Food stands are what make the Taipei food scene so exciting, vibrant, and unique. There are a handful of food stands that are over 40 years old, some over 20, a lot over 10, and then you have those fledgling new stands vying for attention by using social media and technology to their advantage.
Whether it’s something filling, something deep-fried, something little, or something sweet, there’s something out there for everyone, you just have to know where to go.
And, if you struggle knowing how to order things, just check out my previous article – it should be able to help out!
I mean, we all love a nice restaurant where we can sit and relax with friends or loved ones. But there’s something infectiously addictive about these kinds of food stands, don’t you think? Walking in to a place that’s been around for years, sitting down in what feels like it could be their living room, or even just sitting by the road side at a make-shift table, you get honest food for a modest price.
Night market is the best place to look for street food in Taipei, if you are wondering what are the night market must eats, or the best night market to visit, you should check out my previous post.
11 of the best essential night market eats in Taiwan
Don't want to go alone?
You might want to share the experience of hitting up some of these more local food vendors with other people. These food tours will sort you right out with that!
- Taipei Michelin Food Tour in Ningxia Night Market
- Klook PASS: NingXia Night Market Street Food
- Thousand-year Banquet at Ningxia Night Market
- Taipei at Night: Din Tai Fung Dinner & Raohe Street Night Market Guided Tour
- Shilin Night Market Food Walking Tour in Taipei
- Street Food Walking Tour in Taipei
Let me know if I have missed any more tours that are available ^
Read more about Food and Places to visit in Taipei:
The Ultimate Guide to 15 Amazing Xiao Long Bao Restaurants in Taipei
9 Hidden Gems: Exploring 9 Taipei Cafés for Unique Coffee Experiences
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!
Table of Contents
Food Stand-Something filling
小王煮瓜 - Wang's Broth
There's nothing quite like chomping down on a slab of pork belly at a food stand like this one as the layers of fat and meat give way almost instantly, releasing incredible hour-long cooking magic in the process. This place specializes in soup, known as Wang's broth, but I would happily go there for that pork belly all by itself.
Taipei restaurant – Wanhua pickled melon soup 小王煮瓜（小王清湯瓜仔肉）
金峰滷肉飯 - Jin Feng braised pork rice
Notice the way these two different food stands do different braised pork over rice in the picture above and the one at the top of the page? Both are awesome, so don't make me decide between the two... I love the braised eggs at Jin Feng, especially with the delicate braised pork gravy over rice. Their soups are great, too, actually - get the 鳳梨苦瓜鷄湯 fèng líkǔ guātāng (pineapple and bitter melon chicken soup) for something really different, but really delicious.
Taipei street food – JinFeng pork and rice 金峰魯肉飯
公館藍家刈包 - Lan Jia Traditional Taiwanese Burger
There seems to be a theme here, fatty belly pork or braised pork on everything. Complaining? I didn't think so. Lan Jia traditional Taiwanese snacks has been a food stand going for ages, and hits the spot every single time! The steamed bun Taiwanese hamburger is an absolute must (my personal recommendation is for the mix of lean and fatty pork - read my post for more details and recommendations).
Taipei street food – Lan Family’s GuaBao 藍家割包
萬華一甲子控肉飯 - Yi Jia Zi Braised Pork Rice
This stuff is incredible here. Right in-between Ximen and Longshan Temple MRT station, is this shack of a place, serving up incredible food stand deliciousness. You absolutely must get the 控肉飯 kōng ròu fàn - the dish from the picture. It will knock your socks off.
Taipei Restaurant – 一甲子控肉飯 Yi Jia Zi, brilliant braised belly pork that wins every time!
Food Stand-Something deep-fried
Because sometimes you just have got to scratch that itch. Something deep-fried can really be satisfying, whether it's the crisp outer crust of your doughnut, the succulent chicken inside your JiPai, or incredible onion rings that just get the job done. Sometimes, deep-fried is what is needed.
師大夜市師園鹽酥雞 - SHI YUN Taiwanese Fried Chicken
This food stand inside Shida night market is a quality place for some really good Taiwanese fried chicken (鹽酥雞 yànsūjī). The greatest thing about it? They throw handfulls of chopped garlic in the bag, as well as copious amounts of basil, pepper, and chilli powder. It's one of my favourite food vendors in the city, in fact.
You can buy this combo meal in advance on Klook or KKday and save time ordering at the vendor.
If you are planning to eat around Taipei, you can consider this Klook PASS: Taipei Must Eat Food.
