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 →Kexian Grilled Oyster Dongshi Buffet
O-Xian Grilled Fresh Oysters on Caiyun Avenue No. 352 in Dongshi Township specialises in the classic NT$200 grilled-oyster buffet, sourcing oysters directly from the local farming beds and pairing them with a wide range of seafood dishes. The dining room is clean and comfortable, the staff are friendly, and the location near Dongshi Fishing Port means you can keep eating until 8:30 PM, making it a popular stop for travellers looking to savour freshly shucked oysters by the coast.
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Illustrative →Haotangjia Grilled Oyster Buffet
Hao-Tan-Jia All-You-Can-Eat Fresh Oysters at No. 358 Caiyun Avenue in Dongshi is a household name on the so-called Grilled-Oyster Street, serving freshly harvested fat oysters all day for a flat NT$200 with no time limit. Grilled just until lightly charred, the oysters keep their full briny sweetness and win the shop a near-perfect 4.9 Google rating from travellers and locals alike. Roadside parking is easy and the buzz of Caiyun Avenue makes it the essential stop for anyone touring Dongshi for its celebrated oysters.
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Illustrative →Zhulu Charcoal Yakiniku Chiayi
Zhu-Lu Charcoal Yakiniku on Daya Road Section 2 No. 808 in Chiayi City is a charcoal-grill buffet that pairs premium meats - marbled beef, beef short plate, pork shoulder - with seafood and a self-serve hotpot station offering kelp broth, Tien-Xiang回味 pot, and Korean kimchi pot. Haagen-Dazs and Meiji ice cream flow freely throughout the meal. The set is NT$599 plus 10 percent service, with a two-hour dining window; reservations are essential. Forest-themed decor, attentive staff, and reliably fresh ingredients keep it high on the list for celebrations and group feasts.
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Illustrative →Yixiao Pot Chiayi Renai
Yi-Xiao-Guo Hot Pot, Ren-Ai Branch, at No. 452 Ren-Ai Road in Chiayi City runs on a help-yourself buffet model. A single pot starts around NT$170-180 and unlocks more than 20 soup bases plus a full self-serve spread of sides, vegetables, and ice cream, with extras like buy-one-get-one-free pork slices and raw scallops running on rotation. The two-storey layout fits gatherings and family meals, the shop opens at 10 AM for the lunch rush on weekdays, and it has become a reliable wallet-friendly pick near Chiayi Station thanks to the sheer variety of broths and the high value per dollar.
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Illustrative →Nomura Yakiniku Chiayi
Nomura Yakiniku Chiayi at No. 40 Chui-Yang Road brings a Japanese-style charcoal grill and hotpot buffet under one roof. The dining hall leans into a festive atmosphere with Japanese taiko drums and a Kaonashi figure from Spirited Away greeting guests at the door; the high ceilings and strong air-conditioning keep the smoky room comfortable. Beef, pork, lamb, and seafood rotate across the grill alongside unlimited Haagen-Dazs, with an average spend of around NT$1,100 per person, making it a go-to for celebrations and big group get-togethers.
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Illustrative →Longshi Steak
Long-Shi Steak on Nanjing Road in Chiayi City is one of Taiwans rare cut-and-buffet steak concepts: a single seating lets you rotate through five main plates - chicken leg, sirloin, squid ink roll, T-bone pork, and pork shoulder - while fried sides, salad, desserts, and dinner rolls can be reordered without limit. With a history of more than 25 years, the kitchen is fast and the room is roomy, and weekday lunch checks in at around NT$600, an exceptional value for steak eaters that makes it a magnet for celebrations and team banquets.
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