Restaurants in Taipei
Taipei’s restaurant scene is an apt reflection of the eclectic cosmopolitan environment of the city. Expats will find a culinary stage chock-a-block full with a massive quantity and an immense variety of food from around the world; there’s something to please any person's tastes.
The staple foods in Taiwan are rice, noodles and soup. If your palate is unaccustomed to Asian cuisine you may baulk at delicacies such as stinky tofu or Thousand Year Eggs (duck eggs that are kept underground for six months until the yolk becomes green and the white turns to jelly) but there is a profusion of other tasty options for those with less adventurous taste buds.
Conventional dishes are fried rice, fried noodles, steamed buns with meat fillings, dumplings and simmering pots of vegetables and meats.
Street food is cheap and delicious and Taiwanese-style omelettes with a variety of fillings are a popular breakfast on-the-go. Night markets are great for snacks such as calamari and skewered squid.
Take-out meals from street stalls or small neighbourhood shops are extremely cheap and it is not uncommon for people to live on a steady diet of this type of fast food.
Don’t forget to hone your chopstick skills, and don’t be afraid to try new things.
Restaurant hours: 11:30am–2pm and 5pm-9pm
Supermarkets hours: to at least 8pm, some 24hours
Drinking Water in Taiwan
In Taipei, it is not safe to drink the water from the taps and safe drinking water must be purchased or filtered appropriately.
Check that ice cubes used in drinks at food stands are store-bought. Store bought ice cubes are cylindrical but the identifying characteristic is the large hole through the centre of each one.
Furthermore, even bottled water can often be suspicious; in some cases it is nothing more than tap water made marketable. When purchasing, be sure to buy reputable labels and you should be fine.
In many cases it is most economical to actual install a filtration system in your home if planning to remain in Taiwan for an extended period of time.
Western supermarkets in Taiwan
Expats often find acclimatising to Taiwan food difficult. The good news is there are a variety of Western supermarkets that sell Western food for those with sensitive stomachs: Jason’s, Carrefour and Costco are all popular with foreigners.
Vegetarian options in Taiwan
Vegetarians should look out for the Buddhist symbol outside restaurants; it resembles a reverse swastika. Taiwanese are adept at sculpting vegetarian food made out of tofu and gluten to look very convincingly like meat.
Dining etiquette in Taiwan
Don’t stick your chopsticks vertically in your rice bowl as it resembles an omen of death. Don’t fill your own tea cup without filling others’ cups first.
The staple foods in Taiwan are rice, noodles and soup. If your palate is unaccustomed to Asian cuisine you may baulk at delicacies such as stinky tofu or Thousand Year Eggs (duck eggs that are kept underground for six months until the yolk becomes green and the white turns to jelly) but there is a profusion of other tasty options for those with less adventurous taste buds.
Conventional dishes are fried rice, fried noodles, steamed buns with meat fillings, dumplings and simmering pots of vegetables and meats.
Street food is cheap and delicious and Taiwanese-style omelettes with a variety of fillings are a popular breakfast on-the-go. Night markets are great for snacks such as calamari and skewered squid.
Take-out meals from street stalls or small neighbourhood shops are extremely cheap and it is not uncommon for people to live on a steady diet of this type of fast food.
Don’t forget to hone your chopstick skills, and don’t be afraid to try new things.
Restaurant hours: 11:30am–2pm and 5pm-9pm
Supermarkets hours: to at least 8pm, some 24hours
Drinking Water in Taiwan
In Taipei, it is not safe to drink the water from the taps and safe drinking water must be purchased or filtered appropriately.
Check that ice cubes used in drinks at food stands are store-bought. Store bought ice cubes are cylindrical but the identifying characteristic is the large hole through the centre of each one.
Furthermore, even bottled water can often be suspicious; in some cases it is nothing more than tap water made marketable. When purchasing, be sure to buy reputable labels and you should be fine.
In many cases it is most economical to actual install a filtration system in your home if planning to remain in Taiwan for an extended period of time.
Western supermarkets in Taiwan
Expats often find acclimatising to Taiwan food difficult. The good news is there are a variety of Western supermarkets that sell Western food for those with sensitive stomachs: Jason’s, Carrefour and Costco are all popular with foreigners.
Vegetarian options in Taiwan
Vegetarians should look out for the Buddhist symbol outside restaurants; it resembles a reverse swastika. Taiwanese are adept at sculpting vegetarian food made out of tofu and gluten to look very convincingly like meat.
Dining etiquette in Taiwan
Don’t stick your chopsticks vertically in your rice bowl as it resembles an omen of death. Don’t fill your own tea cup without filling others’ cups first.
