Nanjichang Night Market in Taipei is expected to gain popularity due to its distinctive and lesser-known offerings compared to renowned Night Markets like Shilin or Raohe. The relative difficulty in accessing the market may explain the current absence of tourists, but this is likely to change as its charm becomes more widely discovered.
I’ve been coming here for years and I will continue to do so. I don’t buy into Night Markets nearly as much as I used to when I first arrived in Taiwan. Night Markets are perfect for trying lots of different types of Taiwanese food without spending too much or investing in too large quantities. Some of my favourite Night Market eats are right here at Nanjichang, and I am excited to share those below.
If you’ve been to a Night Market in Taiwan, then this scene should be familiar to you. One notable difference between Nanjichang Night Market and other popular ones is that the buildings are all low down and close together. Unlike Ningxia where everything is outside and centered around a road, most of the eateries here at Nanjichang boast at least a few tables behind the stalls themselves.
I suggest organizing the savoury and sweet food sections separately at Nanjichang Night Market. Please note that this is not just a one-time recommendation for visiting the Night Market. On your initial visit, you can try a few savoury options along with a few sweet ones. For subsequent visits, you can explore different food choices as you will undoubtedly want to return.
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Table of Contents
The Night Market here at Nanjichang sprawls across the alleyways and backstreets near Taipei's Youth Park. The main entrance can be found behind Zhong Yi Elementary School. I've embedded a Google Map at the end of this post for convenience. It's only going to take you about 15 minutes to walk here from Longshan Temple MRT Station. The Night Market itself is also pretty accessible by bus. There's a whole host of buses that go by, including the 12, 20, 205, 212, and 253, to name but a few.
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I strongly recommend you to take a walk along the main thoroughfare of the Night Market first, then double back to taste test some of the stalls that managed to grab your attention. No doubt some of the ones that should have grabbed your attention are the ones listed below.
Top Savoury Recommendations at Nanjichang Night Market
Pan-Fried Steamed Buns 鈺師傅上海生煎包
Right near the entrance pictured at the top of the article, this pan-fried steamed bun stall is my go-to as soon as I get into Nanjichang Night Market. Sometimes you have to wait, but they will give you a number card and you can just circle back around in about 10 mins or so.
They have 4 flavours to choose from here:
- Pork bun
- 鮮肉包 xiān ròu bāo
- Cabbage bun
- 高麗菜包 gāo lí cài bāo
- Pork + Cabbage
- 雙味包 shuāng wèi bāo
- Pork + Corn
- 鮮肉玉米包 xiān ròu yù mǐ bāo
I pretty much always get the pork + corn buns here. For those of you new to Eating in Taipei, let it be known that I go in for a sweet/savoury combo, and I always will. The pork flavour is pretty good in these buns, with plenty of juice and pork flavour coming out. But, the kicker is the corn. The corn is mixed into the pork mixture and brings a sweet and earthy flavour with little pops of sweetness interspersed with the richness of the pork.
The skin on the bottom of these pan-fried steamed buns is what I am here for. Before they are cooked, they are placed bottom down in a hot pan. As they are packed in around the pan and squeezed together, a flour and water mix is poured on top, whereupon the (usually) wooden lid is placed on top. This pan-frying and steaming ensure that the pork is cooked through, while similarly ensuring that the bun is steamed nicely on top and the bottom gets crunchy. It's a great combination of cooking techniques that bring in a lovely combination of textures.
Must Order: Pork + Corn 鮮肉玉米包 xiān ròu yù mǐ bāo
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Steamed Dumplings 錦記蒸餃專賣
If those pan-fried steamed dumplings aren't for you, then maybe these steamed dumplings (Stall No. 36) may be a better choice. These are reasonably priced mouthfuls of delicate deliciousness.
A thin dumpling skin is perfectly pleated by hand right inside the shop, then carefully put into the bamboo steamer and placed on top of the steamer. They continuously pleat throughout the evening, so don't worry about having to wait a long time for them to cook. You're likely to only wait around 10 minutes, maximum.
