Where to eat in Songshan
Jin Ding Xiao Guan
You’ve no doubt heard of Taiwan’s legendary restaurant export Din Tai Fung, but what about Jin Ding Xiao Guan? The founder is rumoured to be an ex-Din Tai Fung chef who is going it alone at this ultra-local hole in the wall in Songshan. The xiaolongbao soup dumplings are excellent of course (try the oolong tea flavor for something a little different), but the menu also features Taiwanese delights like beef noodle soup, along with an array of dumpling varieties like the steamed sweet fresh date and the glutinous rice shao mai.
Where: Jin Ding Xiao Guan is a five-minute walk from Taipei Arena station
SunnyHills
Not exactly Songshan dining, but a definite must-try take-home for foodies: Sunny Hills pineapple cake. A couple of blocks from Fujin Street’s buzzy cafés, SunnyHills makes some of the city’s best. A popular Taiwanese snack of buttery shortbread filled with pineapple jam, SunnyHills’ version is made from native sun-ripened pineapples (Taiwan’s leading export fruit), gourmet Japanese flour, premium plump-yolked eggs, and butter from grass-fed cows. No wonder they call it “a taste of sunshine’.
Where: SunnyHills is a 15-minute walk from Songshan Airport station
Ya Ge
Taipei has a diverse dining scene and, aside from all the Taiwanese classics, you will find lots of international food on offer, with Japanese, Cantonese and Korean cuisine leading the charge. Exquisitely set inside the ultra-luxe Mandarin Oriental Taipei, Ya Ge is a Cantonese Michelin-starred fine-dining temple led by Hong Kong-born-and-bred Chef Cheng Kwok-Hung, whose signatures include crispy chicken, braised abalone and delicately crafted dim sum. For Songshan dining in a luxury setting, Ya Ge is tough to beat.
Where: Ya Ge is inside Mandarin Oriental Taipei, less than 10 minutes from Taipei Arena and Nanjing Fuxing stations.
Yu Kappo
Representing Japanese minimalism at its finest, Michelin-starred Yu Kappo serves one omakase menu for lunch and another for dinner in a muted light wood and slate grey space. The highlight of the dining experience is all the fresh produce: fish from Yilan County and other seasonal ingredients sourced from Japan, like Unagi, A5 Wagyu beef or Hiroshima oysters.
Where: Yu Kappo is five minutes from Nanjing Sanmin station
Fermented by曾House
This unassuming-looking bar on the border of Songshan and Da’an Districts may not look like Taipei’s hottest wine bar—that is until you catch a glimpse of the bottles on offer. Led by Taiwanese sommelier Szu Hao Tseng (the former head somm at Singapore’s Park90 wine lounge), and his Italian wife Marta, this spot has Taipei’s wine enthusiasts giddy with excitement. There’s no fuss, just great wine (both natural and traditional), paired with delicious Italian bar bites.
Where: Fermented by曾House is five minutes from Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall station
Juan Yau Old-Time Flavor Retro Restaurant
For some Taiwanese grandma food, look no further than Juan Yau. This boisterous restaurant filled with retro-style toys attracts cheerful locals who come to feast on old-school classics like steaming bowls of pig’s trotters – but there are plenty of options for less adventurous eaters too. The pork belly with bamboo shoots is deliciously comforting and fragrant, while the crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside braised tofu with chives and scallion is so satisfying you may want to order it twice.
Where: Juan Yau Old-Time Flavor Retro Restaurant is a 10-minute walk from Taipei Arena station
Raohe Night Market
One of Taipei’s must-visit foodie destinations, your Songshan dining itinerary is not complete without a side quest here. Raohe Night Market is a feast for all the senses. Less touristy than Shilin Market, Raohe still gets seriously crowded, with some 400 vendors packed into a 600-meter stretch. Arrive when it opens at 5 p.m. for the best shot at its most celebrated stalls: from the juice-dribbling-down-your-chin, Michelin-approved Fuzhou Pepper Buns (conveniently set right at the Ciyou Temple entrance), to the less famous but equally delightful Keelung Miaokou Tempura deep-fried fish cakes with spicy sauce, and the hearty Chen Dong Ribs Medicinal Herbs Soup. This is also the spot for fearless foodies to try Shi Boss’ celebrated stinky tofu (served spicy and stewed in pig’s blood)—not for everyone, but if you love it then this is among the best.
Where: Raohe Night Market at the main Ciyou Temple is two minutes from Songshan station
Chun Shui Tang
It’s no secret that bubble tea originated in Taiwan but the jury’s out as to where exactly it was invented. Some say Hanlin Tea Room in Tainan, whereas others hail Chun Shui Tang in Taipei as the OG boba milk teahouse. Its signature pearl milk tea is a moreish blend of black tea, high-quality Taiwanese milk and tender, just-chewy-enough tapioca pearls.
Where: Chun Shui Tang is a five-minute walk from Taipei Arena station.
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