Taipei Trip: Night Markets

If you come to Taipei, you should try the Night Market, where you can find local food, games, and excitements!

There are many night markets in Taipei. However, we only went to two different night market in Taipei. One is called Ningxia Night Market and the other is called Shilin Night Market, which is the biggest night market in Taipei. Well, they are market which are open at night but have different 'feeling'.

1. Ningxia Night Market

   We found many stalls selling local foods, stalls for games, few stalls selling souvenirs and small restaurants. In this market, we tried to eat Taiwanese-style sausage. It is made from pork (or boar?) If you expect it to be salty, then you will disappointed. The taste is unique, a bit sweet. Even though, I am getting used to the salty sausage, but this type of sausage can make me addicted. For me, it is delicious. 

   

We went to the different small restaurants and ordered the famous oyster omelet, fried rice and fried, steam dumplings. The price is quite cheap, e.g 10 dumpling for ~100 NTD, and quite filling your stomach. The oyster omelet: I could taste the oyster and a bit sweet sour-tasted the sauce. Fried rice: asian fried rice-type. Dumpling: Inside is pork meat, leek or green onion, I guess. We like steam dumpling better as it has more meat haha ;) Dumpling sauce? You could make it by yourself there, many ingredients are offered: soy sauce, minced garlic, chili powder, etc. We chose soy sauce mixed with minced garlic.

Here, you also might want to try other local food, like smelly tofu ( I haven't tried it yet, not mentally prepared for the smell), braised pork rice, noodle, flavored-shaved ices, exotic fruits, etc. Or you can try to play games: dart, shooting balloons. Warning: It is not free! If you are skillful enough you can get a prize! However, even you are not skillful for the games, at least you can release your stress and get happiness, right? ;)

2. Shilin Night Market

   It is really huge market! If Ningxia market mostly selling food then here, we could find almost everything here: from food stalls, many souvenirs, accessories, shoes, clothes shops, food courts, games booth, etc. If Ningxia market has many local people then here, you may found many tourists.

  We did not neither buy many things nor try many food here since the stuffs are more or less similar with other night market or shopping areas. At that time, we just bought water guava or bell fruits and grilled beef for our dinner.

TIPS:

> Most of the sellers in night markets could not speak complicated English, e.g if you order food, you may choose based on the pics. So, if you want to order specific food in the small restaurant, it is better to have translations in Chinese words or pics prepared.

> Many restaurants has Japanese translations. So, if you can speak or read Japanese, it is good for you ;)

> If you travel using public city bus, sometimes they don't have English translations for the stops. Just in case, prepare the map apps. How to pay for the bus? They have two payment systems: 1) Pay when you get in (Above the driver seat, it will be written:上, pronounced "shàng") 2) Pay when you get off (Above the driver seat, it will be written:下, pronounced "xìa"). For the details, refer to Taipei public bus website :) The bus will be operated until midnight.