Spotlighting the 4 best Taipei night markets, our guide features the sizzling, savoury and piping hot street foods every foodie should try.
Taipei’s night markets date all the way back to the 1950s, with many of the original stalls still found serving up food today, along with all the diverse and culturally-enriched aspects of Taiwanese life that the country’s street food symbolises. With 30 or so night markets in Taipei alone, the city comes alive at night with buzzing roads of food stalls, each one specialising in a different dish. Many of these vendors have gone on to become world-renowned specialists in their field, winning spots on the Michelin Guide along the way. Read our guide to discover the best of them.
Shilin Night Market
Dubbed by many as the jewel of Taipei’s night market scene, Shilin Night Market has roots that go all the way back to 1913 and is easily the largest and most famous night market in Taiwan’s bustling capital. Located just 70 metres from MRT Jiantan Station, this carnival-like venue is considered a must-visit with 500+ food vendors serving up all kinds of delicious snacks.
Address: No.86-2, Dadong Road, Shihlin District, Taipei, Taiwan
Open From: Mon-Sat 2:30pm-1am; Sun 2:30pm-12am
Closest MRT Station: Jiantan Station
Pork Ribs Soup: Hai Yu Pork Ribs
Michelin Bib Gourmand shop Hai Yu Pork Ribs sells chunks of perfectly seasoned, soft and tender pork ribs swimming in a flavourful pork rib broth. Just watching the staff scoop their aromatic, 15-herb secret recipe from traditional Chinese pots resembling large cauldrons is enough to make anyone’s mouth water. Whether you choose to dine in at their sitting space or order to-go, this customary dish is guaranteed to bring comfort and satisfaction.
Insider’s Tip: This cash-only restaurant also serves other varieties of delicious dishes like braised pork rice, chicken drumstick soup and stewed lamb chops.
Address: No.49, Dadong Rd., Shilin Dist., Taipei, Taiwan
Open From: Mon-Sun 2:30pm-1am
Price: Customers usually spend NTD 90 to 200 per person during their visit
Pan-Fried Buns: Da Shanghai Pan Fried Bun
Selling queue-attracting pan-fried buns, Da Shanghai Pan Fried Bun started as a humble family-run business and has now expanded to both local and overseas locations. Their soft and doughy buns don a crispy, golden-brown base and are handmade every day, promising freshness with natural and high-quality ingredients. This spot serves up two main bun varieties: one with pork and the other filled with Korean cabbage that adds a bit of crunch.
Insider’s Tip: For those on meatless diets, note that the cabbage bun still contains meat.
Address: Back Shop 1F No99 Wu-Lin Rd., Shilin Dist., Taipei, Taiwan
Open From: Mon-Thu 3pm-11:30pm; Fri-Sun 3pm-12:00am (closed Tuesdays)
Price: Buns are priced from NTD 15 upwards
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Fried Chicken: Hot-Star
An award-winning, Shilin-homegrown brand, Hot-Star sells a variety of delicious fried items, but their top seller is an astonishingly large (30cm long) chicken cutlet fried to an impressive shade of golden-brown before being dusted with red chilli powder, adding an addictive, umami taste. With international locations across Thailand, Singapore, Australia and Hong Kong, the brand has been selling this iconic recipe since 1992 and claims to sell an average of 3000 servings a day.
Insider’s Tip: Staying true to how the chicken cutlet was first served, the staff refuse to cut the sizable piece of meat into smaller pieces, even when asked.
Address: No. 113, Wenlin Road, Shilin District, Taipei City
Open From: Mon-Thu 3:30pm-12am; Fri-Sun 3:30pm-12:30am
Price: Chicken cutlets come at NTD 70
Misua (Soup Vermicelli): A Hui Mian Xian
Securing a place in the 2019 Michelin’s guide, A Hui Mian Xian serves up a delicious take on misua, a traditional Chinese dish featuring thin wheat vermicelli served in a clear broth. With fresh and carefully prepared ingredients, the delicious broth takes on a darker and slightly thicker form and is accompanied by slippery noodles topped with braised pork chitterlings or cuttlefish (or both!)
Insider’s Tip: A Hui Mian Xian only accepts cash payments, so bring enough change!
Address: 84 Danan Road, Shilin, Taipei
Open From: Mon-Sun 2pm-11:45pm
Price: Bowls are priced from NTD 25 (small) and NTD 40 (large) upwards, depending on additional toppings
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Ningxia Night Market
A smaller-scale food street compared with its more prominent counterparts, Ningxia Night Market is ideal for those travelling with little ones or first-timers looking for a relatively easy-to-handle experience. With two rows of stalls running along Ningxia road to create a tight walkway between them, this conveniently-located downtown venue packs in a lot of amazing food in a very palatable way.
