Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Network, Chen Guanxin; compiled and reported
Exploring Taipei is made easy thanks to its convenient MRT network, allowing travelers from all over to get around effortlessly. Sampling Taipei’s culinary delights is just as simple, with night markets lit up across the city, satisfying both the stomachs and hearts of food lovers. Visiting Taipei in winter and hopping on the MRT to explore its night markets not only offers great transportation convenience, but also lets you enjoy local delicacies such as stir-fried squid, red-braised eel, pig liver soup, seafood congee, and four-ingredient soup. These dishes warm both the taste buds and the body. Below, we introduce famous night markets accessible via the Greater Taipei MRT, along with recommended winter comfort foods. As for the many other delicious offerings, that’s for you to discover by riding the MRT yourself.
In winter, nothing beats a hot bowl of soup at the night market. (Image provided by Moleskine Editorial Department)
Tamsui Line / Jiantan Station / Shilin Night Market
A world-renowned night market destination where you can eat, play, and shop. The night market covers a large area, including the triangular zone bordered by Wenhlin Road, Jihe Road, and Da’nang Road. In recent years, after the renovation of the Shilin Market, all vendors previously in the temporary market have moved in. Long-standing shops like Zhongcheng Hao, Zeng Ji, and Shilin F Ji Sausage are all here. The close proximity of the stalls makes it easy to sample everything in one go.
Zeng Ji Stir-Fried Squid is a must-try at Shilin—fresh squid quickly stir-fried in a sizzling wok with thickened sauce. It’s like a fusion of stir-fry and soup, combining the bold aroma of high-heat stir-frying with the sweet, rich texture of a stew. Take a sip of the secret broth with its tangy, creamy flavor, then bite into the incredibly thick, fresh squid. This is the most authentic and popular old-school taste of Shilin. (Image provided by Moleskine Editorial Department)
Address: No. 101, Jihe Road, Taipei City (Booth 66, B1, Shilin Market)
Transportation: Get off at Jiantan Station on the Tamsui Line, walk toward Jihe Road for about 2 minutes.Tamsui Line / Yuanshan Station / Dalong Night Market
The snack vendors around Dalong Street are concentrated near Dalongdong Bao’an Temple, Confucius Temple, and Changji Street. Built in the 10th year of the Jiaqing reign during the Qing Dynasty (1805), Dalongdong Bao’an Temple is now a national second-class historic site, and along with Longshan Temple in Wanhua and Qingshuiyan, it's considered one of Taipei’s three major temples.
Changji Red-Braised Eel is hailed as the queen of late-night snacks on Changji Street. For 40 years, the shop has insisted on using fresh wild sea eel, which is coated in batter, deep-fried, and served in a Chinese herbal broth. The firm-textured red-braised eel, sweet and savory eel sauce rice noodles, and crispy, aromatic fish roe are the shop’s three treasures. Regular customers always order them all for a hearty feast.
Address: No. 51, Changji Street, Taipei City
Transportation: Get off at Yuanshan Station on the Tamsui Line, walk toward Chengde Road and Kulun Street for about 7 minutes.
Tamsui Line / Shuanglian Station / Ningxia Night Market
Located next to the Roundabout on Ningxia Road, this night market is a model night market for Taipei, packed with delicious Taiwanese street food and preserving the old-time flavors of Dadaocheng. Over 60-year-old “Pork Liver Rong Zi,” the veteran “Shandong Pork Steamed Dumplings,” and others are all popular spots. Golden Coconut’s moon shrimp patties are both tasty and affordable—the golden, crispy patties are tender inside and incredibly moreish.
Pork Liver Rong Zi is a long-standing stall in the Roundabout, operating for over 60 years. The menu includes only pork liver soup, pork tripe soup, and meat dumplings—but the signature fresh, non-fishy pork liver is tender and smooth, with a sweet broth. Many regulars visit daily. A unique trait of the soups here is that whether it’s pork liver, pork tripe, or mixed soup, they all include meatballs, making them not only delicious but also filling—a perfect budget-friendly bite.
Address: Middle of the road in front of No. 66, Ningxia Road, Taipei City (Stall 10, Ningxia Sightseeing Night Market)
Transportation: Get off at Shuanglian Station on the Tamsui Line, walk toward Ningxia Road for about 7–10 minutes.
Xinlu Line / Zhongshan Elementary School Station / Shuangcheng Street Night Market
Next to Qingguang Market, Shuangcheng Street hosts a small night market where nearly every stall has been around for over 30 years, offering a wide variety of special snacks.
