Each time I find myself back in Taipei, I make it a priority to visit the Keelung Miaokou Night Market. This market, located in the city of Keeling about one hour northeast of Taipei, has gained a reputation for its Taiwanese street foods, snacks, and fresh seafood. I might even say it is the most famous night market in Taiwan.
If you only have time to visit one market in Taiwan, it should be the Keelung Miaokou Night Market.
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How to get to Keelung Miaokou Night Market from Taipei Main Station
Keelung is located about 15 miles (25 kilometers) northeast of Taipei
From Taipei Main Station, the easiest way to reach Keelung is by bus or train.
- By train: Take the Fuxing / Shuttle from Taipei Main Station to Keelung Station. The journey takes about 50 minutes. A ticket costs 39.00 TWD. The market is a 10 minute walk from the station.
- By Bus: Take Bus 1813 from Taipei Main Station to the Keeling Train Station (Maritime Plaza) stop. The journey takes about 75 minutes.
A ticket costs 55 TWD. The market is an 8 minute walk from the bus stop.
Whether you arrive by bus or train, the Keelung Miaokou Night Market is no more than a ten minute walk.
The main entrance was located at the intersection of Jijin Road and Rensan Road. The central part of the market continued down the lantern-lined Rensan Road with smaller stalls overflowing onto adjacent streets.
One of the great things I enjoyed about the market were the signboards in both English and Chinese. This was great for a tourist like me as I knew exactly what was sold at each stall without guessing.
At the center of the market was Dianji Temple. A little history lesson: in the 19th century during the Japanese occupation, merchants started selling snacks outside of the temple. Over the years, the market expanded around the temple, the heart of the market.
Now for the food. Here are a few of the things I ate on my visit to the market.
Ding Bian Cuo (Stall #27-2)
Ding Bian Cuo is a colorful soup named for its unique noodles. To make these noodles, rice flour dough is poured into a wok. As it cooks, the dough slides down the wok creating a thin layer. The sheet is then cut up into very thin and chewy noodles.
Out of all the places in Taiwan to try din bian cuo, none are more famous than Wu Jia Ding Cuo. This century-old family business can be found at Stall #27-2 right next to Miaokou Temple.
The golden brown broth of the Ding Bian Cuo was light and refreshing with a salty flavor.
Floating in the broth were colorful pork and shrimp cakes. These handmade balls were dense and tender but still had a good bite to them. I enjoyed how the rich pork complemented the salty shrimp.
Topping off the soup were small bits of fresh crunchy green vegetables and chewy bamboo shoots which added a nice texture.
Another great thing about Wu Jia Ding Cuo, and a few other stalls at the market, was being able to grab a seat at a table to eat. While I don’t mind the experience of eating in the street at a night market, it was nice to be able to sit down and eat. Also, standing and eating a soup is not the easiet.
Oyster Omlette
Though relatively unknown to first-time visitors to Taiwan, the oyster omelette reigns supreme over all over Taiwanese street foods. Out of all the night market foods found in Taiwan, none might be more well known than the oyster omelette.
Every spot does them a little differently but a typical oyster omelette is made with oysters, egg, starch, and sliced greens.
You can find them all over the market. I stumbled across a small stall just off the main road, Rensan Road.
I watched as the worker placed small fresh oysters on the hot flat grill. After a few moments, he mixed in potato starch, cracked open an egg, and finished everything off with green onions. Right after the omelette was taken off the grill, it was hit with a sweet and spicy sauce.
The omelette was served hot right off the grill. I was surprised just how gooey the outside of the omelette was. The texture reminded me of a rice cake. It was nothing like your typical egg omelette.
What hit me first was the explosion of salty flavors from the fresh oysters. For something so small, the oysters were packed with flavors. complementing the salty flavors of the oysters were fresh and crunchy green onions and a salty, sweet, and spicy sauce.
The combination of oysters, egg, starch, and green onions might have seemed odd but I couldn’t imagine visiting Taiwan without trying and oyster omelette.
Nutritious Sandwich (Stall 58)
Out of all the foods I encountered at the market, none were more memorable than the Nutritious Sandwich. I couldn’t believe how many people were waiting in line for this deep fried sandwich filled with stewed eggs, ham, vegetables, and mayonnaise. Definitely one of the strangest foods I have ever eaten.
You can find the Nutritious Sandwich (營養三明治) at Stall #58.
If there is a line, take a number from the dispenser and wait for your number to be called.
So why is it called Nutritious Sandwich? I really have no idea. There was nothing nutritious about this sandwich.
The deep fried bread was crispy and crunchy on the outside while soft and light on the inside. It had a lightly sweet taste, almost reminding me of a youtiao, a Chinese fried doughnut.
The bread was then sliced open and stuffed with soy sauce marinated stewed eggs, think chunks of smoky and salty Taiwanese ham, crunchy and fresh cucumbers, and a tomato slice. Everything was then topped with a rich and creamy Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise that I at first thought was cheese.
Sweet, savory, salty, smoky, strange.
I’m not going to lie, this was one of the strangest yet most satisfying things I have ever eaten while traveling.
One-Bite Sausage (Stall 43-1)
At night markets across Taipei, one of the most common, and cheapest food items you will encounter over and over is the Taiwanese sausage.
You can find these sweet and savory sausages in all sorts of sizes and dishes, but one thing remains the same, the flavor. I just can’t get enough of them. I have an obsession with them.
At the corner of Rensan Road and Aisi Road was Stall 43-1, a popular stall selling One-Bite Sausages.. You could order one on a stick, or if you order more, they will put it in a small cup for you.
These tiny sausages were crispy and charred on the outside while juicy on the inside. Though basic, they managed to pack a lot of sweet, salty, smoky, and porky flavors in one small bite. I just wish I had ordered more.
Last Updated on June 16, 2025
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