Address: Ningxia Road, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan 103
Open From: Mon-Sun 5pm-1am
Closest MRT Stations: Shuanglian Station and Zhongshan station
Oyster Omelette: Yuan Huan Pien Oyster Egg Omelette
In the business of drizzling mind-boggling homemade sweet hot sauce on fluffy oyster omelettes since 1965, Yuan Huan Pien Oyster Egg Omelette is featured in the 2019 Michelin guide, and is probably the most popular out of four shops selling the dish on the strip. If you’re looking to take a break from all the tiresome exploring, grab a comfortable seat at their dining space and feast on their delectable omelettes encasing fresh, plump oysters and a variety of vegetables.
Insider’s Tip: Only cash payments are accepted.
Address: No. 46, Ningxia Rd., Datong Dist, Taipei, Taiwan
Open From: Mon-Sun 12pm-2:30pm, 4:30pm-1:30am
Price: Customers usually spend NTD 70 to 170 here
Mochi: Lin Ji Mochi
If you’re a fan of all things sticky, Lin Ji Mochi is the place for you. Offering large, palm-sized, homemade, Hakka-style mochi with a generous amount of crushed peanuts and black sesame to coat them in, the stall almost always attracts long queues. What makes this place all the better is watching the round and smooth glutinous balls of pounded rice bounce around in a boiling pot up until the moment they are served, satisfyingly warm and delicious.
Insider’s Tip: Customers can also opt to have their mochi fix as part of a shaved ice dessert.
Address: No. 34-5, Ning Xia Rd., Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Open From: Tue-Sun 5:30pm-1am
Price: Mochis are NTD 40 for two
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Papaya Milk: Tong Nian Papaya Milk
Literally translating to ‘childhood papaya milk,’ Tong Nian Papaya Milk’s signature beverage consists of cooked fresh papaya and sweet, creamy milk blended into a thick, smoothie-like texture. It’s the ultimate thirst quencher to break up your late-night street food fiesta.
Insider’s Tip: Don’t save this for later – the staff insist the drink is best enjoyed within 30 minutes.
Address: No. 114, Ningxia Road, Datong District, Taipei City, Taiwan
Open From: Mon-Sun 5pm-12am
Price: One serving is priced at NTD 80
Deep-Fried Taro Balls: Liu Yu Zai
Another 2019 Michelin Bib Gourmand street food stall, Liu Yu Zai easily attracts the longest queues in Ningxia Night Market with their delectably sweet, deep-fried mashed taro balls that come in two different forms. Customers are often torn between the plain but gratifyingly creamy taro ball or their version with salted egg yolk and soft, fluffy pork floss filling. To save you the decision, we highly recommend getting both.
Insider’s Tip: Like many other street food stalls in Taipei, only cash payments are accepted here at Liu Yu Zai.
Address: Stall 91, Ningxia Road, Datong District, Taipei
Open From: Mon-Sat 5pm-1am, Sun 5pm-12am
Price: Customers usually spend around NTD 40 to 90 here
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Raohe Night Market
Embodying all the features of a traditional Taiwanese night market, Raohe Night Market is one of the oldest in Taipei and takes the form of a 600-metre path full to the brim with delicious food, offering both conventional Taiwanese comfort snacks as well as more unique dishes that definitely pique the interest of more adventurous visitors.
Address: Raohe Street, Songshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 105
Open From: Mon-Sun 4pm-12am
Closest MRT Station: Song Shan Station
Pepper Buns: Fuzhou Shizu Black Pepper Buns
Watch the masters at work in this Michelin Bib Gourmand stall selling classic Fujianese black pepper buns. Located just inside the night market’s entrance gate, Fuzhou Shizu Black Pepper Buns serves up buns stuck to the inside of traditional tandoor-style ovens, giving them a crispy and golden-brown exterior while leaving their spiced fresh pork (marinated in a secret recipe sauce) and green onion filling juicy and succulent. Giving just the right amount of chew, these buns are likely to blow your mind with their explosion of flavours.
Insider’s Tip: Don’t get scared away by the long queues; they tend to move really quickly.
