Last Updated on May 31, 2024 by Leslie Stroud <!– %AUTHOR_NAME% –>
Mmm… the food of Taipei was one for the books. There is delicious food everywhere and eating out is super common. In fact, many head to 7-Eleven for dinner. There are some pretty good pre-made meals and they will warm it up for you. However, we’ve got some MUCH better options for you!
- Shave Ice. Think this is only for Hawaii? Think again! Taipei shave ice is mixed with condensed milk (I think) and is SO creamy and smooth. We spent two months in Hawaii and tried a ton of shave ice. I like this more.
- Themed Cafes. There are a ton! Our favorite if you don’t mind some serious potty jokes: The Modern Toilet. We also visited Alice is Coming (Alice in Wonderland that’s been taken over by some Japanese Anime) and The Fun lego cafe. Our kids loved getting to play with Legos for a few hours and the food is pretty good. We didn’t visit, but I wanted to, the Alpaca Coffee Shop where you can pet alpacas.
- Street Food. Everything from fried goods to filled waffles to pancakes to fried chicken. Try the onion pancakes, extra-long fries, cheese wrapped hot dogs, and all kinds of fish and seafood in many varieties.
- Filled Waffles. All kinds of fillings and so yummy. Chris loved the chicken curry. They have all kinds of savory and sweet. I would have loved to have tried the custard #glutenfreeproblems
- Bakeries. Fantastic European-style bakeries are everywhere. They have the most amazing looking croissants, pastries, flavored bread, filled bread. The smell alone is worth the visit. Chris said everything was amazing that he tried.
- Peanut Ice Cream Roll. Ice cream in a salty, light wrapper with toppings from a giant brick of peanut brittle. Cilantro is optional. If you love salty and sweet and crunchy, this is the dessert for you.
- Bubble Tea Drinks. Super common and all kinds of varieties. If you’ve never had a bubble drink, think juice or a smoothie with large tapioca pearls- soft, chewy balls that come up a large straw.
- Sweet Potato Balls. Think donut holes. I cannot confirm they are gluten-free (they probably are not), but they are yummy. Little dough balls fried in a giant wok on a street cart.
- Fried, Battered Squid. The whole thing, not just calamari rolls!
- Papaya Milk. The version I tried was not very sweet and quite creamy. It was different than I expected, but I liked it.
- Dumplings. Try the Michelin-rated Din Tai Fung. It’s in the building with Taipei 101, so hit both!
- Boneless Chicken Legs/Feet. Battered and fried similar to a chicken wing!
- Cuttlefish balls. Fish balls, in general, are very popular in Asia. You can find many varieties and they are common street food. They are consistent throughout, like a meatball. I really liked the spicy version, but seeing the cuttlefish itself is a little alarming. I’d never seen anything like it some from the ocean.
