Shilin night market is one of the most famous and popular night markets in Taipei. You may wonder whether there will be any options for vegans.
From grilled mushrooms to sesame filled bread, vegans can find some tasty options in this market, though you won’t be overwhelmed by vegan options like the rest of Taipei (link to guide).
Night market is popular in Taiwan. Most of them have small stalls of food, clothing, games and more. They open at about 5-6pm, and some shops open until past midnight.
Taipei Travel Information For Vegans
Best Time To Visit Taipei
Taipei is great to visit all year long, but it can get pretty hot and humid in Summer. Consider going in Spring or Autumn months.
Where To Stay In Taipei For The Best Food
Although many people online recommends staying near Taipei main station or Taipei 101, I actually prefer staying near the Da'an and Zhongxiao Fuxing subway stations for convenience and the slightly quieter vibe. Many of the vegan-friendly places are reachable with those two subway stations.
Recommended Tours & Activities
To make your trip to Taipei even more memorable, these are some of the activities I'd recommend:
- Ticket to the iconic Taipei 101 building
- Tour to Yehliu Geopark, mountain village in Jiufen, and launch a sky lantern in Pingxi
Internet & Data
Using an eSim for internet access is probably the most convenient way. I recommend this eSim brand where you just need to download an app and install the eSim to get internet overseas.
Direction To Shilin Night Market
Shilin market is actually closer to Jiantan Station than Shilin Station. Go to Jiantan Station exit 1. Shilin Market is diagonally opposite the street after you leave the station. Most people will head in that direction.
Sugar coated doughnut and pastry 雙胞胎
This shop at the start of the market sells 2 types of baked goods, including this sugar-coated doughnut. The texture is quite nice and the price is cheap.
Tongue-shaped pastry 素食牛舌餅
Just behind the first shop is this one selling crispy oven baked bread. They have two flavors: salted peanut on the left and sweet malt on the right.
Braised Tofu 吳家素食辣豆乾
These extremely dark, almost black, pieces are made with hard tofu. And they are all vegan. The flavor is salty and spicy (some flavors are more spicy than the others). One of the selling points of this shop is that the pieces are naturally colored. You can choose the amount and the variety you want.
Grilled Corn 炭烤玉米
There are a few of this type of grilled corn shop. They are almost always vegetarian. Avoid flavors like butter (牛油), cream (奶油) or cheese (起司) and you should be good to go.
Grilled King Oyster Mushroom 燒烤杏鮑菇
One of the most popular snacks in this night market. At the time of visit, there are two shops opposite each other selling grilled mushrooms. The one with the long queue is cheaper and more popular.
You can choose different flavours like seaweed, mustard, pepper, etc. The price of the more popular shop is TW$100 and the opposite shop is TW$150 or 200 depending on the size.
QQ Sweet Potato Balls QQ地瓜球
Another vegan food that appears in many night market is sweet potato balls. They are crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Sometimes they add flavour powder on top. My recommendation would be plum flavour. Avoid flavours like cheese as they are not vegan.
Cold Noodles and Stinky Tofu 家湘涼麵
This shop sells cold noodles and stinky tofu. There are some seats inside the shop. The menu is mostly vegan except the miso soup which contains fish. However, the reviews of this shop don’t seem to be good with complaints about the small portion and average quality.
Stinky Tofu 'Fries' 堂薯薯臭薯條
This shop uses stinky tofu and makes it into the shape of fries. Try it if you are feeling adventurous. Flavor 2 (sweet and sour),7 (teriyaki) and 8 (salt and pepper) are vegan.
