Grand Opening in Taichung! Essential Food Guide to Dali Night Market

Text & Photos byDaKou

Drumroll, please! The "Dali International Tourism Night Market" has finally officially opened on May 29th! To bring you the best experience, I (DaKou) even paused my diet plan and headed straight to the opening day to scout out what makes Dali Night Market special and which must-try foods you shouldn’t miss! Designed around artificial banana leaves, the Dali Night Market creates an urban jungle vibe. Additionally, every pathway in the market is named after a world landmark, adding an international flair. But the most unique feature? Every stall is equipped with motorized rain shelters—so even if it pours, you can still shop and eat with peace of mind!

And there are even five-star toilets with cool air conditioning! Now, here comes the highlight! I’m introducing 10 must-try food stalls along with parking and bus info so you can easily locate them all! These 10 include: Black Tea Stinky Tofu, Bursting Fried Egg Scallion Pancake, Dorayaki-Style Croquette, Uncle Bing’s Grilled Corn, Fresh Oyster Bun, Donghai Gua Bao King, Little Korea Egg Cake, Golden Left Leg, Crispy Fried Squid, and Alishan Railway Black Tea. We’ve rounded up popular night market eats—all in one go! Next, let’s take a look at the “must-eat foods” and navigation map of Dali Night Market!

According to Google Maps, the location of the "Dali International Tourism Night Market" is as shown in the picture below, near the intersection of Zhongxing Road Section 2 and Dongrong Road. The arrows indicate possible entrances to the night market. There are about six parking lots nearby, with the closest being the attached parking lot of "Fashion Cafe," which is also the official parking partner for the Dali Night Market. Park there, walk in, and you’re basically there—super convenient! Just remember to go back to Fashion Cafe before leaving to pay and deactivate your parking ticket. The downside? Parking spots are extremely limited—you’ll need some luck! That day, I got super lucky and snagged the very last spot (Yes!).

Here's what it looks like on Google Satellite View, for your reference!

I’ve marked the locations of all 10 recommended food stalls—including Black Tea Stinky Tofu, Bursting Fried Egg Scallion Pancake, Dorayaki-Style Croquette, Uncle Bing’s Grilled Corn, Fresh Oyster Bun, Donghai Gua Bao King, Little Korea Egg Cake, Golden Left Leg, Crispy Fried Squid, and Alishan Railway Black Tea. Their relative positions are clearly labeled, so just follow the map and enjoy the culinary delights of Dali Night Market!

The Dali Night Market is located near Section 2 of Zhongxing Road, right by the corner of the 7-11 store. On the opening day, it was packed with curious foodies! The market was specially designed with an urban jungle theme, giving off a refreshing and unique vibe! One of its highlights? Each stall is covered with a motorized rain shelter, making it a worry-free experience even when it rains!

There are also cute mascots like Niu Baobao and Q Mi waiting to greet you at the entrance! Remember to take photos with them, but also treat them with care!

[1] Black Tea Stinky Tofu

Let’s kick off the list of Dali Night Market’s top 10 must-eat foods! Right near the right-side entrance, you’ll find the famous Fengjia stall—Black Tea Stinky Tofu. How can you not try a serving?

It’s always crowded here—no surprise! The place gets packed quickly! Turns out this Black Tea Stinky Tofu is pretty popular too! No time to waste—I got myself a serving right away!

Here’s my freshly made Black Tea Stinky Tofu! Unlike regular stinky tofu that’s thin-skinned and crispy outside with soft, juicy inside, theirs is unique. They cut a whole piece of tofu into four and deep-fry it twice—resulting in bite-sized pieces that are super crispy without being greasy. What makes theirs special? It’s fermented using Earl Grey tea as the base, giving it a refreshingly clean taste and a subtle hint of tea aroma even when eaten plain!

The boss thoughtfully keeps pickled radish, special sauce, and homemade kimchi separately from the tofu, so you can customize your toppings. This keeps the tofu crispy and lets you tailor flavors to your liking—such a smart move! Plus, it’s vegetarian-friendly—just ask them to hold the garlic. Big win!

Stinky tofu is best eaten hot. Start by dipping it in the special sauce in the middle—slightly sweet and salty, thanks to added maltose. Besides the signature sauce, there’s also garlic and a house-made chili sauce. Combine them all in one bite—crispy with a juicy center, subtly sweet and salty, with a hint of garlic aroma. Absolutely delicious!

If it’s too spicy, balance it out with the pickled radish or kimchi—they’re super refreshing! The pickled radish has a mildly tangy, slightly sweet flavor with hints of plum, and pairs wonderfully with the tofu. Crispy, juicy, and super tasty! The combo of tofu, sauce, and radish offers a whole new flavor experience.

