A Taste of Taiwan

Raohe Night Market

Raohe Night Market is one of Taipei’s most iconic night markets. Small in size, but packed with flavor and culture. It runs along Raohe Street in the Songshan District, right by the beautiful Ciyou Temple.

Make sure to try the Michelin-rated pepper bun, located right at the famous entrance of the market. Lines can get pretty long since it’s a must-try in Taiwan, but it’s definitely worth the wait. You can also watch how they make it.

A Few Things to Know:

  • MRT Stop: Songshan Station (Exit 5 drops you right at the entrance).
  • Bring cash (NTD)—most vendors don’t take cards.
  • It gets crowded around 7–9 PM, mostly locals, but that’s part of the vibe.

Ay-Chung Rice Noodles

I got curious seeing people lining up outside this tiny shop with no seats—everyone was just eating while standing around. Turns out, it was rice noodles, and I totally understood the hype the moment I had a first taste.

The umami-rich, peppery broth with a little chili hit just right in the cool weather. The pig intestines were surprisingly tender and clean—none of that weird aftertaste.

I’d definitely go for this again.

Jiguang Fried Chicken

Fried chicken and popcorn chicken are pretty popular snacks in Taiwan. I was in Ximending trying to find Hot Star (saw online it’s a must-try), but locals told me the one in the area had just recently closed. They said there’s still one in Shilin though. I gave this a shot after seeing a Filipino snacking on it. It was ok—a bit too much breading and kinda over-fried, but not bad.

Xing Fu Tang

Did you know that boba tea originated in Taiwan? They say you haven’t really been to Taiwan if you didn’t try Xing Fu Tang—a famous boba shop you’ll see almost everywhere. But as a Filipino who’s used to boba being really sweet, this one felt a bit different. It was way more on the creamy side and barely sweet. Not bad at all, just different from what I’m used to.

Hot-Star

I went to Shilin Market at 10 PM just to try Hot-Star, the famous XXL fried chicken—as if we don’t already have these in Manila. Maybe I was hoping it’d taste different. 😅 I guess it’s part of the experience, too, since it’s so popular here. This one was definitely bigger than what we have back home. Didn’t finish, so I saved it for later. Priorities.
Also, paired it with some frog egg bubble tea. I’m just a really curious person, haha. But nothing crazy—it tasted like water with tapioca pearls, really bland.

A Few Things to Know:

Shilin Market is the largest night market in Taipei, so make sure you bring an extra pair of legs and come really hungry (trust me on this one).

  • Bring cash (NTD)—most vendors don’t take cards.
  • Try at least one arcade game or carnival-style booth.
  • Clothing and accessories are cheaper here.
  • It gets really busy between 7–10 PM.
  • The nearest MRT station is Jiantan, not Shilin Station. Take the Red Line (Tamsui-Xinyi Line) and get off at Jiantan Station, Exit 1.

Taiwanese Sausage

I’ll never forget my first bite of Taiwanese sausage (yes, I bought it, not a free taste this time, lol). It was so good—and I’m not even a sausage person. I bought a few more, good thing I had cash on me (shoutout to my mostly cashless self). I even tried looking for authentic Taiwanese sausage in Manila, but no luck. If only I could’ve brought some meat back, right?

Taro Balls

Before the call time, I grabbed some chewy taro balls. It came with sweet syrup, red beans, soya, sweet potato, tapioca—the works. Nothing too unfamiliar since we have something similar in the Philippines.