9 Best Street Vendors to try in Taipei’s Night Markets

Taipei night markets are a popular attraction in Taipei, Taiwan, known for their bustling atmosphere and variety of street food, snacks, and merchandise. These markets typically open in the evening and remain open until late at night, offering visitors a chance to experience the vibrant nightlife of the city.

The origins of Taipei night markets can be traced back to the Japanese colonial period when street vendors would sell their wares in the evenings. Today, Taipei boasts some of the most famous and largest night markets in Taiwan, including Shilin Night Market, Raohe Street Night Market, and Ningxia Night Market.

Aside from the street food, visitors can also find clothing, accessories, electronics, and other goods at the night markets. Many vendors offer bargain prices, making it a great spot for bargain hunters.

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1. Stinky Tofu

Stinky tofu is a huge  hit with local people and tourists here in Taiwan – to such an extent that it is an incredibly well-known dish. The name originates from the one of a kind smells radiated by the matured tofu that can either be steamed and stewed or pan fried. It’s frequently presented with a side dish to counterbalance the tofu’s oiliness.

Stinky tofu is best experienced when purchased from street vendors. The amazing Stinky Tofu Boss (No. 6, Lane 313, Section 2, Zhonghua Rd) found its spot in the Michelin Guide’s 2018 Bib Gourmand Selection for its steamed vegetarian stinky tofu. Head to the Raohe Night Market (Raohe St) as it has a lot of sellers offering stinky tofu consistently from 4pm to 12 PM. Costs approximately 4.00 USD.

2. Hujiao Bing (Pork Pepper Bun)

Clusters of singular mixture balls are loaded up with peppered, minced pork before they are adhered to the side of a round and hollow stove – something like an oven – to be prepared. The result is a delicious, steaming pork pepper bun known as hujiao bing. This dish originates from Fuzhou – the capital of Fujian region in Mainland China – and is usually found at Taipei’s night markets.

One of the best places is Fuzhou Shizu Baked Pepper Bun (No. 249, Raohe St) found at the Raohe Night Market in the Songshan area. Another street stall, Hu Jiao Bing Kao Di Gua (Guangzhou St), can be found in Wanhua region and costs around 5.00 USD.

3. Beef noodles

Taiwan’s most famous dish (some even consider it the national dish), beef noodles is a favorite among locals as much as it is for travelers. It comprises of noodles and ground beef(stewed or braised), and vegetables. This dish can be found on Andong Street of Taipei City from 11 am to 2 am typically for $7.30 USD .

4. Crispy Fried Chicken Breasts

Taiwan’s response to KFC,  and potentially more delicious, this strangely titled ‘seared chicken hack’ recipe includes butter frying chicken breasts, beating them until flat and  marinating them in a sweet-and-appetizing sauce. What makes them fresh is the sweet potato starch used to cover the marinated chicken breasts. This dish can be found on Emei Street of Taipei City from 12 pm to 10 pm for about 2.37 USD .

5. Oyster omelette

Found in night markets across the nation, this dish is  loved by travellers due to its serving size and cost. The shellfish omelet has two main ingredients  – clams and eggs, who would have thought right?. Yet, every street food vendor adds their very own remarkable touch to it by including a type of a vegetable – cabbage, onions, or bean sprouts to it. This dish can be found on Ningxia Rd., Datong Dist of Taipei City from 12 pm to 2:30 pm and 4:30 pm to 1:00 am at an estimated cost of 3.00 USD and is always fresh.

6. Braised pork and  rice

The Taiwanese have a skill for turning the most basic stables like pork and rice into a mouth-watering dish. Braised pork rice is one of the most loved Taiwanese dishes. Braised pork meat (cubed or minced) is served over rice, a simple recipe yet one of the best meals you can get. This dish can be found on Section 1, Roosevelt Rd, Zhongzheng District of Taipei City from 8 am to 1 am for about 1.50 USD.

7. Gua bao, the Taiwanese hamburger

Meet the Taiwanese cheeseburger – gua bao or steamed buns! These steamed buns are generally loaded up with braised pork, mustard,  cabbage, coriander, and powdered peanuts. The gua bao is an extremely adaptable dish, served both by street vendors and restaurants. One may even locate a fancier variant of gua bao in upscale cafés in Taipei.

Every place has his/her gua bao, the same base ingredients but  each with a little thing or two to spice it up is destined to be lip smackingly good experience! This dish can be found on Section 3, Roosevelt Rd, Zhongzheng District of Taipei City from 11 am to 2 am for an average cost of 1.60 USD.

8. Mee Sua

Thought to be a commoner food, the humble mee sua is nourishment to many middle class Taiwanese. On a cold and stormy day, when you need something to warm you up, a bowl of mee sua will be the only thing you need. Mee sua is rice vermicelli cooked in a thick soup base. This dish can be found on Emei Street, Wanhua District of Taipei City from 9 am to 11 pm for about of 2.00 USD

9. Flame-torched beef

As a traveler, you will be intrigued at this raw meat that is flame torched, is it safe, is it good?. Yet, local people know very well that the beef is safe and delicious. This flame-torched beef has turned into a staple in almost every Taiwanese night market. Equipped with weapons like a blow light and tongs, the cook first flame broils the beef cubes over a barbecue, at that point lights them with the torch and then sprinkles them with flavoring. This dish can be found on Jihe Road, Shilin District of Taipei City from 4 pm to 12 am for an average cost of 2.50 USD .

There are many markets all around Taiwan not just in Taipei, but the most famous night markets can be found in Taipei. Check out this list of markets.

Does the idea of Taiwanese food make you hungry? Let’s make sure you are prepared for your visit! Check out this Taiwan travel guide.