The tofu with sauce and kimchi is also a crowd favorite. The kimchi is made with fruits and plums, offering a mildly sweet and tangy taste with little spice—very appetizing. It’s a perfect match for the stinky tofu! Everything here is homemade—the sauces, pickled radish, kimchi, chili sauce—making the dish more labor-intensive but also way more flavorful and diverse!

[2] Alishan Railway Black Tea

Right next door is Alishan Railway Black Tea. Grab a simple cup of sweet, smooth black tea—perfect with snacks!

[3] No. 97 Bursting Egg Scallion Pancake

Next up is the “No. 97 Bursting Fried Egg Scallion Pancake.” I have zero resistance to scallion pancakes, and the word “bursting” just sealed the deal. I went for the double-fried egg version—yes, two eggs! The outer crust is crispy and not greasy, kinda like the ultra-crispy third-generation scallion pancake texture—crunchy with a soft chew. The double eggs are thick and rich, complementing the pancake perfectly. Go for a bit of spice to boost the flavor! And if you love runny egg yolk, remind the boss NOT to fully cook the eggs! (I forgot, so mine came fully cooked—pity—but still delicious!)

[4] Dorayaki-Style Croquette Shop

This is the Dorayaki-Style Croquette specialty shop. They offer chicken, pork, and cheese croquettes. The pork ones are especially juicy and flavorful. You can see the melted cheese oozing out—it’s super tempting! The pork croquettes have a super crispy crust, tender and juicy filling, never dry. Paired with rich cheese in the middle and tartar sauce on the outside, they’re sweet, savory, and absolutely divine! The fresh lettuce adds a refreshing crunch and balances the richness.　

[5] Uncle Bing’s Grilled Corn

Soon after, I spotted the famous Uncle Bing’s Grilled Corn. I couldn’t miss it! Ordering is simple—just pick your size and flavor. Since we had many more stalls to hit, I went for a small one to tide me over. With so many flavors, I went for the mixed option!

It took about ten minutes of waiting, but my grilled corn was ready! The sauces are layered and grilled onto the corn, creating a sticky, flavorful coating that clings perfectly.

The corn itself is sweet and juicy, and the sauce is lightly sweet and salty with a hint of seaweed and a touch of spice. The overall taste leans sweet—just how I like it! It was gone in seconds!

About % of the households here raise... The chicken meat is also tender, slightly salty-sweet when paired with the sauce, carrying the aroma of seaweed and a hint of spiciness. The overall taste leans sweet, just the kind of sweetness that Da Kou loves—absolutely delicious. It was instantly wiped out by us in no time at all.

【6】Fresh Oyster Wen

%Why is this place called "Fresh Oyster Wen"? As soon as I walked in, I saw the boss roasting oysters one by one over the grill. The secret to these oysters is that they’re delivered fresh daily from Dongshi Harbor. Not only are they huge, but also super fresh. Each one is grilled to order on the spot, right before your eyes!

%Each oyster here costs 100 NTD. The fresh oysters inside are plump, flavorful, juicy, and full of ocean taste even on their own. They're delicious even without the sauce. It’s the perfect spot for tired walkers to take a break and enjoy some fresh oysters!

【7】Donghai Gua Bao King

%This is another classic that you probably haven’t had in a while. Suddenly, I was craving something traditional and nostalgic. Who knew there was the famous “Donghai Gua Bao King” right here? Time to grab one and satisfy that craving!

%What you get here is a classic gua bao filled with juicy pork belly, pickled mustard greens, cilantro, peanuts, and fried shallots. The pork is so tender and flavorful, it just melts in your mouth. The combination of ingredients is perfectly balanced. Even the pickled veggies have the right amount of tang. The refreshing taste cuts through the richness of the pork belly, creating an incredibly satisfying bite. After eating one, I was completely full and happy!

【8】Little Korea Egg Cake

%As we were walking along, we suddenly spotted a brightly lit stall with a long line. Naturally, we went over to check it out. It turned out to be the “Little Korea Egg Cake.” We just had to give it a try!

%The egg cake comes in two flavors: original and cheese. We ordered one of each to try. The original flavor had a rich egg aroma and a slightly toasted crust. It was sweet, fragrant, and very tasty—I quite liked it. The cheese flavor had a generous amount of melted cheese inside, paired with the sweet cake, making it super delicious. This one was especially loved by our friend!