The Essential Guide to Taiwanese Fried Chicken in Taipei
南機場夜市好吃炸雞 - Tasty chicken at Nanjichang night market
Ever wanted a butterfly flattened chicken breast as big as your face? Head over to Nanjichang night market (one of my favourites, read more about it here) and get this. Nanjichang night market is pretty small, but this food stand is located in the middle of the night market right near the main intersection, and is absolutely worth a trip there for. Get the 鷄排 jī pái - deep fried butterfly chicken breast.
The Ultimate Food Lovers Guide to Nanjichang Night Market
寧夏夜市劉芋仔 - Liu Yu Zi
Awesome taro balls molded around a salted egg yolk and pork floss, then deep fried (蛋黃芋餅 dàn huáng yù bǐng), what is not to love? This place is awesome, and should be on your list of food vendors to try, for sure.
寧夏夜市爆漿地瓜球 - Exploding sweet potato balls
Sweet potato balls at any night market are worth giving a go, but these ones at Ningxia are top notch. 'Exploding' with the sweet potato goodness inside is what it promises at this food stand. Crispy on the outside, but gooey on the inside - just the way I like my sweet potato balls (地瓜球 dì guā qiú).
Food Stand-Something little
寧夏夜市圓環邊蚵仔煎 Yuen Huan Pien Oyster Egg Omelet
Oysters are one of the culinary worlds best revelations. There's nothing better, in my opinion, than an oyster that has been slapped onto a big pan, slathered in egg and some leafy veggies, fried to crunchy perfection but still soft on the inside, then lashed with sweet and tangy sauce (蚵仔煎 é zǐ jiān).
You can buy this set meal in advance if you are not sure what to have at this place.
Ningxia Night Market – Ningxia Oyster Omelet is the Best in Taipei!
民權西路麵線傳奇 Mian Xian Chuan Qi
Vermicelli (麵線 miàn xiàn) in a thick soup served with all sorts inside. It's not for everyone, perhaps on a texture basis, but it's certainly worth a trip if you're in the mood for something warming. This particular food stand is up near minquan west road station in the Zhongshan area of Taipei.
Taipei street food – ChuanQi vermicelli noodles 傳奇麵線
士林夜市丞祖胡椒餅 Cheng zu Pepper bun
Meat inside a baked bun? Done. Peppery, hot, juicy, soupy, crunchy, aromatic. All solid descriptors for this food. (胡椒餅 hú jiāo bǐng)
士林夜市鍾家原上海生煎包 Zhong Former Shanghai Pan-Fried Bun
These little hot pockets of fried and steamed buns (水煎包 shuǐ jiān bāo) of joy will put a smile on your face. This specific food stand does cabbage filled ones, or pork filled ones. Both are great, but the cabbage one here is so bloody good.
Taipei City – ShiLin Night Market, 1 of the most popular night market in Taipei
Food Stand-Something sweet
南機場夜市八棟仔湯圓 Ba dong Sweet Soup Dumplings
Some people squirm at the sight of these, but you have to get past that. You can choose red bean soup, peanut soup, or even this fermented rice soup (酒釀 jiǔ niàng) (which has an alcoholic kick unlike egg nog - Christmas joy!). You then choose which sweetened soup dumplings you'd like: sesame (芝麻湯圓 zhī ma tāng yuán), peanut (花生湯圓 huā shēng tāng yuán), or those little white and pink ones (小湯圓 xiǎo tāng yuán) you find in many dessert shop food vendors throughout the night markets.
It really hits the spot on a cold evening. I go back every year, inhale a bowl on the spot, then take a couple of bags of the sweetened soup dumplings to reheat at home over the next few weeks (days, in reality, as they don't last long when I know they're in the freezer...).
Taipei Street Food- sweet soup dumplings at 八棟湯仔圓, comfort food to eat in winter
白水豆花 bai shui dou hua
Tofu pudding (豆花 dòu huā), brown sugar syrup, shaved ice, peanut powder, and some coriander. What's not to love? Well, actually, in theory quite a lot. Buuuuut, it's good! It blindsided me, to be honest. I mean, this food stand really puts it neck on the line with coriander and peanut powder on top of this dessert...
龍都冰菓室 Lung tu ice
This food stand offers up all of that delicious shaved ice goodness, but on a different level from most stores. It's one of my go-to's when the mercury starts rising. Go for their 8-toppings on the ice 八寶冰 bā bǎo bīng, and like I said above: "you won't leave disappointed."
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