With its central location and old school charm, Dihua Street (迪化街) in the Dadaocheng area (大稻埕) has been popular with Taiwan tourists for years. However when it comes to food there are many hidden gems, so I put together a little food guide to help you find out where you should eat! 🙂 First off, head into the Yongle Fabric Market (永樂布業商場) where all the action is.
Yongle Fabric Market 永樂布業商場
Address: No. 21號, Section 1, Dihua St, Datong District, Taipei City
Directions: Google Maps
Hours: 10am-6pm, closed Sundays
Wan Long Sheng Yu Hang 丸隆生魚行
If you’re a fan of affordable sashimi, this is a must visit in Taipei. The chef, formerly a head chef at a five-star hotel’s Japanese restaurant, serves up delicious, fresh Japanese cuisine at affordable prices.
Walk into the market and look for the sushi bar with the sign “丸隆生魚行” (see picture). Be prepared to wait in line, but it’s totally worth it. Once you order you’ll be directed to your seat, and if you spend at least 200 TWD go help yourself to the unlimited Taiwanese-style miso fish & tofu soup, packed with fish, tofu and green onions. It is of course, delicious.
What to Order:
- Engawa nigiri (鰭邊肉): If you’ve never had it before, it’s flesh from the side of a flounder fish. Decadent and fatty with a little bit of crunch. One order has 2 pieces.
- Nigiri Platter: It’s a fantastic deal and everything is delicious, though my personal favourite is the amaebi (sweet shrimp). You’ll see nearly every table ordering this.
- Shrimp Salad: Excellent refreshing side with sweet Taiwanese mayo, if you want to take a break from the sashimi. Also a good chance to try Taiwanese mayonnaise if you haven’t. It’s a different beast from both Western and Japanese mayo. 🙂
- Yellowtail Sashimi: Just so delicious, and the photo doesn’t quite show it but it’s a good size too.
- Grilled Fish: Initially tried this fish with lots of egg, then the mackerel on the second visit. Both are great! Highly recommend trying one.
- Ankimo: Sorry, no picture for this. Basically monkfish liver. Texture resembles foie gras, creamy with a lovely flavour. I’d consider requesting some extra sauce, they did go a little light on it and it’s integral to balancing out the heaviness of the fish liver.
Lǎo Zhúzi Sān Fā Bāozi 老竹子三发包子
If you are staying in town for longer and have access to a microwave or steamer, the green onion buns at this store are excellent. These cheap buns are positively bursting with green onion flavour and make for an delightful snack or breakfast.
Mào Lǐ Huāshēng Tāng 茂豊花生湯
A big chunk of almond jelly 杏仁露 with old school syrup and a dollop of crunchy ice is the perfect way to finish off your seafood and baozi feast. Do note you need to break apart the jelly yourself- it’s part of the fun. You also have to order 1 full bowl minimum to eat in, otherwise you must get it to go.
Note: Prices have increased to 50 TWD+ per bowl.
PS. Lot of locals on Google Maps say they find the staff rude, thus the low rating. I personally thought it was ok, just make sure to adhere to the 1 bowl per person rule, they are VERY strict about it lol.
And that’s all. Go enjoy your food filled afternoon on Dihua Street! 🙂
