Taiwanese Street Food

Taiwan has so much food that i had nightmares about the 鸡扒. It became 鸡怕 after the second day in Taiwan. There's so much food that it deserves a dedicated post and the best tip i received from a friend before departure was "STRATEGIZE YOUR EATING PLAN."

The trick to eating all and wasting not is to list down the things you would want to try and start with the lightest food. While i am going to name the street food according to where to find them, i will put a number next to it that suggests what order you should consume them.

Shilin Night Market (士林夜市)

The famous 毫大鸡扒 located at the start of Shilin near Jian tan MRT is not an item to start off first. It should be the last, or second last.

A fried chicken cutlet (6) that is bigger than my face, do not take this lightly.

It is the only store at the Shilin area that commands a long queue. It costs SGD 2, super value-for-money. They hand out plastic bags while you are in the queue, and it is a no-nonsense business. When it's your turn, they drop the cutlet (no, they do not cut into smaller pieces for you) and you hand them coins.

Chicken cutlets are the next most popular to bubble tea in Taipei. You can find one at every corner. Then there are some stalls who try to differentiate their chicken cutlet by naming them oddly, like the Peeing Cutlet 撒尿鸡扒.

Shilin is the best night market to go. You can find all the famous street food you've heard about and all shopping needs can be met there. You can't cover every nook and cranny of Shilin within a night. 


There is also oyster omelette (3) which is done very differently from Singapore. Though the oyster is alot fresher and vegetables are included, i prefer Singapore's for its irresistible chilli and flour that accompanies the egg.

The famous Ah Zhong Mee Sua (2) is also found at Shilin. I can't give you addresses of all these street food because it's chaos at this night market. Open your eyes wide though as the glittery accessories, shoes and clothing can easily distract you from your food quest.

There is hardly any oyster in it, but the mee sua is soft and gooey. While i prefer the Singapore's Shilin chicken cutlet, i must say the mee sua beat Singapore's hands down!


It is the only street food that has a sitting area although it's pretty amusing to see how the sitting area is like a bus station where everyone (whether you come solo or with friends) eat watching a TV and then scoot.

My favourite street snack is the fried milk (1)! Similar to fried ricotta, cubes of milk are fried. I feel compelled to do my vlog all in Mandarin because i'm in Taiwan where everyone speaks in this overly sweet voice and they echo the last said word. 

Prince Potato (7) is the most calorie ridden of all. A fried potato drizzled with generous overflowing helping of cheese sauce and sour cream with fillings of your choice. The corn and scallop combo was yummy!

Getting to Shilin:
Take the MRT(捷運) to Jiantan station(劍潭站) which is on Danshui Line (淡水 the Red Line).
Once you alight from Jiantan station, let the bright lights lead you.
Note: There is a station called Shilin along this line. This station is Not near the Shilin Night Market.


Raohe Night Market (饒河夜市)

Raohe Night Market is near Wufenpu, the area where you can find clothes at wholesale prices. While Wufenpu is all shopping, you will find a push cart or two hawking food. If you come across this cart that sells cuttlefish, try it! For SGD 5, you get a huge serving of cuttle fish (4) in some sauce that  resembles rojak without peanuts. The cuttle fish is very fresh, juicy, soft and springy. Mint leaves are thrown in for an extra unique taste.  

Getting to Wu fen Pu: Alight at Houshanpi(後山埤) MRT station. Use Exit 1 to Wufenpu Commercial Zone and walk north along Zhongpo N. Road(中坡北路) to the intersection of Zhongpo N. Road and Yongji Road(永吉路).

From Wufenpu to Raohe Night Market, walk towards the Songshan railway station(松山火車站) and you’ll see the night market after crossing Ba-de Road Section 4(八德路四段).

The Raohe pepper meat bun (5) 饒河街胡椒餅 is famous. As Singaporeans, if we see a queue, we queue. It's a bun filled with peppered pork and chives. I didn't think it was incredibly delicious, but everyone is crowding around to catch a glimpse of how the bun is baked. It sticks to the wall of a charcoal fueled well. 

Then also at this night market, there is a Rice Cookie Explosion. A healthier choice of snack, i 

bought home one.

The beverages in Taiwan are plentiful. Bubble tea that we Singaporeans queue 45 minutes for is in every corner of Taiwan, along with many other drinks like Bitter gourd and Ai Yu jelly. 


Originating from Taiwan, i thought all bubble tea would be good. However, after trying thrice, i concluded there can be hits and misses. 


