy.

Fans love the variety, the chance to taste many Tainan home-style dishes in one sitting, fair prices, a clean room and friendly staff, and some come back twice in one trip. Complaints are mostly about long queues at mealtimes; small portions make it easy to order more, but the bill adds up as you go; and the short hours, with only two hours in the evening and lunch only on Saturdays, catch out many visitors.

Hours are Tuesday to Friday, 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Saturday until 1:30 p.m. only, closed Sundays and Mondays. MICHELIN advises arriving before 6 p.m. for dinner. It is cash only and air-conditioned. Minzu Road is near Chihkan Tower and parking is difficult, so walk or ride a scooter.

Good for anyone who wants to sample a wide spread of Tainan home cooking, or to try rice-table culture for the first time. Ideally come with two or three people: start with a mixed ball soup and a milkfish belly, then pick two or three of the day's dishes from the counter or blackboard and add braised pork rice. Around NT$100 to NT$250 per person is usually enough to eat well.