From Taiwan night markets featuring Michelin Bib Gourmand food stalls to dainty dining delights like train bento boxes (bian dang), Taiwan’s foodie scene is a top tasty time – and it doesn’t have to be expensive either.
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Whether you like bubble tea or beef noodles, vegetarian food or very good whiskey, you are in for a treat in Taiwan and a fine Formosan foodie foray (try saying that after several Taiwan craft beers).
We feature several recommendations like spending half a day along Yongkang Street, Taipei’s tastiest neighborhood or simply have a go yourself at a Taiwan cooking school – or make your very own Taiwan pineapple cakes.
Here is our ultimate guide to Taiwan’s foodie finds and inexpensive epicurean experiences.
This article was originally published on 28 August 2025.
Taiwan checklist
We love using agoda.com (use the code TAIWANDERERS for a discount), expedia.com and booking.com for researching and booking all our hotels.
For booking tours, transfers and buying SIM cards/eSIMs we recommend Klook, Get Your Guide, Viator or KK Day.
For booking rental cars visit Discover Cars. For private drivers and taxis, check out our Transfer guide >
Find safe storage spaces across Taiwan with Bounce (and get 5% discount).
For more recommendations, check out our Taiwan travel booking resources page >
All set for Taiwan? Do one final check with our Taipei first timers guide and our packing list guide. Travelling with kids? Check out our Taipei For Kids eBook >
Taiwan Michelin restaurants and Michelin Bib Gourmand
As of summer 2026, Taiwan is home to 144 Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurants and food stalls, many of which you’ll find at Taiwan night markets like Gongguan Night Market in Taipei.
Amazingly you can eat (street) food on the Taiwan Michelin Bib Gourmand list from as little as NT$35 – this is what a basic pancake costs at Hsiung Chi Pancake stall in Gongguan which we visited last year.
Michelin Bib Gourmand is an award given to restaurants in recognition of amazing local food (and often at affordable prices). It is different from Michelin Star restaurants which are often more luxury dining and quite exclusive.
We’ve been lucky enough to try a few of these Michelin Bib Gourmand dishes in Taiwan including:
- Lao Shan Dong Homemade Noodles in Ximending
- Wang’s Broth at Huaxi Night Market as featured in our 10+ best Taipei night markets
- Hsiung Chi Scallion Pancake at Taipei’s Gongguan Night Market
Check out the full current list on Facebook >
Did you also know Taichung is also home to MINIMAL, the first / only Michelin-starred ice cream shop in the world!
Check out this Taipei Bib Gourmand recommended food day tour >
Taiwan Railway Bento / ‘Bian Dang’
No long railway journey in Taiwan is complete without a Taiwan railway bento box (also known as a ‘bian dang’ 便當).
A delicious traveller rite of passage, enjoy a TRA bento box meal bought from the station and enjoy it onboard – best served with epic Taiwan views through the window (and maybe a Taiwanese tea, or beer!)
A popular part of Taiwanese dining culture, these Taiwan lunch bento boxes are inexpensive and so tasty!
When you buy your first bian dang in Taiwan, you’ll see how they are practically the same as Japanese bento boxes. This is because the practice of box meals in Taiwan originated during the era of Japanese rule / colonialism in the early 20th century.
Read more in our Taiwan Railway Bento / ‘Bian Dang’ guide >
Din Tai Fung
Perhaps the most famous Taiwan restaurant chain that has gone global, trying Din Tai Fung’s delicious soup dumplings (xiaolongbao) is a tasty Taiwan traveller rite of passage.
With new Din Tai Fung restaurants popping up all over the world, there is no better place than to try them at the ‘source’ in Taiwan. Given its popularity, don’t be surprised if you have to queue although they have a simple-to-use ticket waiting system and app; they’ve thought of everything!
If you visit Taipei, head to the original Din Tai Fung where it all began in 1958 on Yongkang Street, or discover over a dozen different outlets across the city, including several in the Xinyi neighbourhood.
