Text and photos by Ben Young Landis
One of the most common friendly greetings you’ll hear in Taiwan is “Have you eaten yet?” And in Taipei (台北), you can feast from street vendors in crowded alleys to Michelin-starred fine dining to corporate fast food chains all in a day. So as you settle into your new home, it’s only fitting that we get you up to speed on all the authentic Taiwanese cuisine that awaits you!
Part two of our starter kit starts here. But if you missed part one covering yummy Taiwanese breakfast sandwiches and mouthwatering Taiwan rice dishes such as braised pork rice, you fan, and zongzi, click here to open that article!
Now, let’s explore even more incredible, nostalgic Taiwanese dishes!
Satisfying Noodle Soups
If noodle soups are your go-to comfort food, or if you’re wondering what to eat in Taiwan in winter, then we’ve got the Taiwanese soup recommendations for you!
Beef Noodle Soup (牛肉麵)
Beef noodle soup (牛肉麵) might be one of the more famous Taiwanese dishes newcomers hear of. Here in Tianmu near The Center, we’re blessed with two great beef noodle shops: Zhongcheng Beef Noodle, internet-famous as one of the best places to eat beef noodle soup in Taipei; and the longtime neighborhood favorite Huang Family Beef Noodle. Zhongcheng’s beef noodle soup is spicier and topped full of chopped scallions, while Huang’s is less flashy yet rich with flavor. You can order this dish with beef or with beef tendon or both — and whatever your order, you’ll be enjoying giant bowls of heartwarming broth with tender stewed meats and filling noodles!
Oyster Vermicelli (蚵仔麵線)
If you’re a more adventurous eater, then oyster vermicelli (蚵仔麵線)needs to be on your must-try Taiwanese dishes list. Sold from street carts in the old days, where vendors would shout out the dish name in Taiwanese Hokkien — ô-á-mī-suànn! ô-á-mī-suànn! — these are smaller bowls of thin noodles in a thick, starchy soup topped with oysters. One classic style is to also add chopped pork intestines to your order, so if you really want to eat like a Taiwanese local, try out this combo at the Sheng Kou Wei locations by the Zhishan MRT Station or uphill in Tianmu.
Milkfish (虱目魚) Noodle Soups
If you happen to be traveling to the south of Taiwan, especially to Tainan (台南), then milkfish (虱目魚) noodle soups must be on your traditional Taiwanese food list. Although this fish species is eaten in many parts of the world, milkfish is the nostalgic crown of Taiwan’s aquaculture industry. Ask a knowledgeable local who speaks Taiwanese Hokkien to guide you through soups or noodle soups with milkfish belly (虱目魚肚), milkfish nuggets (虱目魚羹), or milkfish meatballs (虱目魚丸). Master how to order these sat-bàk-hî dishes, and you’ll definitely earn your Taiwanese street food cred!
Memorable Taiwan Night Market Foods
If you’ve still got room after breakfast, lunch, and dinner, we’ve got three Taiwanese local street foods that’ll have you saying, “If you get it, I’ll get it.”
“Big Sausage Wrap Little Sausage” (大腸包小腸)
Most guides translate this dish as “Big Sausage Wrap Little Sausage” (大腸包小腸) but I like to call it “Big Sausage Hugs Little Sausage” — making it as cute as it is delicious. Imagine a grilled Taiwanese sausage, but instead of being served in an American hot dog bun, it is served inside a sticky rice sausage cut open to “hug” the meaty sausage. Some cart vendors wrap them in a certain way so you can push the sausages up as you eat them without greasing up your hands, like a push-up popsicle!
Taiwanese Fried Chicken Cutlet (炸雞排) and Taiwanese Popcorn Chicken (鹽酥雞)
Another iconic street food in Taiwan is Taiwanese fried chicken cutlet (炸雞排), which is chicken breast pounded into a giant, flat piece the size of your hand or face; and Taiwanese popcorn chicken (鹽酥雞), which are bite-sized morsels of thigh meat easy to eat with bamboo skewers. Order them plain, with black pepper and salt, or with spicy chili powder — but the secret to their unique, crispy batter is the sweet potato starch. The smell of these Taiwanese chicken snacks is so recognizable that you’ll instantly know when someone has secretly brought a bag of chicken aboard the MRT!
Turkey Rice (火雞飯)
Finally, for U.S. expats: if you’re missing home and want an unexpected fusion of Taiwanese street food and a dash of America, go for some turkey rice (火雞飯)! When you chow down on a bowl of turkey rice at a Taiwanese street stand, there isn’t a whiff of American autumn or cranberry sauce in sight. It’s just yummy, shredded turkey with turkey broth, spooned over a bowl of steamed white rice.
Sweet Reminders of Taiwan
If you’re only visiting Taiwan for a short while or are getting to leave Taiwan, don’t despair. There is one sweet reminder of this amazing place that you’ll likely find back in the U.S., U.K., and many other countries now: pearl milk tea or boba tea (珍珠奶茶 / 珍奶).
Pearl Milk Tea or Boba Tea (珍珠奶茶 / 珍奶)
Once upon a time a rare find outside of Taiwan, this truly Taiwanese invention has taken the world by a delicious, bubbly storm in recent years. Here in Taipei, there are milk tea shops in almost every neighborhood — sometimes four or five within sight of one another. Everyone has their favorite order combination. Are you a low sugar, low ice kind of customer? Or maybe you’re a large-cup, regular sugar, regular ice wild thing? Whatever your order, many tea shops in Taiwan will give you a discount if you bring your own reusable cup.
(Trivia: Taiwanese milk tea is traditionally made with non-dairy creamer, so anyone lactose-sensitive can rest easy! Shops will list milk teas made with real dairy separately on their menu.)
If you need a fun reminder of the endless combinations of milk tea styles and topping choices, check out “All the Ways to Make Bubble Tea, Taiwan’s Pearl-fect Drink” — an interactive blogpost by overseas Taiwanese graphic designers Daisy Chung and Julia Janicki.
Taiwan: A Gourmet’s Paradise
Hungry yet? Remember, this is just a very short list of Taiwanese comfort foods to get you started. There are so many more flavors and traditions for you to explore here in Taiwan.
Just looking from a culinary perspective, you can see why Taiwan is truly blessed with a blending of cultures — from different waves of Chinese migration over the centuries, plus Indigenous history over the millennia, to eras of Japanese and American influence, to modern Taiwan’s cosmopolitan crossovers. In fact, as you find time to travel around Taiwan, go beyond these best-of lists and see what each family or village calls their own favorite comfort foods.
And remember, you can bring many of these authentic Taiwanese recipes home by purchasing a copy of Made in Taiwan, the cookbook co-authored by Ivy Chen, or by signing up for more cooking classes in Tianmu hosted by The Center in coming seasons.
Happy exploring — and happy eating!
Ben Young Landis
Born in Taipei, Taiwan, Ben Young Landis returns to his home country after three-plus decades in the United States, following an extensive career as a science communication trainer and advocate, creative strategy consultant, and nonprofit advisor. In his free time, Ben volunteers with The Center as a writer and event host — when he’s not drawing ocean art and practicing languages, or out exploring Taiwan’s delicious street eats, world-class museums, and multicultural third-spaces.