What I Ate on the Taipei Food Tour
I’ll be honest: signing up for a night food tour in a foreign city is way outside my comfort zone. So many smells. So many sounds. So many locals who clearly know what to order while I clutch my water bottle like a safety net? But my goal for 2025 has to push myself outside of my comfort zone so I took a deep breath and booked the Taipei Food Tour with Top 10 Taiwanese Dishes and I’m so glad I did because it turned into one of the most memorable, flavorful, and fun evenings of my trip!
Our cute souvenir cutlery set! Even though I booked my tour through GetYourGuide, it was hosted by TourMeAway.
We met our guide, Josi, at Longshan Temple MRT Station, and she immediately put everyone at ease and welcome us. She explained what we’d eat, where we’d go, and how everything tied back to Taiwanese culinary traditions. Josi explained each dish’s backstory, helped us understand what made it Taiwanese, and encouraged us to try everything—without pressure.
What I Ate—and What I Loved
Here’s the rundown of what we tasted - and what I loved and didn’t!
Oyster Omelette (蚵仔煎): A great start to the tour! The sweet-savory sauce makes it!!
Oyster omelette was a yes for me!
Soup Dumplings: Dumplings are always great but a piping hot dumpling on a hot summer night is not my idea of fun! However I did LOVE the shredded ginger on top, that is something I would try at home.
Braised Pork Rice (滷肉飯): My comfort zone dish. Soft, savory, and rich. I could eat this every day. Actually, I ate braised pork rice 2 more times on this trip and that won’t be my last time. My favorite dish in Taiwan.
Braised pork rice at Wang’s Broth
Stinky Tofu (臭豆腐): Smelled like a challenge… a once and done challenge for me. Tip: use all the cabbage you can fit in your mouth with the tofu, it really helps mellow the flavor. (You know when you’re at the zoo and you enter the giraffe and elephants habitats? That smell, but as a taste. THAT is stinky tofu.)
Stinky tofu!
Scallion pancake: I already know I like scallion pancakes so these were a yes for me.
Convenience Stores: Josi walked us to a 7-11 and shared the most popular snacks as well as some of her favorites and gave us a run down of all the services that are offered at convenience stores. Did you know you can actually do laundry in some of them?! We also stopped by a bar for a shot and I forgot what the shot was called and the name of the bar… Sorry!
The shots we took at a bar we stopped at.
Herbal Tea: A winter melon iced herbal tea - this one was so delicious. It had a slight spice flavor to it and was like an iced Christmas drink. Perfect cold beverage for the hot night!
Wintermelon tea, I could drink this all day, all year.
Fried Marlin: Honestly, I forgot all about this one. Fried fish cake with a hard boiled egg. It was filling and there was a lot of. Very similar in taste to Korea’s eomuk 어묵 which is not the taste profile I prefer, so I wouldn’t order it again.
Fried marlin with wintermelon tea
Peanut Ice Cream Roll: Real life: I actually don’t care for ice cream that much so this isn’t something I would’ve sought out. However, the mix of peanut, taro and pineapple ice creams, covered with fresh peanut shavings and a dash of cilantro wrapped in a spring roll wrapper was chef’s kiss the perfect way to end the evening.
Pros and Cons
Behind the cart at the soup dumpling stand.
What I loved:
Intimate group size—perfect for asking questions and meeting other travelers
Friendly, knowledgeable guide (Josi was amazing!)
Authentic local foods I wouldn’t have tried on my own
Great for solo travelers or food-loving couples
What to consider:
Not vegetarian-friendly (most dishes contain meat or seafood)
Stinky tofu can be intense for sensitive noses
The market gets busy—wear comfy shoes and expect a crowd
Quick Tips for Your Taipei Food Tour
Peanut and Ice Cream Roll cart
Come hungry—this isn’t just sampling, it’s a full meal
Stay curious—ask your guide about the dishes and the vendors
Be open-minded—even the “scary” foods might surprise you
Charge your phone—you’ll want photos of everything
Don’t forget to bring your own water!
While signing up for a Taipei night market food tour featuring things like stinky tofu was way out of my comfort zone, the night could not have been more fun. Our small group of six was fun and easygoing—within minutes, we were swapping travel stories, cheering each other on to try new dishes, and sharing plenty of laughs along the way. If you’re interested in a night food tour in Taipei - this is the tour that I booked through GetYourGuide. I highly recommend it and hope you’re lucky enough to get Josi as your tour guide!
Also, our tour guide Josi created a website with her favorite Boba tea shops in Taipei - check it out here!
