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.
However, Ximending and Taipei Station are not particularly famous for their vegan food offerings.
In this guide, I will show you vegan-option places in these two areas. Some of these places are pretty hidden and loved by locals as well.
Let's get into it:
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.
Vegan Food Near Taipei Station
Bento boxes in Taipei Station 臺鐵素食便當
There are quite a few shops that you can find vegan bento. They are marked with the word “素食便當”. Most of them are vegan. Look for the ones without eggs. If you are not sure, ask for the one that is “全素”, which means vegan in Chinese. The vegetarian option may get sold out before the closing time. This Youtube video from Go Vegan in Taiwan shows the location and some variations you can get (Video in Mandarin).
Vegan Option | Address and Hours
Vegan Option at Taipei Station Main Lobby
There are some vegan options here with buns and radish cakes. The vegan items are marked with the word 全素.
Vegan Option | Address
Shàng Dǐng Huáng Jiā 上頂皇家素食水煎包
A popular and affordable vegan shop selling dumpings and buns. Food is tasty but oily. About TW$50 for a bag of 10 dumplings.
Vegan | Address and Hours
Tenjin Yatai Taipei 福岡天神屋台炒麵麵包
Hidden in an alleyway near Taipei Station, this small shop sells vegetarian Japanese fried noodles. The sauce used for the noodles is vegan.
Out of the 3 main choices, the bread one that can’t be veganised. The middle option is vegan if you ask for no mayo. And the 3rd kimchi one is vegan. I chose the medium sized middle one with no mayo. For TW$50, this fried noodles is cheap and very delicious.
Vegetarian | Address and Hours
Nutsmilk 堅果奶,吧
It's an all vegan nut milk drink shop. It has a big menu of drinks including nut milk latte, milk with cream top, oreo smoothie, fruity milk drinks, etc. The caramel brown sugar tapioca pearl is the shops recommendation. I've tried the cream top drink, but the cream is thin and not as good as the thick creamy one from Nuttea.
Vegan | Address and Hours
修圓素食
The same street as the dumplings shop. It is a vegetarian restaurant with mostly vegan dishes. Some dishes have egg, for example the fried oyster omelette (蚵仔煎). You can ask for an English menu, but the staff doesn't speak much English.
Vegetarian | Address and Hours
Milk Shop
This bubble tea chain in Taipei has a section of soy milk drinks, like soy bubble tea, matcha soy latte, etc. The pudding in the drink is probably not vegan. The drinks are affordable at about TW$50.
Vegan Option | Address and Hours
強棒亭
This Japanese restaurant has a vegetarian section. This restaurant specialises in champon noodles which is a type of ramen where the noodles is cooked in the broth. Two of the three options in the vegetarian section are vegan: a mixed vegetable champon noodles, and a miso vegetable rice set.
Vegan Option | Address and Hours
鍋上鍋一鍋一燒
This hot pot restaurant provides a few vegan hot pot options, like tomato, miso, or mushroom hot pots. The toppings are similar with mixed veggies. Each person is required to order their own pot. And the price includes rice as well.
Vegan Option | Address and Hours
Vegan Food Near Ximending
吉祥素食
This vegan eatery serves traditional Taiwanese food that is tasty and affordable. The sesame mixed noodles and veggie soup I tried are simple but nicely made. Taiwanese minced meat on rice seems to be a popular item.
They also serve bento boxes for TW$65 which includes rice and 6-7 small dishes.
Vegan | Address and Hours
So Free Pizza
This vegetarian pizza place in Ximending has vegan cheese. When you first enter, you are greeted by a wood fire pizza oven. The decor is rustic with brick walls and big wooden tables.
The pizza is a one-person size. This mushroom asparagus flavour has quite a lot of toppings and the vegan cheese is decent. The crust is crispy, but rather dense. Overall the taste is good but not too impressive.
Vegetarian | Address and Hours
Meimen Garden 梅門防空洞
Located near Ximending station, Meimen Garden is a vegetarian restaurant that’s themed as an underground shelter.
Most items are vegan with some items using milk which are marked on the menu. You can find Taiwanese style rice, noodles and snacks here.
One special thing for this place is that it opens overnight on Friday night. It has a special menu from 10pm to 6am.
Read more and see the menu in our Taipei Vegan Guide.
Vegetarian | Address and Hours
Sun Like Vegetarian 三來素食館
This vegetarian place is opened since 1992. Boasting above 100 different dishes everyday, you won't run out of choices in this restaurant. Most of the dishes are vegan, but if you are not sure, ask the staff for a "全素" dish, which means vegan.
Vegetarian | Address and Hours
Cho Café
This coffee shop has Oatly for coffees. And the coffee I tried (brown sugar latte) is delicious. The environment is comfortable and perfect for taking a short break.
Vegan Option | Address and Hours
Alleyway with a few veg places (玄德素食, 四川涼麵, 全真素食火鍋鐵板燒)
Inside this alleyway, you can find 3-4 vegetarian restaurants. You can find a pay-by-weight style buffet, a cold noodles restaurant, and a hotpot restaurant.
Leezen 里仁公司
This vegetarian mini supermarket sells a good selection of vegan friendly food and drinks. The shops doesn't label which ones are vegan. So check the ingredients carefully.
Vegetarian | Address and Hours
Here are some of the vegan items I found, including ice cream and cookies:
好孝果
A social enterprise opened by Nobel Peace winner Muhammad Yunus, Kings Fruit 好孝果 is a shop that specialises in fruits and smoothies. They also have a shop section where you can find some vegan products. They also serve some simple vegetarian food like salad and sandwich. Some items may be able to be veganised.
Vegetarian | Address and Hours
