Potsticker and Dumpling (鍋貼 — 水餃）

Potstickers

Dumplings

Chinese name: 鍋貼 — 水餃

English translation: potstickers and dumplings 

Where to find it: almost anywhere in the city on the street in a shop. It's not one of those outside food stands.

Price: usually priced at either 5-8NT per potsticker/dumpling

I'm sure everyone knows what these are. Usually, filled with pork inside of them and some with shrimp. Potstickers are the pan fried ones and dumplings are the ones cooked in boiling water. I will tell you about the typical menu you will get. Both kinds come with "house special, curry flavored, kimchi, shrimp, leek" They usually have soy sauce, white and black vinegar, oil, spicy sauce on each individual table. You will always see on the menu corn soup or hot and sour soup. Traditionally, you're supposed to drink hot and sour soup to go with your dumplings and/or potstickers.

Baked Potato (起司馬鈴薯）

The menu at RaoHe Night Market

Chinese name: 起司馬鈴薯

English translation: cheese baked potato

Where to find it: Raohe Night Market or ShiLin Night market (main street 2 stands)

Price: 40-60NT

Basically, this is a baked potato top with cheese sauce. It's a bit different from the kind we have back in the states. You can choose what toppings you want like broccoli, corn, mushrooms, bacon and pineapple. There's no onions, salsa or butter like how you would add to it back in the US. They also like to toss pepper on top as well. Surprisingly, the 2 stands at ShiLin Night Market on the main street always have a line for it. Also, the on at the end of RaoHe Night Market has a long wait as well.

Taiwanese Burrito (潤餅)

Chinese name: 潤餅 (run4 bing2)

English translation: Taiwanese version of a burrito

Where to find it: Jiu Fen (潤餅） Ice cream version, and some small night markets. 

Price: 30-40NT

Thin layer of skin with shredded peanuts mixed with parsley and different flavored ice cream usually like taro or lychee. This type of run bing is harder to find. The more typical kind is the kind that has vegetables in side with some pork meat. When it's rolled up it looks just like a burrito. I'm not sure if other countries eat this as well or if it's just a Taiwan thing. But I'd recommend trying it if you see it.

Oyster Noodles (蚵仔麵線)

Chinese name: 蚵仔麵線

English translation: oyster noodles

Where to find it: any night market or roadside food stand

Price: 30-50NT

This dish is very popular in Taiwan and consists of oysters and vermicelli noodles. Sometimes it can be found with pig intestines in it as well. The most popular restaurant that sells it is known as "Ah Zhong Mian Xian" located in XiMenDing in Taipei. You can get there by MRT getting off at the Ximen stop on the blue line. If you go at night or during the weekends you'll see a line of people standing there eating it. Another place where you can find it is in San Gabriel, CA in the Ranch 99 plaza. Although, in my opinion it doesn't taste as good and it's probably more expensive as well.

Lian Wu (蓮霧）

Chinese: 蓮霧

English translation: Chinese Apple

Where to find it: any supermarket

Price: sold by weight

The translation literally mens "lotus fog" but has nothing to with either word. Perhaps it is named this because it grows in a foggy area? It's a very common fruit in Taiwan, just like apples are everywhere in the U.S.

Huo Long Guo (火龍果)

Chinese name: 火龍果

English translation: dragon fruit

Where to find it: any fruit stand in the grocery store

price: based on weight, not very expensive

Dragon fruit seems to only grow in tropical places such as Taiwan, China, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia etc. The inside can either be found white or red with tiny black seeds all over that you can eat. It also doesn't seem to have a very sweet, sour taste at all. It's a very light tasting fruit. 

Bao Bing (刨冰)

Mango snow

Strawberry snow

Chinese: 刨冰

Taiwanese: Tua bang

English translation: shaved ice

Where to find it: shilin night market (or any night market and roadside food stand)

Price: 90-150NT

Very popular especially during the summer time. You can put almost anything over the ice. From any type of fruit like strawberries, papaya, mangos, pineapple, passionfruit etc. Or you can add any type of jello like ai-yu or grass jelly. Beans can also be seen in it like green bean, red bean etc. Usually, condensed milk is drizzled on top to add some sweetness to it. 

This particular version is called "snow piece ice" because of the texture. If you look closely you can't see the actual ice pieces you'd normally see in most shaved ice desserts. This one is found in Shilin Night Market. Because it is one of my favorite places and I strongly recommend it, here is the address.

no 1 士林 區 安平 St