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8 Taiwan Night Market Food: What to Eat at Taiwan Night Markets
Most of these foods are considered Taiwanese night market staples. You will find almost all of them at the large, famous night markets in big cities like Taipei, Taichung, and Kaohsiung.
- Large Fried Chicken Cutlet (大雞排, dà jī pái): A huge, crispy fried chicken cutlet, often bigger than your face. It's juicy, peppery, and a must-try.
- Oyster Omelet (蚵仔煎, ô-á-jiān): A savory omelet with small oysters and a unique chewy texture, all topped with a sweet and savory red sauce.
- Stinky Tofu (臭豆腐, chòu dòufu): Deep-fried fermented tofu that is crispy outside and soft inside. It has a very strong smell but tastes delicious, especially with pickled cabbage.
- Braised Pork Rice (滷肉飯, lǔ ròu fàn): Finely chopped pork belly stewed in a rich soy sauce and served over a simple bowl of rice. A classic Taiwanese comfort food.
- Pepper Buns (胡椒餅, hújiāo bǐng): A crispy baked bun filled with a juicy, very peppery pork and green onion filling. It's cooked in a special oven like a tandoor.
- Taiwanese Sausage (大腸包小腸, dàcháng bāo xiǎocháng): A grilled pork sausage served inside a larger, sticky rice sausage. It's like a Taiwanese version of a hot dog, often topped with garlic.
- Bubble Tea (珍珠奶茶, zhēnzhū nǎichá): The famous Taiwanese drink. It's a sweet milk tea served with chewy tapioca pearls, also known as "boba."
- Fried Sweet Potato Balls (地瓜球, dìguā qiú): Small, chewy, and hollow balls made from sweet potato. They are crispy on the outside and very addictive. Taste the best of Taiwan's night markets with the Taiwan Food Tour from Asia Odyssey Travel.
| City | Night Market | Must-try Food |
|---|---|---|
| Taipei | Shilin Night Market | Giant Fried Chicken, Oyster Omelet |
| Raohe Street Night Market | Black Pepper Buns | |
| Ningxia Night Market | Taro Balls, Fried Mochi | |
| Tonghua Night Market | Pan-Fried Buns, Sweet Potato Balls | |
| Keelung | Miaokou Night Market | Crab Thick Soup, Grilled Squid |
| Taichung | Feng Chia Night Market | Sausage in a Sausage, Fried Chicken |
| Yizhong Street | Big Chicken Cutlet, Bubble Tea | |
| Tainan | Garden Night Market | Coffin Bread, Papaya Milk |
| Dadong Night Market | Braised Snacks (Luwei), Steak | |
| Kaohsiung | Liuhe Night Market | Grilled Prawns, Papaya Milk |
| Ruifeng Night Market | Taiwanese Steak, Bubble Tea | |
| Jin-Zuan Night Market | Various snacks and games |
Taiwan Famous Food: 13 Must-try Foods in Taiwan
4 Best Night Markets in Taipei: Explore Taiwan’s Modern Night Markets
Your exploration of Taiwan's night markets will most likely begin in Taipei. Here, we'll introduce some of the city's most famous markets, as well as those frequented by locals, to enrich and satisfy anyone's night market adventure.
Taipei invented the modern night market. This city has more night markets per square mile than anywhere else on Earth. Each neighborhood has at least one, sometimes two or three.
The MRT makes hitting multiple markets in one night easy. The food here defines Taiwan - stinky tofu, bubble tea, beef noodle soup all started in these streets.
No.1 Shilin Night Market: The Biggest and Most Famous
Address: Jihe Road, near Jiantan MRT Exit 1
This is the king of all night markets. It is huge, chaotic, and famous all over the world.
Shilin is like a small town. It has hundreds of food stalls, tons of clothing stores, and areas for games. You can spend a whole night here and not see everything. It's a fun experience, but be prepared for massive crowds.
What you must eat:
- Start with the fried chicken cutlet from Hot Star. It's bigger than your head and they pound it flat right in front of you.
- The oyster omelet is slimy and weird-looking but tastes amazing with the sweet red sauce.
- Get the bitter melon juice if you're brave - locals swear it prevents pimples.
No.2 Raohe Street Night Market - One Street of Pure Food Heaven
Address: beside Songshan Ciyou Temple, Raohe Street
If you only have time for one night market, go to this one. Raohe is one long street. You can't get lost. You walk down one side and walk back up the other.
It has a perfect mix of great food, a little bit of shopping, and fun carnival games. It feels very classic and exciting.
What you must eat: The Black Pepper Bun (hújiāo bǐng). It's right at the main entrance. You will see a huge line. Get in that line. It is worth it. The bun is crispy and filled with hot, peppery pork. It's amazing.
