Taipei Station and Ximending are two of the most popular locations in Taipei. Taipei Station is a big transportation hub, and Ximending/Ximen Station is a popular shopping district. Both places are within walking distance of about 15 minutes.
In this guide, I want to show you all the places I found with great vegan options in these two areas. Some of these places are pretty hidden and loved by locals as well.
Let's get started.
[.divider][.divider]
Vegan Food At Taipei Station
Bento Boxes in Taipei Station 臺鐵素食便當
Vegan-option | Taipei Station
Many people buy these bento boxes to eat when they're travelling on the Taiwan High Speed Rail (HSR). And they make a good budget option if you don't know what to eat at Taipei station. There are multiple vendors that carry vegan option bento boxes throughout Taipei station. From my experience, they are mostly located on B1F and 1F. Each bento box costs about NT$100.
Look out for the word "素" or "素食" as that indicate a veg bento box. Some bento boxes may have milk or egg and they would be marked with "奶素" (Lacto-vegetarian) or "蛋素" (Ovo-vegetarian). If you are unsure, ask the staff for the bento box that is "全素". The bento box I got has a big piece of tofu skin, veggies and rice.
[.divider][.divider]
Vegan Option at Breeze Taipei Station 微風台北車站
Vegan-option | Taipei Station
Breeze Taipei Station has a 3 levels and is located at the main Taipei Station building. There are some but not many vegan options:
Pucci Handmade Steamed Buns 葡吉手工包子 on 1F (left) - Has vegan cabbage buns that's marked with "全素". Address and Hours
Dim Sum World 小南門點心世界 on 2F (right) - Has a vegetarian menu with dim sum, stir-fry, noodles and rice. Avoid the options that are marked with "奶素" (Lacto-vegetarian) or "蛋素" (Ovo-vegetarian). Address and Hours
[.divider][.divider]
The Rice Master 米達人
Vegan-option | Taipei Station
This sushi shop located near the entrance to the MRT station on B1F has a few clearly marked vegan options, including mushroom inari roll, rosella shiso roll and rosella plum onigiri.
[.divider][.divider]
Furger 芙格漢堡
Vegetarian | Taipei Station
If you are taking the airport MRT train to Taoyuan Airport, you'll likely come across this vegetarian burger shop which you'll see after going up the escalator from the airport line.
Nearly all the burgers are vegan, with only a few options containing egg or milk clearly marked. The burgers are pre-made and kept warm in a heated cabinet. Menu options include the truffle burger, vegan patty burger, and more. You'll also find snacks here like nuggets and sweet potato balls.
[.divider][.divider]
Vegan Options Near Taipei Station
Vegan Amore
Vegan | Q Square Mall
Located on the 3rd floor of the Q Square shopping centre, this restaurant has an extensive, all-vegan menu that also caters to people who don't eat the five pungent roots.
The fried chicken with wasabi mayo was the standout dish during my visit with a rich teriyaki sauce and a meaty texture. You'll also find a selection of pasta, burgers, desserts and more. The price is not cheap especially for Taiwan, but the good food quality and convenient location still makes Vegan Amore worth a visit.
[.divider][.divider]
Shang Ding Huang Jia 上頂皇家素食水煎包
Vegan | Near Taipei Station
This shop is popular among vegan travellers for a reason - Their dumplings (potstickers) and buns are super affordable and delicious. The dumplings are just NT$30 for a half-serve of 5 and buns are NT$15 for one. Both options are well-made, fresh and full of filling.
[.divider][.divider]
Miao Yuan Vegetarian Restaurant 妙緣素食館
Vegetarian | Near Taipei Station
On the same street as the dumpling place, you'll find this typical pay-by-weight vegetarian restaurant, where you pick any items you want and then go to the counter to pay. One potential problem is that they don't mark which options have milk or egg, so you'll need to ask the staff. Luckily, the staff is usually very helpful and knowledgeable about these enquiries.
This type of restaurants are in general quite cheap, which makes it a great budget option for vegans. They will also ask whether you want rice and soup when you pay for a small extra fee. For your reference, the plate I got was only about NT$60.
[.divider][.divider]
Xiu Yuan Su Shi 修圓素食
Vegetarian | Near Taipei Station
Another vegetarian place on the same street serving traditional Taiwanese food. You'll find options like soup noodles and vegan mince rice. Keep in mind that they serve egg. You can ask for an English menu but the staff doesn't speak much English.
[.divider][.divider]
Vegan Food Near Ximending
Succulent Cafe & Food Lab 植愛
Vegetarian | Ximen
This dessert cafe specialises in cakes and cookies. Not all cakes here are vegan, but they’re clearly labeled, with half the cakes and all the cookies being vegan during my visit. The salted caramel latte cake I tried was delicious with crunchy caramelised pecan, rich coffee cream and chocolate sponge cake. The cookie was also well-made with a chewy texture.
This charming cafe has two levels, with the ground floor for ordering and upstairs seating with about 5 tables. So be prepared to wait for a table during busy times.
[.divider][.divider]
I Jy Sheng 一之軒
Vegan-option | Ximen
I Jy Sheng is a chain bakery with locations all over Taipei. For a non-veg bakery, the vegan selection of Ijysheng was very impressive, from traditional Taiwanese pineapple cakes and sun cakes, to creative options like pineapple bun croissants and vegan mochi. The vegan options were clearly marked with the word 全素. I’ve tried most of the vegan items from here this trip and my favourite is the oolong tea pineapple cake.
[.divider][.divider]
Miao Guan Yin 妙觀音
Vegan | Ximen
An all-vegan restaurant with multiple branches in Taipei, Taoyuan and New Taipei City. I visited the branch in Ximen which is just a few minute walk from the MRT station. This Ximen branch is quite small in size with only 2-3 tables; and the service is also sub-par with a lady who's unfortunately pretty rude and blunt.
The menu offers a range of classic Taiwanese dishes like sesame sauce mixed noodles, dumpling soup noodle and Taiwanese mince rice. The food quality is decent with the assorted dumplings being the standout.
[.divider][.divider]
Ji Xiang Su Shi 吉祥素食
Vegan | Ximen
This small eatery serves traditional Taiwanese food that is tasty and affordable. The sesame mixed noodles and veggie soup I tried were simple but delicious. They also serve bento boxes for which includes rice and 6-7 small dishes.
[.divider][.divider]
Meimen Garden 梅門防空洞
Vegetarian | Ximen
Located near Ximen station, Meimen Garden is a vegetarian restaurant that’s themed as an underground shelter. English is available on the menu and the dishes with milk or egg are marked.
The menu is designed to improve your health with interesting dishes like sesame fermented tofu sauce mixed noodles (which I found quite tasty with a unique umami tanginess). The dishes can be ordered a la carte or in a set with appetisers and drinks. Overall the food quality is good but the portions are pretty small for the price.