They are served by the 10. We opted for 10 for $60, but they also have a deal if you order 3 bamboo steamers worth (30 steamed dumplings!) for $170. When your steamer arrives, you'll also get their house-special dip, too. The house-special dip is a garlic and vinegar dip. It was OK, but I wouldn't go out of my way for the dip...
I really like the steamed dumplings here. The skin is really thin, chewy, and encases a nicely flavoured crunchy cabbage and pork filling. If you're coming here with other Night Market spots in your thoughts, then 1 bamboo steamer of these is perfect for you.
Must Order: Steamed dumplings (蒸餃 zhēng jiǎo)
Tube-shaped sticky rice 曉迪筒仔米糕
Sticky rice is one of those versatile things you find in sweet desserts, savoury dishes, and everything in between. Right here, though, Nanjichang Night Market is one of my favourite spots in Taipei to get this delicious tube-shaped sticky rice from.
The rice is cooked on a tubular mould, hence the name tube-shaped sticky rice. They then release it from the mould and slather it with this sweetened chilli and bean sauce. Inside you're going to find egg, some mushrooms, meat, and sticky rice. It is so delicious that I could easily have eaten two bowls.
This is the kind of spread that you need from this sticky rice place.
Must Order: Sticky rice (筒仔米糕 tǒng zǐ mǐ gāo), napa cabbage (滷白菜 Lǔ bái cài) and tender tofu (滷豆腐 lǔ dòu fǔ).
Taipei Street Food – tube-shaped sticky rice 曉迪筒仔米糕, 1 of the best things in town!
Pork Knuckle with Rice 銘鄉豬高飯
Are you a hater of pork knuckle because it's all bone and skin? Me too. This stall at Nanjichang Night Market (Stall No. 45) has a boneless pork knuckle that is perfectly balanced between fat, skin, and succulent pork.
You should always consider the House-Special wherever you go, and this Pork Knuckle with Rice special here 豬高飯 (Zhū gāo fàn) is right on point. You'll get the rice on the bottom of the bowl, which is then topped with vegetables, a side dish such as these glass noodles, a fried egg, pickles, and then the pork knuckle itself.
All of this in one bowl for this price is just outstanding value. But, more than that, it is really tasty. The pork has a deep, rich pork flavour that is brought out by the soy braising liquid that it has been cooked in. All of the side dishes are nicely balanced between the cleanness of the cabbage, the mild spice of the glass noodles, and the pickled daikon radish. The fried egg is just the icing on the cake, pulling everything together. If this was a restaurant in its own right outside of the Night Market, I would still go to it. It's really good.
Must Order: Pork Knuckle with Rice (豬高飯 Zhū gāo fàn)
Shan Nay Chicken 山內雞肉
One of the most popular dishes at Nanjichang Night Market is this sliced chicken over rice. Their chicken is cooked to succulent perfection and then cooled before it is cut. Sliced thinly and carefully put atop a nice plate of rice, served with plenty of finely cut ginger - winner! You can even order this on Uber Eats, a bonus!
Must Order: Sliced chicken over rice (山內雞肉飯 shān nèi jī ròu fàn)
Delicious Desserts at Nanjichang Night Market
Musa Curry Sweet Filled Roti 穆薩咖哩餅
Not only does Musa have a delicious savoury roti that you should definitely check out, but their sweet roti hits the sweet spot for when you inevitably get full from all the delicious savoury food here at Nanjichang Night Market.
Carefully toasted to order, the roti is then topped with whatever you're in the mood for, folded together, and presented to you.
Of course, I had to go for the condensed milk topping + cheese, which is first topped with a few slices of cheese and then liberally doused in that condensed milk straight out of the can.
Chewy, crunchy at times, and packing bags of smokey flavour from some of the skin that has caught in the cooking, this roti is right on the money for those looking for a delicious sweet treat at Nanjichang Night Market.
