Shilin Night Market

The quick read

Why go

Shilin is the market everyone has heard of, and we rank it fifth in its own city. That is not a knock so much as a reality check: it is enormous, it is commercial, and it sprawls across enough lanes that first-timers routinely get lost. But the brand is the brand, and there are nights when the full circus is exactly what you want.

Go for the scale. Food, shopping, games, arcades, and the giant fried chicken cutlets that made the market famous abroad. The pan-fried buns and the herbal pork rib soup are our picks over the flashier stuff. Give yourself time and accept that you will not see all of it.

What to eat

• Pan-fried buns
• Sesame cold noodles
• Pork ribs stewed in medicinal herbs
• Large fried chicken cutlet
• Sausage wrapped in glutinous rice

Stalls to research before you go

These are leads, not guaranteed recommendations. Confirm the stall still operates and check its current hours.

• Chung Chia Sheng Jian Bao
• Good Friend Cold Noodles
• Hai You Pork Ribs

Getting there

Address area: Area around Dadong Road, Danan Road, Wenlin Road and Jihe Road, Shilin District, Taipei

Strengths

• Taiwan's strongest-known night-market brand
• Large mixture of food, shopping and games
• Easy MRT access
• Important for international search demand

Know before you go

• More commercial and tourist-oriented
• Sprawling layout can be confusing
• Tripadvisor score is lower than the other four selected Taipei markets