This week, I led two friends on a food tour of Taipei. I believe everyone has their personal favourite spots in this lovely city. I'm sharing mine with my friends in the hope that they'll enjoy Taiwan as much as I do. This first post is about all the delicous food that I loved on this trip.
Thu 29 Jan. Afternoon of arrival and we were famished! We headed to Yongkang Street for beef noodles. Came across a queue for Tianjin Scallion Pancakes天津葱抓饼 so quite naturally fell in line. Also voluntarily joined a queue for nougat crackers.
Thu 29 Jan. Bought tons of goodies (which has to be featured in another post). Took a taxi to Linjiang Street Night Market. Best ah bo ling / tang yuan / 汤圆 at Yu Pin 御品. The bolings are piping hot and served on a bed of shaved ice drizzled with osmanthus honey and lemon juice. Simple, yet so delicious.
Fri 30 Jan. Got my friends to try Taiwanese zhi char. Known as Rechao/热炒 means "hot-fry" in Taiwan, rechao dishes that are almost always baptized by fire—tossed and turned in giant woks. Speed is a noted feature of the cooking experience, and the food—salty, with multiple layers of umami—is designed to pair well with alcohol. I googled "Taipei rechao street 台北热炒一条街" and a few restaurants came up. I chose this one named Lin Yang Gang 临洋港 that came with a 4.1 rating. We enjoyed every dish.
Sat 31 Jan. Brought my friends to Nanmen Market 南门市场 to watch what the locals buy for Chinese New Year. As we were leaving the market, we spotted this Zhenwei Pepper Bun 瑧味胡椒饼。Of course we joined the queue right away! Our second pork pie. Frankly, I'm quite porked out.
Sat 31 Jan. A visit to Chifeng Street 赤峰街. I'd have to say that this is a place for younger people - alleys lined with cafes, eateries and bubble tea shops, and fashion I don't get. A lovely street, nevertheless.
I got my strawberry daifuku! And that, my friends, is really all that mattered.
Sat 31 Jan. Dinner was at Tanuki Robatayaki 狸炉端烧on 林森北路, an izayaki I had picked just because I like the look of the place. Very grateful to my two friends who followed, despite the rain. The food was great and the service impeccable. My friends now know that in Taiwan, you don't need to be in a properly "fish" restaurant to eat fresh sashimi.
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Sun 1 Feb. We are at DuDing Cabbage Rice & Pork Rib Soup 灶頂原汁排骨汤高丽菜饭 for dinner. This family-runned business is recommended by Bib Gourmand for five consecutive years. Such an unpretentious place! People are bowed over by their Original Pork Rib Soup. I loved the cabbage rice. There is something very comforting about a simple, old-fashioned dish that emphasizes on the original sweetness of the ingredients. Really something to shout about.
Breakfast at Daqiaotou Tube Rice大桥头筒仔米糕. We were there on the morning of Mon 2 Feb. We had intended to join a Day Tour but changed our mind. So we travelled five stops on the MRT to this Bib Gourmand eatery that was established in 1973.
Mon 2 Feb. Our last evening, we had dinner at Shin Yeh Taiwanese Cuisine Zhongxiao Branch. Shin Yeh has several branches all over Taipei. A few does not accept online reservation. I don't know if I booked the correct one, the food was nothing to right home about. As we were leaving, my eyes caught a dish that was sitting on the table behind me and I had to ask, "Excuse me, but is that 乌鱼子 (bottarga)?" The lovely couple offered us a taste and we gladly accepted a slice. This is the first time I'm tasting bottarga!
Tue 3 Feb.《阜杭豆浆》. Michelin Star awarded for 2013, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022. My friends and I agreed that the soy milk and 烧饼油条 are quite tasty. We were there on the morning of Tue 3 Feb 2026 and the lady at the soy milk counter was extremely bad tempered and rude.
There are still SO MANY other places I want to show my friends. Maybe there'll be a next trip in the near future.
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