“Perfectly seasoned” gourmand Roger Kuo regales readers with stories and insights from some of his hometown’s top food professionals in his latest work Kaohsiung’s Savory Soul. His words and images distill a decade of exploring and experiencing and of listening to stories that effervesce with southern Taiwanese flavor and heritage.

Roger Kuo’s first insider’s guide to the traditional food scene in Kaohsiung City, Kaohsiung Good Eats, propelled the author to national foodie stardom after its 2013 publication. While his first work took 6 years to research, compile and write, his follow up effort, Kaohsiung’s Savory Soul, took another full decade to do the same. Moreover, as the title implies, this 2023 title spotlights not only Roger’s latest culinary discoveries but also digs deeper into the soulful essence of these restaurants, diners, and food stands and of the owners and chefs who make them sing.

This salute to the food professionals behind Kaohsiung’s best authentic cuisine uses threads of human warmth, history, and culinary culture to weave a cohesive and compelling narrative. Experience through the author’s eyes, ardor, and detailed writing style many of the unique stories and personalities that make this city such an alluring gastronomic adventure. Each of the 120 distinctive food establishments visited in the city, including breakfast shops, restaurants, snack shops, and food gift retailers, is dotingly covered in terms of location, signature dishes, business philosophy, owner’s story, and ties to Kaohsiung heritage and history. The result is an up-to-date, one-of-a-kind foodie treasure map of Kaohsiung City.

From deep-fried breakfast wraps to reservation-only gourmet dinners on hilltops overlooking the city, experience in honest pictures and words the stories behind Kaohsiung’s most irresistible, most delectable culinary offerings. Each celebrates the culinary professionalism, commitment to customer, and passion for authentic flavors of these establishments. Open to page one and begin your exploration of Kaohsiung City’s centuries-old food heritage.