It is no exaggeration to say that you can eat all the Chinese food in Taiwan. In addition to the famous Taiwan Beef Noodles and the popular Minced Pork Rice, there are also Oyster Omelets with the southern Fujian style, Stewed Stinky Tofu that is even stinker than Beijing’s stinky tofu, Ding Tai Fung Buns that are comparable to Shanghai’s Xiao Long Bao, and various innovative dishes such as “Small sausage in large sausage.” Such a variety of cuisines reflect the diversity of Chinese culture. Because of their low costs and variety of cuisines, locals and visitors find Taiwan street food in night markets well-liked. Taiwan’s night markets have developed into a distinctive cultural landscape. Taiwan’s tourism business has prospered because of the night markets. Statistics show that there are more than 30,000 sellers in Taipei alone. Because of this, a proverb states, “If you visit Taiwan for sightseeing and haven’t been to the night market for Taiwan street food, you haven’t been to Taiwan.” Food options in Taiwan’s night markets are incredibly diverse. We can’t try them all, so follow Michelin Guide for the most unmissable Taiwan street food.
Michelin Taiwan Street Food in Ningxia Night Market
Liu Yu Zi Fried Taro Ball （刘芋仔）
Address: Booth No. 091, Ningxia Road, Datong District, Taipei
Business Time: 17:30-24:00
With the first bite, people will fall in love with Liu Yu Zi’s taro balls. In addition to being crispy and fluffy, the balls have a sticky rebound. If you like the plain taste, the taro balls alone will make people want more.
Egg yolk taro balls have a richer taste and flavor. In addition to the salted egg yolk wrapped in the innermost layer of the taro balls, the outer layer of the egg yolk is filled with dried meat which is not a slice of fine crispy meat but a solid texture with meat fibers. Combined with the dense and soft taro paste, the yolk also releases some sandy fat. It is so delicious that you will want to lick your lip
Yuan Huan Pien Oyster Egg Omelette （圆环边蚵仔煎）
Address： Booth No. 46, Ningxia Road, Datong District, Taipei
Business Time: 12:00-0:30 (Monday closed)
The oyster omelet is slightly burnt on the surface and tastes crispy and not soggy. The batter and cooking time ratio are proper, and the taste is excellent. Rice Cake is also the specialty of Yuan Huan Pien Oyster Egg Omelette. Unlike traditional ones, the Rice Cakes here are steamed in a wooden bucket and served in a bowl, topped with marinated pork slices, oil, and scallion sauce. The glutinous rice tastes grainy and quite elastic.
Rong’s Pork Liver （猪肝荣仔）
Address： Booth No.010, Ningxia Road, Datong District, Taipei
Business Time: 18:30-23:30 (Monday closed)
Rong’s Pork Liver has been around for 70 years. From cleaning ingredients to preparing all food, the owner takes care of all the food processes by himself and does not leave it to others.
The Michelin Guide’s opinion of Rong’s Pork Liver is that the Pork Liver Soup is sweet and mellow, and the thick pork liver is crunchy but not powdery. In addition, the Meat Zongzi in this store is soft and tender with better taste when dipped in the restaurant’s special sweet and spicy sauce.
In addition, I have to recommend this store’s Taiwan Scallion Taro Cake. The combination of fried shallots rice cake and taro cake is a classic element of traditional Taiwanese snacks. The owner makes the cake into the shape of Taiwan Island, which is really special.
Michelin Taiwan Street Food in Nanjichang Night Market
Unnamed Clay Oven Roll （无名推车烧饼）
Address: Lane 315, Section 2, Alley 5 Zhonghua Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei
Business Time: 16:00-20:00 (Wednesday closed)
Unnamed Clay Oven Roll sells four flavors of over rolls. Each one is baked on the spot. The wait is often long, but it’s worth it. The rolls are all handmade. The most recommended is the Sweet Oven Roll. The rolls are filled with sugar and have a crispy crust and a light sweet taste. The following recommendation is the Salty Oven Roll. The rolls have green onions and minced meat, and the crust is baked crispy, with the aroma of flour, green onions, charcoal, and meat.
Wu Wang Tsai Chi (吾旺再季 润饼卷专卖）
Address: No. 29, Lane 313, Section 2, Zhonghua Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei
Business Time: 15:30-21:00 (Monday closed)
Many vendors are selling Taiwanese burritos, each with different fillings and seasonings. Wu Wang Tsai Chi has been recommended by Michelin for many years, featuring a wide range of ingredients and limited daily quantities. The homemade, hand-made burritos are coated with sweet and spicy sauce and then topped with nearly ten different toppings, including crispy fried pork, dried bean curd, shredded carrot, bean sprouts, cilantro, and so on. More important, the crushed peanut powder and seaweed powder are the souls of the stuffing. The restaurant also offers vegetarian burritos, but you need to inform the staff in advance when ordering, and the staff will remove the meat toppings.