From how to eat xiao long bao soup dumplings to the cheapest Din Tai Fung prices in the world and their menu highlights, here is our ultimate guide to dining in Din Tai Fung >
Check out this Din Tai Fung dinner and Raohe night market night tour in Taipei >
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Yongkang Street, Taipei’s tastiest district
Yongkang Street is one of the yummiest things to do in Taiwan, packed full of cool cafes, decadent desserts and oodles of noodle shops and delicious dumplings.
From the terrific Tian Jin Scallion Flaky Pancakes (a personal favorite) to xiao long bao soup dumplings and beef noodle soup, there is something to suit all tastes (and budgets) along Yongkang Street – and don’t forget tofu pudding for dessert!
One of Taipei’s top food destinations, here is our ultimate guide to Yongkang Street in Taipei >
It is also a good way to eat lots of local foods if you only have 1 day in Taipei.
Check out our Taipei neighbourhoods guides:
Beitou >
Dihua Street and Dadaocheng >
Gongguan and Longquan >
Tamsui >
Ximending >
Xinyi >
Zhongshan >
Also check out our guide to the best neighbourhoods in Taipei >
Taiwan cooking class
If you are a fan of Taiwan’s tasty xiao long bao soup dumplings, beef noodle soup or gua bao and want to recreate the dishes at home, then check out a Taiwan cooking class like Cookinn.
They run a variety of cooking classes where you can learn to make Taiwanese cuisine from scratch with locations in Ximending and Zhongshan.
We were lucky enough to attend a special xiao long bao and beef noodle cooking class, hosted by Cookinn’s founder Chelsea Tsai, author of the cook book Taste Taiwan – read about the class in our TTT Facebook group >
Prices for the main cooking classes start from NTD$2,300 for adults (and NT$1,955 for children aged 7 to 11), and the lessons are conducted in English, Japanese and Mandarin languages.
They also run other cheaper and shorter baking classes where you can make pineapple cakes, pork pepper buns, scallion pancakes and nougat crackers.
Check out these classes on their Cookinn website and use the code ‘TAIWANDERERS’ for 5% off (code only valid by booking directly on their official website), or you can book their classes on Klook.
Alternatively try you can try these other cooking classes on Klook including a Handmade Noodles and scallion pancake cooking class or a Taiwanese traditional hand-made cuisine class.
Check out these Taiwan cooking classes on Klook >
Taipei food tour with TourMeAway
There are lots of great Taipei food tours but one of the best that we have done a couple of tasty times with is a local company called TourMeAway!
Their popular evening food tour runs around 6 times a week and lasts 2 hours. The meeting point is at Longshan Temple MRT station at 7.30pm and you get to taste street foods from nearby Huaxi Street Night Market, Monga Night Market and a local Michelin rated restaurant.
Foods you can expect to taste on the tour (may change according to season):
- Oyster Omelette
- Braised Pork Rice (Thursday and Sunday only)
- Taiwanese Burger (Tuesday only)
- Stinky Tofu
- Scallion pancake
- Fried Marlin
- Soup Dumplings
- Herbal Tea
- Fried Sweet Potato Balls
You can book this tour by TourMeAway on Klook or directly on their website (use the code TAIWANDERERS for up to 15% off when you book directly).
Check out our Taiwanderers Instagram video below of our food tour experience:
Prefer a day-time food tour in Taipei? No problem!
In Spring 2026, we also did the TourMeAway breakfast food tour in the historic Dadaocheng neighbourhood. Check out our post in our Taiwan Travel Tips Facebook group, and book on Klook (discount code CKTRAVELS) or book directly (discount code TAIWANDERERS).
Taiwan Night Markets
For many first time visitors to Taiwan, the first thing they think of when planning their itineraries is which night market to visit.
Luckily we have a list of the best Taiwan night markets and the best Taipei night markets including the likes of Raohe Night Market, Ningxia Night Market, Gongguan Night Market and Shilin Night Market.
