Ximending pedestrian shopping zone meets Longshan Temple's old Bangka district. Ay-Chung mianxian queue, Lao Shan Dong beef noodle basement.
Lao Shan Dong has been hand-pulling ribbon noodles since 1949 from the Wan Nian Building basement in Ximending. Bib Gourmand, ten-herb beef broth.
Signature: Hand-pulled beef noodle, Ten-herb broth noodle, Beef tendon plate
Order: Hand-pulled ribbon-noodle beef bowl; add tendon and pickled greens.
Tip: Open 10:30 to 21:30 daily. Cash only; the entrance is via the building's basement food court.
Lao Shan Dong in Taipei has been hand-pulling ribbon noodles since 1949 from the Wan Nian basement in Ximending. Bib Gourmand, ten-herb beef broth.
Signature: Hand-pulled ribbon noodle, Ten-herb beef broth
Order: Hand-pulled ribbon-noodle beef bowl with tendon.
Tip: Open 10:30 to 21:30 daily. Cash only; basement food-court entry.
Ay-Chung's standing-counter mianxian in Ximending has been ladling oyster-and-pork thin-rice-noodle soup since 1975. Eaten kerbside, two bowls deep.
Signature: Oyster and pork mianxian, Pickled chilli, Garlic vinegar
Order: Large bowl with extra chilli sauce and black vinegar.
Tip: Open Mon to Thu 10:00 to 22:30, Fri to Sun 10:00 to 23:00. Cash only.
Coffee Sweet near Taipei Main is one of the city's oldest specialty roasters, run by Sidney Kao with a focus on Ninety Plus and competition lots.
Tip: Closed Sundays. Beans retail by the bag; ask Sidney for the day's filter rotation.
Sources from: Panama, Ethiopia, Colombia
How they serve: Filter, Pour over, Whole bean retail
Ay-Chung in Ximending has been ladling oyster-and-pork thin-rice-noodle soup since 1975 at a standing kerbside counter. Two bowls deep, eaten on the curb.
Try: Oyster and pork intestine mianxian
Tip: Take a large bowl with extra chilli sauce and black vinegar from the condiment table.
Huaxi Street in Wanhua near Longshan Temple is Taipei's oldest tourist night market, historically known as Snake Alley. Pork blood soup, herb teas, snake.
Tip: Open 16:00 to 24:00 daily. MRT Longshan Temple, Exit 1.
Ay-Chung in Ximending has been ladling out oyster-and-pork thin-rice-noodle soup since 1975 for under NT$80 a bowl. Standing-counter, two bowls deep.
Try: Oyster and pork mianxian
Tip: Cash only. Open until 23:00 Fri to Sun.
Lao Shan Dong in Ximending runs late through the Wan Nian basement food court in Taipei, hand-pulled ribbon-noodle beef bowls until 21:30 daily. Bib Gourmand.
Try: Beef noodle and dumplings
Tip: Open 10:30 to 21:30 daily. Cash only.
Ximen Red House Plaza is Taipei's LGBTQ nightlife heart in Wanhua, a cluster of open-air bars and pubs in the plaza behind the 1908 octagonal Red House heritage building.
Tip: Open-air drinks Thu to Sun from 18:00. Reservation only at indoor venues.