Top 10: What to Do in Taipei (Part 2)

Oh hello, welcome to Part 2 of my Taipei Top 10 list! Let’s get right into it. (Part 1 is here, by the way.)

#5 Taipei 101

The flagship landmark of Taipei has something for everyone – gorgeous views, shopping at the base and up top, adorable mascots, and geeking out over the engineering that holds up the tallest skyscraper in an earthquake and typhoon-prone country. Oh, and the world’s highest Starbucks!

In the morning, the queue can be chaos. Spiraling down several vast floors and stairwells of a rotunda-level chaos, to be exact. Instead, snag a reservation at the 35th floor Starbucks and drink in the views with your coffee. Head all the way to the top 2 hours-1 hour before closing time instead for zero ticket lines, plenty of space at the top, and the glittering mass of Taipei below.

While you’re there, check out and watch the informational video on the world’s largest tuned mass damper – something that typically isn’t viewable by the public in skyscrapers and is insane to see live and (hopefully only) in action in the video. The video is presented by the Damper Babies, official mascots of the damper and Taipei 101 and true delights.

#4 Raohe Night Market

Raohe delights the moment you arrive. The lit arch, with the name of the market in English and Mandarin, clearly marks the start of the night market next to an elaborate temple. The first food booth is perhaps the best in Taipei: Fuzhou Pepper Buns serves pork pepper buns or hujiao bing (juicy ground pork marinated with pepper and scallions enclosed in an almost-crunchy bun), which are baked stuck to the sides of special clay ovens right there in front of you.

I also enjoyed their selection of merchandise, which was skewed more towards ‘various items that delight’ instead of household items. From little wallets to boba holders to fast fashion, there was plenty to peruse while nibbling unique cuisine.

#3 Jiufen Old Street

On the same Northern Taiwan roadtrip I recommended in #9 (Shifen Sky Lantern), you’d visit Jiufen Old Street, a winding street in a town that dates back to the neighboring mining areas. It’s truly not that far from Taipei, and it’s worth spending quality time meandering through Jiufen Old Street.

I made the biggest dent in my list of Taiwanese foods to try at Jiufen, and they also had some of the most endearing shops for souvenirs and gifts – they don’t feel forced or overly commercial. You’ll start at one end of the market, snake through semi-covered cobbled streets packed with small restaurants and shops, and emerge with a view over the Northern Taiwan coastline from the top of the Jiufen mountain. Stop in at A-MEI tea house‘s patio, located right there at the end of Jiufen street, to learn how to brew tea – specifically, the local special, oolong -, review your Old Street finds, and enjoy the view.

#2 Shilin Night Market

The Shilin Night Market and the National Palace Museum are a little way away from central Taipei, but they’re still a fairly quick metro or inexpensive taxi away. Work up your appetite at the National Palace museum throughout the course of an afternoon, then make your way to Shilin Night Market at around 6pm. All the vendors (around the perimeter, inside, and on the lower level) will already be catering to the crowds.

Use the Jiantan Station, rather than Shilin Station. You can explore the market in whatever order you’d like – we started from the ‘left’ when walking to the market from the metro station, along Jihe Road, picking up some fried chicken and seared steak nibbles along the way, and then entered the main area via the official arch and sign.

I bought a wallet for my NTD and a lucky cat case for my AirPods, was sorely tempted by a corgi boba holder, and bartered for some classic pineapple cakes to take home. Most importantly, I tasted so many different foods! Make sure to hit all the main areas” the covered area by the main arch and sign, the underground food hall, and the numerous vendor-filled streets.

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#1 Taiwanese Food

I thoroughly enjoyed Taiwanese food. I’d describe it as rich, tasty, convenient, and filling. And, at the night markets, everything is around $1-2 USD. And it all tastes amazing, cooked fresh from these nifty mobile stalls.

Breakfast: warm sweet soy milk, omelette cake, fritters

Lunch/Dinner: pork pepper buns, Taiwanese meatball, stinky tofu with Taiwanese kimchi, beef noodle soup, xiao long bao, braised pork rice

Snacking: Fried cheese dough, sticky rice cake in radish or taro, fried chicken, flame-grilled beef, scallion omelette,

Sweets: mango shave ice, boba tea, peanut ice cream roll, red bean or cream cake, sweet taro balls in ice

Beverages: Taiwan Beer, plum wine, oolong tea

This is Part 2 to Top Ten: What to Do in Taipei (Part 1).

Do you have any questions about visiting Taipei? Had some general thoughts on this article? Leave a comment below or DM me @anchoredandadrift on Instagram. Thanks for reading!