With over 300 notable Taiwan night markets dotted all over the country, the Taiwanese (and lucky tourists) are blessed with a treasure trove of tasty tidbits including stinky tofu (more on this shortly).
Taiwan is famous for its night markets and rightly so as it is just as much about the atmosphere and experience as it is about the food. They typically run from around 5pm to midnight and comprise fantastic food stalls, fairground style games and attractions plus live music and singers.
You might like – 40+ things to do in Taipei at night >
Bubble Tea / Boba Tea
Possibly Taiwan’s best known drink, Taiwan bubble tea is famous for its soft and chewy tapioca balls which you suck up through a straw whilst in tea or or milk (soy milk is another popular Taiwan drink).
We were lucky enough to visit the Chun Shui Tang Original Store in Taichung.
Reputedly the original creator of Taiwanese bubble tea, Chun Shui Tang has gone on to big things with stores and tea-shops all over Taiwan plus branches overseas like in Hong Kong and Japan. However it all started in 1983 with this Taichung Chun Shui Tang Original Store.
In Taiwan, you will find bubble tea stores everywhere and popular chains include 50嵐 / 50 Lan / FIFTYLAN, Gong Cha, Cha Time and Ten Ren’s Tea. We asked our Taiwan Travel Tips Facebook group what their favourite bubble tea brand is and you can see the results here >
You might like – 30+ things to do in Taichung >
Beef Noodles
Possibly our favourite Taiwan foodie dish, you cannot leave without diving into a bowl of beef noodles (well, unless you are vegetarian).
There are so many reasons we love beef noodles, from the juicy braised beef to the slurp of the noodles, incredible meaty beef bone broth to the social element in most noodle shops.
But which are the best beef noodles? Hidden away in a back alley of Zhongzheng District near Taipei Main Station, Liu Shandong Beef Noodles 劉山東牛肉麵 is surely a contender. It has been around since the 1950s and for our money and taste, is the best beef noodle soup in Taipei (possibly Taiwan).
Another popular Taipei beef noodle shop is Lao Shan Dong, which possibly has the best beef noodles in Ximending. This 70 year old handmade noodle restaurant has Michelin recognition and is located in the basement of the Wan Nian building in Ximending (it is right in the corner and could be easy to miss).
You might like – 65 things to do in Taipei >
Kavalan Whiskey
One of the best (and booziest) things to do in Yilan, a trip to Kavalan Distillery 金車噶瑪蘭酒廠 will likely result in high ‘spirits’.
From learning about the production process to tasting or even blending your own unique Kavalan whisky, this is a treat for curious travellers or seasoned whisky connoisseurs.
Yilan was chosen as the location for the Kavalan distillery due to the region’s clean water supply from the snow mountains which is used in the brewing process.
Visitors can see the production process up close, take part in various activities or just enjoy some food and drinks in the splendid Spirit Castle.
From making your own whisky to the rather excellent gift-shop (plus free souvenir ink stamps – link), raise your glass and check out our guide to Kavalan Distillery >
Check out this Yilan east coast and Kavalan Whisky distillery day tour from Taipei >
Pineapple cake making class in Shilin
Try a 2 hour pineapple making class at the Kuo Yuan Ye Museum of Cake and Pastry in Shilin.
We did this earlier this year – the class is super popular with families and is well organised with instructions explained in multiple languages. It tends to get fully booked out weeks in advance.
Once you’ve made your pineapple cakes and they are baking in the oven, they take you to the museum upstairs and include some activities such as throwing the red, crescent-shaped wooden blocks known as jiaobei (筊杯) and trying on some traditional costumes.
When the cakes are ready, you get to wrap them and place them in a gift box, whilst enjoying tea and snacks. This is a really fun family activity and you can book the experience on Klook >
At $NT640 per person (£15 / $20USD) or just NT$720 for an adult and child, we thought this was great value for money and your homemade pineapple cakes are a great souvenir to take home.
Craft beer bars
‘Ganbei’ to the Taipei craft beer scene and Taiwan brewery bars.
