What to eat in Taipei: 32 Iconic Foods You Can’t Miss

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This is by far my favorite article to write because I fell completely in love with Taiwanese cuisine.

Not only did we explore as many food markets as possible but we also went out with Taiwanese people, and other long-term travellers we met there so we learned what to eat in Taipei and the best foods in Taipei through the eyes of the locals.

I often think about going back to Taipei to see the friends we made there, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that food is another top reason to return.

What to eat in Taipei & My Rating

There is such a wide selection of foods to try that it’s hard to know where to start. I’ve listed them in no particular order, explaining what they are along with a quick rating of how much I loved them.

Figuring out what to eat in Taipei is actually part of the fun, but if you prefer to explore with a local guide or join a group, booking a Taipei food tour is a great way to skip the guesswork.

Best foods in Taipei

1. Bao Buns

Fluffy steamed wheat buns filled with rich, savory ingredients are ultimate Taiwanese comfort foods. The classic Gua Bao features a folded bun stuffed with braised pork belly, crushed peanuts, cilantro, and pickled mustard greens, alongside plenty of other street-stall variations steaming around the clock.

My Rating: 5/5 | Suggested Eatery: 松山割包, X, Literally in every corner

2. Beef Noodle Soup

Taiwan’s unofficial national dish with slow-cooked, tender beef in a rich, aromatic broth with chewy noodles. I really can’t desribe how good it is.

My Rating: 5/5 | Suggested Restaurant: 江牛樓

3. Peanut Ice Cream Roll

As a peanut butter and ice cream fan, this ranks high among the best foods in Taipei. It’s a refreshing dessert of shaved peanut brittle and ice cream wrapped in a thin popiah pastry, often sprinkled with cilantro (which you can ask to omit).

My Rating: 5/5 | Suggested Eatery: All food markets

4. Taiwanese Fried Chicken (Yan Su Ji)

Any guide coverings what to eat in taipei must include the crispy, bite-sized chicken chunks tossed in salt and pepper, deep-fried to perfection. Important tip: Don’t sit on the floor eating delicious chicken like naive me below, as cockroaches will pop up from the underground and demand a share!

My Rating: 5/5 | Suggested Restaurant: 西門夜市超大雞排, 達克炸雞西門總店

5. Traditional Breakfast Staples

Classic morning comfort foods include savory soy milk, crispy fried dough sticks (youtiao), and iconic egg crepes (danbing). Modern stalls now offer creative spins like kimchi rolls, smooth taro paste, or viral boba cheese egg crepes with chewy tapioca pearls like the ones in the images below.

My Rating: 5/5 | Suggested Restaurant: 4+ Break Breakfast 小倆口早餐, Good Helper for Breakfast

6. Bubble Tea (Boba)

This is Taiwan’s most famous global export which unfortunately I hadn’t discovered earlier. It’s sweet milk tea or fruit tea served with chewy tapioca pearls. I am obsessed with the sweet milk tea version.

My Rating: 5/5 | Suggested Eatery: Literally in every corner

7. Milk Donuts

Hot-fried donuts coated in sweet milk powder and sugar, with a crunchy exterior and soft interior. I tried the viral spot in Ximending, but standing in a 40-person queue for a basic sweet donut wasn’t worth the hype for me – never again!

My Rating: 2/5 | Suggested Eatery: Crispy Milk Donuts, DOUGH圈圈鮮奶脆皮甜甜圈

8. Pineapple Buns (Bo Luo Bao)

Another one of the best foods in Taipei, and Taiwan in general. They are named for their golden, cookie-crust top that looks like a pineapple’s texture (though they contain no fruit), and they are elevated when sliced open to sandwich cold salted butter, rich cheese, or ice cream. The mango ice cream version was my absolute favorite.

My Rating: 5/5 | Suggested Eatery: Master An’s Ice Fire Pineapple Bun, 安師傅冰火菠蘿

9. Pork Pepper Bun

This is a crispy, baked pastry pocket stuffed with juicy, minced pork marinated with loads of pepper and scallions, traditionally baked in a high-heat clay oven. It was tasty, but a bit heavy on the stomach due to the intense spice.

