Where to Eat in Taipei, Taiwan
Remember back in 2003, when a Taiwanese novela aired in the Philippines and four men swept everyone off of their feet? Making us feel jealous of the lucky girl who had two good looking guys fall for her. Yes, I'm talking about F4 and Meteor Garden. Thanks to the Meteor Garden craze, a lot of people, including myself, wanted to visit Taiwan for two reasons, Meteor Garden and the chances of meeting F4. Haha! I mean, who didn't?Fast forward to the present, a lot of people have been traveling to Taiwan, and it's not just about Meteor Garden this time. There are so many places to see, and so many food to try. If there's one thing I fell in love with in Taiwan, it definitely has something to do with food.
Sometime March of this year, my colleagues and I wanted to go out of the country for the first time together, we ended up choosing a country that none of us has visited before. That's how we decided to go to Taiwan.
If you are planning to visit Taiwan soon, and thinking of what food to to try, here is a list of the restaurants and places we visited that is worth the try:
Gudetama Chef
No. 12, Lane 236, Section 1, Dunhua South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City
Just in case you don't know, Gudetama is known to be the lazy Japanese egg yolk character, that thinks his life is almost unbearable. If you are looking for a restaurant with instagrammable food and interior, this is the place for you! They are quite costly though, but like normal themed restaurants, you don't go there for the amazing food. A reservation is highly recommended when visiting this restaurant, when you do, you need to pay 200 NT which is consumable on your visit.
The Original Din Tai Fung
No. 194, Section 2, Xinyi Road, Taipei City
Make sure to have your name listed as soon as you arrive. When we visited, we had to wait for 70 minutes to have our own table! Crazy, I know, but the food's authenticity is worth it! I highly recommend that you try their Chocolate Xiao Long Bao and the other flavors! Plus, no matter how busy the place gets, the staff is really accommodating.
Mala YuanYang Hot Pot
108, Taiwan, Taipei City, Wanhua District, Xining South Road, Taipei City
One of the best meals we've had! It's a shabu-shabu that serves high quality meat, with over 20 flavors of Haagen Dazs ice cream, a self service beverage station, that is all unlimited for 2 hours. Just make sure to reserve a table, as they get really really full most especially on peak hours.
Raohe Night Market
Raohe Street, Songshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 105
Your Taiwan trip won't be complete without a food night market! Going to a food night market is one of the must do's when visiting Taiwan. There are so many food to try, and it's cheaper than going to a restaurant. One of the best ways to make the most of your food night market trip, is to have people to share the food with. You will be able to try a lot without feeling full so fast and spending too much. Make sure to visit at least one during your trip. Raohe and Shilin Night Markets are said to be the best night markets in Taipei, but you can always explore the others!
Hot-Star Large Fried Chicken
No. 36, Hanzhong Street, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
They are the #1 chicken shop in Taiwan that serves a large chicken that is as big as my face! Moist and tender on the inside, and deep fried on the outside. You may be familiar with Hot Star, as they already have a couple of franchise in Manila.
KFC
No. 108, Taiwan, Taipei City, Wanhua District, Taipei City
I recommend that you try their Egg Tart! It was the only one on the menu that wasn't available in the Philippines. Of course we had to try it, and I tell you, you will not regret it! The Wanhua branch was the closest to our hostel, but feel free to try other branches if you get to pass by one.
Most restaurants only have menus in Chinese or Taiwanese, but don't be shy to ask if they have an English menu available. If you want to be more prepared and do things on your own, you can just download Google Translate on your mobile phone, it's as easy as taking a photo of the text and voilà! It translates it to the language of your choice without any hassle.
Wherever you go, let the city surprise you, because not everything worth seeing and trying can be found online. There are a lot of hidden gems in the streets of Taipei. Try as many food as you can, and don't be too afraid to explore, because trying something new may just be the highlight of your trip.
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