【9】Golden Left Leg

%Next, we came across something called “Golden Left Leg.” It’s a popular snack from previous night markets that we hadn’t tried yet, so I’ll introduce it to you. Golden Left Leg is a crispy fried chicken leg served with a side of lettuce salad and sauce. We ordered the one with Tani sauce. The chicken leg was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, bursting with juicy flavor. Paired with the mildly sweet and tangy Tani sauce and fresh lettuce, it was refreshing and appetizing!

【10】Crispy Fried Squid

%Then we found “Super Jumbo Fried Squid.” Each squid here is quite large. It’s coated in a layer of batter and then deep-fried. We ordered the garlic flavor one. The texture was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, with the natural sweetness of the squid shining through, plus a hint of garlic flavor—it was pretty tasty. By now, my stomach was almost at its limit!

%After eating here, you definitely have to check out the restroom. The facilities are modern and air-conditioned, which is such a luxury when exploring a night market in the summer heat!

%After using the restroom, let’s see if there are any other hidden gems we might’ve missed. That’s when I spotted the “Gaoguai Gas Station Snack Bar.” In front of the stall was a row of oil bottles and fuel guns. At first glance, it looked like a gas station—but it’s actually a creative drink shop. All the drinks are served in oil bottle containers. You can even choose the color of the bottle. It’s such a fun and unique idea!

I ended up buying a bottle of chocolate milk. It was lightly sweet with a nice cocoa aroma and fresh milk flavor. Not too sweet, and really enjoyable. The best part was drinking from the oil bottle—it felt so quirky. The owner also recommended the rose-lime flavor, which I’ll try next time!

%There were also other snacks like egg pancakes and omelets. The method of cooking was different from regular egg pancakes, but they weren’t bad either. However, since I was already quite full, I decided not to eat any more.

%They also had a very photogenic strawberry soda. The presentation looked really appealing.

%There was also a rainbow shaved ice that looked amazing. It was made with real fruit.

%They also had recently popular mango sago desserts. They looked really fresh and appetizing.　

%There was also a dish that resembled a local version of egg-flavored rice. It gave off a similar vibe to Kinmen’s egg rice and felt quite filling!

%They also had some Japanese-style snacks that you could get as souvenirs.

%They even had the famous Hong Kong-style milk tea fried milk, which you can also find at the Wufeng Night Market. The stalls here are all carefully selected, so there isn’t too much repetition in the types of snacks.

%If you’re feeling adventurous, you can also try stinky tofu, bubble tea, oyster vermicelli, grilled squid, or Thai iced tea... and more. There are so many choices, and everything looks great—but my stomach really couldn’t take any more!　

%The people working here are all super friendly and patient. Even when we took a long time deciding what to order, they didn’t rush us at all. (Photo credit: Dali International Sightseeing Night Market FB fan page)

%After visiting the “Dali International Sightseeing Night Market,” I think it’s actually a pretty great place to explore. The layout is well-planned, and there’s a good variety of stalls, so you can sample unique snacks from different night markets all in one place. The only downside is that the nearby traffic is a bit chaotic, and parking is limited. I’d recommend taking public transport or riding a scooter if you can!

%The people who come here are mostly locals—families, couples, friends, and groups of teenagers. Everyone seems to be having a great time.

%There’s also a small kids’ play area for families with children. Parents can let their kids play while they continue shopping or snacking. It’s really convenient!

%The night market is also close to a gas station. The restrooms are clean, and there are plenty of them. It’s a big help when you’re out for a long time. (Photo credit: Dali International Sightseeing Night Market FB fan page)

%After visiting the “Dali International Sightseeing Night Market,” I think it’s actually a pretty great place. The stall layout is well thought out, the offerings are diverse, and you can try signature snacks from various night markets all in one go. The only downside is the somewhat chaotic traffic nearby and limited parking. I’d suggest using public transport or biking if you can.

The “Dali Night Market” has as many as 250–300 stalls, offering a wide variety of choices. The great thing is you don’t have to go to different night markets to try foods from all over—everything’s here in one place. Among the stalls that I personally love are the black tea stinky tofu, fried egg scallion pancake, Brother Bing’s grilled corn, and Doritos croquettes. If you really can’t fit that much food in your stomach, feel free to visit multiple times or head to the park at the back for some exercise before coming back for more (just saying!). It’s recommended to come on weekdays if possible—if you can only make it on weekends, arrive early, otherwise it gets insanely crowded. Hope this info helps, and may everyone have a fun time exploring and eating to their heart’s content!

[Sightseeing Information]
Dali International Sightseeing Night Market
Address: No. 478, Section 2, Zhongxing Road, Dali District, Taichung City (near the intersection of Section 2, Zhongxing Road, and Dongrong Road)
Business Hours: 17:00–00:00 (Wednesday to Sunday)
FB Fan Page:https://www.facebook.com/tilimaket168

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