Serious foodies consistently rank Raohe Street Night Market as the best in Taipei, often above the larger and more touristy Shilin. Raohe has six Michelin-awarded food stalls packed into a 500-meter stretch of street, and it is busy every night of the year. The market started as a morning wet market near the riverside in eastern Taipei, where shoppers combined grocery runs with visits to Songshan Ciyou Temple. Over time the night market took over, though a daytime Songshan Market still operates in the middle of it.
Getting there is straightforward. Ride the Taipei MRT Green Line to Songshan Station, Exit 5. Step out and the large, lit-up entrance gate to Raohe Night Market is right across the street, flanked by Songshan Ciyou Temple. If you are coming on the TRA train from a day trip to Jiufen or Shifen, get off at Songshan Station instead of riding all the way to Taipei Main Station.
Songshan Ciyou Temple
Before entering the market, take a moment at Songshan Ciyou Temple (松山慈祐宮), the huge Matsu temple beside the entrance. It dates to 1753, nearly as old as Longshan Temple, the city's most famous one. The temple is dedicated to Matsu, goddess of fishermen and the sea and patron saint of Taiwan. The roof is a multi-layered riot of color, and the interior glows with lanterns. You can use the restrooms inside the temple, a useful tip since the narrow market lanes have few facilities.
The Black Pepper Buns at the Entrance
Just past the entrance gate, the most famous stall in the whole market sits in the middle of the street. Fuzhou Black Pepper Buns (福州世祖胡椒餅) is so popular that many consider it a sin to visit Raohe without trying one. Buns stuffed with pork, green onions, and black pepper are roasted on the inner walls of a charcoal-fired clay and brick oven. They come out piping hot, flaky on the outside, juicy and peppery inside, with a smoky char from the oven. Each bun costs TWD 60, and the line moves quickly thanks to constant demand.
The smoke pouring off the oven and the smell of pepper draw everyone in. There is also a smaller second branch of Fuzhou Black Pepper Buns at Shilin Night Market, but the Raohe original is the one to beat.
Stinky Tofu, Squid, and Medicinal Ribs
Walk the right-side lane into the market and you hit a cluster of stalls so popular they take up most of the street. Shi Boss Stinky Tofu (施老板麻辣臭豆腐) has Michelin status for its spicy stewed version, big hunks of semi-firm tofu simmered in a fiery broth with chunks of duck blood, topped with green onions and pickled vegetables. Say "bu yao ya xie" if you want to skip the duck blood. Right next door, Xiagang Mingpeng Stinky Tofu (下港名彭臭豆腐) competes for the title of best stinky tofu in the market, offering both the stewed and the regular deep-fried versions, plus oyster omelets.
Chen Dong Ribs Medicinal Herbs Soup (陳董藥燉排骨攤位) is the third Michelin stall in this cluster. The steam pouring off the massive soup vats is highly aromatic, scented with over 15 Chinese herbs. A bowl of pork rib soup costs around TWD 100 to 130 and is especially satisfying on a cold evening. There is also a chicken version and braised pork rice.
For seafood, Jiahe Squid King (加賀魷魚大王) on the return lane plates up grilled squid in a garlicky, basil-laced chili sauce. A plate costs TWD 150, pricey for a night market but the sauce makes it worth it. The stall has seating upstairs on the second floor, including a toilet. Dongfahao Fried Rice and Noodles (東發號) is another Michelin spot, doing oyster and intestine vermicelli with a recipe unchanged for over 80 years. Mochi Baby (麻糬寶寶), a skinny red stall, is Michelin-recognized for its old-school mochi rice cakes coated in peanut powder, made fresh on a clicking hand-cranked machine.
Practical Tips
The best time to visit is 5:00 to 7:00 PM, when stalls are just getting started. From 7 to 10 PM the market becomes uncomfortably packed. Crowds thin again from 10 PM to midnight. Friday and Saturday are the busiest nights. The market is open every day of the year but can be quiet for a few days around Lunar New Year. Trash bins sit under the eastern and western entrance gates. This is not the best night market for kids, since the two lanes are narrow and strollers are a hassle. For a breather, duck one block north to the LOVE sign and Rainbow Bridge in the riverside park, where you can eat your market food in peace.
What to skip: the stinky tofu fries (妖怪臭薯條) are a fun novelty and fully vegetarian, but serious stinky tofu fans point out they are not stinky enough. The penis cakes are a souvenir gag, not a snack to queue for. Save your stomach for the pepper buns, the ribs soup, and the squid.
