DestinationsAsiaFood Marathon at Taipei Night Market
Food Marathon at Taipei Night Market

Food Marathon at Taipei Night Market

Sometimes, I would ask myself what factor makes a good trip. Jaw-dropping landscapes, unforgettable experiences in local cultures, or maybe just delicious foods? Well, in the end, traveling has given me the one and only answer to everything. Indeed, a memorable trip is one that has everything. It is a combination of fantastic nature, valuable spiritual knowledge about the natives, and last but not least, local cuisines.

In Taiwan, I found that “everything”. After a trip to Taiwan, I really want to share with you guys some special, mouth-watering street foods that I tried on the tour. Particularly, my food list is going to be written through night markets in Taipei, which is a spotlight in Taiwanese culture. 

So, let the food marathon begin!

1. Shilin Night Market – The No. 1 Night Market in Taiwan

Shilin night market in Taipei

Located on 4 roads in the Shilin district: Jihe, Dadong, Danan, and Wendi, the Shilin night market is well-known as the largest night market in the rest of Taiwan. To visit there, you can hop on the MRT to Jiantan station, the market is just 70m away from the station.

Shilin’s infrastructures include two areas: Shilin’s building and a variety of stores around the building. Shilin’s building has 1 story and 3 basements. On the 1st floor, it is a place for selling countless goods such as clothing, souvenirs, accessories, etc. About 3 basements, there are 2 ones used for parking, and one is so-called as the food heaven that includes unique, super delicious specialties of Taiwan.

Taiwanese cuisine at Taipei night market
Taiwanese food at Taipei night market

As a street food-centered market, there are lines of food stalls formed on both sides of Jihe road, so you can enjoy easily food while observing the noisy inviting sounds coming from vendors. There are tons of dishes you can try there, but I highly recommend oyster omelet, which is the iconic dish in the market. The oyster omelet is made from beaten eggs, minced chives, and fresh oysters. The mixture will be cooked on a large, flat pan on high heat until it turns yellow, the food will be topped with a homemade sauce before being served.

I bet that you are gonna love this stunning street food on the first try. Additionally, Shilin has its famous crispy, juicy fried chicken in XXL size that will definitely satisfy chicken foodies, so don’t forget to put it into your dinner plan. The market’s working time is from 3 to 1 am and peak hour is between 7 pm to 9 pm. Therefore, you should have the right plan to enjoy scrumptious food without spending much time getting in line.

2. Raohe Night Market – The Collection of Taiwanese Notable Dishes

Raohe night market in Taipei
The entrance of Raohe night market.

Although Raohe is not as big as Shilin, it appeals to tourists around the world through a handful of Taiwan’s specialties. So getting out of the market with a hungry stomach is totally impossible. Raohe’s address is Raohe street, Songshan district. You can visit it by train, or by MRT. By MRT, you can take the green line to Songshan station, exit 5. The market is right across the street. On the other hand, by train, you can take any local northbound train from Taipei main station to Songshan station, then locate MRT, exit 5. Apart from Shilin, Raohe has more interesting things that could draw your attention just at first glance such as jewelry, souvenirs, and so on.

pork pepper bun - the 5-star Michelin street food at Raohe night market
The 5-star Michelin street food.
delicious pork pepper bun of Taipei
Pork Pepper Bun.

Now, the best part: food. If Shilin is famous for its oyster omelet, Raohe has the best pork pepper buns in the rest of Taiwan. The dish is so good that it is labeled as 5-star Michelin street food. It is a combination of crispy texture on one side and juicy in the other one. To make it, the vendor will flatten fermented doughs into round shapes, then they scope a spoon of marinated pork on the doughs and cover it by another round-shaped dough. After that, the vendors will put all of the doughs into a barrel and grill them until they are well-cooked. The smell coming from fresh grilled buns is really hard to resist this amazing dish, so don’t hesitate to put pork pepper bun into your bucket list when you visit Taiwan.

Another best dish that you need to conquer when coming to Raohe is the Taiwanese herbal pork bone soup. Pork bones/ribs will be stewed with traditional herbal medicine in hours until broth is rich and flavor is savory. The food is served with fermented soybean sauce. Just imagine, you have a bowl of hot soup, find yourself a seat to enjoy it after walking hours in the market.

What is better? Besides two must-try dishes above, Raohe also has other great scrumptious food that you can try such a taro sweet soup, grilled squid, oyster noddle soup, chopped fruits, or stinky tofu if you want to challenge your nose.

Aiju Jelly Drink at Taipei night market
Aiju Jelly Drink is put in the take-away glass with a big spoon.

Want to have a nice, light drink after a big meal? Taiwan has a special treat for you. It is Aiju Jelly drink. It is made from a type of fig tree that tastes sweet like honey and has a subtle sense of fruit. To make the drink more light and tasty, the vendors put a spoon of lemon juice on it. This drink is not only a saver for tired tourists after wandering hours in the market but also a favorite one with Taiwanese people.