Must Order: Condensed milk topping + Cheese (煉乳加起司 liàn rǔ jiā qǐ sī)
Sweet Potato Balls 快樂QQ球
Crispy, crunchy, soft-centred, fragrant honey-like sweet potato. These are probably some of the textures and flavours that most accurately describe what a sweet potato ball is. That huge wok-like contraption with holes that you see is plunged into the sweet potato ball and oil pan, compressing the sweet potatoes down. This compression then forces them to pop up and essentially become these little sweet potato air-filled pockets. The result is delicious and well worth getting.
Must Order: Sweet potato balls (地瓜球 dì guā qiú)
Egg pancakes 橘太郎爆漿雞蛋糕
Egg pancakes do 雞蛋糕 a bit of a disservice. They should be called something like chewy-cake-like-one-bite-pancake-like-things. But, egg pancakes just roll off the tongue a little better, I guess... Traditionally cooked in a cast-iron mould that is heated up until scorching hot, whereupon the pancake mixture is piped in and the cast-iron mould then sandwiches the mixture together, creating these beautifully airy pockets of pancake mixture. The result is a delicious cake that has a fragrant egg flavour which can also be flavoured with fillings such as chocolate, red bean, custard, or peanut butter.
Must Order: Assorted-flavoured egg pancakes (綜合 zòng hé)
Ice Cream Peanut Pancake Roll 捲捲村
I was excited to see a peanut roll ice cream at Nanjichang Night Market, and I was even more excited to see that they had a special where they would also throw a whole piece of tiramisu into the peanut ice cream roll, too! What fresh madness is this??
Out comes the huge block of peanut brittle that is ceremoniously shaved off using what looks like a wood planer. The peanut powder is then put onto a thin pancake, and then out comes the frozen block of tiramisu, which is then topped with coriander.
It shouldn't work. It just shouldn't, but would it shock you if I told you that it's delicious?
Rolled up like a burrito, it's ready for you to take a bite into.
We were told to wait 10 minutes or so for the tiramisu to thaw out a little, and when 9 minutes and 59 seconds rolled around, I took a bite in and uncovered this incredible tiramisu-peanut powder sandwich that sings with that fresh coriander. It's really quite special, and I hope to see more of these popping up in different Night Markets all over Taipei.
Must Order: Tiramisu-peanut powder sandwich (提拉米蘇捲冰淇淋 tí lā mǐ sū juǎn bīng qí lín)
Sweet Rice Dumpling Soup 八棟圓仔湯
Every time I visit Nanjichang Night Market I go here without fail. I have to. It feels rude not to. I feel like I owe it to delicious sweet soup everywhere. 八棟圓仔湯 is an institution, and is more than worth your attention when you visit Nanjichang Night Market in Taipei.
There's so much that this place has to offer, but I absolutely had to feature this fermented rice soup with sweet glutinous peanut rice balls. Fermented rice sounds revolting, I know. During the fermentation process, the rice takes on an eggnog-like flavour that puts a great big smile on my face. It sits somewhere between eggnog and sake, two things I absolutely love.
An egg is also mixed into the fermented rice soup, and everything in the bowl just sings with a unique flavour that can only be found at places like 八棟圓仔湯 right here at Nanjichang Night Market. This is an absolutely must-visit place.
Must Order: Fermented rice soup with sweet glutinous peanut rice balls (酒釀甜蛋湯加花生圓 jiǔ niàng tián dàn tāng jiā huā shēng yuán)
Taipei Street Food- sweet soup dumplings at 八棟湯仔圓, comfort food to eat in winter
The Bottom Line
Is it worth it? Undoubtedly, Nanjichang Night Market is one of the best in Taipei. It has so much to offer in such a small area, that it is well worth checking out.
What is the best dish? I cannot go here without getting a bowl of that sweet soup at 八棟圓仔湯. You must try this.
Are there other places like this? There are plenty of Night Markets around Taipei, but Nanjichang is my favourite for a reason. If you're looking for other Night Markets, then you should check out the post below.