Food Recommendations Near Shida Night Market and Taipower Building

Introduction to Shida and Taipower Building Area

Located near Taipei's local universities, the vibrant neighborhood surrounding Shida Night Market (accessible via MRT Taipower Building Station Exit 3) is highly popular among students, locals, and tourists alike. Unlike larger, linear night markets, Shida features a maze-like layout of lanes and alleys containing an array of affordable street stalls, sit-down international restaurants, clothing boutiques, and atmospheric cafes.

While Shida has fewer street vendors and is generally less crowded on weekends compared to other night markets like Ningxia or Shilin, its rich selection of long-standing food brands makes it a premier destination for food enthusiasts.

Iconic Street Snacks and Fried Delicacies

• Shi Yun Salted Crispy Chicken (師園鹹酥雞 本店) Operating since 1984, this legendary garlic-forward spot is a staple of Shida Night Market. It is one of the few salted crispy chicken places offering spacious indoor seating (though tables remain highly competitive during peak hours).
  • What to order: Salted crispy chicken (NT$70), squid (NT$75), tempura (NT$42), rice blood cake (NT$30), and fried green beans or king oyster mushrooms. The egg tofu (NT$42) resembles tender 'old skin' tofu, though some diners find it average.
  • Practical Cautions: The medium spice (中辣) level can be intensely hot even for spice lovers; choose mild (微辣) if you prefer lower heat. Sharing one portion is recommended, as eating a whole portion alone can taste overly salty toward the end.
• Lantern Luwei (燈籠滷味-創始店) A highly popular self-serve braised food joint with fast ingredient turnover. Customers select their raw ingredients buffet-style before they are braised in a flavorful broth.
  • What to order: Bean curd skin, mushrooms, braised pork large intestine, instant noodles, and budget-friendly bean sprouts (NT$10).
  • Warning: Avoid general vegetable items here, as their portion sizes are considered disappointingly small for the price.
• Xuan Xuan Luwei (軒軒滷味) Located at Lane 46, Longquan Street, this heavily-rated local braised food stall features fresh ingredients and a friendly owner. The savory sauce is so popular that customers often save the leftovers to mix with noodles. Be prepared for notoriously long queueing times.
• Hao Hao Mei (好好味港式菠蘿包) Operating for 19 years, this popular Hong Kong-style bakery stall is famous for its crispy pineapple butter buns. The hot, fresh, and exceptionally crispy bun paired with cold, thick butter is a neighborhood favorite for afternoon tea.
• Xu Ji Sheng Jian Bao (許記生煎包) A well-known pan-fried bun stall drawing consistent crowds. These buns feature a crispy fried bottom shell. Note that the savory pork filling is mixed with cabbage, which some traditional pork-bun purists might find unexpected.
• Arnor Crepes (阿諾可麗餅) A 30-year-old staple that transitioned from a street stall to a physical shop. It offers massive, filling portions of both sweet and savory crepes.

International and Student-Friendly Dining

• Dongdaemun Korean Restaurant (東大門韓國特色料理) Located near Taipower Building at Lane 13, Pucheng Street, this high-value Korean eatery is best enjoyed with a group of four or more due to its massive portions. Highly recommended items include the Potato Pork Rib Soup (馬鈴薯豬骨湯鍋, NT$890), which features fall-off-the-bone meat in a rich broth thickened with potato and fragrant purple seed powder, and the thin, crispy Cheese Pancake (起司煎餅, NT$890). They also serve excellent stir-fried sweet potato noodles (韓式炒冬粉, NT$390) and savory pork trotters (東大門豬腳, NT$890).
• Da Chu Jiu (大杵臼) Run entirely by Thai staff, this authentic Thai street-food restaurant transitioned from a bridge-side stall to a physical shop near Shida. Their signature Volcano Pork Noodle Soup (NT$350) features a rich, flavorful broth with generous cuts of tender pork. Other favorites include Pad Thai (NT$180) and sweet Thai Milk Tea (NT$80). Arrive close to their 17:00 opening time to beat the immediate, long queues.
• Salt & Spice An Indian-owned, budget-friendly curry spot located at Lane 49, Shida Road. It offers a hearty chicken curry (NT$159) with chewy, aromatic naan and self-serve, free-flow spiced black tea. As the staff speaks limited Chinese, English ordering or pointing at the menu is recommended.
• 印渡風情 (Out of India / 印渡風情印度餐廳師大店) Situated a 10-minute walk from Taipower Building Exit 3, this popular Indian venue features an ambient, incense-scented dining room. The double combo (NT$1299) is highly substantial and easily feeds three people. Must-order items include the interactive mango tamarind panipuri (芒果酸子炸球), cheese naan, and the aromatic mutton curry.
• KGB Kiwi Gourmet Burgers A tucked-away burger joint at Lane 114, Shida Road, catering to both meat-eaters and vegetarians. Buns are divided into lacto-ovo vegetarian and vegan options, with creative patties like the avocado lentil patty. Meals come with unlimited soda. A 10% service fee applies.
• 13burger A highly rated, student-friendly burger spot. For NT$180, the classic burger meal comes complete with a side of American-style fries and a drink.