Afu Seafood Congee was ranked first in the online vote for snacks during the 2008 Taipei Traditional Markets Festival. Even Taipei Mayor Hau Lung-pin praised Boss Afu’s seafood congee. Made with fresh ingredients cooked to order, the congee is clear and flavorful, paired with fried items like oysters, shrimp, and red-braised pork to create an authentic Taiwanese taste. There are also various sesame oil dishes—kidney, pork liver, and pork heart—either stir-fried or in soup, nourishing yet not greasy, with a wonderfully rich flavor.
Address: Stall 23, Shuangcheng Street Night Market, Taipei City
Transportation: Take the Xinlu Line to Zhongshan Elementary School Station, exit at Exit 1, turn onto Minquan East Road, then walk to Shuangcheng Street. The walk takes about 12 minutes.
Xinlu Line / Daqiaotou Station / Yansan Night Market
Yansan Night Market retains an old-fashioned charm due to Dadaocheng’s rustic vibe. Many of its stalls have been around for over 50 years, often specializing in just one dish—simple yet full of character.
Shantou Veteran Four-Ingredient Soup has been sold at Daqiaotou for over 50 years. From afar, you can smell its fragrant aroma, with steam rising from the boiling pot. A bowl in the cold winter warms you right up. The soup is simmered for at least an hour, and even when cooled, it remains delicious. The shop also serves buns stuffed with generous fillings. The pork belly is rich but not greasy—no matter how much you eat, it never gets old.
Address: In front of No. 40, Section 3, Yanping North Road, Taipei City
Transportation: Take the Xinlu Line to Daqiaotou Station, exit at Exit 1 and walk through the underpass. The walk takes about 5 minutes.
Wenhu Line / Nanjing East Road Station / Liaoning Night Market
The Liaoning Street Night Market spans from Chang’an East Road to Zhu] Street along Liaoning Street. Its history dates back to the 1950s when food stalls gathered around Fojou Temple due to the large number of worshippers, eventually forming the current night market district. With many office workers in the area, some shops open as early as noon, but the liveliest time is from evening until dawn.
Run by the same family for two generations, Niu Jia Cun specializes in beef dishes, boasting that anything edible from a cow can be found here—like their signature beef offal soup. Other must-tries include braised rice, fried noodles, and oyster omelets, all classic Taiwanese street foods. The beef offal soup has a light flavor; as soon as it’s served, the aroma of basil hits you. It’s hearty with generous portions and comes with dipping sauce. You can enjoy it as a soup or dry with rice.
Address: No. 51, Liaoning Street, Taipei City
Transportation: Take the Wenhu Line to Nanjing East Road Station. Exit toward Fuxing North Road and walk 10 minutes toward Zhu] Street.
BanNan Line / Houshanpi Station / Raohe Night Market
Stretching 600 meters from Section 4 of Bade Road to the intersection with Fuyuan Street, Raohe Street is lined with over a hundred food stalls on both sides of the road and in two rows down the middle. From Fuzhou Shizu Pepper Buns and medicinal pork rib soup to stinky tofu, spicy duck blood, lu rou fan (braised pork rice), and oyster omelets… one delicious stall after another not only wins over Taipei locals but also attracts tourists. It gets especially crowded on weekends, drawing huge crowds. After eating, browse the affordable fashion items on either side of the street—whether clothes, shoes, bags, or household goods, they’re all irresistible.
Chen Dong’s Medicinal Pork Rib Soup, with over 70 years in business, is the pioneer of medicinal pork rib soup on Raohe Street. The broth is slow-cooked for 12 hours with over ten herbs, including red dates, goji berries, angelica, and Szechuan lovage, resulting in a rich and mellow herbal flavor. The oversized pork ribs are deeply flavorful. As a cooling tonic, it’s even enjoyable in summer, which is why both Chen Dong locations are packed year-round.
Address: Front of No. 160, Raohe Street, Taipei City
Transportation: Take the BanNan Line to Houshanpi Station. Walk about 18 minutes from Exit 4.
Xinyi Line / Xinyi Anhe Station / Tonghua (Linjiang) Night Market
Located between Section 4 of Xinyi Road and Section 2 of Keelung Road, Tonghua Night Market (also known as Linjiang Night Market) may not be as large as others, but it offers a full range of street food, trendy clothing, and great-value goods. It’s a great spot for office workers and students to grab a bite, shop, or pick up some outfits, and it also provides visitors with a fulfilling night out.
Whether it’s chicken liver or smoked shark, everything at Hu Ji Rice Noodle Soup looks mouthwateringly delicious. But the star of the show is definitely the rice noodle soup itself—simmered for over 10 hours with pork bones and enhanced with seafood, it’s simply incomplete without it.
Address: No. 92-1, Linjiang Street, Taipei City
Transportation: Take the Xinyi Line to Xinyi Anhe Station. Walk about 10 minutes from Exit 4.
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