A Nan Sesame Oil Chicken （阿男麻油鸡）
Address: No. 34, Lane 311, Section 2, Zhonghua Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei
Business Time: 17:00-24:00 (Monday closed)
The golden sesame oil soup is sweet and mellow, releasing the aroma of ginger and sesame oil after stir-frying. The chef stir-fries the ginger and sesame oil at their best and cooks them in the soup. Although it has the aroma of wine, it is not too thick; it has the scent of sesame oil but is not too heavy. It is mild and tasty, the type of soup that you can’t help but drink a lot of sesame oil soup without feeling too heavy or overburdened. Taiwan’s “sesame oil chicken” restaurants are not just about chicken dishes. Sesame oil soup can be served with chicken thighs, chicken pieces, Matsusaka pork, loin, sliced pork with plum blossoms, pork liver, and pork heart to satisfy different tastes.
Shan-Nei Chicken （山内鸡肉）
Address: No. 20-3, Lane 307, Section 2, Zhonghua Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei
Business Time: 11:00-21:00 (Saturday closed)
Shan-Nei Chicken at the Nanjichang Night Market has been originally a famous night market must-try food before Michelin recommended it and was later nicknamed Michelin Chicken Rice. Unlike other chicken-rice dishes where shredded chicken is spread on top of the rice, Shan-Nei Chicken Rice is a whole plate of white chopped chicken (brine chicken). Chickens eight months to a year old are slaughtered on the same day and then chilled to lock in the juices before chopping. The meat is thick and tender, and the skin of the chicken is crispy and sweet. Shan-Nei Chicken’s Brine Chicken Rice will make you want to come back again and again, and new and old customers crowd the small stall every day.
Stinky Tofu Boss (臭老板現蒸臭豆腐）
Address: No. 6, Lane 313, Section 2, Zhonghua Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei
Business Time: 11:30 – 22:30 (Wednesday closed)
Stinky Tofu Boss’s tofu is steamed in a wooden steamer and has always been one of the locals’ favorite dishes. With the recommendation of Michelin’s Bibendum Guide, more and more people know about this store and its delicious stinky tofu, vegetarian rice, red vinegar noodles, and sesame noodles. The food is vegetarian, but the taste is unforgettable and addictive.
Michelin Taiwan Street Food in Raohe Night Market
Chen Tung Pork Ribs Medicinal Herbs Soup（陈董药炖排骨）
Address: 160 Raohe Street, Songshan District, Taipei
Business Time: 16:30-0:30
Michelin has recommended Chen Tung Pork Ribs Medicinal Herbs Soup four times. And the restaurant only sells pork ribs stewed with herbs, lamb stewed with herbs, and lamb rice, which is an ancient Taiwanese delicacy. The store insists on presenting good quality ingredients to customers. The stewed pork ribs are made of pork ribs and herbs. The amber-colored soup is sweet, rich, and delicious, and the lamb is fishy-free and tender.
Fuzhou Black Pepper Bun（福州世祖胡椒饼）
Address: 224 Raohe Street, Songshan District, Taipei
Business Time: 16:00 -00:00
Fuzhou Black Pepper Bun is arguably one of the most well-known stalls in the entire Raohe Night Market. Pepper buns originated in Fuzhou, China, but instead of calling them pepper buns, Fuzhou people call them ‘scallion meat buns.’ It would be best if you enjoyed pepper buns while they were still hot. The pepper buns in this store are slightly charred but still soft. The meat is marinated for more than 12 hours beforehand with more than ten ingredients, and the pepper is imported from Indonesia, which tastes fragrant and slightly spicy with pepper.
Mochi Baby （麻薯宝宝）
Address: 111 Raohe Street, Songshan District, Taipei
Business Time: 16:00 – 00:00 (Monday closed)
Mochi Baby sells traditional mochi and vegetable swallows. The chef makes the mochi from Taiwanese and Thai glutinous rice, with only water and nothing else added, to make soft and elastic white round cakes. The filling is only peanut powder, powdered sugar, and black sesame. All of them are ancient Taiwanese flavors. Mochi Baby makes an average of 800 baby mochi every day and is closed on rainy days so as not to waste ingredients by being unable to sell the finished mochi.