What is amusing though is they call their bubble tea Bo Ba, which means big breast tea.

Go for their bitter-gourd with honey juice though. Good for the skin and the body. Whilst the street food is cheap, each drink go for SGD 3. Their fruits are even more hefty but guaranteed sweet and juicy!

Ai Yu is pretty bland and tasteless though.

For the Singaporean who wants value-for-money, Taiwan's street food serves that exactly. Their portions are big, even their sausages are double the length of my hand.

Another street food i was highly amused with is this assortment of stewed innards and bean-curd. One of them looks oddly similar to a penis. I asked the seller what this is, and she said something in Mandarin. I did not know what the official term for penis is in Mandarin (ok, i just googled it's called 阴茎 Yin Jing) so whatever she said, i wanted to believe it was a penis. Then she had to spoil my lurid imagination by saying it's made out of flour. But the Mandarin name mentioned for this does not mean flour! Adamantly, i want to believe it's a penis.

Amongst this assortment, you can find blocks of solidified pig's blood, chicken backside AND rooster's COMB!

Chicken Backside are the sticks in the middle.
The rooster's comb is the one on top.

I did not know a rooster's comb can be eaten! My stomach churns.

It's a pity i didn't try. I should have.

Jiu Fen 九份

Jiu Fen is a pain to get to, but so worth the ride! Jiu Fen being on the outskirts of Taipei City, it took me 90 minutes to get there. 

Getting to Jiu Fen: I discard the directions how to get there from the internet but instead went to Taipei Main Bus Station to get a bus ticket that goes to Ji Long (Bus 1814). According to the locals, this is a much faster way than the train. It sounded complicated anyway. 

Arriving in Ji Long (ask the bus driver) , alight and board bus 1062 (bus company called Keelung Bus) and alight when everyone else alights. Jiu Fen is extremely tourist-y.

A quaint mountain town, famous 2001 Japanese animation film Spirited Away actually modeled after the streets of Jiu Fen. Plenty to see, eat and buy, this was one of my favourite spots.

Another of my favourite street snack is this ice cream paired with freshly grated peanut then wrapped in a wheat flour paper thin crepe. Coriander is one of the ingredients too. Coriander with ice-cream (4)? That's unique.

Yong He at XimenDing 永和西门丁

I was surprised to know Singapore's Yong He (5) at Geylang is actually the same as the one in Taipei! I thought the one in Singapore was founded by a Singaporean. Comparing the two, Singapore's pale in comparison, big time. 

Getting to Ximending: Alight at Ximen MRT, Exit 6. Walk to the end of the main stretch of Ximen, turn left and you'll find Yong He. Away from the rows of shops, it is across the road of No. 41. Sec 2. Hankou St. I know that because it was a hostel that i wanted to stay in. Mornings are really crowded as it is the best choice for breakfast!

Count your blessings as you live to eat!

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Experiencing Taipei.

The last trip of the year, i went to Taipei.

For visitors below 30, you can apply for free the youth privilege pass upon exiting the customs or at any tourist information counter in the city. Honestly, i didn't get to as much use the pass other than as a keychain outwardly telling everyone i am a tourist. This is a list of restaurants, hostels and tourist sights where you can enjoy some discounts and freebies (like if you dine at Ting Dai Feng, you get a free mini dumpling keychain) but i didn't pass by any of the restaurants in the guidebook. Not much privileges are offered in Taipei City but perhaps more so if you plan to travel up north or down south.

Getting into Taipei city is fuss free with the airport shuttle that costs less than Sgd 20 for a 2 way ticket. Head down to the basement of the arrival terminal.

I was extremely tickled that their telco network is named Taiwan Big Brother.

Election campaign.

Wu Fen Pu is the wholesale area like how BangKok has Platinum Mall. Looking like our Bugis Street, it is a maze with bargains to be found. However, it is not as straight forward as in Bangkok where sellers tell you upfront the price for one, and then the price for three. 

Also, the Taiwanese are generally very friendly but expressionless people. You may feel intimidated.

Rao He night market is just further up Yongji Road where stalls clutter one street.

At this night market, i had an authentic Taiwanese massage for Sgd 20. The strokes are nothing like what i've felt before. Unfortunately, i did not notice the name of the shop. I thought all massage parlours in Taipei would have the same quality, unfortunately not as many others used masseurs from China.