From beautiful beer taprooms like Taihu Brewing to shopping mall brewery bars like Hit Cat Brewing, you’ll find plenty of great beer to drink at night.
Taipei has loads to offer craft beer connoisseurs and drinkers in Taiwan, from booze and gyoza at Rongjin Gorgeous Time to Floating Taipei bar near Dihua Street, which shows Mr Bean cartoons as you sip beer. Nice!
Featuring international taprooms like Mikkeller Taipei to local Taiwan breweries like Zhangmen Brewing, here is our guide to the best Taipei craft beer bars >
You might also like our guide to Taiwan Beer, brewery tours, craft beer bars and distilleries >
Taipei buffets
A common joke in our Taiwan Travel Tips (TTT) Facebook group is about how you will return home from Taiwan weighing several pounds heavier as you’ll eat so much food – this has never been truer if you take a bite out of Taiwan’s bevy of buffets.
There are lots of great dinner buffets in Taipei, from high-end buffets like A Joy (literally ‘high-end as it is the top of Taipei 101) to huge hotpot buffets, there are so many places to fill up in Formosa.
We’ve dined at Taipei buffets like Mala Hotpot (soooo good – includes free flow booze), The Regent Brasserie, plus the ‘Cafe’ restaurant at the Grand Hyatt Hotel.
Possibly our favourite Taipei buffet is A Joy Buffet on the 86th floor of Taipei 101. Whilst not cheap, the views are amazing and the seafood here is something else. So if you love lobster or evening dinner with a view, be sure to book A Joy buffet >
Featuring a popular Taipei hot pot buffet, several hedonistic hotel buffets plus luxury lunches, here is our guide to the best Taipei buffets with prices and photos >
Stinky tofu
Never has there been a more divisive Taiwanese food – probably!
Love it (like me – Neil) or hate it (Caroline), you will 100% encounter stinky tofu on your Taiwan travels and you will know you’re getting close because the stench is hard to miss.
This iconic Taiwan snack is made from cubes of firm tofu marinated in a brine (that usually includes dried fish, meat and fermented milk) and left for months, then deep fried or steamed to serve.
The flavour is a bit of an acquired taste – slightly sour, and apparently the worse it smells, the better it tastes (there are 13 different grades of stinky tofu).
Taiwan’s stinky tofu is best served deep fried, so crispy on the outside and soft inside, and presented with a sweet and spicy sauce or kimchi on the side.
Taiwan vegetarian buffets
If you’re craving veggies or an inexpensive vegetarian meal in Taiwan, you will not be disappointed.
There are lots of cheap vegetarian buffets in Taiwan, many of which open from breakfast onwards. For instance, when we stay in hotels near Taipei Main Station, there is a cluster of veggie buffets and restaurants along Huaining Street.
After a night of indulging in beef noodles and pork buns, we usually want something without meat the next day. Our favourite spot is Miao Yuan’ vegetarian buffet (map) as it is cheap with a good variety of dishes.
Two huge plates (along with rice) came to $NT235 for two of us (so roughly $3.60 USD or £2.75 each). It is also a good place to escape the rain as you can sit inside to eat!
Another place for great Taiwanese vegetarian food are temples like the renowned Hi Lai vegetarian restaurant at Fo Guang Shan in Kaohsiung.
We also rate the Taiwan vegetarian chain Fruitful Food 果然匯 – whilst not cheap, it is a veritable feast of vegetarian and vegan food which we review in our Taipei best buffets guide.
Other Taiwan food tours
Hopefully we’ve inspired you to try lots of new Taiwan foodie experiences and numerous night market visits.
However, if you are limited on time or just want to experience dining with locals, here are some Taiwan food tours:
- Top Taiwan food and drinks tours with Klook >
- Tainan Dine in the Dark restaurant >
- Taipei: A-IDIO Dadaocheng hand-brewed coffee experience >
- Nighttime shrimp picking with dinner experience in Hualien >
- Taipei walking food tour (food included): Ningxia Night Market and more >
- Shilin Night Market food walking tour in Taipei >
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