Tung Fa Hao（东发号油飯面线）
Address: 143 Raohe Street, Songshan District, Taipei
Business Time: 8:30-00:00
The Tung Fa Hao is hidden next to the Temple of the God of the Land. Since the restaurant opened at 8:00 am, people kept pouring in. The store has three treasures: oil rice, noodles, and meat soup. All the flavors are refreshing, and the noodle soup is not thickened. Those who like a heavier taste can add chili sauce, which has a great aroma.
Beef Noodles and Beef Entrails Soup （红烧牛肉面牛杂汤）
Address: 104 Raohe Street, Songshan District, Taipei
Business Time: 11:00-01:00
The Beef Noodles and Beef Entrails Soup is a 30-year-old store. Michelin rates the store’s beef offal soup and dry noodles as ‘unforgettable in all their good taste.’ The beef soup has been boiled for several hours and tastes like red hot soup, but it is not too oily and not spicy. If you add sauerkraut, it will be more delicious. The beef is made from the tendon part of the cow, and the stew is delicious and tender with tendons!
A Kuo Lo Mei （阿国卤味）
Address: No. 759, Section 4, Bade Rd, Songshan District, Taipei
Business Time: 16:30 -23:30 (Monday closed)
A Kuo Lo Mei specializes in cold lo-mei with various sauces and marinade. It has been in business for over thirty years. In addition to Raohe Night Market, there are also stalls at Xinbei Shulin Xingren Garden Night Market, Xindian Anhe International Tourist Night Market, and Taoyuan Bade Xingren Night Market. The lo-mei stalls have 20 to 30 ingredients at pretty affordable prices. The must-order items at A Kuo Lo Mei are duck wings, crispy intestines, and the Michelin-favorite corn shoots.
Michelin Taiwan Street Food in Shilin Night Market
Good Friend Cold Noodles （好朋友凉面）
Address: 31 Danan Road, Shilin District, Taipei
Business Time: 17:30-23:30 (Tuesday closed)
It is recommended that you always mix the noodles and sesame sauce evenly before eating. Tell the staff when you order if you want to add spice. The spicy flavor combined with the original lemon flavor will give a Thai-style cold noodle feeling, which is not only sour and spicy but also more refreshing. In addition to the usual cucumber, there is also squash, which adds a unique taste and a slight saltiness. The fresh and slightly elastic texture of the noodles is unique. Even for those who don’t eat cold noodles often, the taste will be very acceptable.
Chung Chia Sheng Jian Bao（钟家原上海生煎包）
Address: 38 Xiaodong Street, Shilin District, Taipei
Business Time: 14:30-21:00 (Wednesday closed)
Chung Chia Sheng Jian Bao only sells two flavors: cabbage and fresh meat. All the buns are made on the spot. When the buns are just out of the pan, they are white, chubby, and look delicious. The bottom of the bun is fried until crispy. And the fresh meat bun is sprinkled with sesame seeds. The cabbage bun tastes crisp and tasty with a black pepper aroma. The meat buns are rich in meat juice and do not taste dry.
A Hui Vermicelli （阿辉面线）
Address: 52-1 Danan Road, Shilin District, Taipei
Business Time: 15:30-23:30
A Hui Vermicelli’s signature noodle dish is the integrated noodle dish, which is filled with two toppings, marinated sausage, and hesitation, or you can choose a single flavor. The marinated large intestine and hesitation are placed next to it, waiting for customers to order before adding to the bowl. The soup itself is rich with a sweet garlic aroma and is sufficient. The texture of the noodles is not too soft, especially in the marinated sausage, which is tasty and tender. It is indeed an alleyway snack you should not miss when passing by.
Hai Yu Pork Ribs （海友十全排骨）
Address: 49 Dadong Road, Shilin District, Taipei
Business Time: 15:00-00:00 (Tuesday closed)
You can always smell the strong aroma when you pass the Hai Yu Pork Ribs entrance. The restaurant has been in business for over 40 years, featured in many media reports, and continuously listed in the Michelin Guide Bibendum. The signature soup is made with various Chinese herbs that have been simmered for over 10 hours, making the soup sweet and aromatic in the mouth. Customers can choose from a selection of herbal stewed pork ribs, chicken shanks, lamb chops, and milkfishes to taste the soup. Marinated pork rice and noodles are also available to enjoy with the soup.
