Many tourists who have visited Taiwan have left deep and beautiful memories of Taiwanese food. Some even visit Taiwan specifically for the food. Good Taiwanese food is spread all over the island and is dazzling. This article lists the most highly acclaimed Taiwan restaurant in major tourist destinations and their most popular dishes.
1. The best Taiwan restaurant in Taipei
. Shin Yeh Taiwanese Cuisine Main Restaurant (欣葉台菜)
Founded in 1977, Shin Yeh Taiwanese Cuisine Main Restaurant broke the convention that Taiwanese cuisine was only home-cooked food for ordinary people; it was the first restaurant to bring banquet dishes to Taiwanese cuisine. The Michelin list has recommended this chain of Taiwanese cuisine restaurants for five consecutive years. You can’t miss this restaurant if you visit Taiwan and want to eat the most authentic Taiwanese food.
Taiwanese cuisine is a type of Cantonese cuisine based on the flavours of the Southern Fujian region of China. At first, it was influenced by Japanese cuisine, and after 1949 it was influenced by the essence of the eight major Chinese cuisines. As it evolved over time, Taiwanese cuisine retained its light, fresh and crisp characteristics.
Recommended Dishes:
Pan-fried Pork Liver ( 香煎猪肝 )
Guo Bao ( 刈包 )
Chai Po Neng ( 菜脯蛋 )
Steamed Red Sturgeon with Sticky Rice ( 红鲟米糕 )
Three cup chicken ( 三杯鸡 )
Address: No. 34-1, Shuangcheng St, Zhongshan District, Taipei City
Hours: 11:00-21:30
Phone: +886 2 2596 3255
. Le Palais (颐宫)
Le Palais has also been awarded the Michelin three-star restaurant for five years. The restaurant strictly selects various seasonal ingredients and serves Cantonese cuisine. Guests can enjoy the classic banquet dishes and exquisite dim sum. Before being seated for dinner, guests will enter the tea room in the front area, during which you can talk to the professional staff about the best tea to match the meal of the day. In particular, it is important to note that in addition to restaurant seating that must be reserved in advance, some dishes also require reservations by phone.
Recommended Dishes:
Cantonese style crispy roast goose course ( 火焰片皮鸭Reservation required )
Daikon radish puff pastry ( 萝卜丝酥饼 )
Steamed rice rolls with shrimp and Chinese doughnuts ( 春风得意肠 )
Le Palais Signature barbecue pork ( 颐宫叉烧皇 )
Address: Level 17, 103-3, Chengde Rd, Section 1, Datong District, Taipei City
Hours: 11:30-14:30, 17:30-21:30
Phone: +886 2 2181 9950 # 3261
. Golden Formosa Taiwanese Cuisine (金蓬莱)
The Golden Formosa Taiwanese Cuisine is a long-established Taiwanese restaurant with more than 60 years of history. It has been a reigning Michelin one-star restaurant for many years. Needless to say, it must not be easy to pick up one Michelin star for the local home-cooked food of the locals. Each dish here can capture the taste of everyone. Each dish here contains classics and techniques handed down from generation to generation.
Recommended Dishes:
Buddha jumps over the wall ( 佛跳墙 )
Spare rib crisp ( 排骨酥 )
Fried taro strips ( 炸芋条 )
Fried rice with urchin roe ( 乌鱼子炒饭 )
Fangshan Chicken ( 放山鸡 )
Address: No. 101, Tianmu E Rd, Shilin District, Taipei City
Hours: Tuesday to Friday 11:30-14:00, 17:30-21:00 / Saturday and Sunday 11:30-15:00, 17:30-21:00
Phone: +886 2 2871 1517
. 85TD Chinese Restaurant (捌伍添第）
85TD Chinese Restaurant is a high-rise view restaurant on the 85th floor of the Taipei 101 building. It mainly serves unique Cantonese cuisine. The restaurant’s chef team is led by a Michelin chef with 50 years of culinary experience. The restaurant’s space is characteristically designed to resemble the entrance to a gold mine. The design is said to be inspired by the Goldstone Gua area during the gold rush era.
