Surrounded by mountains and ocean, Taitung is a place with a lively blend of different ethnicities, deep-rooted traditions, and multicultural heritage. All of the cuisines of Taitung, including local restaurants with 50-60-year history, western cuisine brought from new immigrants, and creative fusion food, all build up an unforgettable and terrific memory for people who were born and raised here.
Local Special Eats
Travelers like to explore the city at their own pace. If you want to travel like a local, we recommend that you try some local eats and take the chance to chat with the restaurant owners to get to know more about the history of the city.
Shi Fang Vegetarian Restaurant
This is a vegetarian restaurant that breaks the stereotype of vegetarian diet. The interior decoration has a retro vibe. Diverse cuisines range from handmade soybean chicken and flour wheel to sweet and sour chicken, kung pao chicken, three-cup chicken rice, Thai cutlet chicken with hot pepper, baked pasta, and hot pot. One would suspect whether it’s a genuine vegetarian restaurant upon seeing the menu. In addition to simple dishes, the restaurant also provides sets and prix fixe, which suits single visitor or the whole family. Despite being a vegetarian restaurant, Shi Fang turns vegetarian cuisine into new delicacies that changes stereotype. One must taste it if possible.(IG-photo @cdefgab19)
Spring Garden Herbal Restaurant
Lemongrass, lavender, and other herbs, Spring Garden Herbal Restaurant is surrounded by flowers and grass growing vigorously. Built with bamboo and stones, our restaurant is located in the countryside surrounded by mountains and green fields that make you feel relaxed and pleasant. It’s as if being in a hidden paradise, feeling relaxed and carefree that is like what the famous Chinese poet Tao Yuan-Ming described in his poem, “Picking up daisies at the eastern fence, I gaze at the South Mountain in the distance.Our must-have dish is the Herb Clay Hotpot. No seasoning is added to the broth. The flavor comes from sautéing onions and gravy made with stir-frying meat slices. The sweet flavor of the soup is the result of braising our home-grown vegetables. Our homemade lemongrass sauce tastes refreshing and special. The refreshing and sweet flavors of all natural ingredients will unfold in your mouth with every bite you take. If you get a chance to come to Spring Garden Herbal Restaurant, you may put all the trivial things behind temporarily and enjoy a moment of tranquility while making your taste buds and heart happy by enjoying the food we prepare for you.(IG-photo [email protected])
Zhengdongshan Ice Shop: Smoothie and Juice Bar
It’s a retro ice and fruit shop that will fulfill your expectations. It is located on the alley of Fujian street and preserves the sweet taste from your childhood. It’s as if the red and white shop sign seems to possess the power to send you back in time. Just like a fine wine that gets better with age, the retro atmosphere of this shop makes it more fascinating. Coming from a different generation, the menu which is posted on the wall features treats ranging from snow ice to sundaes. The egg yolk snow ice is like that from your childhood with the sweetness of the egg yolk locked into the ice. Take a bite of the crispy American fritter and also enjoy the delicious taste of their traditional sandwich. If you miss your memories as a child, come and get a jolt from the past. (IGPhoton by @pony_tiny)
Main-land China Grandma Noodles Restaurant
Shanxi flavor is wafted to the streets of Chishang in the afternoon. Sometimes, it is simply stuffed buns and steamed bread with good flavor; sometimes, it is the authentic and tasty steamed twisted rolls and pie. For the gourmets, it is a palatable taste. For grandmas, it is a wave of nostalgia. The memories of the feelings to the hometown Shanxi are rolled into the persisting handmade rice noodles, cooked into the delicate and rich soup which is numbing but not spicy; fermented in the rice cake with traditional features and the fragrance of red date inside the steamer. Home-made meal, the red soup of big plate chicken contains a taste of mild spiciness. Reserve a date to taste the mixed flavor of Shanxi and Chishang and listen to the story of the apricot flower grandma.(IGPhoto by @ghost430)
Tianwei House Restaurant
