Taipei is a rare place where food is an unapologetic feature of the cityscape. Vendors set up shop in slim alleyways, slinging out greasy pockets of scallion pancakes stuffed with cheese; braised chicken wing stalls pop up on street corners once the sun sets. In Taipei, food isn’t confined to brick-and-mortars; insead, it spills out into the streets. Night markets take up entire neighborhoods, where pedestrians graze from stall to stall holding fistfuls of skewers. There are breakfast shops open 24/7, where the smell of freshly brewed hot soymilk and deep-fried dough wafts onto busy streets. And lots of restaurants have outdoor seating, with tables sprawled out on the sidewalks on a busy Friday night.
An Rong Xu for Serious Eats
In fact, food in Taipei is so cheap and plentiful that most young people in Taiwan don’t actually know how to cook. It makes sense: A bowl of beef noodle soup or a plate of dumplings goes for just a couple of dollars, which is much less than it costs to buy the ingredients and make the same dishes at home.
At a glance, Taiwan may seem like a homogenous society. But with multiple waves of immigration spread out over two centuries, it is actually quite a diverse country and home to a bunch of different dining options—from quaint tea houses to grab-and-go street vendors. The island has no shortage of vibrant culinary experiences.
An Rong Xu for Serious Eats
There is one caveat: With the exception of the traditional markets and the breakfast shops, most establishments in the city don’t open until well after 11 a.m. The city is the most vibrant in the evening, with office workers and school children filing out after a long day for a quick bite to eat and staying late into the night.
On this stop in Serious Eats’ tour of the some greatest culinary cities in the world, I’m taking you on a journey through Taipei—including the seemingly endless markets, the idyllic tea houses, and lively restaurants. These spots have become deeply familiar to me, informing much of my recipe development and how I’ve come to know and think of Taiwanese cuisine.
What constitutes a good restaurant or dining experience is, of course, subjective. I’ve lived in Taipei full-time for four years now, and prior to that I spent more than 25 years visiting friends and family on the island. My childhood memories of Taipei were centered around street food because my parents, who had moved to the States, were not keeping tabs on fancy new restaurant openings. During our short visits, they wanted hearty bites from reliable vendors–an approach I’ve since adopted as my own. Today, as a Taiwanese cookbook author and food journalist based in Taipei, I’ve come to put less weight on what’s trendy and new, and more on the establishments that have weathered the course of time and stayed consistent and true to their food.
Step Into This Market City
Home to nearly 2.5 million people, Taipei’s many neighborhoods each offer something different. Dadaocheng, the oldest neighborhood in the city, is chock full of mom-and-pop stalls doling out pork trotter noodles or braised cuts of offal; Xinyi, the financial capital of the city, is known for its gaggle of bars with bespoke cocktails; and Da’an is home to a neighborhood of cozy coffee shops with happy cats snoozing in the corners.
An Rong Xu for Serious Eats
For a taste of bygone days, I recommend perusing a traditional market and keeping an eye on what the aunties are buying. To see how the average office worker unwinds, consider going to a rechao—an outdoor beer restaurant that doles out quick plates of screaming-hot stir fries.
Here are some of my favorite culinary experiences in Taipei:
Markets
Ningxia Night Market
103, Taiwan, Taipei City, Datong District, Ningxia Rd, 58號2樓
Taiwanese night markets aren’t as vibrant as they used to be—many have become gentrified or just tourist hubs—but Ningxia is a staunch exception. It’s one of the few night markets dedicated to just food, and many of the stalls are still family-owned instead of franchises (the latter of which is increasingly the norm).
An Rong Xu for Serious Eats
My cookbook, Made in Taiwan: Recipes and Stories from the Island Nation, has an entire section on night markets, and during my research process I realized that a successful night market dish should not only be portable, but also deliver bold, memorable flavors in a single bite. You’re guaranteed this experience at Ningxia market, which is really just one long row of food vendors where you can snack on long skewers threaded with deep-fried chewy squid balls seasoned with a generous dab of white pepper or paper bags stuffed with five-spice scented popcorn chicken. If you need a break from walking, you can reserve a table at one of the restaurants along the market and have all the best bites from the vendors, like gloopy oyster omelets and breaded chicken cutlets, brought right to you.
Shi-Dong Market 士東市場
No. 100, Shidong Rd, Shilin District, Taipei City, Taiwan 111
When it comes to quality, few traditional markets compare to Shi-Dong Market. Unlike the average market, Shi-Dong is entirely indoors which, honestly, is an asset because air conditioning keeps the produce and meat fresher for longer—especially in a hot and humid subtropical country like Taiwan.
Established in 1992, Shi-Dong is located in the affluent neighborhood of Tianmu. Prices are a tad higher than the average market, but everything is consistently top-notch (it’s one of the few traditional markets where the fruits and vegetables are stacked in neat pyramids).