Sweet Treats and Dessert Studios

• Loco Churros (吉拿站) A budget-friendly street stall inside the night market serving freshly fried-to-order churros. A single cinnamon sugar churro costs NT$45 (with an optional sea salt caramel dipping sauce for NT$5). You can also order a churro ice cream combo for NT$60; while the ice cream itself is standard, the pairing beautifully balances the hot, fried pastry.
• 貳拾貳日甜 (22nd Sweet) A popular dessert studio located just a 2-minute walk from Taipower Building Exit 3. Their crispy Pistachio Cream Puff (NT$100) is filled with a rich pistachio custard and crunchy nuts, while standard cream puffs (Vanilla, Earl Grey, Red Oolong, and Sea Salt Caramel) cost NT$65. Their newly launched Dubai Chocolate Q-Cake (NT$120) features a chewy, mochi-like exterior with rich chocolate and pistachio fillings; it must be pre-ordered online at least one day in advance. The shop is closed on Saturdays and operates on short daily windows.
• Chunri Hotteok (春日糖餅) A popular takeout hotteok spot near the MRT station. Open only Thursday through Sunday, they frequently run out of ingredients and close early. The Oreo Marshmallow Hotteok (NT$65) is their signature, offering a chewy, crispy, and surprisingly balanced sweet snack.
• Zhen Jian Ramen (真劍拉麵) Located steps away from Taipower Building Station, this small noodle bar is famous for its blue-colored Salt-Flavored Jade Chicken Ramen (NT$300), which gets its striking color from butterfly pea flower. The broth is clean and refreshing, but seating is highly limited, resulting in long queues during lunch and dinner hours.
• Ji Yuan (季缘) A beverage shop located very close to the Taipower Building MRT station. It is highly recommended for its Lalashan Peach Oolong tea, which features fresh peach pulp. Order it with low sugar (微糖) or no sugar (無糖) to let the natural fruit flavor shine.

Atmospheric Neighborhood Cafes and Indie Spaces

• Witch House (女巫店) A legendary independent venue operating as a quiet cafe by day and an indie live music bar by night. Located near the university area, it features a highly unique menu, board games, a photo wall, and chairs decorated with colorful underwear. Live music performances run Thursday through Sunday starting at 19:30 (closed Monday and Tuesday; open Wednesday for drinks only with no live show). Entry tickets cost NT$600 (early bird online) or NT$700 (at-door) and include a drink coupon.
• Jack&NaNa A peaceful, plant-covered coffee shop near Taipower Building focusing primarily on premium hand-drip coffees. It is an ideal spot for weekday afternoon relaxation. Note that it is cash-only, offers very few dessert options, and does not provide Wi-Fi or power outlets.
• 鼠寓 Coffee Mania A distinct double-story cafe near Shida. The first floor is a smoking-friendly space, while the tiny second floor holds only three tables. First-time visitors must order a hot cappuccino (NT$150), which is thick, creamy, and highly rated. Cash-only and closed on weekends.

Nearby Specialties (Gongguan & Guting Areas)

For those willing to venture slightly further to the neighboring Gongguan and Guting areas, several highly-rated options exist:

Note on Regional Search Discrepancies: While search results sometimes list venues like Xiaomaolu Wood-Fired Tofu Pudding (located in Taitung), Chen's Oyster Omelet (located in Fuzhou), or Dadaocheng Braised Pork Rice (located in Dadaocheng), these are not in the vicinity of Shida Night Market or Taipower Building Station and should not be confused with local options.

Locations

All Xiaohongshu Notes