If you are visiting the capital of Taiwan, you cannot miss out on some of the local dishes. Taipei is a huge gastronomic tour: its streets are full of small cafés, restaurants and stalls selling food directly on the street, which will enchant you with their aromas.
Consider that the locals do not usually divide their day into three main meals but eat continuously throughout the 24 hours. Feel free to experiment and indulge in all kinds of dishes at any time of the day or night!
SEE ALSO: What to see in Taipei
1 - Scallion pancakes
Photo by wEnDy. Scallion pancakes are small crepes made with two different flours and griddled for a crispy outside and chewy inside. Try them filled with cheese, egg and ham.
Recommended for: snacking
Main ingredients: flour
2 - Bubble Tea
Photo by -Zest. Aniced black tea with milk and tapioca pearls, it originated in Taipei in 1983 and since then thousands of variations have been created, all of them exceptional.
Recommended for: always
Main ingredients: tea and tapioca
3 - Guao Bao
Photo by Ron Dollete. Slice of bacon cooked with coriander, peanuts and pickled vegetables, encased in a slice of steamed bread. Very soft and tasty, also ideal as a walking lunch.
Recommended for: lunch
Main ingredients: pork belly
4 - Beef Noodles
Photo by Guilhem Vellut. Beef noodles are Taiwan's national soup. It consists of beef broth with steamed beef, pak choi and traditional Chinese noodles. It is accompanied by dried tofu and seaweed.
Recommended at: lunch
Main ingredients: beef
5 - Lu Rou Fan
Barbecued pork belly served in a bowl with steamed rice and various vegetables.
Recommended for: dinner
Main ingredients: braised pork
6 - Xiao Long Bao
Photo by Kent Wang from Richmond,. Although originating in Shanghai, meat-and-broth-filled dumplings are all the rage in Taipei. The broth they contain is created by melting cubes of meat broth during steaming.
Recommended for: breakfast
Main ingredients: beef
7 - Oyster omelette
Small oysters cooked in egg with sweet potato starch flour, served in broth: a sticky treat.
Recommended for: dinner
Main ingredients: oysters, egg
8 - Ba Wan
Photo by Takoradee. A giant dumpling made of rice flour with maize starch and sweet potato starch that encloses pork and vegetables inside. It is served in broth and is mainly enjoyed during the festival for the solar new year.
Recommended for: dinner
Main ingredients: pork
9 - Rice pudding
A rice pudding steamed inside a bamboo cylinder together with fried Chinese mushrooms, pork and eggs. Add spicy sweet turnip sauce and you won't be able to live without it.
Recommended for: dinner
Main ingredients: pork
10 - Yong He Dou Jiang Da Wang
Photo by Terence Ong. The typical Taipei breakfast consists of sesame b uns served hot and fried Chinese doughnuts. All accompanied by cold soy milk.
Recommended for: breakfast
Main ingredients: sesame flours
Where to eat in Taipei: best restaurants, typical places and street food
Thegastronomic journey is to be taken in the streets and among open-air markets, in the same way as the Taiwanese, who find eating'walking' much more comfortable, as well as cheaper.
A truly original cuisine, based on rice, noodles, milky broths, fermented black eggs, oyster omelettes and pork soups; dishes with strong flavours and smells that characterise this original ready-to-eat gastronomy, making Taipei one of the world capitals of street food.
Of course, there is no shortage of possibilities for appetising gourmet dinners, to be enjoyed from the comfort of a restaurant. Between neighbourhood markets teeming with meats, smoothies and fluffy cheese cakes (the Shilin district market is famous) and starred restaurants, here are the best places not to miss any of Taipei's original flavours.
1 - Shilin Night Market Food Court
Description: street food par excellence can be found among the stalls of this night market.
Speciality: local oyster omelettes
Average price: from €2.50 per person
Address: No. 101, Jihe Road, Shilin District, Taipei City - Get directions
2 - Taipei 101 Mall
Description: Not a restaurant, but a huge mall built inside the famous Taipei 101, one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. Inside there are many restaurants to eat at and especially several Bubble Tea stalls.
Speciality: Bubble tea, a smoothie-drink made with tea, milk and tapioca bubbles
Average price: €4.00 to €50.00 per person
Address: No.7, Sec. 5, Xinyi Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City 110 - Get directions
3 - Addiction Aquatic Development
Description: dozens of tanks from which you can choose your fish to eat. The sushi is also excellent
Speciality: grilled seafood
Average price: from €7.00 per person
Address: 18, Alley 2, Lane 410, Minzu East Road, Zhongshan District - Get directions
4 - Nihonryory-Ryugin
Description: 2 Michelin stars, Kaiseki-inspired cuisine. You can also enjoy excellent Japanese cuisine at this restaurant.
Speciality: fish
Average price: from €150.00 per person
Address: Lequn 3rd Road, Zhongshan District - Get directions - Website
5 - Le palaise de Chine
Description: specialises in Chinese-Cantonese cuisine. 3 Michelin stars
Speciality: meat and fish
Average price: from €150.00 per person
Address: Section 1, Chengde Road, Datong District, Taipei 103 - Get directions - Website
