Shang Zan Sausage & Ba-wan

Review

Shang Zan is stall No. 27 in Pingtung Night Market, at 22 Minzu Road. Supertaste says it was founded in 1945 as a small stall selling sausages before moving to its current spot in the market and gradually adding ba-wan, pork sausage and side dishes, becoming one of the old names that opens in daytime.

The signatures are deep-fried ba-wan and hand-cut pork sausage. The fried skin has a pleasant chew, and a travel blogger describes it as bouncy with a fragrant filling; the sausage is made in-house and sliced to order, smooth and tender, served with the house sauce. The counter is lined with assorted cuts such as cheek meat and intestine, which you point out to the owner, then add fried rice noodles or minced pork rice as your staple. Free clear soup sits out front to help yourself. None of the sources give exact prices; the blogger simply calls it very affordable.

Fans praise the sausages, portions judged well for the number of diners and friendly prices, calling it a classic Taiwanese taste of the night market; foreign visitors advise grabbing a table before ordering. Complaints say the rice noodles are ordinary, the ba-wan is not as good as the sausage, seats are hard to find at peak times and the setting is basic.

Supertaste lists closing at 21:00 while Google shows 07:30 to 20:00, so sources differ and it is worth checking first. Street parking around the night market is tight, so use a nearby paid car park and walk, or come by scooter. When ordering the cuts, tell the owner how many are eating and the portion will be judged for you.

It suits anyone after old-style Pingtung flavours or wanting to explore the night market area in daytime. Two people can share a plate of sausage, some cheek meat or intestine, one fried rice noodles and one minced pork rice, plus a ba-wan each and a bowl of clear soup, for a full Pingtung brunch.