Taitung is becoming alive under the gradually prevalent creative environment, and Tianwei is certainly among it. Still maintaining a simple and natural style, it is especially suitable to visit in the daytime. It focuses on selling Hakka snacks, almond tea, niu wenshui, shaved ice, Chishang rice dumplings, and Qīngtuán (a form of dumpling that is green). Clean and tidy, mixed ingredients fill the radiant glass with attention paid to every detail. Youtiao (deep-fried breadsticks) paired with almond tea match the unique summer feel of Chishang. (IGPhoto by @tianye)
Selang Smoothie Shop
The island’s straightforward enthusiasm has always been a feature they’ve particularly enjoyed. Although it is called a smoothie shop, it also provides some hot food such as fried rice, stir-fry and so on. The temperature on the island always makes people need a chilling drink to help cool them down. There is a large fruit called Lin Zhuguo (Pandanus tectorius) in the local area. It looks very strange. It’s surface is covered in wedge-like phalanges, often referred to as keys or carpels resembling orange grendages. They look scary and are quire commonly observed in the coastal sand. This small shop has a very vacation-like characteristic to it. (IGPhoto by @christywuwu)
Lanyu Daomin
She was originally a teacher from the food and beverage department at a high school and member of the care association. The boss crossed the ocean and fell in love with the island, becoming an islander who loves to share. Her headstrong and honest livelihood is also reflected in the style and merchandise of the ice shop. Wooden benches and floors allow the sun to enter it in an oblique manner. The menu is handwritten. The boss serves handmade taro ice cream. Additionally, shaved ice (Tsuabing), a heaping quality of ice is covered in red beans and matcha. Under the scorching sun, a bowl of ice is so enjoyable.(IGPhoto by @dumpling_uu)
Do VanWa
The sea on Lanyu can be magnificent, a moment where time can be forgotten. Lanyu is a place for ocean gazing and also for those fond of good food. The simple arrangement of plastic white chairs surrounded by yellow lighting gives rise to a feeling of warmth under a dark blue sky. The menu includes cupcakes, cheesecake, pancakes, handmade burgers, crunchy sour burritos, and of course wine that is suitable for island life. Enjoy the evening listening to the sounds of waves and enjoying delicious food. This small taste of freedom fulfills the dreams of people going on an island vacation.(IGPhoto by @yi.y.beibi)
Lin-Jih Ada Braised Dishes & Noodle Restaurant
This secret restaurant with Taitung delicacy opened by two men wearing suit cap has hidden delights known only to the locals. The simple black-line-grid menu contains thin noodles, sesame paste noodles, plain noodles, rice noodles, yellow noodles, wonton & noodles. For soup, there are meat ball soup, egg soup and wonton soup. The most classic braised dish is always the perfect match to order with. Under all these seemingly simple dishes, the taste and smell absolutely become the focus of this store. Aromatic but not strong and strong but not too rich! This store starts its day in the darkness of night and arouses the memory of food stand delicacy belonged to many people. The taste and smell are just perfect. It serves as the best recommended restaurant of braised dishes for every craving of night snacks.(IGPhoto by @tsu0730mm)
Taitung Ice House
In hot Jialulan Recreation Area, there is a couple who used to travel often, desire to bring their children to lead a life facing the sea, and that is why such a unique ice shop was born! Most of the ice here uses local materials to keep it fresh and delicious, such as signature ice, red oolong powder ball, and a tea plum is combined with hand-stirred honey powder ball to add natural sweetness; Luye red oolong makes light tea fragrance fly in the air, where reddish color is revealed among the snowy ice; Tomioka Sea Salt Seaweed Ice comes up another realm, where a bowl of ocean-liked blue ice has a circle of sea salt cream dripped onto, while the summer sweetness of ice is brought out by unique salty taste.(IGPhoto by @kaoruyooooo)
Taitung Skinny’s Lamb
An authentic breakfast in Taitung, despite the hot weather, many local guests still insist to have a hot mutton soup. Medicinal stew with mutton, a wonderful combination for every guest to fall in love with. The meat is full of elasticity. After the mutton smell is removed, the whole bowl of soup shows the sweetness of the lamb. The mutton sweetbread soup is also carefully treated. By taking a sip of soup, the deliciousness of the viscera is fully revealed and the warm morning begins. This store has been open for more than 60 years and still brings out the most delicious warmth to every customer.
