TAIPEI’S NIGHT MARKETS ARE A SPRAWLING ATTRACTION OF INCREDIBLE EATS ALL OVER THE ISLAND, NONE MORE SO THAN IN TAIPEI.
You usually take in around 5-10 streets worth of food stalls, with smells emanating from all directions. But, what should you eat at the night market? Don’t get fooled by the flashing LEDs and the occasional “Hello, how are you?”. What should you order at Taipei’s night markets? And what should you really just not bother with?
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If you want someone to show you around the night markets, you can book through Klook/KKday for the following night market tours:
- Shilin Night Market Food Walking Tour in Taipei
- Taipei at Night: Din Tai Fung Dinner & Raohe Street Night Market Guided Tour (Klook)
- Taipei Night Market Michelin Food Tour in Ningxia Night Market
- Klook PASS: NingXia Night Market Street Food
- Thousand-year Banquet at Ningxia Night Market
- Street Food Walking Tour in Taipei
Read more about Food and Places to visit in Taipei:
The Ultimate Guide to 15 Amazing Xiao Long Bao Restaurants in Taipei
Where Can You Find the Best Taiwanese Breakfast? here are my 2023 top picks!
7 unforgettable Taipei Places to visit in 2023 if you only have 48 hours!
Top eats at the night market
If you are a long-standing resident of Taiwan, then you will know that the night market can be a haven for delicious goodness at a ridiculously cheap price compared to similar fairs elsewhere on the planet. Right here, in Taipei, night markets are great. Below are just some of the picks I recommend.
Pepper buns
These pepper buns are more substantial than some of the smaller snacks on this list, but they should absolutely never, under any circumstances, be skipped. Cooked in what is essentially a tandoor, this pork (usually) and green onion-filled bread buns are crispy, juicy, fluffy, flavourful, and always worth the effort.
Taipei City – ShiLin Night Market, 1 of the most popular night market in Taipei
oyster omelet
Oysters are a delicacy where, in some places in the world, you can pay upwards of $5 USD for 1 single oyster! No, not here in Taipei, folks, and certainly not at any of Taiwan's amazing night markets. Here, you can drop way less than $5 USD on an oyster omelet containing egg, Chinese cabbage, and at least a handful of some of the juiciest oysters available. Lashed with some tangy red sauce, and the combo is complete. Always a winner.
If you are planning to eat around Taipei, you can consider this Klook PASS: Taipei Must Eat Food.
Ningxia Night Market – Ningxia Oyster Omelet is the Best in Taipei!
Vermicelli noodles
If you're into soup as much as the Taiwanese, then this thick soup with vermicelli noodles is the spot for you. A thick soup packed full of flavour meets these thin noodles and oftentimes can come with some intestines or some jellied pig's blood. However, if the pig's blood and intestines aren't for you, just say nà ge bú yào 那個不要！I don't want those!
Fried chicken
Some of the most quintessential night market food right here - fried chicken. There are so many types, and it's all damned good. The one in the picture is the Taiwanese fried chicken fried up with some delicious basil and seasoned with lots of garlic salt and (if you like it that way) plenty of garlic and chili. Nonetheless, there's also plenty of 'American-style' Taiwanese fried chicken there for you too, so don't worry.
The Essential Guide to Taiwanese Fried Chicken in Taipei
Taiwanese wrap
If fried chicken isn't your thing, maybe you want something 'healthier', then these are for you. Wafer-thin flour wraps packed full of vegetables, pork, and usually smattered with peanut sugar to finish it all off. All this for a mere $50TWD ($1.50USD/GBP).
Taiwanese Spring Rolls 潤餅 on Tomb Sweeping Day – Why, Where, and Are They Tasty?
Braised foods
Braised food is a perennial staple at the night markets around Taipei and Taiwan. Basically, a whole host of Taiwanese goodies are boiled up in a salty broth flavoured with Taiwanese herbs and spices, and then it is thrown together in a box or bag for you to enjoy right there and then.
Big sausage inside little sausage
One of my personal favourites because of the ridiculous name, but the incredible flavour. So, let me go on record to say that 9 times out of 10 the Taiwanese sausage is a sweeter sausage. But, right here, sweet sausage meets rice sausage and is then coated with garlic, coriander (cilantro), and chili. So that sweetness is married with all those other flavours, and is just something to behold.
Stinky tofu
What Taipei night market outing would be complete without the smell of fermented tofu wafting around? Yes, it's an acquired taste, but you gotta try it! Those who love it (myself included) say that it is the perfect amount of crunchy, saucy, pickle (because of the pickled veg it's often served with), tofu goodness. However, those who hate it say they can't get past the smell. Well, if you can get past the smell, good things are there, really! I can almost hear the crunch right now...
