Taiwan: Ningxia Night Market (Revisited)
I just returned from a two week trip to Seoul and Tokyo, so you know what that means. I'm even more behind than usual on my posts.
How behind, you ask? Well, I'm still on my trip to Asia back in April. At this point, things look pretty bleak. I don't know if I'll ever catch up. But hope springs eternal, right? So here I go.
When I interned in Taipei back in the summer of 2010, Ningxia Night Market was on the street just outside of my office. Back then, it was just a small, lesser-known night market with not a lot of people. I never would have imagined that it would explode into the popular spot that it is today. Now that Shilin Night Market is considered to be too touristy, Ningxia is the new must-go night market in Taipei.
And it's not just locals. Tourists have started to catch on as well:
The walkway between the food carts is really narrow and packed with people walking in both directions. You really have to keep your eyes peeled for what you want and then forcibly propel yourself out of the current of pedestrians to reach the stall of your choice.
In any night market, one of my first stops is typically for fried chicken bits:
I always ask for chicken hearts:
And my favorite, chicken butts:
Jiejie introduced Abby and me to a stinky tofu soup stall:
The bowls are packed with ingredients. There's a lot of veggies and of course, stinky tofu:
As well as chunks of duck blood:
The soup itself is pungent in the best way and just spicy enough to get the sweat rolling.
Given a Michelin Plate in 2018, Yuan Huan Bian is considered by many to have the best oyster omelet in Taipei:
Hence the crazy long line. Luckily you get to watch the oyster omelets being made while waiting, which helps pass the time.
Besides oyster omelets, Yuan Huan Bian also offers mi gao (30 NT / $0.97):
It's essentially steamed glutinous rice with pork fat. What's not to love?
The famed oyster omelet (70 NT / $2.25) is indeed crazy delicious:
I can say with confidence that it is the best oyster omelet I've ever had. And I've had many.
The little mi tai mu shop I used to go to when I was interning has been completely remodeled to the point that I had to look back at my own blog to make sure it was the same place. Liang Tong Ban has expanded its menu beyond mi tai mu to just about every kind of shaved ice under the sun and advertises this fact proudly with large picture menus posted all over.
I'm all for businesses growing, but it does make me feel a little nostalgic for the simpler days. The mi tai mu still tasted exactly the same though:
Bigger bowl, slightly bigger price tag (50 NT / $1.60), but still the same shaved ice, green beans, brown sugar syrup, and rice noodles.
When you visit Ningxia, get in the longest line of the entire night market. It's impossible to miss:
The line will eventually lead you to this stall:
Recognized by Michelin Bib Gourmand, Liu Yu Zi is known for its fried taro balls. They might not look like much:
But trust me, they're freakin' amazing. There's an option to get plain fried taro balls (25 NT / $0.80 each), but ignore that and go straight for the fried taro balls with salted egg yolk and pork floss inside (30 NT / $0.97 each):
Part of the fun is watching the magic happen close up. The staff work like a well-oiled machine, nimble fingers pinching and rolling and stacking ball after ball. The taro is steamed, then mashed, and then formed into balls after stuffing egg yolk and pork floss inside. The end result is crisp on the outside and soft inside. Slightly sweet, slightly salty, it's really the perfect snack.
Nearby is the boiled mochi stall:
The giant balls of mochi come in ground black sesame and ground peanuts:
These are more to Abby's taste than mine, but even I can appreciate a fresh hot mochi from time to time.
If you're visiting Taipei for the first time, you should probably still swing by Shilin Night Market just to say that you've been there. But for the really good food, you have to head to Ningxia. Go soon though. Before the tourists ruin this market too.
How behind, you ask? Well, I'm still on my trip to Asia back in April. At this point, things look pretty bleak. I don't know if I'll ever catch up. But hope springs eternal, right? So here I go.
When I interned in Taipei back in the summer of 2010, Ningxia Night Market was on the street just outside of my office. Back then, it was just a small, lesser-known night market with not a lot of people. I never would have imagined that it would explode into the popular spot that it is today. Now that Shilin Night Market is considered to be too touristy, Ningxia is the new must-go night market in Taipei.
And it's not just locals. Tourists have started to catch on as well:
The walkway between the food carts is really narrow and packed with people walking in both directions. You really have to keep your eyes peeled for what you want and then forcibly propel yourself out of the current of pedestrians to reach the stall of your choice.
In any night market, one of my first stops is typically for fried chicken bits:
I always ask for chicken hearts:
And my favorite, chicken butts:
Jiejie introduced Abby and me to a stinky tofu soup stall:
The bowls are packed with ingredients. There's a lot of veggies and of course, stinky tofu:
As well as chunks of duck blood:
The soup itself is pungent in the best way and just spicy enough to get the sweat rolling.
Given a Michelin Plate in 2018, Yuan Huan Bian is considered by many to have the best oyster omelet in Taipei:
Hence the crazy long line. Luckily you get to watch the oyster omelets being made while waiting, which helps pass the time.
Besides oyster omelets, Yuan Huan Bian also offers mi gao (30 NT / $0.97):
It's essentially steamed glutinous rice with pork fat. What's not to love?
The famed oyster omelet (70 NT / $2.25) is indeed crazy delicious:
I can say with confidence that it is the best oyster omelet I've ever had. And I've had many.
The little mi tai mu shop I used to go to when I was interning has been completely remodeled to the point that I had to look back at my own blog to make sure it was the same place. Liang Tong Ban has expanded its menu beyond mi tai mu to just about every kind of shaved ice under the sun and advertises this fact proudly with large picture menus posted all over.
I'm all for businesses growing, but it does make me feel a little nostalgic for the simpler days. The mi tai mu still tasted exactly the same though:
Bigger bowl, slightly bigger price tag (50 NT / $1.60), but still the same shaved ice, green beans, brown sugar syrup, and rice noodles.
When you visit Ningxia, get in the longest line of the entire night market. It's impossible to miss:
The line will eventually lead you to this stall:
Recognized by Michelin Bib Gourmand, Liu Yu Zi is known for its fried taro balls. They might not look like much:
But trust me, they're freakin' amazing. There's an option to get plain fried taro balls (25 NT / $0.80 each), but ignore that and go straight for the fried taro balls with salted egg yolk and pork floss inside (30 NT / $0.97 each):
Part of the fun is watching the magic happen close up. The staff work like a well-oiled machine, nimble fingers pinching and rolling and stacking ball after ball. The taro is steamed, then mashed, and then formed into balls after stuffing egg yolk and pork floss inside. The end result is crisp on the outside and soft inside. Slightly sweet, slightly salty, it's really the perfect snack.
Nearby is the boiled mochi stall:
The giant balls of mochi come in ground black sesame and ground peanuts:
These are more to Abby's taste than mine, but even I can appreciate a fresh hot mochi from time to time.
If you're visiting Taipei for the first time, you should probably still swing by Shilin Night Market just to say that you've been there. But for the really good food, you have to head to Ningxia. Go soon though. Before the tourists ruin this market too.
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