It was here where i encountered this eccentric old man who is an expert in the toy catcher. He asked me repeatedly if i knew him while striking poses for my camera. I said "no", and then he passed me one of his wins. It was like i gave him the correct answer.

How to get to Wu Fen Pu: 

Take the Bannan MRT line to Hou Shan Pi Station. Exit at No.4 and walk towards Yongji Rd.

Jiu Fen was the most touristy place of the lot. A pain to get to, it's almost 90 minutes from Taipei Main Station.

How to get to Jiu Fen:

There is a direct bus from Taipei Main BUS station. Bus 1814 (SGD 2 or less) goes to Ji Long. When you arrive in Ji Long, you've to alight and board another bus that goes to Jiu Fen and up the hill. 

Though a pain to get to, the place is worth it.

An old street up in the mountainous area, it is best to go early in the day for it looks perceptually packed with tourists. 

Due to it's nature of being an acclaimed tourist spot, you will find many special local eats unlike those at the night markets or in Taipei City.

There are many knick knacks as well as countless tea shops and snacks to make your tourist purchase from. Keep a tight reign on your purse or you will go out of control and regret on some purchases like i did. The 2 handbags that i bought were definitely priced a lot more than what i could find at the night markets. Price for food, tea and other knick knacks aren't cut throat though.

A friend says that Asia is a lot more sexed up than any part of the continent.

I like Taipei City for being a city yet remaining the simple fun that you don't see in Singapore anymore. It's walking with iPads and iPhones here, even 5 year olds own one.

Old school game stalls aplenty in Taipei.

Almost paid $40 to learn a trick!

The Taiwanese are lookers. Not only are they lookers but the way they speak is music to your ears.

The men are quite effeminate yet still attractive enough. 

Making good souvenirs, Ximen Ding has candy stores that sell candy and chocolate in cute packaging.

They cost Sgd 4 each.

Shilin night market is not to be conquered in one night. You need two or even three. It is a Disneyland in its own right in food and retail.

Taipei Backpackers Hostel is a recommended stay.

At Sgd $30 a night, there are private rooms, twin sharing or bunkers with common bath room. The rooms are clean and serves the purpose of merely showering and sleeping.

Taipei Main Station is the most convenient location to stay in because it is akin to our Dhoby Gaut where most MRT lines intersect and also the airport shuttles stops here. Which means on your return trip to the airport, it would be most convenient too but taxis for short distances won't hurt the pocket.

New Moon Hostel at Ximen Ding however, was a disaster, almost. It wasn't a hostel where all rooms are located at one place, but more like rented apartments all over the area. I had trouble searching the reception (it didn't have one thus the failed mission) and i had a rather amusing encounter with a local who used all means and ways to help me locate the hostel only to have him INSIST i got cheated by Hostels.com

Later on, i found the reception to be a massage parlour whom the owner of the hostel owns too.

And i was brought to their local residences which reminds me of a horror film setting.

Seeing the theme parks on Taiwanese game and variety shows, i searched out a theme park in Taipei which was a disappointment.

It was also another pain to get to, taking 120 minutes.

How to get to Leo Foo Village:

Take the MRT Bannan line to Zhong Xiao Dun Hua Station, take the exit 7, go to the middle road and board the Leo Foo bus. Bus ticket + admission is Sgd 40.

It had looked promising with its large land area and Disney-like backdrop. It also had different lands but there were only really 4 major rides. It is NO KICK for an adrenaline junkie like me, i was sorely disappointed.

One of the major ride was the tower drop in the Land Before Time.

Then there was the log ride where patrons get wet.

Then there was the Ali Baba land where i wasted 60 minutes of my life in a below average entertainment show.

It was amusing to see a mix-match of Caucasians who stuck out like a sore thumb because of their height amongst the Asian performers. It seriously looked like a high school performance.

Sponge Bob seems to be its resident "attraction" though. Even without a dedicated ride, it has Bob's house and classroom for cam whoring.

Floating ass.

Squeezing in more than just food and shopping in Taipei City is to get a soak in the hot springs.

Conveniently located at the Bei Tou MRT, upon getting out of the station, you can walk straight up a mini hill and it will be an entire street of various "public baths" you can choose from.

Here at Bei Tou, it is unlike the Onsens in Japan. Mostly luxurious hotels, you get a private room with a bath tub where you can soak in spring water that comes from the area. Prices are steep, starting at Sgd 80 for common soaks where you wear a bathing costume in a mixed gender spring pool.