Taiwanese burger
A tourist favourite for a reason. Taiwanese burger. Imagine a velvety soft pillow of a bun, stuffed with delicately cooked fatty pork belly, topped with peanut sugar and coriander (cilantro), and thrust into your hands. Mouth-watering yet? Well, it bloody well should be! Always the best. All of the time.
Taipei street food – Lan Family’s GuaBao 藍家割包
Taro balls/sweet potato balls
Sweet-tooth time. These guys are coming in clutch with the crispy sweet potato ball goodness. They're light, crunchy, fluffy, chewy, and great. Or, go for the taro balls that are more on the decadent side, often containing a salted egg yolk in the middle encased in this wonderful taro ball. However, both are awesome and in the element of fairness, both should be tried.
Peanut and ice cream burritos
Another marmite moment. Some love it, some hate it. In my eyes, what is not to love? Wrap - good. Ice cream - good. Peanut brittle - good. Coriander (cilantro) - (optional, but…) good. Stick it all together in one burrito wrap and now you're talking my kind of language. Get it. Thank me later.
Where to get the best night market food from
Most night markets around Taipei serve all of the deliciousness I just described. But some, arguably, specialise in what locals call 'famous' food vendors at specific night markets. Here are some of my personal picks.
Raohe - Pepper buns and squid
One of the biggest night markets - Raohe, in the East of the city - serves up some of the most incredible pepper buns and delicate squid you could hope for. My pick is 福州世祖胡椒餅 for the pepper buns, and 加賀魷魚大王 for the squid.
Ningxia - oyster omelet and taro balls/sweet potato balls
If oyster omelets and sweet potato balls (or those incredible taro balls) are your things, then you absolutely must go to my 2nd favourite night market in the city - Ningxia. Located near Dadaocheng around the city, this place is a must-visit for both of these. As there are lots of oyster omelet places, I specifically recommend 圓環邊蚵仔煎 for theirs - it has never disappointed me. Get your sweet potato balls from 爆漿地瓜球 and your taro balls from 劉芋仔蛋黃芋餅
Shilin - Vermicelli noodles
This bowl can be found all over Taipei, but one of the nicer ones I have tried at a night market is this one around halfway down the nightmarket in Shilin, right next to the temple. Good stuff! Look for 士林廟口阿輝麵線 right outside the temple.
Nanjichang - fried chicken and Taiwanese wrap
My favourite night market in Taipei, Nanjichang, just so happens to do some of the best-fried chicken (kind of American-style) and also incredible Taiwanese wraps. They also do some killer sweet soup dumplings if you're into that sort of thing, too. Try the chicken from 好吃炸雞 and the Taiwanese wrap from 吾旺再季 潤餅捲專賣. If you've got a sweet tooth, then absolutely do not miss these sweet soup dumplings, too, 八棟圓仔湯
Shida - Fried chicken and broth cooked foods
Shida is one of those wishy-washy night markets, for me. They have a lot of clothing stores where I would much rather prefer to see food stalls. But, there you go. Hidden among those clothing stores, though, you can find some delicious food such as the Taiwanese fried chicken from 師園鹽酥雞 and the great broth-cooked goods from 燈籠滷味 創始總店
Big sausage inside the little sausage
Gongguan - sausage wrap
So one of the smaller, more spread apart night market areas in the city is Gongguan night market, where it just so happens that you will find one of the best sausage wrap things that is ever likely to grace your lips. Get it from 台大大腸包小腸, and celebrate with the rest of them.
Nanjichang - stinky tofu
Stinky tofu - Many people have many opinions about what night market does the best stinky tofu. For me, it's the steamed one from Nanjichang night market at 禾甲蒸豆腐食堂. In all honesty, the deep-fried ones tend to taste the same wherever you go, but some may be slightly crunchier than others. I don't have a particular recommendation for that, though.
If you prefer to have someone showing you around at night markets, here are some good tours for you:
How to order at the night market
OK, so you've done some laps, and you're honing in on what you want to eat. Alternatively, as you walk past a stall you smell the food and you have to just dive right in.
What do you do? Where do you start?
