Taiwanese street food$wanhua
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.
Jiangsu and Zhejiang$$zhongshan
Ming Jiang is a Jiangsu-Zhejiang kitchen in Taipei serving Shanghai-style home cooking, lion's-head meatballs and cold drunken chicken among the staples.
Signature: Lion's head meatball, Smoked fish, Drunken chicken
Order: Lion's head meatball, drunken chicken, smoked fish.
Tip: Open 11:30 to 14:00 and 17:00 to 21:00. Phone reservations.
Taiwanese seafood$$$zhongshan
Ming Fu runs Bib Gourmand Taiwanese seafood from a wood-panel room in Taipei. Banquet-style sharing tables and a wine list with Burgundy depth.
Signature: Steamed grouper, Bottarga rice
Order: Steamed grouper of the day, bottarga fried rice.
Tip: Open 11:30 to 14:00 and 17:30 to 22:00. Reserve by phone.
Japanese heritage dining$$$daan
Qing Tian 76 turns a 1931 Japanese-era Qingtian Street professor's house into a Showa dining room, tatami floors intact, set lunch and small kaiseki sittings.
Signature: Tatami set lunch, Seasonal sashimi
Order: Tatami-room set lunch with wagashi and matcha.
Tip: Closed Mondays. Phone reservation required.
Seafood market and sushi$$$zhongshan
Addiction Aquatic Development in Taipei is a fish-market food complex with a standing sushi bar, oyster bar, and the city's best chirashi don to go.
Signature: Standing sushi bar, Chirashi don
Order: Standing-bar omakase or a chirashi rice bowl from the deli.
Tip: Open 06:00 to 24:00 daily; sushi bar 11:00 to 22:00.
Lu rou fan$songshan
Din Wang Mazu in Taipei runs late-night lu rou fan, the canonical bowl of fat-glossy braised pork mince over rice. Bib Gourmand, open until 03:00.
Signature: Lu rou fan, Pork knuckle
Order: Lu rou fan with a soft-boiled egg and a side of pickled greens.
Tip: Open 11:00 to 03:00 daily. Cash and mobile pay; quick turnover.