Ultimate First-Timers Taiwan Food Guide
Food in Taiwan is a national obsession. With night markets that rival Singapore’s, hole-in-the-wall eateries serving traditional specialties, and restaurants in every price range, it’s no wonder the locals are always eating.
If you want to join them, you’ll need a sense of adventure and a love of garlic!
Featuring a melting pot of food cultures from Chinese to Japanese to Portuguese and more, the culinary scene is a highlight of any visit to Taiwan. After nearly a month spent sampling my way around the island like a kid at a buffet, I’ve picked out nine dishes you should definitely try there:
Beef noodle soup (niú ròu miàn)
A comfort food found all over Taiwan, beef noodle soup comes in either a spicy or mild broth. More than a soup, it’s actually a meal in itself. There is also a dry version, which is simply called “beef noodle”. As the name implies, the dish is composed mainly of noodles and beef (stewed or red braised), as well as vegetables such as cabbage and the ever-present scallions.
Many local restaurants specialize in beef noodle soup, but be careful if you can’t read the menu. Although the dish is usually made from beef shank, some variations may include tripe and tendon.
Steamed pork bun (guà bāo)
Also referred to as a “Taiwanese hamburger”, a gua bao consists of a soft steamed bun filled with pork, pickled cabbage, peanut powder and coriander. The pork comes in different combinations of fat meat and lean meat, with half-and-half being a popular version. At least that’s what the waiter at Lan Jia (3, Alley 8, Lane 316, Roosevelt Road, section 3) told me.
This Taipei restaurant (on an alley off a lane near the Gongguan MRT station) is not easy to find, but it is widely regarded as having the best gua bao in Taiwan, which is why I sought it out.
I found out the hard way that you should eat the sandwich while holding it in the plastic bag. If you don’t, it will fall apart. I ended up eating mine with chopsticks!
Soup dumplings (xiǎo lóng bāo)
You cannot leave Taiwan without indulging in xiao long bao, a dumpling filled with pork, shrimps, and/or vegetables as well as gelatinized meat stock, which turns into a delicious broth when the dumpling is steamed.
Taro balls (yù yuán)
A specialty of the Jiufen area, taro balls are a sweet concoction, which is considered a dessert. The combo version (which I chose) consists of a combination of chewy taro, sweet potato, and green tea rice balls, mixed with red beans, green beans, and a sweet syrup.
You can eat it hot, as a kind of soup, or cold, on top of shaved ice. The taste is not very strong, but the combination of textures is interesting.
You will find a few shops serving it as you walk the narrow alleys in the scenic village of Jiufen. Other places sell it too, but the Jiufen version apparently has a unique taste.
Oyster omelet (hé zǎi jiān)
Few people in Taiwan speak English (especially outside of Taipei) and restaurants normally do not display their names in English. Some of the best food places are tucked away on small lanes off the main streets. This can make finding a specific restaurant or food tricky if you don’t have a guide and don’t know Mandarin.
Many eateries provide an English menu or illustrations to guide you. Yet, ordering food in Taiwan can be more trial and error, and you’ll need a sense of adventure to fully enjoy the culinary scene.
These nine dishes should provide a good starting point for your food explorations in Taiwan. Other foods you could try – if you dare – are stinky tofu, pork blood cake, and tea eggs!
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