3. Ximending Night Market – The Colorful Taipei Night Market

Big brands at Ximending night market.

I will vote Ximending as one of the coolest and best night markets in Taipei. The reason is, you will be immersed in the bustling atmosphere but still very natural and airy, not confined like other crowded shopping areas. The main items of the Ximending night market are fashion items with styles from many different countries like Japan, China, or Western countries.

Long line in front of Xing Fu Tang at Ximending
Long line in front of Xing Fu Tang at Ximending.
The well-known Xing Fu Tang's Brown Sugar Boba Milk with a golden leaf
The well-known Xing Fu Tang’s Brown Sugar Boba Milk with a golden leaf.

Moreover, here they have big brands from fashion to fast food chain go alongside with local ones. As well, you can even find one of the largest milk tea chain of Taiwan here, Xing Fu Tang. I had even got in a long line for more than 30 minutes, just to try it’s trending Brown Sugar Boba Milk a Golden Leaf on top. It was really interesting to try. The cup was so cool with a golden leaf. But honestly, I was more in love with the unbranded milk tea made by the locals.

Popular grilled beef at Taipei night markets
Popular grilled beef at Taipei night markets.

Of course, it will be a big mistake when visiting a night market but don’t try the foods. At Ximending, you have a long list of Taipei cuisine that you definitely must-try, those are:

  • Yonghe soya milk at No.30, Section 2, Hankou Street, Wanhua District
  • Grilled mochi at No. 49, Emei St, Wanhua District
  • AY-Chung noodles at No.8-1 Emei Street
  • Big-sized fried chicken at No. 104, Hanzhong Street, Wanhua District
  • Rice stuffed omelet with braised pork at No. 1, Lane 32, Hanzhong St
  • Youngfu traditional ice-cream at No. 68, Section 2, Guiyang St
  • 50 Lan milk tea at No. 48-4, Xining Rd

4. Ningxia Night Market – Many Delicious Foods You Cannot Miss

Ningxia night market in Taipei
Food stalls on the two sides of Ningxia night market.

Not so many news or blogs mention about Ningxia, but this night market is one of the place you shouldn’t miss when visiting Taipei. Actually, my booked hotel, the Queens Hotel 2, is just about a 10′ walk from the market. Therefore, I had a great chance to explore this must-go night market of Taipei.

King Oyster Mushroom at Ningxia night market
Grilled King Oyster Mushroom.

All the night markets in Taipei have so delicious foods, and so does Ningxia! Indeed, the market is not too big, so you can easily try all the foods there. I especially want to highlight the king oyster mushroom. Because those mushrooms are placed extremely attractive on the counters. In addition, the mushrooms’ scent rising while grilling will make your stomach instantly hungry. After grilled, those mushrooms will be cut into bite-sized pieces, then added sauces with spices, making them so much more delicious.

Deep Fried Taro Ball at Ningxia night market
Deep Fried Taro Ball at Ningxia night market.

Furthermore, it will be your biggest regret if you miss the Deep Fried Taro Ball at the night market. The shop named Liu Yu Zai, and you have to get in a long line till your turn to buy. Here, they have 2 types of fried taro balls including a normal one, added pork, and another one with salted egg yolk. Remember me, don’t miss trying this dish!

Also, there are more foods and drinks at Ningxia night market which you can try such as beef noodle, fried oyster cake, Rong’s pork liver, Ya-tou-Zheng-Er-dai, A-Tong A-Bao SishenTang, Lin-zhen-yao, herbal tea, and purple milk tea, etc.

And Many Many More

night markets in Taipei city
Many night markets in Taipei, searched on Google Maps.

Yes, Taipei actually has many more interesting night markets for you to spend days discovering. Besides the four markets that I had a chance to go to, here is the list of the others in Taipei that you can take visit:

5. Huaxi Night Market

Or snake alley Taipei is where you will enjoy special dishes made from snakes. There are some popular dishes from snakes that many tourists usually request such as snake blood alcohol, snake bile, snake soup, etc. Besides that, Huaxi night market also sells a lot of other foods such as squid soup, pork soup, eel noodles, etc.

6. Gongguan Night Market

This market is a common destination for students in Taiwan as well as international tourists. Gongguan night market is located near Taiwan University. The market has movie theater, bookstores, cafes, restaurants, and many of clothing shops.

Also, you can enjoy the delicious dishes sold here such as oyster noodles, pork blood pudding, boba milk tea, etc. Nonetheless, due to its proximity to the university and the subway station, the number of people coming to the Gongguan night market is very crowded. Hence, you may have to queue for a long time to buy the items you want. Just a note so you know!

Grilling Taiwanese sausage
Taiwanese sausage can be found at any Taipei night market.

Overall, those are dishes I ate on my trip to night markets in Taipei. It cost me a few days to try but not everything. Evenly, there are still Taipei’s night markets I haven’t been to. And surely those are all amazing ones waiting for you and me to explore. Thus, if you find out any new ones or your go-to stores in these markets, feel free to share them with us.


