Taiwan
is full of amazing food, and there is no place better to try it all than
Taipei. Taipei is a city that never
sleeps, with bustling streets and lively night markets, the sheer variety of
amazing food here is a foodie’s dream. Everything
in Taipei is delicious, but if you want to make sure to hit the best food
Taipei has to offer, there are a few things that you must have on your eating
checklist. From sleepless night markets
to must try restaurants, I have scoured the streets of Taipei to experience the
best Taipei has to offer, bite to bite. Here
are a few of my personal favorites.
Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle
 |
| Ay-Chung Flour Rice Noodle |
One of
the best signs of great food is a large crowd and at Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle
you will find just that. As you make
your way up the alley you can’t miss the large crowd of people gathered around
this tiny restaurant. There is only one
kind of soup here, pig intestine and noodle soup, so the only choice you have
while in line is whether you want a small or large. The workers have service down to an art though,
so the long line goes by in a flash.
 |
| Pig intestine and noodle soup |
With a bowl of soup in your hand
you can head to the toppings station where you have the choice of vinegar,
pureed garlic, and chili sauce. There
are no tables or chairs at this establishment, so once you’ve prepared your
soup you will have to stand with the rest of the happy masses as you chow down
on this sticky sloppy goodness.
It is located near the Ximen
Station on the Green/Blue Line connection.
As you walk up the stairs of exit 3, turn right and follow the road to
the split and go left. Then take a right
at the next intersection and you will see it on your right.
Yongkang Beef Noodle
 |
| Yongkang Beef Noodle |
Yongkang
Beef Noodle’s soup has been rated Taiwan’s #1 beef soup, especially in the
spicy broth variety, by almost everyone who has tasted it and I would have to
agree with them. The Braised Beef Noodles in Spicy
Broth is one of my favorite all time soups in Taiwan. The spicy flavorful broth coupled with the
tender beef, that all but melts in your mouth, was a great surprise and is a
must try for anyone traveling through Taipei.
There is also a clear broth version of the soup for those that don’t
want the spice, but I can’t attest to whether it is good or not.
 |
| Braised Beef Noodles in Spicy
Broth |
Yongkang
Beef Noodle is located near the Dongmen Station on the Red Line. If you leave through exit 4, take a left at
the top of the stairs and walk two full blocks.
Turn right and you will see it on your right.
Night Markets
 |
| Raohe Night Market |
Night
Markets are easily one of my favorite things about Taiwan; they even top my
list of ‘
Top
10 Things To Do: Taipei.’
Every
district in Taipei has one, so you are never to far from these wonderful markets.
Opening around dusk, the streets and alleyways
that make up the markets become lined with businesses and stalls selling an assortment
of different items and foods.
Taiwan is
known for their easy eats and there is no place better to experience this than
the Night Markets of Taipei.
As you
stroll down thru the market you have the tons of food choices at your finger
tips to satisfy your Taipei foodie experience.
 |
| Kabob stand in the Sanhe Night Market |
 |
| Seafood au gratin in a half shell and chicken wraps in the Sanhe Night Market |
 |
| Various corndogs in the Sanhe Night Market |
 |
| Grilled king oyster mushrooms in the Raohe Night Market |
 |
| Assortment of fruit in the Shilin Night Market |
 |
| Dragon fruit shake in the Shilin Night Market |
 |
| Squid balls in the Sanhe Night Market |
Din Tai Fung
 |
| Xiaolongbao dumplings at Din Tai Fung in Taipei 101 |
Din
Tai Fung, located in Taipei 101, is a worthy restaurant for any foodie
traveling through Taipei. A Michelin
Star restaurant and once rated by The New York Times as a top 10 restaurant in
the world, it has its share of glories. The
service, presentation, and food are perfect at Din Tai Fung. The dish they are best known for is their Xiaolongbao
dumplings, which are delicious and well worth the wait for a table at this
fancy establishment.
It is
located on the first floor of Taipei 101.
To get there take the Red Line to Taipei 101/World Trade Center Station
and leave through exit 4. Upon exiting it will be the really tall
building in front of you.
Modern Toilet
 |
| Tables in Modern Toilet |
The
Modern Toilet doesn’t exactly serve Taiwanese food but it is still unique to
Taiwan. Taiwan has a niche for unusually
themed restaurants so the Modern Toilet fits right in with its bathroom themed décor
and dishes. Sitting upon toilets at a
glass topped sink or tub, you can enjoy your delicious food served in small
toilets of its own and drink tea from a urinal shaped glass. With a fun atmosphere and delicious food this
unique restaurant is a must visit; if only for the pictures and stories you
will tell your friends.
 |
| Our dinner at the Modern Toilet (beef hotpot, creole shrimp pasta, cheese sticks, corn chowder soup, and chocolate ice cream). |
Quick Eats
 |
| Douhua, a Taiwanese dessert |
Taipei
is full of delicious quick eats that you can easily grab on the go. From tempura seafood to bubble teas, the
streets of Taipei are speckled with great places to grab a quick bite and enjoy
as a snack or combine for a great dinner. Easy eats are not just for the Night Markets
but can be found in small shops all over Taipei.
 |
| Gao Bao from Lan Jia Traditional Taiwanese Snack |
 |
| Fried crab |
 |
| Pan fried dumplings |
 |
| Tempura calamari on the wharf in Tamsui |
 |
| Taiwanese sausage in rice sausage on Teapot Mountain |
 |
| Bubble milk tea in Snake Alley |
 |
| Bubble pashion fruit black tea on the wharf in Tamsui |
7/11
 |
| Microwave meals at 7/11 |
Last,
but not least, there is 7/11. This may
seem like an uncommon add to a must try food list for any location but eating
at a 7/11 in Taiwan isn’t all that unusual.
There are more 7/11’s in Taipei, per capita, than anywhere else in the
world and they all serve food. Every
store location offers a few Taiwanese foods, Taiwanese sausages, tea eggs (a
must try), and a slew of premade microwavable dishes and soups that they will
heat for you (and provide eating utensils).
There are also tables and chairs in each location for dinning in. All 7/11’s are 24 hour stores and with one always
near you its worth dropping in for a late night snack.
 |
| Tea egg at 7/11 (a must try; the darker the better) |
What food looks
good to you? What are some of your
favorite dishes?
No comments:
Post a Comment