Trader and I visited Taiwan last weekend and gorged on its cheap eats at the Night Market. Boy, Trader was like a little boy let lose in the candy store. He LOVED everything!

I took him to the cheapest place there is for terrific food. Here are our favorites:

1) Spicy Wantons (TWD40+ an order)

I would strongly recommend a visit to Store# 139 to eat one of the most delicious snacks around at the entire night market. Hands down, they are de-li-ciooooous!

This is the first store you see at the right side of the market and all they sell are wanton noodles or wantons. Better just get the wantons and it comes with you in a small styrofoam bowl filled with a few wantons, veggies and delicious peanut-y spicy satay sauce that is just out of this world. 

It’s the perfect appetizer for all the oily yet yummy meals ahead. Just the flavor bursts in your tastebuds and Trader had such a healthy helping (we shared a bowl to make way for other dishes), you can see his tummy widen a wee little bit.

2) Big-ass fried chicken (TWD 50)

In front of the night market lies Store #50 just around three or four stores to the left of wanton shop is Big Ass Chicken*. This store ALWAYS has a long line of people waiting for their orders of big-ass chicken.

* Actually the name of the store translated is Big Large Huge Chicken Fillet but I’ll just call it Big-Ass Chicken because it’s my blog.

Here’s a photo when we were at the middle of the line. Long eh? That line is almost never short whenever we’re there:

And here are the chicken fillets– see huge they are? 🙂

Trader swears that the chicken fillets back in Singapore were slightly more flavorful but couldn’t really argue against its reasonable price. For the size, it’s really bang for the buck. And if you’re thinking of getting one anywhere else, don’t even think about it. This is the store you need to go to for these chicken!

3) Keelung Tempura (TWD 50)

Next up is the “famous” Keelung tempura. Choose any store that sells them as they’re many. I don’t have any particular favorite store to eat from, they practically taste about the same though delicious regardless.

See? They’re not the usual skinny Japanese tempura you see sold in Japanese restaurants. This is Taiwanese-style. Better get it with a healthy helpings of thin pickled cucumbers as they form a great combo on the sweet tangy taste of the floured tempura.

If you have room for it, best to eat it with an unhealthy helping of oyster cake (we didn’t) which is simply a few pieces of oysters, cornstarch, flour, water and lots and lots of veggies. O-a-jien (oyster cake) is definitely a Taiwanese dish so you better try the cheapo version served at the Shilin Night Market!

4) Teppanyaki (TWD 90 – 100+)

Okay so we were cop-outs. Trader and I had a large late lunch so we didn’t really have room for anything else. However, I would highly recommend the teppanyakis in the area because they’re just so good. Meals are served with as many bowls of rice as you can possibly eat, veggies on the side and choices of mains such as lamb, beef, pork, chicken.

Good value for money and they cook it in front of you too!

5) Dessert: Mango Snowy Ice (TWD 80)

This is a must-have especially for those with sweet tooths. The snowy shaved fruit ice from Store #250, which is at the middle of the market. Unlike Ice Monster whose sauce is a bit too sour for me (and the price far too expensive), Store #250’s Snowy Ice is just perfect at TWD80 and their sauce is perfectly sweet.

The trick of the trade is not using the traditional ice for this dessert. Instead, they freeze up blocks of milk and shave them into fine snowy textures like you see in the photo. Then they add fruits on top, condensed milk and jammy fruit sauce.

At first bite, the whole thing just melts in your mouth. Yummy!!!

So there you have it. My Top 5 Snacks from a Taiwan veteran of 5 years. If you are ever in that area, please please please bring this list and try the foods I’ve written above.

Just to share, I’ve gained a freaking kilo in the entire 3 days I was in Taiwan. Can you believe that? Anyway, it was so worth it.

Anyway, hope this helps and that you’re all having a lovely weekend. Eat up! 🙂