Address: 249, Raohe Street, Songshan, Taipei
Open From: Mon-Sun 3:30pm-12am
Price: Buns are NTD 50 each
Flame-Torched Beef Cubes: Huo Yan Diced Cattle
Pop by Huo Yan Diced Cattle for a dose of tender, melt-in-your-mouth, Taiwanese-style grilled beef cubes. What makes these heavenly pieces of meat even more satisfying is watching the staff use an impressive looking blowtorch to speed up the preparation process. Cooked medium-well, your order is packed into a takeaway box, still hot and sizzling from the spectacle of flames you have just witnessed. Also, customers get to customise their order by choosing which seasoning to sprinkle over their steak, including black pepper, cumin and Japanese teriyaki.
Insider’s Tip: Vendors recommend seasoning your juicy beef cubes with rose salt.
Address: No. 77, Raohe Street, Songshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 105
Open From: Sun-Thu 5pm-11:30pm; Fri-Sat 5pm-1am
Price: Prices range from NTD 100 to 300, depending on which serving size you get
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Braised Snacks: A Kuo Lu Wei
Luwei is a Taiwanese-style snack comprised of various vegetables and meat braised in brine made with soup stock, soy sauce and assorted fragrant spices. Another Michelin-recognised stall, A Kuo Lu Wei serves up a plentiful selection of chopped meats and vegetables boiled in an aromatic, savoury broth. In true night market-style, customers choose from the ingredients displayed at the stall front, watching as the vendors drop them into a plastic bag and ladle in a generous share of tasty, salty braising sauce – we highly recommend trying their duck wings and baby sweetcorn.
Insider’s Tip: A Kuo Lu Wei only accepts cash.
Address: 226 Raohe Street, Songshan, Taipei
Open From: Tue-Sun 5pm-12am
Price: Customers typically spend NTD 50 to 300 at this spot
Gongguan Night Market
Located near the National Taiwan University, Gongguan Night Market is the biggest night market in the city’s Southern District. With students being the majority of customers here, this venue has snacks that are just as dangerously morish as those of its counterparts, but with less hassle and queues.
Address: Lane 90, Section 4, Luosifu Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100
Open From: Mon-Sun 3pm-11:45pm (closed on Wednesdays)
Closest MRT Station: Gongguan Station
Brown Sugar Boba Milk: Chen San Ding
Boba trends have recently taken the world by storm and Chen San Ding offers their compelling take on the highly buzzed brown sugar boba milk beverage. Their signature drink, a delightful cup of chewy boba (tapioca pearls), oozy richly-coloured brown sugar and chilled milk, is served so fresh that the bottom is still warm from the just-cooked tapioca pearls and caramelised brown sugar. Countered perfectly by cold, creamy milk, customers can also customise the amount of ice added to their order.
Insider’s Tip: Not feeling the brown sugar? Other drinks on the menu include lemon tea with pearls and beverages with ai yu glass jelly (made from the fruit of a fig tree grown indigenous to the country’s high mountains.)
Address: No. 8 Alley, Lane 316, Section 3, Luosifu Road, Taipei, Taiwan
Open From: Mon-Sat 11am-10pm
Price: All drinks are priced at NTD 40
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Scallion Pancakes: Hsiung Chi Scallion Pancake
One of the two stalls in Gongguan Night Market featured in the 2019 Michelin Guide Taipei Bib Gourmand Selection, Hsiung Chi Scallion Pancake is renowned for putting a smile on their customers’ faces with golden discs that are fried and fluffed right then and there. With a crispy exterior and a fluffy, soft inside, the perfect combo of aromatic fresh scallions and the addictive honey, mustard and basil sauce make this a customary snack for both tourists and locals alike.
Insider’s Tip: Customers at this cash-only restaurant can choose to top their scallion pancakes with add-ons like ham, sweet corn and egg.
Address: No. 2, Lane 108, Section 4, Luosifu Road, Zhongzheng, Taipei
Open From: Mon-Sun 3:30pm-12:30am (closed Wednesdays)
Price: Customers typically spend NTD 25 to 65 at this spot
Pork Baos (Steamed Pork Buns): Lan Chia Guabao
Located right next to the famed scallion pancake store, Lian Chia Guabao is the second Michelin Bib Gourmand stall that calls Gongguan Night Market home. This spot has made a name for itself over the years for its skillful preparation and delicious ratio of both fatty and lean cuts of pork in their soft, doughy baos. With ground peanuts, coriander, parsley and pickles thrown in the mix, this complex combination of flavours will definitely get you thinking about getting another one or two.
Insider’s Tip: Customers can opt to dine in, giving their legs a rest while devouring delicious baos before continuing on their foodie adventure journeys.
Address: No. 3, Alley 8, Lane 316, Section 3, Luosifu Road, Zhongzheng, Taipei
Open From: Tue-Sun 11am-12am
Price: Customers usually spend NTD 55 to 175 per person here
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