Then there is the Sgd 5 one where it is as big as a public toilet cubicle and has a really dirty looking marble slabbed rectangular tank for you to sit in.

The only open-air spring pool is popular with tourists who just want to experience without spending much. At only Sgd 1, you get a 15 minute soak without privacy and with a bus load of tourists.

After walking up and down the hill umpteenth times, trying to find a spring pool where 

1) I didn't have to share it with men, clothed or unclothed

2) Affordable

3) Has more of an ambience than a hotel room

Turns out, it was the one right at the foot of the hill! And i thought the higher i climbed, the cheaper it will be. This was a hidden gem! For Sgd 20, you get to use their premises that has a sauna, a steam bath, 3 spring pools and tea served.

Alas, Bei Tou does not have any outdoor spring pool. That would have been shiok in winter. If you ever go to Tokyo, you must try their onsen in Odaiba which has indoor and outdoor pools in elaborated decorated settings.

Pictures are not allowed in public baths but because this was a hidden gem, i was the only patron inside that i could SWIM LAPS in the 43 degree celsius pool.

My first time in a public bath was in Tokyo and it was an eye opening experience. First, you sit on a stool and scrub yourself clean. Basic amenities are provided here but in Tokyo, amenities like combs, ear buds, hair scrunch are also supplied. Very precise to the details, the Japanese.

Like a kid at a public pool, i ran naked from pool to pool. In Japan, they have descriptions in Japanese no less (but you could guess with some Chinese characters), that tells you the benefits and characteristics of each spring pool. They also have a very strong sulphur smell. In Taiwan, they do not and it is odourless. You just have to go with the trust that this is indeed spring water.

You sweat it out in the 43 degree celsius pool, then lower the temperature to the 41, then up it again to 43 and finally finishing it off in ice cold 18 degree celsius.

Some Taiwanese housewives and women later joined me and i noticed that despite the women being slim, they have a lot of cellulite on their bodies. This is an observation from visiting the Japanese onsen and peeving on the Japanese women. This must have something to do with their different diets, more on Taiwan food in the next post.

Hot springs supposedly help improve blood circulation, skin complexion and weight loss.

This woman surely needs a bath and i feel sorry for her leg is literally rotting. Her hair must have been unwashed and uncut for more than 20 years. I got sight of hair pins stuck inside.

Finally, 2011 ends with a big bang that i let up myself (bought fireworks), releasing wishes into the sky and almost spending my countdown in a mobile toilet near Taipei 101.

Have you read the unique things to do in Taipei yet?

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6 Unique Things to do in Taipei

When in Taipei, you should

1) Deep Throat a Penis Waffle

Located at XiMen 西门丁's main stretch, you will come across a huge sign board on one of the lamp posts advertising this small shop that is almost like a push cart making penis waffles.

To locate the shop, you first need to locate Star Bucks. Star Bucks is a huge building on its own and A Piece of Gayke (I think they meant Gay Cake) is in the alley on the right.

They not only make penis waffles on the spot but they also bake huge pineapple tarts for you to take home as naughty souvenirs. The pineapple tart didn't taste as nice as the waffle.

The waffle, however, though a novelty (and novelty usually tastes bad) was actually yummy! In it was sausage and cheese. And all sausages in Taiwan is unlike the sausages you find frozen in the supermarkets here. They are all rubbery and springy, like the Taiwan sausage you find in pasar malams here.

 2) French Kiss a Duck

Also along the main stretch of Ximen, there is a popular store of seasoned tidbits like innards, bean-curd and duck tongue. It tastes like chicken feet, am not a fan. It's a great prop to practice your french kissing though!



3) Get Knifed

Located at Shilin night market, I chanced upon a commotion where demonstrators were using knives to massage your back. They were charging sgd 17 for a 15 minute massage.

The small massage parlor is called the Museum of Alien Studies. I suppose it's named that because it's absurd to use knives to chop your back. I asked if the knives can be used for slicing and dicing carrots, they said no.


4) Wish into the Sky

It looks like a giant condom, but it's not. It's a paper lantern that hawkers sell along the banks of the lake in Dan Shui.

February is the best month to head to Taiwan if you want to see this beautiful and romantic sight where thousands of lanterns will be released together.



Did anyone notice at 0:13, the lantern burned and floated back down into the screaming crowd set ablaze?

