Ximending Night Market The Iconic Taipei Shopping District

Ximending was still sleeping when we walked around it in the morning. Only a few shops were open, and we could see the mail and magazine left by the postman in front of closed shops.

Breakfast in Ximending

Finding breakfast with no knowledge of Mandarin was not easy but Amma managed to sign language the pushcart guy and got us some Taiwanese pancakes. It was a good street breakfast.

We continued walking and found a little shop that sold coffee beans. I paused there for a while, soaking the aroma and saw the seller notice this annoying tourist and quickly walked past by it.

Other than Starbucks, Ximending has two stories KFC. If you see a KFC in Ximending or anywhere in Taiwan, try their egg tart. It is so delicious, second-best from Hong Kong.

After some time, more shops opened, including a pachinko parlour (arcade store). A gambler by blood, my Amma wanted to stop by and play. We spent a good hour there trying to get the metal hand to grip the Taiwanese God who is holding a good luck charm.

A few people came and gathered around us to see what was happening. I guess two frustrated looking adult women in a gambling place was not a common morning sight around here. We left the shop empty-handed and a few hundred NT$ poorer.

Ticking My Taiwan Culture Checklist in Ximending

Bubble tea, the integral part of Taiwanese culture

It is the only drink that can sweeten my mood after a long draggy day at work. I made it our mission to find an authentic bubble tea today; when I told Ma about my personal quest, she asked, “What is bubble tea?” — After turning a few blocks we found it.

My first bubble tea on my first day in Taipei and it was smooth. Ma wasn’t interested in this pearly drink but instead went for the bitter gourd juice that seemed to be sold everywhere here. I must give her credit for trying new things.

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I also saw many dogs here, adorable ones. Taiwanese loves cute dogs. They even have a dog restaurant here called Ah Mao Risotto, they are selling Italian food, and I met the mascot, a huge golden retriever. He was sitting in front of the restaurant, chillaxing. If you are a dog lover, you would want to stop by here.

After lunch, we went to Chiufen village and only came back to Ximending in the evening. It has totally transformed! Lively and buzzing. Filled with youngsters, colourful shops, pushcarts food, hats, and street performers.

Shopping in Ximending

Ximending is an enormous shopping area and you can find almost anything here. From fashion to sheesha, from street performer to live concert. It has been a fun experience to explore.

I, then, understand where does Ximending get the nickname Shibuya of Taipei.

We went in and out of the shops, bought a matching scarf that can be also be used as a hat even as a dress.

The hype of Korean beauty culture in Taiwan

We shopped at the Nature Republic, the beloved Korean beauty product brand from South Korea, which we can’t find back home. My Amma was particularly excited about this shop. She bought knick-knacks including a face warmer. As for me, I stocked up my face mask sheets.

Ximending Famous Street Food

We also indulged ourselves in street food at the Ximending night market. First, we started with were liquid sugar-coated strawberry and quail eggs.

Ma joined a long queue. “What are they selling?”, I asked her. She answered, “I don’t know, but must be good, look how long the queue is?”. I like the optimism Ma! The long queue led to grilled mochi. We tried one each. Mine was with milk and she had the sugary one.

Ximending street food was so delicious!

After all the snacking and shopping, we chose a local place, with an English menu, for dinner. Here, I got to try the most raved local dish: oyster noodles. It came in a small bowl, and it didn’t look good, but it turned out to be delicious as well.

When you visit Taipei, stay in Ximending area, and please try all the various street food. Have a grilled mochi on my behalf, will you?

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