Walking in Taipei Food Tour and Jiufen Day Trip

After our first taste of Taipei and our first night market experience, we were ready for our first full day in the city. First, we started off with cold refreshing tea from 50 Lan, a popular chain in the area. Then, we officially began our day with breakfast at Jin Feng Braised Pork Rice.

Food Stop 1: Jin Feng Braised Pork Rice

No. 10, Section 1, Roosevelt Rd, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100

We ate lu rou fan, or minced pork over rice. Also, we ordered braised pork belly over rice and two tea eggs on the side. Rice for breakfast is usually delicious, especially paired with egg and braised meat. As tasty as the lu rou fan was, the gloriously glistening pork belly stole the show!

After a delicious breakfast, we walked some of it off by exploring some famous landmarks in the city. First, the beautiful National Theater, Liberty Square and Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.

Then, we fueled up with more tea to quench our thirst from the intense Taipei heat. Here, we stopped at the Chun Shui Tang inside the National Concert Hall. After, we headed towards the President of Taiwan’s building.

Food Stop 2: Ay-Chung Flour-Rice Noodle

108, Taiwan, Taipei City, Wanhua District, Emei Street, 8-1號

Initially, this spot wasn’t at the top of our list. But, our stroll through the city took us right near this famous stall in Ximending. So, we went to see what the hype was about. It turned out to be one of the highlights of our day.

Beforehand, we heard mixed things, but one sip of the smoky broth quickly put any negative comments to rest. The soft noodles molded together beautifully with the broth. After we added garlic, chili oil and vinegar, the broth was taken to another level. Pork intestines were free of funk and an excellent accompaniment to the bowl. To top it all off, basil leaves gave an awesome aromatic and fresh touch. We saw first hand why this place is packed!

Food Stop 3: Snow King Ice Cream

No. 65, Section 1, Wuchang St, Zhongzheng District, Taipei City, Taiwan 100

Located upstairs from street level is Snow King Ice Cream. This spot is well-known for a large variety of flavors, including many funky varieties. Of course, we had to choose one of the more interesting flavors to pair with a less-adventurous choice. We chose pork knuckle, which had an icy texture along with chunks of the cartilage. Maybe this cup would be good for the skin with the collagen! The ice cream itself had a nice flavor that was true to the pork and was a bit salty. It tasted better than we expected, but not something we would order often.

We decided to pair the pork knuckle with basil, which was much creamier and closer to classic ice cream consistency. Immediately, the fragrant basil made its presence felt. We also enjoyed that it wasn’t sweet and tasted exactly like fresh basil. On a future visit, we would like to try more of the funky flavors like sesame oil chicken or sticky rice.

After exploring and eating in Taipei, we headed north via train to Ruifang station. From Ruifang, we took an Uber to Jiufen (Jioufen). There were some very beautiful views here, but it had all the makings of a tourist trap!

Have you been to these spots in Taipei? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below!

Stay tuned for more vlogs from our stay. Subscribe to our YouTube channel at the link below to get them as soon as they come out.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn3xotTBbZ7CaH8Zv5WtHHg

Thanks for watching and reading!