5) Eat out of a Toilet Bowl

The modern toilet eatery is made famous over the internet. Oddly though, not many locals know where it is located. Being Singaporean, i went around asking for 厕所餐厅 (toilet restaurant) and i got a puzzled look. Then i tried  大便餐厅 (shit restaurant) and people started looking at me weird. Finally, someone was able to direct me but i was worried i may end up in front of a public toilet. Later did i know the right term to use is 便所主題餐廳. It is also located near the Star Bucks building, go down the alley beside it and you will hit a car park on the left and the restaurant is on the right.

Most people put the toilet seat cover down, but i lifted it up. It's odd sitting on a hole clothed.

 Ironically, i sat right outside the toilet in the toilet restaurant. That was the sink. Again it was a surprise that a novelty restaurant's food was actually abit above average. Very reasonable priced too! A set lunch costs about Sgd 15 with a steak at Sgd 20.

 Each set comes with a main, rice, tea and ice-cream.

 I ordered curry for after-effect. Hah!

 A hang-over.

Mum never taught me not to play with food.

The only complain was the ice-cream was bland and not satisfying.

 With affordable pricing, the restaurant is usually full so do make reservations!

P.S Tokyo Shibuya has a ER themed restaurant too.

6) Museum of the Strange
I skipped the National Palace museum, the heritage museum and all other official museums. Instead, i hunted down the Museum of Strange in DanShui old street (that's the street name). The street is like another night market with small stalls thronging left and right. Toward the end of the street, you will find this mini museum.

I throughly enjoyed Ripley's Believe or Not museum in Pattaya first, then Genting Malaysia also opened one. There were some replicas from the Ripley's museum but most were fresh exhibits i haven't seen before. It opens till late, depending on the crowd and it costs Sgd 3 only to enter. It isn't a very big museum, but there is plenty to see. I spent 90 minutes in there, 60 minutes used to cam whore.

Housing many exotic animals, i felt sorry for those poor creatures.

A star shaped tortoise, they name it Ninja Turtle.

This was a pig found in Brazil (i think) that had an elephant's nose and a monkey's face. The pregnant pig must have been exposed to radiation.

Like the parasite museum in Tokyo or the forensics museum in Bangkok, this was also a museum where explanations are in the native language. Everything is in traditional Mandarin. My Mandarin may be rusty, but for once i can understand everything, well almost.

Caught in mid sneeze. I'm allergic to this giant bunny.

 Everything's giant there. See giant dick.

 This is a real sized elephant's.

They say rub it for good luck! So i did.

When i wrote about eating whale sperm (mistaken identity), i was wondering how can whale's sperm be harvested. I googled whale penis for ages but could only come up with one picture (click the link) which i wasn't even sure if it's real because its too long for a killer whale. Then i saw the picture below in the museum. I guess it's for real!

A frog that eats mice.

 The museum is thoughtful to cam whores. They have many mini corners for photo opportunities.

 I've seen this in Ripley's Believe or Not museum, but this is a shrunken head. Apparently these beheading and then head-shrinking is real in tribes. Click on wikipedia's link above and see more pictures.

When it comes to strange things, many are associated with sex (predictable).
Here's an animal's condom. Used when vets need to masturbate horses or any large animals to collect sperm samples.

This is a woman's condom, known as the femidom. The below sample is from England and it looks UNWASHED. It would probably sell for alot in Japan.

This is a wooden groin guard that tribal hunters wear for protection (against wood peckers?)

This is the olden day's form of protection. To prevent pregnancy, they would put this on. People stopped using because it was too heavy. It's absurd thinking how people can use this, don't you think? What pleasure does the man get? Does he even feel anything? Maybe the prevention of pregnancy was an excuse. Maybe the women needed a bigger d***.

 I thought human's appendage didn't have bones and so does every animal. I was wrong! This is a racoon's penis bone.

This is China's first milk bottle.

 A fish with two mouths.

Dried crocodile's penis which is supposedly potent, gives you virility and very expensive. If a friend asks you to pop 4 vigras, you can reply "How hard can it get?"

 A crocodile's nail.

 Another deformed pig with two snouts.

 For the boys who are into old school kungfu, the Tian Shan Xue Lian often mentioned as an elixir in kungfu dramas IS REAL! It is difficult to reach as it can only be found in snow mountains, 4500 meters above sea levels. It can heal wounds and internal damage like the kungfu dramas say!

 Largest note in the world, and probably useless.

 They also aired captivating documentaries like "Cutting up Aliens".

 These are the unique things to do in Taipei. You got to do it too!

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