Recommended Dishes:
South African abalone marinated with Sichuan pepper ( 椒麻南非冻鲜鲍 )
85TD signature fried rice ( 咸蛋黄炒饭 )
85TD signature barbecued pork with honey ( 化皮烤乳猪 )
Oven-baked crab shell stuffed with crab meat and onion ( 蟹盖 )
Address: 85/F, No 7, Section 5, Xinyi Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City
Hours: 12:00-14:30, 18:00-22:00
Phone: +886 2 8101 0085
. My Humble House (寒舍食谱）
My Humble House is a Cantonese restaurant that the Michelin restaurant list has recommended for five consecutive years. The restaurant carefully creates the atmosphere of a Hong Kong-style teahouse. The chef team makes freshly prepared Hong Kong-style dim sum by hand daily, offering the authentic taste of old Hong Kong. In addition to Hong Kong-style dim sum, the restaurant also offers a range of classic Hong Kong-style dishes. Because of the strict selection of ingredients and delicate cooking techniques, the restaurant is highly recommended by many regular customers.
Recommend Dim Sums:
Steamed lobster and shrimp dumplings ( 鸳鸯龙虾饺 )
Steamed dried scallop and shrimp shu mai ( 北海道干贝烧卖 )
Steamed flat rice noodle rolls with shrimp paste and dough fritter ( 百花油条肠粉 )
Baked barbecued pork pastries ( 破酥叉烧酥 )
Deep-fried bean curd rolls with shrimp and yellow garlic chive ( 鲜虾腐皮卷 )
Fried turnip cakes ( 腊味萝卜糕 )
Address: 2/F, No. 38 Songren Rd, Xinyi District, Taipei City
Hours: 11:30-14:00, 18:00-21:00
Phone: +886 2 6622 5820
. Ye Shanghai（夜上海）
Ye Shanghai is a chain of restaurants with Shanghainese cuisine. It was once included in the Michelin 1-star restaurant list in Hong Kong. The décor is classically elegant, an atmosphere that both middle-aged and young people will love. The cuisine taste is light, and the food is really worthy of the Michelin star rating. Each dish reflects the high standard of Shanghai’s local cuisine. The most popular dish, the pan-fried bun, lives up to its name. It’s soft, crispy, and full of soup when you bite into it.
Recommended Dishes:
Braised pork with bamboo shoots ( 外婆红烧肉 )
Crispy duck with taro ( 香酥鸭 )
Pan-fried buns ( 上海生煎包 )
Deep-fried fish with sweet and sour sauce ( 特式松子鱼 )
Steamed pork dumplings ( 鲜肉小笼包 )
Steamed rice with vegetables and salted pork, Shanghai style ( 砂锅咸肉菜饭 )
Bamboo shoots, salted pork and bean curd soup ( 上海醃笃鲜 )
Sweet & sour spare ribs ( 陈皮糖醋小排 )
Address: A4 5/F, 19 Songren Rd, Xinyi District, Taipei City
Hours: 11:30-14:30, 18:00-22:00
Phone: +886 2 2345 0928
. 3 Coins（大三元）
3 Coins is a Michelin one-star restaurant that has been around for over 40 years. The restaurant has an atmospheric Chinese traditional style setting and serves Cantonese cuisine with elements of Taiwanese cuisine. Every dish is delicious, and the prices are extraordinarily fair.
Recommended Dishes:
Private home crispy duck ( 秘制脆皮鸭 )
Goose oil truffle slippery egg ( 鹅油松露滑蛋 )
Roasted papaya with seafood ( 海鲜烤木瓜 )
3 Coins layer cake ( 三元千层糕 )
Address: No. 46, Hengyang Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City
Hours: 11:30-14:30, 17:30-21:00
Phone: +886 2 2381 7180
2. The best Taiwan restaurant in Kaohsiung
. Guoxiu Restaurant (国秀食堂)
Guoxiu Restaurant is one of Kaohsiung’s favorite restaurants. Sitting at the bar surrounding the chef’s work and quietly enjoying the chef’s skillful food preparation is another treat besides the food. Don’t miss the restaurant’s signature dish, fried crispy yams stuck in Mentaiko sauce. After enjoying the dishes, try the desserts made of mandarin oranges, persimmons, and figs.
