Noodle Houses and Cheap Eats in Taipei

The main fault of travel shows is that you can't smell or feel the surroundings...... and that many night food markets are overrated. I found the food at the popular Shilin Night Market to be stale. The food at the smaller Raohe St Night Market seemed better quality, but you decide for yourself and visit several.

The food smells good at first but after a while of inhaling the smell of cooking oil, you become convinced that the food is no more nutritious than a corn dog.

Most of the street food has been sitting out for hours so they are not freshly cooked.   The night market food seems a lot like amusement park food ........... except the only ride may be a trip to the ER. To be fair I am sure there are some terrific outdoor food stalls in Taipei, but not usually in the popular night markets.

Away from the outdoor food markets, there is no shortage of good nutritious food for a cheap price. You can't go a couple of blocks without running into a neighborhood of noodle houses, mom & pop restaurants or buffets with a full meal running you 3-5 $USD. The narrower the street, the more likely of finding these bargains.

My two entree plus vegetables and rice was only $3.   

The noodle bowl and a cream filled pastry across the street was $4. As noted on Anthony Bourdain's travel show on Taipei, the darker broth soup tends to be spicier than the clear broth. The point is that there is good food in every neighborhood of Taipei ..... there is no need to travel far.


Asians are also known for being all business when consuming food. Their bowls just inches away from their palate, you can flick, sweep and slurp your way to gastronomic ecstasy ..... the food has no chance for escape.

Asians and Europeans would probably not make good dining companions. Europeans would delicately savor every morsel with bottles of wine and 3 hours of conversation while many Asians would say "let's eat this thing and get the *@%#  out of here".