My Rating: 3/5 | Suggested Eatery: Fuzhou Pepper Buns

10. Soup Dumplings (Xiao Long Bao)

Translating to “small basket bun”, these delicate Shanghainese-origin dumplings are wildly popular in Taiwan. They include savory pork in a rich broth that bursts in your mouth with every bite. I’ve eaten them countless times (and somehow forgot to photograph a single one).

My Rating: 4/5 | Suggested Eatery: Din Tai Fung (many locations available)

11. Scallion Pancakes

Savory, pan-fried flatbreads with flaky layers and chopped green onions, including the rectangular folded Jian Bing variation. You can also eat them wrapped around a juicy Taiwanese sausage for an upgraded experience.

My Rating: 4/5 | Suggested Eatery: All food markets

12. Taiwanese Sausage (Xiangchang)

Sweet ground pork sausages served straight off the grill or paired inside a flaky scallion pancake. They are a staple at every night market.

My Rating: 4/5 | Suggested Eatery: All food markets

13. Stinky Tofu

The ultimate test for travelers, stinky tofu is deep-fried fermented tofu that is crispy outside, soft inside, and traditionally served with tangy pickled cabbage. While legendary, its intense aroma means many visitors steer clear. I chose to skip tasting it this time around so I won’t rate it.

My Rating: N/A | Suggested Eatery: All food markets

14. Oyster Omelette

A night market classic made with fresh, plump oysters, eggs, and sweet potato starch for a chewy texture, topped with a sweet-savory sauce. While the flavor was great, the gooey texture wasn’t my favorite for a full portion.

My Rating: 2/5 | Suggested Eatery: All food markets

15. Hot Pot

A popular communal dining experience where you gather around a boiling pot to cook thinly sliced meats, seafood, mushrooms, and vegetables in a savory broth. Our Taiwanese friend Amy took us to an amazing, affordable spot in Shuangcheng. I highly recommend it if you’re in Taipei.

My Rating: 5/5 | Suggested Eatery: Haoshiduo Shabu Shabu Shuangcheng

16. Wheel Cakes

Round, pancake-like pastries made quickly at food stalls and loaded with sweet fillings like red bean paste, custard, taro, or chocolate. They were alright, but nothing crazy compared to other things we tried.

My Rating: 3/5 | Suggested Eatery: All food markets

17. Tea Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs simmered for hours in a spiced tea broth infused with star anise and soy sauce, found in convenience stores across the country. We never got around to trying them because we were always full, but we’d love to try them next time.

My Rating: N/A | Suggested Eatery: Convenience stores everywhere

18. Sesame Buns

They are baked or steamed buns packed with a rich, sweet black sesame paste filling. I only found them once on my way to the Raohe Night Market and instantly fell in love – easily one of the best foods in Taipei.

My Rating: 5/5 | Suggested Eatery: 松山割包, most places that sell steamed buns

19. Grilled Snails

A popular, savory street food delicacy seasoned with garlic, chili, and aromatic local herbs. It is definitely an acquired taste, but one I personally enjoyed.

My Rating: 3/5 | Suggested Eatery: All food markets

20. Strawberry Daifuku

A delightful Japanese-influenced treat featuring a fresh strawberry wrapped in sweet red bean paste and soft, chewy mochi. A nice, light snack if you’re craving something sweet.

My Rating: 3/5 | Suggested Eatery: All food markets

21. Pineapple Cake (Feng Li Su)

These are buttery, crumbly shortcrust pastries packed with a sweet and tangy pineapple jam filling. A must-try bakery staple and one of Taiwan’s top souvenir gifts.

My Rating: 3/5 | Suggested Eatery: Vigor Kobo

22. Shaved ice

A big, refreshing mountain of snow-like shaved ice customizable with toppings of your choice such as syrups, condensed milk, fresh seasonal fruits, taro balls, and boba. I was skeptical at first, as a gelato lover, but it was surprisingly light and delicious without leaving you feeling bloated. I guess it is due to the lack of milk and processed sugar that regular ice cream is made of.