Most night markets are foreigner-friendly places. They have pictures, they try to speak English, but you want to show off and maybe get a bit of extra food on your portion, so here are some starters to try out:
| Chinese Character | Pinyin | English meaning |
| 一份 | yī fèn | One portion (no need for please) |
| 一點點辣 | yī diǎn diǎn là | A little spice |
| 我不要辣 | wǒ bú yào là | I don't want any spice |
| 我不要大蒜 | wǒ bú yào dà suàn | I don't want garlic |
| 我不要袋子 | wǒ bú yào dàizi | I don't want a bag (environmentally friendly) |
| 好吃，謝謝 | hǎo chī, xiè xiè | It's delicious, thanks |
That is by no means an exhaustive list, so if you want a bit more of an in-depth look at a potential menu or specific language, then take a look at my article 3 Fast Tips on How to Order in Taipei Restaurants
3 Fast Tips on How to Order in Taipei Restaurants like a definitive pro!
What to avoid at the night market
Deep-fried 'healthy' sandwich
There ain't nothing healthy about deep-fried anything. Apart from maybe celery? I know for damn sure that deep-fried bread isn't healthy, but it's only marginally less healthy when you fill it with salad and egg, and ham. You don't go to the night market for healthy food, I get that, but do you really want to be chowing down on a piece of bread that oozes oil? You are fooling nobody with that salad leaf.
JiPai - Taiwanese butterflied deep-fried chicken
Now, hear me out here. I am not saying it isn't tasty, because it is. But you come to the night market to eat lots of different things, almost like Spanish Tapas, but the Taiwanese version. You don't come here to fill up on a massive butterfly deep-fried chicken. There's a time and a place, and if it's the only thing that you want from the night market, then great, go to 豪大大 in Ximending. But, if you want to try lots of bits of a variety of food, then it really shouldn't be on your list.
Drinks
Drinks, of any kind, apart from water (night markets are notoriously salty places to be) or maybe some herbal tea (to calm your stomach from all the awesomeness you're ingesting), should be avoided at all costs at the night market. Why? 1. Sugar, 2. Empty calories. You don't want to be tripping around the night market off sugar when you should be chowing down on the masses of food at your fingertips. Similarly, you don't want to get full from a rather average bubble milk tea for exactly the same reasons. Avoid them. However, for some incredible herbal tea to settle your stomach, go to 王記青草茶 in Shilin night market, or 古早茶坊 at Shida night market.
Best night markets in Taipei
Maybe a better subheading for this would be my top 3 night markets in Taipei.
Nanjichang
Why? Because it is the perfect blend of not being too big, not being too small, and not being touristy in any way. Really, have you ever heard of this place? One of the main reasons it isn't touristy is because of its relative distance from an MRT station, but there are plenty of buses or delightful walks to be taken in Taipei, people! Best food here? Fried chicken, stinky tofu, Taiwanese wrap/burrito, fried buns, and sweet dumpling soup.
The Ultimate Food Lovers Guide to Nanjichang Night Market
Ningxia
Why? Because it's conveniently located in one of my favourite areas of Taipei, right in-between Zhongshan and Dadaocheng. Another reason is that it's just one long 'strip' of a night market, with restaurants with actual AC and plenty of seating on the other side of the 'strip' - a true life-saver in summer. Some of the best oyster omelette's can be found here, as well as some of the most delicious mochi, taro balls with salted egg yolk, and one of my most closely-kept secret teppanyaki spots in the city.
Raohe
Arguably one of the most convenient night markets whilst also retaining its delicious integrity - Raohe. Right next to several exits of Songshan MRT station, Raohe has a beautiful temple right next to it, a grand entrance arch, and loads of delicious eats in one long 'strip' with a total of 4 sides to it (left, right, and the middle strip is also double-sided. Ideal! Go there for the pepper pork buns, the squid, the Chinese medicine-cooked soups, and the stunning temple!
Honorable mention of Taiwan's other night markets
Taipei has many night markets, but all other cities in Taiwan also have some incredible night markets worth checking out if you're in the area.
DongDaMen night market, Hualien
Feng Chia Night Market, Taichung
DaDong night market, Tainan
So, there's just a snippet of 11 incredible eats to make sure you get on your next night market trip in Taipei. There is a whole host of night markets sprawling across this melting pot of a city. Did I miss something off the list? Let me know in the comments below, and I'll be sure to go and check it out!
Read more about Food and Places to visit in Taipei:
Taipei street food: 15 of the best food stands you should eat, and where to find them.
Not just Bubble Tea? A quick 101 lesson about other fantastic drinks in Taiwan.
Where Can You Find the Best Taiwanese Breakfast? here are my 2024 top picks!
7 unforgettable Taipei Places to visit in 2024 if you only have 48 hours!