10 Foods and Drinks to Try in Taipei, Taiwan

Taipei is a foodie’s dream, complete with an eclectic blend of delicious cuisine. There are of course, too many options to list, but here are 10 of the best dishes and drinks that Taipei has to offer.

Unagi Bento Box at Fei Qian Wu

Fei Qian Wu is known for their unagi bento box. If you’ve never tried unagi—eel—this is a good place to start. It’s a simple dish, really, just rice with grilled eel. But Fei Qian Wu does it just right, getting the eel incredibly soft.

Sweet Potato Coffee at Gabee Coffee

Van Lin, the award-winning barista who opened Gabee, won the Taiwan Latte Art Championship and has continued to create exceptional coffee. With a huge menu boasting everything from carbonated coffee to unique beverages made with seasonal gourds, Gabee is quite the experience. Try the sweet potato coffee!

Peanut Roll with Ice Cream at Tonghua Night Market

Quite the unique dessert experience, but one you won’t want to miss. Sweet peanut brittle shavings join coriander sprigs on a dough skin, then are topped with a scoop each of yam, pineapple, and red bean ice cream. The combination may sound odd, but don’t knock it ‘til you try it!

Pig in Meringue at Mountain & Sea House

Mountain and Sea House is completely organic and locally-sourced, serving Taiwanese banquet foods. Their best cuisine might just be a whole pig baked inside a salt-based meringue—cracked open with a hammer! Chances are you’ve never experienced anything quite like it.

Oolongs at Eighty-Eightea Rinbansyo

Oolongs are Taiwan’s national brew, and Eighty-Eightea is the perfect traditional tea service to provide it. The aboriginal spiced oolong is particularly noteworthy.

Pineapple Cakes at Sunny Hills

Pineapple cakes are a unique Taiwanese pastry often given as presents. Shortcake stuffed with condensed pineapple jam, Sunny Hills features pure pineapple and cakes made by hand.

Boba Milk Tea at Chen San Ding

Boba milk tea was invented in Taiwan, so you definitely can’t skip out on it. Many consider Chen San Ding to have the best boba around, so be sure to stop by. But here’s why they’re unique: they don’t use any tea. Chen San Ding serves sweetened milk with the definitive tapioca pearls, steaming hot and steeped in brown sugar. Add cold milk and enjoy their unique flavor!

Mango Avalanche at Ice Monster

Ice Monster is the place to go if you’re looking for shaved snow, ribbons of frozen flavored milk served with various toppings. Their best seller, the mango avalanche, features mango sorbet and cubed mangos.

Rose-lychee Bread at Wu Pao Chun Bakery

This bakery’s owner, Wu Pao Chun, won the top prize at Paris’s 2010 Bakery Masters competition—so you know he knows what he’s doing. Be sure to try the rose-lychee bread, a fan favorite made with millet wine, dried lychee, and rose petals.

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