This article is now available online on GPSMyCity. You can free download it to read it offline and use it as your tour guide. Or upgrade with a small fee for a planned trip with all destinations shown as written in the article. I will have a small fee from your upgrade as a support to my blog. Thank you in advance!


Hey, I Have Travel Planning Resources Here to Help You Easily Plan Your Trip

Essential Items

Don't forget to bring the Travel Medicines, as well as your necessary Travel Kit.

If Your Next Destination Requires a Visa

IVISA will help you with their speed, simple, and secured services with just a minimal chance of being rejected.

Find Your Flight and Transportation to The Destinations

You can read my travel tips to Find Cheap Flights. You can also use 12Go to book buses, trains, ferries, or any transportation to places.

Book An Accommodation

I mostly use Booking.com to find a place for my trip. Sometimes I try to Get Free Credits on Airbnb to book homestays.

Driving Yourself Will be More Enjoyable

You can easily compare prices and find great deals on Discover Cars.

Protect Yourself and Your Trip

Travel Insurance is Important, especially after COVID-19, there are more possible health issues and pandemics. Please don't forget to have a shield for yourself and your trips!


PIN THIS POST NOW TO SAVE INFO OF TAIPEI NIGHT MARKET

Food Marathon at Taipei Night Market - The Broad Life's Pinterest board
The Broad Life's Pinterest Board of Taipei Night Market

READ MORE ABOUT TAIPEI

Trust me, the Taipei night market is a thing that you should explore, try, and enjoy on your trip to Taiwan. And if you want to know more about the country, or the city in particular, here are some posts which I believe you will love reading too:

Khoi Nguyen builds The Broad Life with a desire to inspire people go exploring the world and live a more interesting, experience, and adventurous life. This blog shares the stories, pictures, and experiences at destinations where he has traveled to.

28 Comments

  • Daniel Sierra

    I have never been to Taipei but danm that food looks delicious. I want to try the Xing Fu Tang’s Brown Sugar Boba Milk. It sounds like a sugar rush beauty I can’t pass on. The best thing about traveling is to taste local food. So I will definetlly go to those markets some day

    • Khoi Nguyen

      And I sure you will love the countries from its food. Those are all so tasty!

  • Jessica Collazo

    I love how the traditional markets and the modern markets is combined in this place the food looks so exotic and amazing

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Yeah the markets are one of the most attractive points not just about the food solely but the people and Taiwan’s culture as well

  • GiGi Eats Celebrities

    I have been to a couple of night markets in Taiwan and they’re awesome! I had the best squid of my life at one!! DROOL! 🙂

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Wow that sounds great. How was the squid? I haven’t tried that.

  • Jess

    Oh my goodness! The food looks and sounds amazing! What an incredible experience!

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Yeah it’s always great to have a food tour in a new country

  • Shahrom Martijn

    Taipei is on our radar. We can’t wait for this pandemic to be over to gorge all the food at Shilin Night Market.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      me too. Can’t wait for this pandemic ends so I can come back to enjoy Taiwanese cuisine at the markets

  • Ntensibe Edgar Michael

    Nnnnniiiiccccceeeeee….the night market! I would love to walk and transact in one.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      You definitely should go to the night markets in Taipei 😉

  • A Nation of Moms

    I would love to visit a market like this. I have heard there are so many great foods to try.

  • Julia

    Thank you for this detailed review of Taiwan markets. Your photos were great and descriptions mouthwatering!

  • knycx

    Taiwanese Night Market is Taiwan first-timers must see as it showcases the local street food culture and you will be surprised by the amazing tastes! Thanks for the post and my memories in Taipei are rushing back – Knycx Journeying

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Yeah you found great foods at Taipei night markets, didn’t you? How was your experience there?

  • TheSuperMomLife

    One of my dreams is to travel the world and try all of the street food. I bet it’s amazing in Taipei!

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Yeah Taipei, or Taiwan in general will amaze you with their foods. You’re gonna have an awesome food tour there

  • The JOYOUS Living | Influencer (@thejoyousliving)

    i’m all for a food marathon. that looks amazing. it is so cool that street vendors have michelin stars.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Yeah some of the street food vendors around the markets have Michelin stars and you will be amazed with their delicious foods

  • stephenrht

    Love a good street market, some of that food looks so lush

  • ebonynrobinson

    Once the craziness of coronavirus passes, I would love to visit here one day. Saving this post for the future!

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Glad that you like this post! Me too I’m waiting till the pandemic end so I can come back and enjoy the foods

  • Angela Ricardo Bethea

    Those are all wonderful market places to visit. My family and I were going to Taiwan this year but got cancelled because of the Covid-19 situation.

    • Khoi Nguyen

      Yeah the pandemic signifiantly affects everyone. I plan to go to many places this year but all canceled due to the virus.
      Please tell me your experience in Taiwan when you and your family go after this pandemic over

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

a man running to the sun on a rope bridge

Sign up for Newsletter

    Discover more from Travel Blog - Blog About Traveling | The Broad Life

    Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

    Continue reading