Stock up on bright green bouquets of water spinach, sun-gold mangoes, and pink heirloom spears of daikon. Or, consider freshly made silky tofu or expertly butchered pork. Another plus: Everything is always sparkling clean. Some may dismiss this overly manicured market as sterile, but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve begun to value the higher standard of sanitation and appreciate when raw ingredients are kept at safe temperatures to preserve their freshness and quality.
Restaurants
Lao Jiang’s House
106, Taiwan, Taipei City, Da’an District, Yanji St, 110號1F
An Rong Xu for Serious Eats
Most traditional breakfast shops in Taiwan have an antiquated vibe with short plastic stools and terrazzo tiles. Lao Jiang’s, however, is the exception, run by a team of young folks who are more than willing to innovate. With laminate flooring and faux Nordic furniture, it looks more like a Western coffee shop than a typical Taipei breakfast joint. Yet the menu draws from proven breakfast classics like compacted rice rolls filled with pork floss, crisp fried crullers, and dan bing—a Taiwanese egg crêpe dotted with scallions. Open 24 hours, it’s also one of my favorite spots to people watch.
Drbeef East Gate
No. 70號, Linyi St, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100
Controversial take: I’m not the biggest fan of traditional Taiwanese beef noodle soup—the type flavored with hefty amounts of soy sauce, star anise, and fermented bean paste. I find that it masks the inherent flavor of the beef. The preparation was historically used to cover up low-quality meat, but nowadays with advanced supply chains and refrigeration, all that seasoning isn’t needed. In fact, I’ve noticed more chefs leaning towards subtler broths that are lighter and less pronounced.
Most of the beef in Taiwan these days is imported from the United States and Australia, and the mark of a modern, good beef noodle soup is when the natural flavor of the meat shines through. It seems that Drbeef agrees with me because they are known for their minimalistic broth, which is poured over paper-thin slices of raw beef at the table.
Baxian Grill
No. 28號, Section 2, Xinsheng S Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Baxian is a rechao establishment. The word rechao translates to “hot stir-fry” in Mandarin Chinese and refers to a type of dinner-only restaurant—usually with outdoor seating by the street—serving Taiwanese classics like greasy plates of fried rice, spicy braised stinky tofu, and stir-fried clams swimming in garlic with a hit of fresh basil. Everything is typically washed down by an ice cold glass of beer.
Of all the different formats of food that Taipei has to offer, the rechao is my all-time favorite. Their menus are dozens of items long, and many of them have a fresh fish tank at the front where patrons can select fish to be cooked to-order. Most of the dishes are whipped up in giant woks over hot flames. Perched on the edge of a park, with an outdoor second-floor patio adorned with hanging yellow lanterns, Baxian is a perfect spot for visitors to dive into Taiwan’s late-night dining scene.
Tea Houses
Jinjiang Tea House
No. 1, Jinjiang St, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100
No Website
This is Hakka-style fare in an old, wooden Japanese colonial-era house, where the front wall is covered with drooping, bright pink bougainvilleas. Nestled in the heart of the city, the restaurant is a welcome respite in a sea of concrete and steel.
Hakka food refers to the cuisine of a migratory group with Chinese ancestry. It is rich in pickled vegetables and generally saltier and more rustic than mainstream Taiwanese food (in the best way possible). It feels like you’re dining in someone’s living room here. Get the poached chicken with a bright kumquat dipping sauce, and sautéed fern with pickled bird lime seeds, which add a pop of acidity. They also serve lei cha, a nutty, warm beverage made with toasted ground up sesame seeds, peanut, and tea.
Wisteria Tea House
No. 1號, Lane 16, Section 3, Xinsheng S Rd, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 106
Wisteria is a north star when it comes to classic gongfu tea houses in Taipei. Gongfu refers to a traditional style of brewing tea with small tea cups. Built in the 1920s by the Japanese, it was converted into a place for tea in the 1980s and notably became a clandestine gathering spot for artists, intellectuals, and political dissidents during their struggle for Taiwanese democracy.
Getty Images / Alberto Buzzola / Contributor
While it’s no longer a secret destination, Wisteria is still host to a handful of art exhibitions and classes. Their menu is an homage to traditional Taiwanese tea (mostly oolongs), but they also have quite a few rare varieties of pu-erh cakes that retail for up to NT $40,000 (more than $1,000 USD). Most uniquely, they use water from the Wu Lai Mountain Spring for tea, which has a soft, alkaline taste and isn’t as harsh as tap or regular store-bought mineral water. This is my go-to place for folks who are visiting Taiwan for the first time; I like to reserve the tatami-lined rooms for a more intimate experience.
Let the City Be Your Guide
Despite the inevitable ebbs and flows, Taipei dining has remained impressively affordable and vibrant over the decades. The sheer variety—from 24/7 breakfast joints to quaint tea houses—is staggering. If planning a food itinerary feels overwhelming, just head out to a busy street in the early evening and let the city guide you. I guarantee you’ll stumble across a lively parade of delicious options—because in Taipei, you’re never far from the next great bite.