Michelin Taiwan Street Food in Linjiang St. Night Market
Liang Chi Lo Mei (梁记卤味）
Address: Alley 50, Lane 39, Tonghua Street, Da’an District, Taipei
Business Time: 17:50-01:30
Liang Ji Lo Mei sells cold lo-mei and is known as the “No. 1 Taste of Lin Jiang”. Michelin has recommended it several times. Before that, Liang Ji Lo Mei was a famous snack store in Lin Jiang St. night market for over half a century. In recent years, with the support of food reviews, it has become even more difficult to get a taste of Liang Ji Lo Mei, which only opens at nearly six o’clock every night, with queues appearing as soon as the stall is set up.
Goldden Fried Chicken（格登炸鸡）
Address: No. 35, Alley 50, Lane 39, Tonghua Street, Da’an District, Taipei
Business Time: 17:30-00:30
The fried chicken stall, which has been in operation for more than ten years, is now being taken over by a second-generation young couple. Although it has developed into a chain store, the owner takes care of selecting ingredients and the production process himself. The queue of people at the end of work and during the late night is an ordinary daily sight. Unlike other street food stalls, the couple is very particular about the details, insisting on using fresh chicken, making their own breading, and controlling the precise timing of cooking to ensure that every bite has a “juicy, tender” taste.
Yu Pin Yuan Iced and Hot Tangyuan（御品元冰火汤圆）
Address: No. 31, Alley 50, Lane 39, Tonghua Street, Da’an District, Taipei
Business Time: 18:00-23:30
Hot sweet soup and iced hot dumplings are available all year round! The dumplings are made by hand in the ancient method. Especially the hot and cold dumplings attract many young people to try. The owner has been a famous dumpling store in Keelung for 20 years and has accumulated a lot of praise since he established his own business. In addition to the delicious iced dumplings, don’t miss the cinnamon honey and lemon juice.
Michelin Taiwan Street Food in Jingmei Night Market
Jingmei Thick Rice Noodle（米苔目）
Address: 119 Jingmei Street, Taipei
Business Time:
Thick rice noodle is a famous food in southern Fujian and Taiwan and is also traditional Hakka rice noodle. It is made by soaking and grinding rice into a rice pulp, adding sweet potato flour, kneading it into a rice ball, then forming the rice ball into thin strips, boiling it in a pot, and then rinsing it with cold water to make it smooth and tender. Thick rice noodles can be made into a cold and delicious dessert by adding sugar, ice water, and shaved ice. The salty flavor can be mixed with udon vinegar or put into soup and added with popping spices. The thick rice noodle that is fried like Pro is very chewy. The most recommended dishes in this store are the thick rice noodles in pork bone broth and stir-fried with seafood.
Jingmei Goose Mama（鵝媽媽鵝肉切仔麵 ）
Address: 37-3 Jingmei Street, Taipei
Business Time: 15:30-23:30 (Monday closed)
Goose Mama is a long-established restaurant in Jingmei Night Market and does a good business, with many locals coming to buy takeaway. Goose Mama’s goose meat is fresh and delicious at first glance, shiny as if the meat is full of soup juice. The most important thing about goose meat is the juiciness and rich flavor. Goose Mama’s goose meat is rich in flavor but not salty, and the texture is soft with a bit of bite. The skin of the goose is also essential. The elastic skin of the soft goose meat is richer in taste. You can’t wait to eat it all, just with a bit of basil and shredded ginger.
Michelin Taiwan Street Food in Gongguan Night Market
Hsiung Chi Scallion Pancake (雄记葱抓饼）
Address: No. 2, Lane 108, Section 4, Luosifu Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei
Business Time: 16:00-00:00
The crispy, layered crust of Hsiung Chi Scallion Pancake is crispy and not greasy. The addition of cheese and egg is tempting. It is also served with basil, honey mustard, and chili sauce to enhance the flavor. This store is not just a name; everyone who has eaten it will praise it. Especially the unique raw chili sauce, which is so delicious that customers often want to buy the chili sauce to take home!
Lan Chia Guabao （蓝家割包）
Address: No. 3, Alley 8, Lane 316, Section 3, Luosifu Road, Zhongzheng District, Taipei
Business Time: 11:00-23:00 (Monday closed)
Even though the price has increased over the years, this restaurant still has a constant flow of customers. The most praiseworthy thing about Lan Chia Guabao’s buns is that they allow customers to choose the ratio of fat to lean meat; whether you like fatty meat, lean meat, or both, you can customize them according to your wishes. The marinated meat is very flavorful but not overly salty. The bun crust has a certain thickness and retains a slightly elastic texture.