No.3 Ningxia Night Market: The Best for Pure Foodies
Address: Ningxia Road, near Shuanglian MRT Exit 1
This market is for people who only care about food. It is a short street packed with some of the most delicious and traditional food in Taipei.
Many stalls have been there for over 50 years. This is where local people go when they are serious about eating. Many stalls here have won awards.
What you must eat: The Oyster Omelet (ô-á-jiān). It’s a famous Taiwanese dish, and they make a great one here. Also, find the stall selling Fried Taro Balls (liú yù zǎi). There is always a line, and they are incredible.
No.4 Tonghua Night Market - The Trendy Local Spot
Tonghua sits in posh Da'an district but keeps night market prices. Office workers from nearby towers eat here every night. It's long and narrow, tucked between apartment buildings. Feels more intimate than the big markets.
The ice cream rolls are made on a frozen metal plate. They pour the liquid, mix in fresh fruit, spread it thin, then scrape it into rolls. Instagram gold.
The sausage in sticky rice sounds boring but it's not - the rice soaks up the sausage fat and gets crispy on the outside.
The spicy duck blood hot pot is for adventurous eaters. They cook cubes of duck blood in numbing Sichuan broth. Your mouth goes numb but you can't stop eating. The Japanese-style grilled mochi uses local Taiwan rice. They stuff it with red bean or peanut paste.
20 Must Do in Taipei: Top Things to Do & Non-Touristy Spots
Must-visit Night Market in Keelung: Miaokou Night Market
Keelung is all about seafood and rain. The main one (Miaokou Night Market) is legendary - locals say it's better than anything in Taipei. It might be Taiwan's best for seafood.
No.5 Miaokou Night Market: The Seafood Paradise
The market centers around Dianji Temple and spreads into the surrounding alleys. The must-eat list here is long.
What you have to eat:
Start with the ding bian cuo - it's like a thick seafood soup with rice noodles that they cook on the side of a giant wok. Looks weird, tastes incredible.
The crab soup with butter is rich enough to be a meal. They use local crabs and real butter, not the fake stuff.
The tempura stall near the temple entrance is famous. They fry everything - shrimp, vegetables, fish cakes. The nutritious sandwich (yes, that's really the name) is deep-fried bread stuffed with mayo, tomato, cucumber, and ham. Sounds wrong, tastes right.
The one-bite sausages are tiny but packed with flavor. Get a mix pack. The bubble ice is shaved ice but with a texture like bubbles - only a few places in Taiwan make it right, and this is one of them. Top it with condensed milk and fresh fruit.
Top 2 Tainan’s Night Markets: Best Traditional Night Markets in Tainan
Tainan, Taiwan’s food capital. The night markets here are a totally different experience. They aren't on streets; they're in huge, open lots and they move around.
A market might only be open two or three nights a week, which makes it feel like a big party every time. This is where you'll find some of the most delicious and authentic food in the island, and it's super cheap.
No.5 Garden Night Market
This is the most famous night market in Tainan. It is absolutely massive. A giant open field packed with hundreds of stalls for food, clothes, and fun games. It only opens on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, so you must plan your trip around it.
It gets incredibly crowded, but the energy is amazing. It’s a must-see, especially if it's your first time in Tainan.
What you have to eat:
- Taiwanese Steak (牛排, niúpái): Find a stall selling steak. They serve it on a sizzling hot plate with an egg and pasta. It's a full meal and a classic night market experience.
- Papaya Milk (木瓜牛奶, mùguā niúnǎi): Tainan is famous for its fruit. The papaya milk here is fresh, sweet, and the perfect drink to cool you down.
- Coffin Bread (棺材板, guāncái bǎn): This is a Tainan invention. It's a thick piece of fried bread, hollowed out and filled with a creamy chowder. It sounds weird, but it's delicious.
No.6 Dadong Night Market
Dadong is the other giant market in Tainan. Many locals will tell you they actually prefer this one to the Garden Night Market. It's still huge and has a great mix of food and shopping, but the vibe feels a little more local. It's open on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Fridays.
What you have to eat:
Braised Snacks (滷味, lǔwèi): You'll see stalls with huge displays of tofu, seaweed, meats, and vegetables. You grab a basket, pick whatever you want, and they will chop it up and braise it for you in a special sauce. It's a perfect snack to share.
Stinky Tofu (臭豆腐, chòu dòufu): You will smell it before you see it. Be brave and try the fried version. It's crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and served with pickled cabbage. It tastes much better than it smells!
