Zhenghao Fresh Pork Xiaolongbao

OX Yaxus Seared Steak (Yilan Yuanshan branch) sits at No. 202, Sec. 1, Yuanshan Road in Yuanshan Township, right beside the Yuanshan Farmers' Association. The interior is industrial-style, with blues and jazz setting a laid-back tone and walls lined with rows of motorcycle helmets. The menu centres on a self-service bar and steaks: the bar alone is just NT$109 for salad, hot dishes, toasted bread and ice cream, while steaks start from NT$309 and come with the free bar. Oden, Japanese steamed egg, spicy duck blood with stinky tofu, a chocolate fountain and corn chowder round things out, with no service charge—great for family and group dinners.

Beimen Mung Bean Slush (Beimen Lvdousha Milk King) is a long-standing Yilan drink shop with more than 40 years of history. Hand-made to order, the mung bean slush milk, papaya milk and taro slush are the most popular, and the rich, smooth taste routinely draws long queues. Beyond the signature drinks, the bright, refreshed storefront also offers seasonal limited editions—an unmissable taste of Yilan for any traveller.

Beimen Garlic Meat Soup is a Beimen District, Yilan institution with more than 60 years of history, famed for its rich garlic-fragrant broth. The thickened soup features tender strips of pork shoulder, paired with garlic puree, shredded bamboo shoots and vegetables. Common choices include meat-soup noodles, rice cakes (gua zai) and rice noodles or rice, at about NT$55 a bowl—a coin-purse snack that often draws queues and a Yilan classic not to be missed.

Chenghuang Temple Qie-Zi Noodle Shop at No. 27, Chenghuang Street, Yilan City, is a hidden breakfast spot locals love. Sign-less and plain-looking, it serves old-school dry and soup noodles, rice cakes and rice vermicelli, paired with handmade fish balls and small plates like pork liver, lung and cheek meat at friendly prices. Opening hours are roughly 6 to 11 (some say 12); queues are common, so driving in and parking along Zhongshan Road or near the temple is recommended. The dining area is simple and there's no air-con in summer—an authentic choice for travellers wanting a traditional Yilan breakfast.

Anyong Heart Food Hall in Su'ao Township, Yilan, is a tourism factory that blends marine food education with high-tech interactivity. The site has a seafood supermarket, hot pot buffet, pizza DIY and afternoon-tea café, with tickets at NT$200 (fully redeemable on purchases) and free entry on weekdays for Yilan residents. Inside, AR motion games, a glass-walled production line, balance-bike area and fishing simulator offer rich family interaction, all in a tall, spacious hall that's both photo-friendly and educational—an excellent indoor family pick on rainy or hot days.

Ke-Shi Scallion Pancake is a Jiaoxi classic, founded in 1970 and more than 50 years old. Its hand-made 'bomb scallion pancake'—a crispy, pan-fried dough pocket filled with egg—is priced around NT$45 and beloved by locals and tourists alike, often drawing long queues. The stall sits opposite Jiaoxi Elementary School, close to Jiaoxi Train Station, with easy transport. In 2023 it earned a Michelin Bib Gourmand and won two bowls in 'Taiwan 500 Bowls', making it a coin-purse must-stop in Jiaoxi.

Qingzhen Breakfast is a Jiaoxi institution on Sec. 4, Jiaoxi Road, founded in 1978 with more than 40 years of history. Renovated in December 2021, the spacious bright interior still keeps its hand-made dough tradition. Opening at 4:30am, the menu centres on affordable Chinese breakfast—scallion baked flatbread, xiao long bao, pan-fried pies, egg rolls, chive pockets, pan-fried dumplings, rice rolls—with most items priced between NT$5 and NT$35, plus red/black tea, milk tea, soy milk, rice milk, salty soy milk, black coffee and latte. Because it opens early and offers a wide range, peak hours often fill up. The shop is close to the Jiaoxi Township Office, Tangweigou Hot Spring Park and the Jiaoxi Water Scene Plaza, about a five-minute walk, with paid parking lots nearby for drivers. Widely rated as a 'Jiaoxi must-eat' on local blogs and travel sites, it's a breakfast stop no Yilan traveller should miss.

Xiongbao Hot Pot at No. 435, Gongyuan Road, Yilan City, sits next to Yilan Sports Park and is a teddy-bear-themed hot pot buffet. The menu offers surf-and-turf combos, A5 Japanese Wagyu and jumbo shrimp at strong value, with a self-service bar of more than 40 kinds of vegetables and noodles for unlimited eating. Minimum spend starts at NT$268 per person, making it ideal for family gatherings, and a dedicated car park next door makes parking easy. Hours are 11:30-14:30 and 17:00-21:30 on weekdays, 11:00-22:00 on weekends; advance booking is recommended to skip the wait.

Yangtao on Jiucheng North Road, Yilan City, is a popular local late-night snack shop known for angelica lamb soup and all kinds of stinky tofu. The simple storefront serves warming, nourishing lamb soup, numbing-spicy and crispy-fried stinky tofu, plus braised pork rice and other affordable dishes, opening in the afternoon and running till about 11pm. Loved by locals and travellers alike, it's an ideal spot for comforting bites on a Yilan night.