Michelin Taiwan Street Food in Huaxi St. Night Market
Wang’s Broth （小王煮瓜）
Address: 17-4 Huaxi Street, Wanhua District, Taipei
Business Time: 9:30-20:00 (Tuesday closed)
It is said that Lao Wang (the current owner’s grandfather), who was a Japanese restaurant chef in his early years, thought that chicken had bones and was not convenient for children to eat. So he asked his son (the first owner and the current owner’s father) to go back and develop a pork soup with melon, and that’s how the famous decades-old melon soup was born. The soup base simmers large bones for several hours, then adds soy gourd and pork jelly made from pork hind leg meat. The soup tastes salty and refreshing with a sweet aftertaste, which is a wonderful taste. The pork back leg meat is made into a very flexible meat soup, which perfectly matches the soup base.
Yuan Fang Guabao （华西街夜市：源芳刈包）
Address: 17-2 Huaxi Street, Wanhua District, Taipei
Business Time: 11:30-20:00 (Monday closed)
The skin of the buns is specially made, with soft and juicy marinated pork and toppings, bringing you a memorable experience. The soup is also rich and tasty. Like all traditional Guabao, the buns are filled with pork, pickled vegetables, peanut powder, cilantro, and other condiments. The overall texture is delicate and comfortable, with a balanced and light taste.
Chang Hung Noodles （昶鴻面點）
Address: 15 Huaxi Street, Wanhua District, Taipei
Business Time: 12:00-18:00 (Saturday, Sunday closed)
The restaurant has been in business for nearly half a century, and its signature noodles in soup and the old-fashioned chrysanthemum meat noodles are the most popular. The “chrysanthemum meat” is the meat of both cheeks used by pigs to chew food and has a high movement, so the texture and taste of this part of the meat are excellent. The owner uses one pot to cook the meat in the broth and another pot to cook the noodles, then puts the noodles in the broth and cooks them together with the meat, which takes a lot of work. Among the side dishes, the white chopped chicken and pig’s tail are the most popular choices.
Michelin Taiwan Street Food in Yansan Night Market
Cabbage Rice and Pork Rib Soup （高丽菜饭 原汁排骨汤）
Address: No. 2, Lane 17, Section 3, Yanping North Road, Datong District, Taipei
Business Time: 9:30-21:00 (Monday closed)
The store’s exterior is old-fashioned, with large red lanterns hanging high. The cabbage rice is very wet and soft. You could eat cabbage, carrots, and a slight taste of oil and onion in every bite, making it refreshing and slightly lighter. The prime rib soup is very atmospheric, with three large pieces of pork ribs and a piece of radish in one bowl. The pork ribs are stewed with rotten meat, and the tendons and gelatin are clear when you bite them, making them very meaty. The chili soy sauce is delicious, so if you like heavy flavors, you can try it and eat it with the ribs. The soup stew is delightful and homemade. The point is that the soup can be renewed.
Da-Qiao-Tou Tube Rice Pudding （大桥头老牌筒仔米糕）
Address: No. 41, Section 3, Yanping North Road, Datong District, Taipei
Business Time: 7:00 -16:00 (Tuesday closed)
Founded in 1973, the restaurant has more than 40 years of history. A few years ago, it became popular among young people because of various media recommendations. Although it is located in the Yangsan Night Market, you must come early if you want to eat “Da-Qiao-Tou Tube Rice Pudding “! You can choose from lean meat or fatty meat for the rice pudding. For the soups, there are pork blood soup, dumpling soup, oyster soup, pork liver soup, seafood soup, and double soup. The texture of the rice pudding is not too dry and soft, just in the right state. No wonder many gourmets have said this is Taipei’s favorite rice pudding.
Shih Chia Big Rice Ball （施家鲜肉汤圆）
Address: No. 58, Section 3, Yanping North Road, Datong District, Taipei
Business Time: 11:30-15:00, 17:00-22:30
Shih Chia Big Rice Ball is one of Taipei’s most popular rice ball stores. Although the store is a rice ball store, it sells a wide variety of items, including fresh meat rice balls, wontons, mushroom-chicken soup, pineapple and bitter melon, and Buddha jumping wall.
There are also many choices of noodles and rice, including thick rice noodles, slow-baked pork rice, guabao, and meat buns. Shih Chia’s fresh meat rice balls are made from winterized glutinous rice that is more than one year old. The process of washing, soaking, grinding, dewatering, and stirring relies entirely on years of experience. Even the timing and proportion are critical to maintaining consistent quality. The stickiness and elasticity of the skin are exceptionally delicate, and the glutinous rice’s refined taste makes it more fragrant in the mouth. The ratio of fatty and lean pork inside the filling is 10:1. After eating it once, it’s easy to imagine why this rice ball store has been around for nearly a century.
