Everyone that visits Taipei, Taiwan wants to visit the Shilin Night Market Taiwan. Will visit the Shilin Night Market Taiwan. It is one of the most famous, most talked about night market in Taipei. It is located just off the Jiantan MRT 劍潭站. Please do not exit off the Shilin station 士林站 because that is at the very end of the market with basically nothing there.
For those who’ve never been to a night market of this caliber it is very important to pace yourself. Do not order everything you see and best to split an order with someone in order to maximize tasting more food variety. As you walk towards the night market (you won’t miss the crowds of people – just follow everyone) there are many shops along the side. You have not arrived at the night market yet… move along.
Shilin Night Market Taiwan is known to be one of the biggest and most popular night market in Taipei. It is considered the best night market in Taiwan. Amongst crowd favorite (and most travel books will introduce) the Hot Star XXL Large Fried Chicken 豪大大雞排, Big Sausage wrapped Small Sausage 大餅包小餅, Fried Buns Boazi 生煎包, Oyster Omelet 蚵仔煎, Taiwanese Milk Tea with Pearls 珍珠奶茶, Stinky Tofu 臭豆腐, Lemon Aiyu Jelly 檸檬愛玉, Oyster vermicelli 蚵仔麵線, etc.
101 Soy Marinated chicken hearts, chicken wings, duck wings, beef tripes, eggs, pickle veggies.
Candy coated strawberries and figs…
Frog Eggs… what? It is not actually eggs but a popular lemon and lime jelly dessert (think coconut jelly you normally put in your milk teas). Lemon Aiyu Jelly 檸檬愛玉. How Taiwanese people come up with food names I will never understand…
A cute senior couple making rice spring roll. 35 NTD is like $1 CAD.
Grilled Almond Mushrooms. Choose from a variety of flavours including wasabi, hot & spicy, original, salt pepper, lemon pepper, seaweed and cumin. We ordered wasabi and it was delcious. The mushroom is juicy, not over-dried. Sweet and fresh.
Next stall over is Boneless Chicken Sausage wrapped in chicken skin. Flavorful, juicy and oh so very satisfying. I would’ve order two, but pace yourself.
Tempura, fish balls, and squid…
Crab soup
Fried Chicken… This is not the ever so popular Hot Star XXL Large Fried Chicken 豪大大雞排. It is another 10 min walk around… move along. I’m sure it is just as good. It is hard to go wrong in Taiwan.
A variety of dessert items: taro mochi, grass jelly, red bean, green bean, soy beans, etc…
Pan Fried Baozi 生煎包. This line up is ridiculous but you see people buying bags (3-4 dozen each person) you know it is good.
Waiting in line for these baozi was theatrical. You see from start to finish how they prepare these beautiful, tasty little buns. Water is added to the bottom layer to cook the buns. Them transfer to the top to be fried. It is best to wait a little while before eating the buns right away. They are very hot and very juicy. You don’t want to burn your tongue!
Pepper Buns 胡椒饼. These buns are cooked inside the barrel. It has a peppery meat center and a crispy sesame exterior.
Sausages. Americans have hot dogs. Taiwanese has ginormous sausages.
Soy marinated chicken hearts. A chewy texture full of flavours.
More soy marinated delicacies. Chinese mushrooms, sausages, wings, liver, octopus, intestines, tofu…
If you are tired of fried foods, there are plenty of fresh fruit stands. Guava, figs, pears, dragon fruits, etc.
豪大大鸡排Hot Star Large Fried Chicken. Infamous fried chicken bigger than two palm sizes combined. All for less than $2 CAD. This is now also available in Hong Kong in Mong Kong.
Lightly battered and double fried. While waiting in line we wondered how fresh or safe the meat in sitting in plastic containers. But there is so much traffic. It should be alright.
Ladu Alibaba Flying Wraps… Next to Hot Star you are entertained with flying breads serving up delicious wraps.
Congealed Pork Blood cakes.
Individual sukiyaki hotpots.
ECoffee sure looked like Starbucks from afar! But it offers, milk tea, slush and teas.
Fried squid with your choice of flavours. We had lemon pepper. The tart sourness of the lemon cut the fat and grease form the oil. The squid was tender and moist.
Fresh teas to help you digest and cure sore throats from fried foods! Ask for 1/2 sweet if you order Winter Melon tea… It was really sweet but really refreshing.
Around the corner on your way back to the MTR there is a undercover market full of souvenirs and tourist t-shirts.
To be honest I was initially really scared that my sensitive stomach would not like all this street food. But I was fine. Not even the slightest discomfort. Only full satisfied bellies.
Shilin Night Market Taiwan
No. 101, Jīhé Rd, Shihlin District, Taipei City, Taiwan 111
Jiantan MRT
