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!)
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Taiwan train bento boxes are surprisingly cheap and they are served hot, ready to eat in the carriage – they are so good, you might even want to get another as you exit the station as a snack for your hotel room!
Usually served with meat or fish, the vegetarian (and vegan) bento boxes in Taiwan are really good too, with lots of veggies and tofu style ‘fake’ meat.
From menus to prices, here is our guide to Taiwan’s bian dang / lunchbox meals.
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What is a Bian Dang / bento box in Taiwan?
Often available as hot takeaway train meals or lunchtime boxes at schools and offices, Taiwan bian dang are lunchbox / bento box style meals usually served in a disposable container with chopsticks.
They consist of a main protein like chicken, pork or fish and then several vegetables and sides (like water bamboo shoots, seaweed and stewed egg) plus a huge portion of rice.
Vegetarian bian dang / lunch boxes are increasingly popular with fake meat and tofu options widely available (they are actually more tasty than some of the meat ones with a better range of sides like edamame).
A popular part of Taiwanese dining culture, these bento boxes are very popular on Taiwan railway journeys with various kiosks selling them at the railway stations, often with big queues – more on this in a moment.
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History of Taiwan lunchboxes
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.
The trend of Taiwan lunchboxes has changed over the years as they fell out of favour for a while and are now back in fashion – a cheap and convenient hot meal for some and a nostalgic taste of their childhood for others.
Years ago, when railway bento boxes served at TRA and HSR stations had fallen out of favour (or should that be flavour); railway bosses asked former chefs and TRA tastemakers to come back and reintroduce that classic taste and combos, training the next generation of chefs.
And bian dang are so popular again now that they are selling out most days with big queues at stations to get them.
Closely associated with long rail journeys, no trip to Taiwan is complete without at least one bian dang experience!
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Why are they so popular in Taiwan?
Why do these railway hot lunch boxes sell out every day? It is a combination of cheap food and the convenience, as everything is so nicely packaged – it is much better (and often lower price) than similar ready meals you see in Taiwan convenience stores like 7-Eleven.
Another factor is that the lunch boxes are served pre-cooked and warm – so you don’t have to wait around for the bian dang to be heated.
The biggest seller of bian dang is Taipei Main Station and you’ll see lunch box stalls at all of Taiwan’s High Speed Railway Stations and TRA stations.
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Food and prices
The joy of travel in Taiwan – we actually look forward to HSR and local train journeys so we can sit back, have a bian dang and look out at the countryside, with our phone put away.
Most Taiwan railway hot lunch boxes / bian dang 便當 costing from NT$80 for a vegetarian lunch box to NT$150 for pepper squid.
For example, in early 2025, we travelled to Chiayi from Taipei Songshan station and got a hot pork lunchbox for NT$120 and a fish bian dang for NT$130.
Other example Taiwan train lunchbox and prices include
- Plant based meat – NT$100
- Traditional pork lunch box – NT$100
- Salted chicken lunch box – NT$120
- Pork shank – NT$120
- Mackerel and pork NT$150
And you can pay for lunchboxes with your EasyCard and iPass / iCash cards.
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Vegan and vegetarian lunch boxes
For vegetarian travellers in Taiwan, the vegetarian lunch boxes are off the charts with loads of fresh veggies, an egg and the protein part is usually tofu or a fake meat style dish.
Recently, we’ve also started seeing more vegan lunch boxes at Taiwan train stations including a stall at Songshan Taipei station that only sold vegan lunch boxes.
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Sanrio train bento box
For a very different onboard bento box experience on a Taiwan train, take a ride aboard the Taiwan Sanrio train (the Formosa Express) which includes a Sanrio bian dang lunch (and free drinks including beer).
Launched in January 2025 and replacing the previous Taiwan Disney train, the first Sanrio themed train in Taiwan runs four times a week between Taipei, Hualien, Taichung, Kaohsiung and Chiayi plus many other stops.
With eight Sanrio character themed carriages (including a karaoke car!) plus drinks, activities and food included, this is one of the best value ways to get around Taiwan with lots of Sanrio-themed fun along the way.
Read our guide to Taiwan’s Sanrio train (including the onboard bento box) >
One final note – whilst it is fine to enjoy hot food and drinks on HSR trains and local TRA trains, please note you must not eat or drink in MRT systems / the Metro. This is a big no-no and may result in a fine (plus lots of angry looks from fellow travellers).
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