Jiangnan iced and smoked luwei
Jiangnan iced and smoked luwei has been open since 2008. The owner has continued to improve and try out all kinds of ingredients, and finally is now using more than 20 kinds of Chinese medicinal materials to make the store’s dishes. After smoking, the food is thick but not greasy, fragrant, and filled with aroma. Duck tongue, duck wings, chicken feet galantine, drunk chicken and other meats always have a multi-layered taste and are chewy in the mouth. One bite of meat and one sip of drink, this luwei always make people unstoppable. The vegetables are also refreshing. After you meal, you will never feel it to be greasy. Instead, you will only be stuck in the pleasure of luwei.
Uncle Li’s Canteen
The store is basically an old-style courtyard house, but it still attracts many people. Preserving the flavor of the mainland veteran village, and the heritage of Kung Fu cuisine, presumably this is why many customers love it. The prices are fair and reasonable. The dishes seems to be back in the old days. It is the taste of home-style cooking that connects a big family. The signature dishes include sesame ribs, chicken with sauce, fried mixed seafood, and chayote. The dishes are very diverse. The boss’s Kung Fu fusions with his affection and the dishes that come out are the crystal of Uncle Li’s love.
Seven Quinoa
Careful and exquisite. This is the common feeling of every customer when dining here. Seven Quinoa chooses to return to its original intention and uses red quinoa as the base for their cuisine. Red quinoa is the food that normally appears in the tribes of Taitung. Its high nutritional value has shined in Taiwan in recent years. This restaurant uses the sous vide method to make food. Their creations are vacuum sealed, and cooked with a low-temperature. It retains the original flavor of the ingredients, and makes the food more juicy. This restaurant’s popular single product is the red pepper tender chicken with dry noodles. It uses the aroma of Sichuan pepper, and the powerful feature of the sous vide method to make the tender chicken. Please enjoy the new healthy realm that Seven Quinoa brings to you.
DaLaWai Forest Café
Winding up along the Lijia Industry Road, you can find the secret DaLaWai Forest Café. The captain name “DaLaWai” is a Puyuma surname, who has won several awards in the coffee competition. Not to mention that the drinks is absolutely worthwhile to try in this shop. Within this beautiful café, tables face to the sky against to the mountain which you could overlook the Taitung city at night. Little by little, small lights are just like the stars, and accompanied by the delicious meals.
Homemade wild vegetable hot pot is the specialty, by using local garden fresh vegetables. Depending on the season and time, the offering of vegetables are diverse. While boiling, the soup will gradually produce different flavors, which embody the unique mountain tastes of Taitung.
Xia An Ju Vegetarian Restaurant
The delicate and elegant vegetarian restaurant provides you with the relaxing and serene dining place.
Different from the traditional vegetarian cuisines, the restaurants added some creativity to the dishes. There is Maotai tofu for the appetiser, as the taste of the beans mixed with the freshness of Maotai and the side dishes. As for other dishes, the al dente noodles are served with the special sauce. Also, the fried dumplings with crispy skin and the moist filling can definitely leave good impression of the restaurant.
PoSang Snack Bar
PoSang Snack Bar has been in operation for over 50 years. It is known for their famous oyster fritter, a traditional snack in Taiwan. The oyster fritter is made with a thick batter base, chopped chives, and garnished with oysters. There is nothing better than biting into this fried snack, dipped in PoSang Snack Bar’s homemade special sauce.
Nan Bei Boiled Dumplings
Nan Bei Boiled Dumplings is located on Heping Street with a blue sign out front. Although it’s not the most eye-catching restaurant, it’s famous for their preparation of Taiwanese delicacies. You can taste their delicious handmade pork dumplings with spicy chili sauce, cold beef, and all kinds of home style dishes.
Happiness Green Bean
Almost every family in Taiwan makes their own green bean soup; however, Happiness Green Bean on the corner of Guangdong Road and Zhongzheng Road has been perfected. The owners spent 3 years testing the optimal combination of green beans, water, brown sugar, and demerara sugar to make the best green bean soup: one of the local folks’ favorites.