Lao Si G Tea & Coffee on Guangming Road, Dongshan Township, Yilan, blends vintage industrial style with a glass-house design, serving coffee, tea, pasta, waffles and small hot pots. Inside there's a children's play area, sand pit, slide, swings and a fish-feeding zone, making it both family-friendly and Instagram-ready, with birthday party bookings available. Hours are 11:00-18:00 Monday to Wednesday and 11:00-20:00 Friday to Sunday, with a NT$100 minimum spend per person, suitable for family, friends or colleague gatherings.

Jinze Braised Pork Rice is a beloved local Yilan shop, famous for its generous, affordable braised pork rice. Bowls come loaded with braised pork, napa cabbage, enoki mushrooms, dried baby shrimp and shredded carrot at huge portions for around NT$40-50, with great value for money. Both indoor and outdoor seating are spacious and suitable for group meals. Busier in recent years but still a queue-up must for locals and tourists alike, it's the perfect stop for a quick, hearty taste of nostalgic Taiwanese flavour.

King Car Kavalan Whisky Distillery in Yuanshan, Yilan, is Taiwan's first whisky distillery and one of the world's top ten. The site offers free guided tours, whisky tasting and a café for breaks, with green lawns and varied activity spaces where visitors can dive into the story of award-winning whisky made with pure mountain spring water and a subtropical climate. Beyond whisky tasting, you can purchase bottles and enjoy ice cream and coffee, making it an excellent half-day or full-day cultural experience.

Aniang Gei De Suanwei Rougeng is the original Yilan garlic meat soup, famed for its rich garlic aroma and hand-made meat chunks. The shop traces back to 1966, starting as a stall at Beimen; adding generous amounts of minced garlic made it a sensation and a must-queue classic. In 2017 it moved to Taishan Road with more comfortable surroundings, while still keeping its traditional hand-made craft and bold garlic flavour, beloved by locals and tourists alike.

Ah Zong Taro Ice at No. 267, Sec. 3, Qingyun Road, Toucheng Township, Yilan, is a beloved hand-made old-school 'ba-bu' ice cream shop on Toucheng Old Street. With a large signboard and red-brick arched doorway, the nostalgic space offers six flavours of soft-serve scoop ice at friendly prices—about NT$55-60 for three scoops. The texture is dense and the ingredients are real, with no artificial flavourings, making it beloved by locals and tourists alike. Queues are common, and it's an unmissable dessert stop and photo spot in Toucheng.

Ah Zao Bo Angelica Lamb Soup is a Luodong Night Market stall more than ten years old, famed for angelica lamb soup, fried stinky tofu and stir-fried lamb with satay sauce over noodles. Crowds are heavy every day, with separate queues for dine-in (in front of the Earth God temple) and takeout, and waits often exceed 30 minutes, especially on weekends. The stall is on the Minquan Road side of Luodong Night Market beside Fude Temple, about a 10-minute walk from Luodong Train Station—an unmissable night-market food stop for any Yilan traveller.

Ah Mao Rice Noodle Soup at No. 95, Shenghou Street, Yilan City, is a long-established snack shop founded in 1951 with more than 50 years of history. The signature is a thick, savoury broth simmered with shiitake mushrooms, bonito flakes and pork bones, paired with Yilan-made thick rice noodles, bamboo shoots, wood-ear mushroom and tempura, yielding a distinctive rice-noodle soup flavour. Beyond the signature dish, the crispy stinky tofu is often ordered alongside. Prices are friendly, with average spend about NT$100 per person. Loved by locals and tourists alike, it's an excellent stop to experience traditional Yilan snacks.

Gao Chun Shi Cai Seafood Hot Pot beside Xietian Temple in Jiaoxi, Yilan, is a seafood hot pot all-you-can-eat restaurant. Weekday set meals start at NT$399 in four tiers; weekends add NT$100 to each tier, with the top NT$1,199 deluxe set including Boston lobster and Russian king crab legs. The spacious dining room has tables for four and eight, and a self-service bar where guests pick up crab, scallop and other seafood. Beverage options are extensive—soda, tea, juice, Yakult, plus Niseko strawberry ice cream with fruit pieces and Hokkaido soft serve, making it ideal for family gatherings and meet-ups with friends.

Noah's Ark Food Flagship Store at No. 230, Sec. 1, Zhongzheng Road, Wujie Township, Yilan, is a popular local seafood buffet. The restaurant offers nearly 100 dishes spanning seafood, sashimi, stir-fries, Japanese, Taiwanese and desserts, with ingredients selected daily from Nanfang'ao Fishing Harbor for guaranteed freshness. Prices are reasonable—about NT$599 on weekdays (plus 10% service charge), slightly higher on weekends—for strong value. The spacious dining room has free parking, making it well-suited for family and group meals and earning praise from locals and travellers alike.