9 Foods to Try in Taipei

In April, we took a trip around Taiwan. Taiwan is a heaven for foodies. Here is a checklist of the local foods and restaurants that we love in Taipei, Taichung and Tainan. The first post is on Taipei.

1. Bitter White Gourd Juice

Our first destination is Ximending (西門町). Ximending is a popular tourist area with many famous food stalls, entertainment and performers. It is very vibrant and exciting at night.

Here are some of the famous food stalls in Ximending:

• Ah Zhong Mian Xian (阿宗麵線). Ironically, I have never tried this street stall despite I've been to Taipei three times! This place is always filled with an endless queue. They sell vermicelli cooked with pig intestines and oysters for NT 50.
• Lau Tian Lu (老天祿滷味). What? French kissing with the duck? This place is famous for selling duck tongue and duck wings as braised aromatic Lu Wei. If you're interested in exotic snacks, this is the place to go.
• Ya Rou Bian (鴨肉扁) Although its shop name mean "duck", this shop sells goose meat. So misleading… you can order a quarter of the goose and some liver for sharing. 
• The King of Bitter Gourd (檸檬屋苦瓜大王). Definitely one of my favorites. White bitter gourd is a plant native in Taiwan. The juice is very refreshing and healthy.

2. Pork Heart and Kidney Soup

On the next day, we went to Ruifang District by train. Ruifang is ideal for a Taipei day trip. First, we went to Houdong (侯硐) Station. It is also known as the "cat village" in Taiwan.

To visit the Houdong Cat Village, simply take the northbound train from Taipei Station to Ruifang Station. I would recommend purchasing a one day ticket for the Pingxi Rail Line for NT 52.

While we were waiting for the next train, we ordered pork kidney soup and pork heart soup at one of the local food stalls. The soup is made with thinly sliced ginger and sesame oil. According to Taiwanese, pork kidney soup is very nutritious and is useful in relieving fatigue. The meat was tender and the soup was very fragrant and delicious.

3. Chicken Wing Stuffed with Kimchi & Smelly Tofu

As we continue on our day trip on the Pingxi Rail line, we spotted a stall that sells smelly tofu near the restroom (the irony!). The combination of kimchi and smelly tofu is very intriguing, so we've decided to give it a go.

We waited for 10 minutes for the freshly grilled chicken wing. The chicken wing was topped with sesame seeds. I have to say, this fusion food is amazing! It is very addictive for people who like spicy food and smelly tofu. Most people ordered "ham and fried rice" chicken wing, but I would definitely recommend giving this "kimchi smelly tofu" combo a go!

4. Beef Sashimi Noodles

Dongmen Market is located at Dongmen (東門) Station (duh). Seriously this is a hidden gem. It is one of those places where locals come to look for food in the morning.

A trip to Taipei isn't complete without eating beef noodles. We entered a beef wholesale shop inside Dongmen Market. You can't go wrong with beef wholesale supplier, right?



One of its signature dish here is beef sashimi noodles. The owner would place a bowl of raw beef slices in front of you and pour hot broth into it. The beef is cooked to perfection right in front of you.

Delicious. Very delicious indeed.

I heard the steak here is very good, but we were too full to try it. Maybe next time I'll try it for dinner?

鈜景國產肉品專賣店東門店 (御牛殿)
Hours: 10:30 - 15:30, 17:00 - 20:00. Closed on Mondays
Address: 台北市中正區臨沂街70號 (Near Exit 1 of Dongmen Station)

4. Lemon and Matcha Tart

We went to Hsing Tian Kong (行天宮) Station at the Zhongshan District. It is where a popular Taoist temple is located.

Afterwards, we went to a cake store highly recommended by a fellow friend. The lemon and matcha tart (向陽) looks great and we ordered it as a take away dessert. It is a bit pricey at NT160, but I think it is worth the price. The lemon zest combined with the slightly bitter matcha is very suitable for summer. Very nice.

木白甜點咖啡店
Hours: 12:00 am - 9:00 pm
Address: 台北市中山區松江路226巷8號 (Near Exit 1 of Hsing Tian Kong Station)

5. Luffa Xiao Long Bao

Xiao Long Bao is a must eat in Taipei. Instead of Din Tai Fung, we went to a place closer to our hotel.

We ordered Luffa Xiao Long Bao. Luffa Xiao Long Bao is made with minced pork, luffa and shrimps. The luffa gives a naturally sweet taste to the Xiao Long Bao, while, the shrimp gives it a seafood flavor. We prefer it over the original one with minced pork.

There are also abalone Xiao Long Bao and truffle Xiao Long Bao to satisfy your craving for innovative food!

杭州小籠湯包 民生東路店
Hours: 11:30 am - 9:30 pm
Address: 台北市松山區民生東路三段118號 (Near Zhongshan Junior High School)

6. Deep Fried Oysters

Beitou Market (北投市場) is probably a best kept secret among foodies in Taipei. In the morning, we traveled all the way to the Beitou District at the Beitou Station (北投) just to eat. One of the must eat here is Lu Rou Fan, which is Taiwanese braised pork rice bowl. However, we are not a fan of greasy minced pork sauce.

We realized we haven't tried any Taiwanese oysters yet, so we ordered some deep fried oysters at a stall located on the second floor of the market (營養蚵仔). The deep fried oysters are not oily. The oysters are very fresh and they are first dusted in a cornflour mixture before deep frying. That resulted in very juicy oysters!


營養蚵仔
Hours: 8:00 am - 2:30 pm. Closed on Mondays
Address: 台北市北投區新市街30號2樓 (Inside Beitou Market, Second Floor)

7. Taiwanese Chicken Roll (Ji Juan)

We noticed something interesting in the next stall: chicken roll. It is minced pork and fish wrapped in bean curd skin, with crunchy bits of water chestnut and taro. The dish is completed with a sweet and sour sauce. Not as impressive as the fried oyster dish, but still worth trying. Price: NT 40.

雞捲鼎邊銼
Address: 台北市北投區新市街30號2樓 (Inside Beitou Market, Second Floor)

8. Houseleek Juice

Houseleek juice with pineapple (石蓮汁) is something that I really like. Accordingly, it can lower blood sugar, reduce inflammation and boost metabolism. Houseleek itself is bitter, giving it a distinct refreshing feel when blended with pineapple juice. It's worth trying after eating greasy food. Price NT 35 (small).

維生蔬果調飲
Hours: 7:30 am - 1:00 pm. Closed on Mondays.
Address: 臺北市北投區新市街30號(北投市場1樓238號攤) (Inside Beitou Market, First Floor)

9. Pork Chop Rice

This pork chop restaurant is located in Tamsui (Danshui). We went to the branch near the metro station. This appears to be a simple piece of fried pork chop with rice, with tofu and sauerkraut at the bottom. However, the pork chop is thick and tasty. The dried bean curd is not bad either. Overall, the combination of the soy sauce and sauerkraut is very nice. Price: NT 100 (small).

黑殿飯店
Hours: 11:00 - 20:30
Address: 新北市淡水區中正路11-10號