Recommended Dishes:
Mentaiko taro chips ( 明太子洋芋片 )
Lime and yuzu ramen ( 酸橘柚子拉面 )
Tuna wild vegetable oil vinegar ( 酭鱼野菜油醋 )
Wagyu curry cola cake ( 和牛咖喱可乐饼 )
Creamy shrimp roll ajinomoto ( 虾卷奶油味增 )
Address: No. 21, Shengping St, Lingya District, Kaohsiung City
Hours: 17:30-23:30 (Tuesday and Wednesday closed)
Phone: +886 922 480 008
. Teppanyaki Rest. (仲 鉄板焼)
This is the most difficult teppanyaki restaurant to make reservations at in Kaohsiung. You must reserve a seat a month in advance, and the reservation opens on the 1st of each month for the next month. Yet diners still flock to it. The restaurant only accepts eight customers per dining period. The environment is clean and comfortable, and the service is attentive and friendly. Enjoying the fresh and exquisite ingredients here will give you a very satisfying feeling.
Address: No. 57, Meishu South 5th St, Gushan District, Kaohsiung City
Hours: 12:00-14:30, 18:00-22:00 (Monday closed)
Phone: +886 7 552 2152
. Shabu Shabu Restaurant (铜花精致涮涮锅)
The hand-made copper pots imported from Japan are paired with carefully selected fresh ingredients to create a feast that warms the taste buds. Shabu Shabu Restaurant is a restaurant where you will be amazed. The service is impeccably good, and the food is something to be complimented while eating. We recommend the light and sweet soup base, which makes it even more possible to appreciate the deliciousness of the ingredients. The Daiginjo tomato is recommended as an appetizer. Also, do not miss Udon noodles with hoisin sauce. The fresh beef is full of happiness in your mouth. Finally, having a bowl of gold leaf porridge would be best.
Address: No. 53, Meiming Rd, Gushan District, Kaohsiung City
Hours: 12:00-15:00, 18:00-23:00
Phone: +886 7 553 2988
3. The best Taiwan restaurant in Hualien
. Yue Lu Kitchen (月庐食堂)
The restaurant is hidden in a remote mountain forest. Just walking into the restaurant’s entrance will not feel that this is a place to eat, more like a place to drink tea. That is a feeling of being in paradise. The decoration style of the restaurant gives guests the feeling of being far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. The owner hopes every guest can completely relax and enjoy a good meal.
Recommended Dishes：
Carbon Grilled Chicken with Plums （ 碳烤梅子鸡 ）
Bitter Melon with Plums （ 梅子苦瓜 ）
Sesame burdock crisp ( 芝麻牛蒡酥 )
Address: No. 71, Fengming 1st Rd, Fenglin Township, Hualien County
Hours: 11:00-14:30, 17:00-20:30 (Tuesday and Wednesday closed)
Phone: +886 3 876 2206
. Old Time Yakiniku Restaurant and Bar (老时光烧肉酒肴)
This is a Japanese yakiniku restaurant. It is also a restaurant where you must reserve a seat a month in advance. Because each dish is incredibly delicious, it is so popular. We recommend pork with peeled peppers. The pork slice wraps onions and peeled peppers. The charcoal aroma of the onions and the grease from the peppers and pork make for a great flavor combination. The signature spicy beef noodles are also highly recommended. The broth is slightly spicy, and the noodles are al dente and contain the broth’s flavor. At the end of the meal, the restaurant serves a sweet and sour grapefruit, which is incredibly delicious.
Address: No. 88-1, Minguo Rd, Hualien City, Hualien County
Hours: 17:30 – 01:00
Phone: +886 3 831 5848
4. The best Taiwan restaurant in Jiufen
. Never Tied of Eating (食不厌)
The food is the same as the restaurant’s name, and the restaurant serves dishes that will never bore anyone. There are currently two chain stores in Jiufen. Don’t miss it when you’re in Jiufen. The signature dish, “Overnight Dry,” has crispy skin and tender flesh. Many diners who don’t usually like fish also praise this dish. The Cat Rice is served with sliced fish on top of the rice and drizzled with soy sauce.
Recommended Dishes:
Overnight dry ( 一夜干 )
Cat rice ( 猫饭 )
Baked tomato bread ( 焗烤番茄面包 )
Address: No. 221, Jinguang Rd, Ruifang District, New Taipei City
Hours: 11:30-14:00, 17:00-20:00
. Jiufen Street Food
Aunt Akan’s Taro Ball: taro balls are the most famous snack in Jiufen. The taro balls in this small shop are delicious, and the view from the store is beautiful.
