Vegan Eats Take Over Taipei
The sea, the flowers, the mountains, one of the tallest buildings in the world—there are a lot of reasons to visit Taipei, but the best reason to board a plane bound for Taiwan, by far, is the vegan eating!
If you’ve read some of my other blog posts, you’ve probably realized that I like to eat. Well, my vacations are no exception—I travel to satisfy my taste buds. My recent trip to Taipei, which has 102 listings on HappyCow.net for vegan and vegetarian restaurants, turned out to be one of my best eatcations yet!
Ever Green Vegetarian Restaurant
I stopped by this awesomely huge vegetarian buffet during “tea time,” but make no mistake—there was a lot more than tea being served. Soups, tofu, noodles, mock meats … you name it—you could probably find it on this huge all-you-can-eat food bar. Vegan desserts were a bit limited, but the shaved ice with fruit puree toppings made for a perfect end to a long and filling meal.
Must try: the freshly-made daikon cakes
Most tourists will make it to Shihlin for the great deals on everything from bedroom slippers to designer jeans, but the street eats are well worth the trip alone! The chòu dòufu, or “stinky tofu,” may send you running, but trust me—there are vegan treasures to be found.
Must try: the yóu tiáo, or Chinese fried DONUTS!
Loving Hut, Jhongsiao East Road
Loving Hut is famous the world over for great vegan food, but this branch went above and beyond. Vegan steak with mushrooms, potatoes, and gravy at this Loving Hut ranks in my top 10 meals of all time. Waffles, brownies, and cake are all good choices for dessert, and of course, I enjoyed all three on my visit!
Must try: the vegan steak!
This modern and chic vegetarian restaurant has some really tasty Chinese classics. Meals are a bit on the pricey side, but they’re typically big enough to share and come with several courses, including freshly made jicama juice. Red-bean soup and fresh fruit make a cool and refreshing dessert, too.
Must try: the Szechuan Spicy Hot Pot
The “Soy Milk King”—yep, I believe it. Open 24/7, you can actually get a lot more than soy milk at this local Taiwan bakery-style eatery. Delicious crisp yóu tiáo (fried dough) and steaming hot vegan bāozi (steamed buns) loaded with veggies are served fresh and fast. The bāozi kept me coming back for breakfast on every day that I was in Taipei.
Must try: the soy milk (The king, indeed!)
Posted by Edwina Baier
