Eat Recommendations
Late-night ramen, market kushikatsu, century-old shops — eating is the fastest way to travel.
Featured
Illustrative Zhong Family Original Shanghai Pan-Fried Bun is a long-running snack stall in Taipei's Shilin Night Market, with more than 30 years of history, specializing in freshly wrapped and freshly pan-friedsheng jian baoin two flavors: cabbage and fresh pork. Each bun costs about NT$20, fried to a golden, crispy bottom while the filling stays juicy, beloved by loyal regulars and tourists alike. The stall opens at 15:00 and closes at 20:00, with Wednesdays off. Its Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition often fuels long queues, making it a coin-purse-friendly must-eat at Shilin Night Market.
Illustrative Lao-Dan A-Zhang Ba-Wan is a century-old snack shop on Chang-An Street in Changhua, near the train station, founded in 1948. It is known for the springy oil-bathed skin, the generous meat filling, and the side options of dragon-marrow-bone soup or free pork-bone broth, and famously appeared in the film 'You Are the Apple of My Eye', which still draws queues of tourists. The dish has also been served at state banquets and remains affordably priced — a must-eat when visiting Changhua.
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Illustrative →Liangcan Korean Tteokbokki Hotpot Buffet Chiayi
Liang-can Korean Rice-cake Hotpot All-you-can-eat, Chiayi Branch, is on the 1st floor of No. 281 Bo-ai Road Section 2 in Chiayi West District (inside the Chiayi RT-Mart). This Korean-style buffet features rice-cake hotpot, Korean fried chicken, DIY fried rice, and assorted Korean snacks. The basic plan runs NT$299 (hotpot, rice cakes, fried chicken, instant noodles, drinks) and the meat-add-on plan NT$399; student ID brings the price down to NT$319. Known for high CP value, self-mixed sauces, and varied toppings, it suits diners who want many Korean dishes at once.
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Illustrative →Bashi Mixed Hotpot
Ba-shi Shi-pot is a budget-friendly self-serve hotpot restaurant on Huan-xi Road, Zhongli, Taoyuan, featuring a sorghum-liquor chicken broth base and a self-serve bar with over 50 vegetables, hotpot items, drinks, and ice treats. Single sets start at NT$398, with average spend of NT$300-500 covering unlimited hotpot, noodles, sauces, ice cream, and Da-yuan-zi slushies. Hours are weekday 11:30-15:30 and 17:30-02:00 (weekend lunch runs without a break), with a dedicated parking lot - good for gatherings, mixers, and family dinners.
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Illustrative →Xi Yue Cantonese Chiayi
Xi-yue Restaurant Chiayi Branch at No. 369 Xing-ye West Road, Chiayi West District, focuses on Hong Kong-style buffet and Cantonese cuisine. The dining room is spacious and accommodates multiple parties, with weekday, holiday, elder, and child pricing tiers - kindergarten-age kids and seniors over 75 enter free with a paying guest. The first 10 guests during opening enjoy a sugar-free throat-lozenge gift. Dishes rotate daily, blending dim sum with Taiwanese classics - good for family dinners or friend gatherings.
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Illustrative →Kerou Stone Hotpot Chiayi Xingjia 2nd Gen
Ke-rou Stone Pot Chiayi (Xing-jia 2nd-generation branch) at No. 504 Xing-ye West Road, Chiayi West District, is a hotpot shop built around a self-serve all-you-can-eat bar. Nearly a hundred ingredients include vegetables, hotpot items, rice and noodles, sauces, slushies, and ice cream for guests to mix and match. Set meals start at NT$398, average spend around NT$511, with a NT$30 per-table cleaning fee added. Hours run from noon to 2 a.m., great for late-night gatherings. The space is roomy with convenient parking, popular with locals and tourists alike.
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Illustrative →Haoke Yakiniku Chiayi
Hao-ke Yakiniku Chiayi Branch sits in Chiayi's West District and has recently relocated to a fully upgraded space beside Far Eastern Department Store. It offers yakiniku, seafood, hotpot, and a self-serve bar among its all-you-can-eat options. Plans span NT$668 entry to NT$988 premium, both within a 120-minute grilling window. The menu showcases Australian M9 wagyu, wagyu marbled pork, Iberico pork, snow pork, abalone, large scallops, plus Cold Stone ice cream, Ming-guo popsicles, and many drinks - great for gatherings, birthdays, and birthday-star perks.
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Illustrative →Hotpot Heritage Chiayi Zunjue
Huo-guo Shi-jia Chiayi Zun-jue Branch at No. 79 You-ai Road, Chiayi West District, is the only hotpot self-serve all-you-can-eat restaurant in Chiayi. The shop offers 16 broths, over 50 ingredients, plus a drinks and ice-treats bar so guests can pick freely. Prices are friendly at NT$280 entry, with extra perks for kids' birthdays. The space is spacious, fitting for family or group dinners, with cash and credit accepted and advance reservations available to secure seats.
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