Taiwan’s bustling night markets beckon foodies with tasty street eats, and for those who want to luxuriate in a gourmet meal, there are posh restaurants galore.
The country’s gastronomic appeal has been recognized by the Michelin Guide since 2018. Initially focusing on Taipei alone, the guide expanded its coverage to include the central city of Taichung in 2020, followed by the southern cities of Tainan and Kaohsiung in 2022.
One prominent honoree is Le Palais in Taipei, which has won three stars every year for the past five years. Signature dishes offered by the high-end Cantonese restaurant in the Palais de Chine Hotel include crispy-skinned roast goose wrapped in pancakes as well as dim sum classics like steamed dumplings stuffed with lobster and prawn.
Roast goose with crispy skin is the signature course at Le Palais, a Taipei restaurant with three Michelin stars. (Courtesy of Le Palais)
“The average Cantonese restaurant offers myriad varieties of dim sum but we’ve homed in on just a handful, each of which is made by a dedicated cook to ensure quality,” said David Ding, president of Palais de Chine operator FDC International Hotels Corporation.
Dining experiences at establishments beyond upmarket restaurants are also receiving growing attention from the guide, whose Bib Gourmand list tracks eateries whose meals are at more reasonable price points. Over 140 locations throughout Taiwan made it onto the list in 2022, up from 36 in 2018.
Taichung-based Hello VietNam is one such restaurant, whose popularity and recognition illustrate the ever-strengthening ties between Taiwan and Southeast Asia. Among dozens of shops in a cluster selling Indonesian, Thai and Vietnamese foods, the eatery satisfies the palates of homesick students and migrant workers while increasing the diversity of the city’s food scene.
“Hello VietNam was born of the desire to provide my compatriots in Taiwan with a taste of home, but today it’s also attracting an increasing number of other customers, especially after the Bib Gourmand listing last year,” said Bui Thu, a Hanoi native who set up the shop in 2017.
Bib Gourmand-honored Hello VietNam in Taichung boasts authentic Vietnamese food. (Photo by Chin Hung-hao)
Inexpensive but delectable food can be found at night markets in cities around Taiwan as well. Taipei’s Ningxia Night Market is one of the greats, where one can savor Taiwan’s most common dishes and snacks from stinky tofu to pearl milk tea, in addition to oyster omelets and pork liver soup.
A 2019 survey by Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau indicated that night markets are the top draw for tourists from abroad, and 72 percent of respondents specifically cited cuisine as their primary reason for visiting Taiwan.
“Taiwan is a spectacular place for foodies,” said Yeh Chu-lan, chair of Taiwan Visitors Association, a tourism sector industry group. “The multiethnic environment, enriched by close ties with neighbors like Japan and Southeast Asian countries, has produced unique traditions that consistently impress the taste buds.”
Highlighting this varied culture is integral to TVA’s task of promoting Taiwan’s tourism through strategies like the Taiwan Culinary Exhibition. The multi-day event invites visitors to savor a dizzying array of food items from around Taiwan while admiring top chefs demonstrating diverse culinary skills.
“Tasting a nation’s food is the easiest way to get close to its culture,” Yeh said of the value of promoting culinary tourism. “And once visitors get a taste of what we have to offer, they just can’t get enough!” (E) (By Oscar Chung)
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Chef Cheng Yen-chi, left, demonstrates skills at Taiwan Culinary Exhibition in 2022. (Courtesy of Taiwan Visitors Association)
(This article is adapted from “Gastronomic Paradise” in the July/August 2023 issue of Taiwan Review. The Taiwan Review archives dating to 1951 are available online.)