Pingtung Night Market Oden No. 16

Review

Pingtung Night Market Oden No. 16 is at 69 Minzu Road, inside the tourist night market. Supertaste says it has been running for more than forty years, founded by the owner's mother and now looked after by the family, and another guide credits the owner's wife with keeping it going. For many locals it is a taste of the night market they grew up with.

The oden lineup follows the classic Taiwanese fish-cake stall, with signatures such as fried egg, cabbage rolls and limited daily hand-pressed sushi. The broth is light and sweet, diners say you can ask for refills, and it is especially warming in winter; the daikon is soft and well seasoned and the fried tofu tender. The highlight is the dip, sweet chili sauce mixed with wasabi for a little kick that suits oden perfectly. None of the sources give exact prices, though diners describe it as affordable.

Fans praise the tasty, refillable broth, the chatty, friendly owner and the clean setting, calling it a simple, comforting stop on a night-market stroll. Complaints mention waiting for some items still cooking, the owner being stretched thin alone at peak times, and swordfish sashimi that some find ordinary.

Supertaste and Google list hours of 10:00 to 23:30, so it works for lunch or a late-night snack. The stall is on the market's main street where parking is hard, so park farther out and walk in, or come by scooter. Night-market stall hours can change, so check before going.

It suits anyone at Pingtung Night Market wanting something hot or looking for a late snack. Pick five or six oden items, add a fried egg and a cabbage roll, see whether the hand-pressed sushi is available that day, then dip in the sweet-spicy wasabi sauce and sip the hot broth for a warming meal that does not cost much.