New Faces for Traditional Marketplaces

Taipei is home to many traditional markets, some of which are over a century old. Recently the Taipei City Market Administration Office has undertaken a significant market-renovation project, beautifying shop fronts, installing air-conditioning facilities, and cleaning up environments. Now apart from creating a better shopping environment, browsing has also become more pleasant. We now take you on a tour, introducing the special characters of several Taipei marketplaces.

Nanmen Market — The Best-Known Shops

Nanmen Market (南門市場), easily reached by public transport, is known for its wide range of regional specialty goods as well as dishes from the various provinces of mainland China. The steady crowds around Chinese New Year are impressive. The market was thoroughly refurbished at the end of 2012, and now offers air-con in all areas and an environment that is bright, clean, and inviting. The food court on the second floor has pleasant timber tables and chairs complemented by attractive hanging lamps. The stylish and comfortable space resembles a department store food court.
The market, which has a long history, has 270 stalls, spread over the basement and first two floors of the building in which it is housed. The main goods on the first floor are prepared foods and pastries, zongzi (粽子, glutinous rice with different fillings wrapped in bamboo leaves), and regional specialties. Most of the prepared foods are in the style of mainland China’s Jiangzhe-region (江浙) cuisine, with an authentic home-made flavor, laid out in trays in hunger-inducing variety. At Yichang Yufang (億長御坊), which has been in operation for over 50 years and has been selected the World’s Best Vendor four times, the most renowned foods are drunken chicken (醉雞), Dongpo pork (東坡肉), candied lotus root (冰糖蓮藕), and meat-stuffed green peppers (青椒鑲肉). This vendor is also known for its popularity with celebrities.
The basement level is dedicated to fresh meats, seafood, fruits, and vegetables. There is an especially wide and attractive range of fruits and veggies, and many exotic varieties not available in other markets can be found here. The second floor has sellers of general merchandise and a food court, which offers special items such as ice cream, Vietnamese pho, and sushi in addition to traditional snack treats. Chengjia Xiaoguan (成家小館) sells a delicious pickled vegetable with pork hotpot, which comes with many other ingredients. Clear evidence of the delicious tastes found at Hehuan Sliced Noodles (合歡刀削麵) is the long line-up inevitably found in front.

Xihu Market — the First Metro-Integrated Market

Xihu Market (西湖市場) has existed for 20 years. In the past it was just a random gathering of stalls, but when the MRT Wenhu Line was opened the market was moved into a shared facility, becoming Taiwan’s first and only metro-integrated market. Though it now has a new look, it remains a classic traditional market at its heart, filled with traditional-style vendors and the air of warmth and hospitality such places are known for.
Chicken, duck, fish, and other meats are sold on the bright and airy first floor. At Doujiang Da (豆漿大) or, literally, “Soybean Milk Big,” only imported non-genetically modified soybeans are used, and special water-treatment equipment has been installed. The soybean milk here is rich and aromatic. Because of its direct connection with the metro system, the second-floor food court is always busy, and can be described as an international culinary space without borders. At Yidai Tungu Jia (一代豚骨家) or “Pork Bone House” the specialty is authentic Kyushu ramen. The owner, from Japan, speaks Chinese. The noodles are prepared on the spot, and the staff are masters at the traditional water-flinging technique. Though just a small stand, all the professionalism of a bigger establishment is on show, and there is always a queue. At Hantingguan Hanshi Kaoroufan (韓亭館韓式烤肉飯) or “Korea Pavilion Korean-style BBQ Pork Rice” classic Korean treats such as pancakes, bibimbap, and BBQ rice are served, and the great tastes and moderate prices make it popular with customers. At Xingye Baozaifan (星爺煲仔飯), or “Xingye Clay Pot Rice,” the food is prepared Hong Kong style. The pot, bursting with different ingredients, is a visual delight.
This market’s splendid range of international choices, and its clean and comfortable environment, has made it a Neihu favorite.

Shidong Market — Taipei's Model Market

Located in the Tianmu (天母) commercial district, 20-year-old Shidong Market (士東市場) is in an area with many foreign residents. Now brighter and more spacious after renovation, the first floor has fruits and vegetables, fresh seafood, and flowers and plants. The second floor is home to 128 sellers of general merchandise and a food court. Among the features introduced in the upgraded spatial design is air-conditioning (used in summer), making for an experience more akin to shopping in a supermarket. The new design has won the market 4-star certification from the Ministry of Economic Affairs (經濟部).
The market’s fruits, vegetables and seafood are all of unusual quality. Many of the fruit and vegetable sellers grow their own products, using organic methods which avoid pesticides. The range of the seafood is unlimited, and you can buy special restaurant-grade items such as lobster imported from Boston and crab from Penghu for extra-special meals at home.
A very wide range of culinary creations is on offer at the market. “Master A-Ji” (阿吉師) is a renowned stand-up eatery that serves sashimi and made-to-order sushi rivaling the cuisine at the best restaurants. The “Sihang Warehouse” (四行倉庫) is another widely known stand, with all kinds of grains and grain-based products. You’ll feel as though you’ve walked into a rice-themed museum. This seller’s fame brings customers from as far away as Japan.
Up on the second floor, as you explore the food court you might feel as though you’re walking through the United Nations in miniature. Classic foods from Yunnan, Korea, Italy, Japan, Taiwan, and all around the world are on the menu here. Of special note is Baobao Jiachang Lunchbox (寶飽家常便當), known for high-quality ingredients and fastidious preparation that attracts big-name customers from the entertainment industry.

Shilin Market — A Food Market on a Heritage Site

Shilin Market (士林市場) is a century old, its origins dating back to the Japanese colonial period. With time the market was showing its age, and for safety reasons the city government decided it was time to replace the old structure with a new steel-shed outer frame, although the original red-brick structures along the two sides were saved, and the new market reopened in its improved home in 2011. The heritage structures and the antique-style wood roofing create a strong Japanese flavor. The facility’s long heritage building features general merchandise; the short heritage building concentrates on fresh meats and seafood. A visit to the short building is like taking an enjoyable shopping trip back into the past.
In the central area between the two heritage buildings are over two hundred stalls that, in the morning, supply fresh meats, seafood, fruits, and vegetables. In the afternoon it is transformed into a marketplace for daily necessities, snacks, and sundry items, at which time a basement food court also opens. This is a good time for a stroll through the complex, grabbing a bite and browsing. The most famous snacks sold as the food court becomes a night market each day include “little bun wrapped in big bun” (大餅包小餅), oyster omelets, and Shilin big sausages (士林大香腸). The countless snack choices and convenient access by MRT make this perhaps Taiwan’s most famous center for snacking, and a must-visit attraction for travelers from overseas.