My Rating: 5/5 | Suggested Eatery: Snow Bro, Chingyuan Yuanshan Jiuquan Shop

23. Century Egg (Aged Black Egg)

Preserved eggs with a dark, gelatinous white and a creamy, umami-packed yolk. They achieve this color and preservation by being coated in an alkaline paste of clay, ash, and quicklime, then sealed airtight for several weeks or months. We tried it a couple of times out of curiosity as we had never seen anything like it before.

My Rating: 3/5 | Suggested Eatery: Local Taiwanese eateries

24. Chicken Feet

When looking for what to eat in Taipei, I am sure this might not come up at the top but I personally think you should give it a try. They are marinated and braised chicken feet cooked until they are tender and gelatinous. They weren’t as bad as I thought, but they wouldn’t be my top choice either. Alessandro ate the whole plate by himself in the end.

My Rating: 3/5 | Suggested Eatery: Local Taiwanese restaurants (as a side dish)

25. Seafood Noodle Soup

For me, this is by far one of the best foods in Taipei. I had it numerous times and in different locations throughout the country. It’s a warm, comforting bowl of noodles loaded with fresh squid, shrimp, and mixed seafood in a light, savory broth. Absolutely delicious and filling.

My Rating: 5/5 | Suggested Eatery: Local Taiwanese noodle shops

26. Roast Duck

One of the best foods in Taipei is also the tender, juicy duck meat with crispy, golden skin, often served with sweet bean sauce and scallions or just plain like in the picture below. We combined it with braised pork rice (see food item # 27) and they were both delicious.

My Rating: 5/5 | Suggested Eatery: Xiang Duck Taipei Zhongxiao E. Branch

27. Braised Pork Rice (Lu Rou Fan)

A comforting staple of finely chopped fatty pork belly slow-braised in soy sauce and spices, served over a steaming layer of white rice.

28. Grilled Quail Eggs on Skewers (Kaoniaodan)

Quail eggs cooked in specialized concave griddles and served on sticks. This is one of the most popular, affordable street food snacks in Taiwan.

My Rating: 3/5 | Suggested Eatery: All food markets

29. Sweet Potato Balls

I wasn’t convinced to try this one because I always chose to try new flavors. However, they are a popular street food snack, they are crispy, hollow, chewy fried balls and they seemed to be popular amongst street food lovers.

My Rating: N/A | Suggested Eatery: All food markets

30. Turnip cake (Luobo Gao)

Pan-fried savory cakes made from shredded daikon radish and rice flour. When cooked, they create a crispy golden crust and a soft filling. You’ll find them often at breakfast places in Taiwan.

My Rating: 4/5 | Suggested Eatery: Yong He Soy Milk

31. Oyster Vermicelli (Mee Sua)

If you’re wondering what to eat in Taipei once the sun goes down, legendary night market bowls like Oyster Vermicelli should be right at the top of your list. It consists of thin wheat noodles in a thick, umami-rich broth filled with plump oysters or pork intestines, eaten with a spoon just like the locals.

My Rating: 4/5 | Suggested Eatery: Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle

32. QQ Dessert Toppings (Taro Balls, Grass Jelly & Friends)

If you’ve ever wondered what those chewy, bouncy little spheres in Taiwanese desserts are called, you’re looking at the famous “QQ” family of toppings. These include taro and sweet potato balls (yuyuan), starch pearls and soft rice cakes. They provide that addictive, springy chew that makes Taiwanese sweets so unique.

My Rating: 4/5 | Suggested Eatery: 阿爸の芋圓 樂華店 or local shaved ice cream shops (see item #22)

Conclusion: What to eat in Taipei

When I started putting together this list of the best foods in Taipei, I didn’t think I’d end up with so many. I’m so proud of this guide, because the food in Taipei (and Taiwan as a whole) is truly unique and deserves the spotlight.

I have a feeling I’ll keep adding to this guide, and honestly, I hope I do because it means I’ll get to return to this beautiful country for another culinary adventure. I hope I’ve inspired your appetite, and I’d love to hear: what were your favorite foods on the list (or which ones would you skip)?