Fishball Bozai: This is a 60-year-old handmade fishball store. Dried winter noodles + fish ball soup + dried bean bun is the must-order set menu of this store.
A Lan Mugwort Rice Ball: The outer skin of the rice ball is elastic with glutinous rice and carries a light grass aroma when chewed, together with a variety of different flavored inner sinkers, both sweet and salty, to satisfy different people’s tastes.
Lin Ginkgo: This is a century-old store specializing in almond products and red dates.
Honeycomb Cake: The filling in the cake is recommended to choose the Dajia taro flavor or the local Golden Diamond pineapple flavor. The filling is delicate and moderately sweet, so you won’t get tired of overeating.
5. The best Taiwan restaurant in Alishan
. Hana Village Kitchen (Hana厨房)
Numerous tourists who have visited Alishan before have recommended this restaurant. Remember to make sure to reserve your seat in advance. It is said that the owner’s wife is a girl from South Africa, and the owner is a local Zou clan boy, so Hana Kitchen’s cuisine is a fusion of the Alishan tribe and South African specialties. The restaurant is located in the mountains of Alishan. The restaurant building and nature blend, with no excessive decoration, under a large wooden hut dining. It is a peaceful and relaxing feeling to look at the canyon and enjoy the food.
Recommended Dishes:
Grilled meat platter ( 烤肉盘 )
Margarita Pizza ( 玛格丽特匹萨 )
Bamboo rice ( 竹筒饭 )
Pumpkin cream soup ( 南瓜奶油浓汤 )
South African fruit tea ( 南非水果茶 )
Address: F/2 of the second neighborhood tribal market, Alishan Township, Chiayi County
Hours: 11:00-17:00 (Monday and Tuesday closed)
Phone: +886 975 117 154
6. The best Taiwan restaurant in Kenting
. Tanaka Fisherman (田中渔夫)
When you come to Kenting, you must eat seafood, and you can’t miss the Taiwan restaurant, Tanaka Fisherman. The restaurant is a distance of 15 minutes drive from the center of Kenting. Upon entering the restaurant, the chef will introduce the ingredients and cooking style of the day, help guests match the right portion and cooking style, and show them the fresh ingredients to be cooked before making them. The black truffle rice stew with dried scallops is a must-order.
Recommended Dishes:
Rice stew with dried scallops and black truffle ( 干贝黑松露炖饭 )
One fish, two meals ( 一鱼两吃 )
Fresh oyster on hot plate ( 铁板鲜蚵 )
Address: No. 64-13, Baoxin Rd, Checheng Township, Pingtung County
Hours: 11:00-14:00, 17:00-21:00 (Monday to Wednesday closed)
Phone: +886 8 882 1135
. Piccolo Polpo Bistro (迷路小章鱼)
This restaurant is a very famous Italian-style restaurant in Kenting. It is best to make reservations 1 to 2 weeks in advance. The restaurant faces South Bay Beach. The restaurant’s cuisine will never disappoint!
Recommended Dishes:
Crabmeat and hardboiled egg cracker ( 松叶蟹肉脆饼 )
Ink risotto with scallops and salmon roe ( 北海道干贝鲑鱼卵墨汁炖饭 )
Wild mushroom and truffle risotto with duck confit ( 油封鸭腿佐野菇炖饭 )
Crabmeat and hardboiled egg cracker ( 松叶蟹肉脆饼 )
French fries crusted Sakura shrimps ( 樱花虾薯条 )
Address: No. 60, Nanwan Rd, Hengchun Township, Pingtung County
Hours: 12:00-14:00, 18:00-20:00 (Wednesday closed)
Phone: +886 8 888 2822
Besides the list of Taiwan restaurant above, many Taiwanese locals and tourists who have visited Taiwan before find the food in Taiwan’s night markets and ordinary street-side stores fantastic. The food is often as good as in Michelin-starred restaurants. Read the article, the most complete guide to Michelin Taiwan street food in Taipei night markets, to learn about the food stalls you can’t miss in Taiwan’s night markets.
