Originally Posted by
ProleOnParole
Gaoxiong hands down. Even more so since you're taking the HSR, as it's easy to get into the city on the MRT, while the Tainan HSR station is in the middle of nowhere, and in the case of Taizhong you'd probably be better off taking the regular train from Taipei and not having to transfer.
For the record, Tainan is the go-to place for "famous" food among the Taiwanese but I stand by my recommendation.
Yeah, Kaohsiung would certainly be the most convenient. Take the HSR to New Zuoying station, then you can transfer to the MRT.
But...other than convenient transportation, Kaohsiung doesn't have much going for it on the culinary front. For authentic Taiwanese food, Tainan is where it's at. But yeah, the HSR station is waaaay outside of town. There are free shuttle buses that can get you to the city center, then you can transfer to a taxi (or just take the taxi into town from the HSR, about NT$300).
If you decide to come to Tainan, and if you and if you have an idea about what kind of food you are looking to try, I can maybe give you some suggestions of where to go. If you come here in the evening, Tainan has some pretty good night markets where you'll find the best selection of street food. But it's in a different location each night, so you'll need to let me know which night you're coming.