Who wouldn’t enjoy a day/night market full of food choices—some familiar and others completely new, right?

Not many restaurants are opened as early as 6-9am where we stayed at (Datong District) so we headed to Ximending which is 1 station away from Taipei Main Station. We also wanted to check the Walking District since we read that it gets crowded from early afternoon ’til late night.

Beef Noodles Soup at Lao Shan Dong

We visited the green Wan Nian Building on Xining Road, where many stalls were still closed past 9am. While exploring, we stumbled upon Lao Shan Dong, a Michelin Star Awardee. Based on the videos we had seen, their beef noodles were highly recommended, so we made sure to order that, along with the Beef, Tendon, and Tripe Soup (though we didn’t get a photo of it).

Their Beef Noodle Soup features large chunks of beef and wide, firm handmade noodles (just the right texture for my taste) – topped with a sprinkle of onion chives. The broth, while decent, isn’t overly beefy. The soup is served at a comfortable temperature (not too hot) so you can enjoy it right away. That’s a big plus for me.

We also ordered the Beef, Tendon, and Tripe Soup, though it’s not pictured here because they initially brought the wrong soup. I assumed it would taste similar to mine, just with rice instead of noodles, so I asked if the rice would be coming later. When the waitress checked our order, she quickly took my husband’s soup and replaced it with the correct one. By then, he had already eaten 3-4 big chunks of beef 😅. Their customer service was great – handling the mix-up promptly.

As for the condiments, I wasn’t a fan of their chili oil/paste -it had a slight sourness with a hint of peanut and wasn’t very spicy. However, I did love their pickled radish with mustard leaves. You’ll need to grab your own condiments from a table in the corner.

Overall, it’s a good experience to try this Michelin Star restaurant.

Pan-fried Dorayaki (Pancake)

As we left Lao Shan Dong, we were drawn to a well-lit stall selling pancakes with various fillings. It was Simon’s Pan-fried Dorayaki, and according to the menu, their best seller is the red bean flavor. Even though we were still full from the noodles, we decided to try one. My verdict? It was lightly sweetened – hubby wasn’t a fan, but I thought it was okay. I imagine the chocolate or other fillings, along with a slightly toasted pancake would make it a more satisfying snack.

Popcorn Chicken King

Looking for a place to sit, we decided to try a relatively large stall on the corner which is called Popcorn Chicken King. To our surprise, the chicken pops tasted even better than those we’ve had at places like KFC. They were incredibly flavorful for just NTD 65 (~PhP113.75). No sauce or ketchup was needed—though an extra cup of rice might have been nice! 😅

Ay-Chung Flour Rice Noodles 

When you walk past the popular Boba Xin Fu Tang Store, you’ll be greeted by another long line for Ay-Chung Flour Rice Noodles. The queueing is faster than you would imagine as there’s a separate line for ordering/paying and another for order pickup.

We got the small bowl (NTD 65 or ~PhP 113.75) which hubby and I shared. To be a bit more descriptive, this is a humble-looking soup with just a few ingredients from the naked eye. Aside from the thin noodles – misua-like noodles but firmer and I think pork intestine pictured above. I fell inlove with this noodle soup at the very first sip.

Totoo ang chismis! (The rumor is true!) It’s not overrated because the taste is so good. It’s evident based from the number of bowls in the trash bins and people eating this here and there.

Tian Tian Li (Oyester Omelet and Carrot Cake)

Past the Uniqlo building, we were invited by a long line of locals and tourists at Tian Tian Li -left side of the street. We just observed the queue but since this guy cooking the oyster omelet and carrot cake is non-stop, we decided to try it.

The oyster omelet shown below has a soft texture and is topped with a creamy, tomato-like sauce. I’m not sure exactly what the sauce is, but it definitely enhances the flavor of the dish. If you look closely, you’ll see large oysters along with green chives, and there’s a bit of sticky liquid from the oysters in some parts of the omelet. Rather than adding chili sauce, I suggest using pepper powder for seasoning. I wonder if there’s a version of this omelet that’s crispy on the outside but still soft inside—it would make a great difference.

The next dish is their version of carrot cake. At first, I thought it was a radish cake because of its white color, but the menu translated it as carrot cake. In the Philippines, carrot cake is typically a dessert, but here it’s savory, and I didn’t taste any hint of carrot from the first bite to the last. Again, I found the pepper powder to be a better seasoning than their chili sauce.

Between the two dishes, I like carrot cake better but both tasted good.

Fried Stinky Tofu

Next, we tried the famous fried stinky tofu, priced at NTD 80 (~PhP 140). Since I eat tofu regularly at home, I couldn’t really distinguish it from regular fried tofu, so it didn’t feel like anything new to me. Given the higher price, I was expecting a more distinct smell and flavor, but it didn’t stand out. For someone who doesn’t usually eat tofu, this might be an interesting experience. Oh by the way, the side dish of cabbage was a nice touch.

White Bitter Melon Shake?

This (Fruit) Drinks Stall at Ximen is really interesting especially that huge bitter melon display hanging from the ceiling. Anyone dared to try this white bitter melon shake? I haven’t since I don’t have the courage to order one. It looked like a white bitter melon to me but still not sure. Maybe the next time we visit Taiwan, we’ll definitely get one.