Chow Down in Taipei – The Top 5 Eats
When you visit Taipei, one of the first things that will hit you is the cornucopia of food establishments everywhere you turn! There are roadside stalls, fancy restaurants, meats on sticks, crazy dessert concoctions, a million cafes for the caffeine addicts, and everything in between.
It can be overwhelming, albeit very exciting, when you’re faced with SO MANY CHOICES. Thankfully, my Taiwanese friends knew just the right places to take me to satiate my rumbling tummy. I tried a huge variety of foods in only four days but these are my top five favorites.
Fuxing South Road, No. 269, 2nd Floor
MRT Station: Da’an
I’ve been to many hot pot restaurants all over Asia and the US but I’ve never had soup as tasty as what they serve at Tao Pot. The pot is divided into two sections that look like a yin and yang symbol. One side has a clear soup with pickled cabbage that’s made in-house, and the other side has a dark broth that has been boiled for hours with a ton of Chinese herbs. The clear soup has a sour, refreshing flavor while the darker broth is hearty and spicy. We dunked thinly sliced raw beef and pork into the soup of our choice and enjoyed them shabu-shabu style. Both soups also have large pieces of tofu that has been soaking in all the delicious flavors!
I highly recommend the fried pork meatballs. It’s seasoned perfectly and has a crispy yet tender texture. My friend said that I could put them into the soup but I enjoyed them as they were. I could eat these all day!
Yongkang Street (otherwise known as “have I died and gone to food heaven?”)
MRT Station: Dongmen
Yongkang street has earned a reputation for being a foodie area, according to my Taiwanese friend. We went to three places that absolutely earned a spot in my top five eateries of Taipei, and they’re all walking distance to one another!
No.17, Lane 31, Section 2, Jinshan South Road
My friend and I waited in a long line for this very popular restaurant. When it got to our turn, one of the waiters told us that they ran out of soup. We thought that he was joking but he wasn’t! It was my very own “no soup for you!” soup nazi moment.
We actually came back another day because I really needed to know what the hype was about. It was still a long line but thankfully it moved fast and we were able to get a table (yay!). It was definitely worth the wait! The noodles were springy and fresh, the beef was so tender and the soup had a ton of flavor.
Du Hsiao Yueh 度小月
No.9-1, Yongkang Street, Da’an District
Admittedly, we stumbled onto this restaurant because we weren’t able to eat at Yong Kang Beef Noodles. However, I have absolutely no regrets because I had the most delicious rice noodles I’ve ever had in my life there. This restaurant serves dishes from Tainan, which is the utmost foodie region in Taiwan (putting it in my bucket list).
The restaurant serves the famous danzai noodles which are typically egg noodles (although I opted for rice noodles) served with a light broth and stewed ground pork on top. The freshly-made rice noodles were bouncy and hearty, unlike the typical noodles that are mostly thin and soft. The stewed meat had so much flavor and it helped that there was a small dollop of pounded fresh garlic on top. Be forewarned, traditionally the noodles are meant to be served in small portions. If you’re a hearty eater, you might want two or three bowls. Trust me, you will want more. They also have a variety of side dishes to go with the noodles, but the danzai dish is the star of the show!
Smoothie House 思慕昔
No.15 YongKang Street, Da’an District
When we rode the elevator up the Dongmen MRT station, there were giant ads lining the walls of this mango/ice cream/shaved ice/fresh fruits concoction. I’m not a dessert person but my stomach groaned like Homer Simpson, “mmmmm mango delight.” We got to Smoothie House and there were two outlets within a block of each other. My friend said that the original restaurant was so popular that they had to build an even bigger one to accommodate all their customers. They both had long lines nonetheless!
We went to the original one and ordered a mango shaved ice with mixed fruit and panna cotta. The shaved ice was like freshly fallen snow; it was so soft and flaky! Mango syrup was poured on top which made it a touch too sweet but still delicious. It’s a huge portion so share it with your friends!
Sheng Jian Bao at Shilin Night Market
MRT Station: Jiantan
Shilin Night Market is insanely crowded and very overwhelming, but something you have to experience when you visit Taipei. There were all kinds of food there but they were mostly deep fried and/or mystery offal on a stick. I was disappointed until I saw the stall selling sheng jian bao (pan-fried steamed buns). I can’t even begin to tell you exactly which stall it is and where it’s located. Just look for the stall with one of the longest lines and lots of buns laid out, ready to be sold.
When I got my bun, I wasn’t really expecting much because how special can a steamed bun be? But I was so wrong! The texture of the skin is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and the ground pork was flavorful and steaming hot. I would brave the crowds at Shilin Night Market just to eat another sheng jian bao because it’s worth it!
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