15 Tainan Things to Do & See [With Tainan Itinerary Guide]
2 Famous Night Markets in Taichung: The Sweet Tooth's Paradise
when you get to Taichung, you'll notice the food can be a little sweeter. This is the city that invented bubble tea, so it makes sense. Their night markets are famous for this. They love creating new, fun, and often sweet snacks.
You'll find the biggest night market in Taiwan here. It’s a place where new food ideas are born, so you have to check it out.
No.7 Feng Chia Night Market - Biggest Night Market in Taiwan
This one is a monster. It's a massive shopping area that surrounds Feng Chia University. It is probably the largest and most popular night market in Taiwan. You can find everything here: food, clothes, phone accessories, shoes, everything.
It’s famous for inventing new and crazy snacks. If you see a weird food trend in Taiwan, it probably started here. Be prepared for huge crowds, but it's an experience you can't miss.
What you have to eat:
Sausage in a Sausage (大腸包小腸, dàcháng bāo xiǎocháng): This is a Taichung classic. It's a grilled pork sausage wrapped in a bigger, sticky rice sausage. They slice it open and stuff it with garlic and other toppings. It's fantastic.
Fried Chicken: You'll find tons of stalls selling fried chicken. Look for the one with the longest line. Taichung's fried chicken is incredibly juicy and crispy.
Anything that looks new: Seriously. Just walk around and find the stall that is selling something you've never seen before. That's the real Feng Chia experience.
No.8 Yizhong Street Night Market
If Feng Chia feels too big and touristy for you, then Yizhong Street is your place. It's located right next to a big high school and a university, so it's packed with students.
The vibe is young, cool, and much more focused on locals. It's a great place to shop for trendy, inexpensive clothes and eat delicious, cheap food.
What you have to eat:
- Yizhong Big Chicken Cutlet (一中豪大雞排, yīzhōng háo dà jīpái): This is a famous stall here. Their fried chicken cutlets are massive, juicy, and come with different seasonings. A must-try.
- Bubble Tea (珍珠奶茶, zhēnzhū nǎichá): Taichung is the birthplace of bubble tea. You can't go wrong with getting a cup from one of the many shops here.
- Crepes: You'll find stalls selling both sweet and savory crepes. They are made fresh and are a perfect snack to eat while you walk around.
Top Things to Do in Taichung: Night Markets, Day Trips
3 Best Night Markets in Kaohsiung: Pick Your Perfect Night Out
Kaohsiung's night markets hit different. The weather stays warm all year, so markets here never slow down. Southern Taiwan food is sweeter and heavier on the seafood.
Kaohsiung people are proud of their night markets and they should be. Each one has been around for decades and the recipes haven't changed.
No.9 Liuhe Night Market - The Tourist Favorite That's Actually Good
Liuhe sits right in downtown Kaohsiung, two blocks from the MRT. Yeah, it's touristy, but don't let that turn you off. The seafood here is legit. The whole street closes to traffic at 6 PM and becomes a food paradise.
The papaya milk here is the best I've had anywhere. They use real papaya, fresh milk, and just a touch of sugar. The steak stalls look sketchy but taste amazing - they cook the meat on sizzling iron plates with a raw egg on top. Mix it all together with their brown sauce.
The grilled seafood section is where you want to spend time. Point at whatever looks good - grilled squid, butter clams, beer-steamed shrimp. The vendors speak enough English to help.
No.10 Ruifeng Night Market - Where Kaohsiung Locals Actually Eat
Ruifeng is huge but most tourists miss it. It's not on the MRT line, so you need to take a bus or taxi. Worth it though. This place is packed with locals every single night. Over 1000 stalls spread across a massive lot.
The duck blood with rice is comfort food for locals. Sounds gross, tastes like heaven. The Indian curry stall has a line every night - get the chicken, it falls off the bone. The wheel cake (like a stuffed pancake) comes with weird fillings like red bean, taro, or cheese. Get all three.
The drink stalls here are next level. Fresh sugar cane juice, winter melon tea, aiyu jelly lemonade. The portion sizes are huge and cheap. The fried mushrooms are whole king oyster mushrooms, battered and fried. They're meaty and satisfying.
No.11 Jin-Zuan Night Market - The Weekend Party Market
Jin-Zuan only opens Thursday to Sunday, but when it does, it's the biggest party in town. This place is massive - over 20,000 square meters. They have a stage with live music and thousands of people eating and drinking.
The Mongolian BBQ here lets you pick your own ingredients and watch them cook it on a huge round grill. The portions are enormous.
The coffin bread (thick toast stuffed with creamy seafood) originated in Tainan but this version is great. The grilled corn is painted with different sauces - sha cha, garlic butter, or spicy.
Best Things to Do in Kaohsiung, 2025 Attractions Guide
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