When traveling to Taiwan, there are plenty of beautiful cultural sites and striking scenes of nature. But for many travelers and citizens, the best thing to do in Taiwan is simply to EAT! Taiwan is most commonly known for its decadent breakfasts and vibrant night markets. Luckily, if you are in Taichung, you can visit Feng Chia Night Market, which is one of the best night markets in Taiwan. Fengjia night market has an incredible amount of traditional night market foods ranging from stinky tofu (臭豆腐) to scallion pancakes (蔥油餅). Check out our fengjia night market photos and see what you want to put on your must-try food list!
Fengjia Night Market
Feng Jia Night Market, which is also known as Feng Chia or 逢甲夜市 in Chinese, is one of the biggest night markets in Taiwan. In fact, it is the largest night market in Taichung, and it even rivals Shilin Night Market in Taipei. Fengjia Night Market is said to have about 15,000 shops, food stalls, and restaurants with tons of shops and food stalls.
When it comes to Taiwan, street food stalls are always bustling with long lines full of friends, families, and young students looking to enjoy tasty Taiwanese food in a fun atmosphere.
Feng Chia Night Market Opening Hours
If you are looking for something to do at night in Taichung, Taiwan, you can visit Feng Chia night market starting at 4 pm. While many night markets in Taiwan are only open on certain days of the week, Feng Chia is open daily from 4 pm to 11:00 pm. Feng Chia Night Market is open starting at 4 pm, but it is important to note that many food stalls may only open later at night.
How to Get to Feng Chia Night Market
If you are already in Taichung, getting to Fengjia Night Market is very easy, thanks to Taiwan’s easy transportation system. The cheapest option is to take a YouBike rental bike, which you can pay for with Taiwan’s EasyCard. You can also take an Uber, taxi, motorbike, or bus. If you are renting a car, it may be difficult to find parking, so it is suggested that you take an alternative method of transportation.
Taking the bus is also a great option. The Taichung bus system is easy, safe, and very affordable. You can take buses 33,35, or 37 to the Night Market. Since the night market is directly next to Fengjia University, you would want to get off at the Fengjia University bus stop. The bus is a very popular method of transportation among Taiwanese locals.
Once you find your way to the night market, here are some of the top 13 Taiwanese street food dishes we recommend you try!
13 Must-Have Taiwan Street Food Items At Feng Chia Night Market
1. Pearl Milk Tea (zhenzhu naicha 珍珠奶茶)
Boba milk tea, which is also called bubble tea, is an iconic part of Taiwanese cuisine. While boba is now a global phenomenon, it was originally created in a tea shop in Taiwan called 春水堂 (Chun Shui Tang) back in the 1980s.
You can now add boba to various tea drinks and have the option of adding milk or getting a drink with pure tea. Bubble tea is best enjoyed on one of those infamous hot, humid Taiwanese summer nights.
Popular places to get boba milk tea at Feng Chia night market include the famous Tiger Sugar. While Tiger Sugar often has a long winding line, it is definitely worth the wait. This globally recognized bubble tea brand serves a milk tea lined with stripes of brown sugar and brown sugar boba at the bottom. This Instagrammable drink is not only uniquely beautiful, but the drink itself is creamy and delicious.
2. Pork Belly Buns (gua bao 刈包)
Do you like hamburgers? What about Taiwanese hamburgers? These pork belly buns are sometimes considered Taiwanese hamburger because of how it is constructed. Gua Bao is a staple street food dish that is made with a white, steamed bun, and a thick slice of pork belly is added to the middle of the bun. The fatty, flavorful pork belly is deliciously absorbed by the soft bun and enhanced by the sugar, peanut powder, pickled veggies, and cilantro that are added to the top of this bun.
3. Sweet Potato Balls (di guaqiu 地瓜球)
Sweet potato balls are small, fried, chewy balls of sweet potato that make the perfect tasty snack. They are described in Chinese as QQ, which means chewy in a delicious way. These sweet potato balls have a bread-like texture and almost taste like Brazilian cheese bread. While they are undoubtedly chewy, they are also soft, light, and fluffy. Sweet potato balls are always deep-fried, but they never taste overly oily. Feng Chia night market has a few sweet potato ball stands and they are all equally fresh and delicious!
4. Taiwanese Sausages (xiang chang 香腸)
Taiwanese pork sausages are sweet, spiced sausages that have a roasted, caramelized taste when cooked. At the night markets, you can buy them alone or wrapped in a rice sausage. This is called 大腸包小腸 (da chang bao xiao chang), or big sausage wrap small sausage.
Here, the large rice sausage is cut down the middle and used as a hot dog bun to wrap the smaller sausage. The sausages are then topped with pickled mustard greens, pickled cabbage, and sauces such as soy sauce. Taiwanese sausages are a must-try street food as they have such a comforting and unique flavor.
5. Stinky Tofu (chou dou fu 臭豆腐)
When people think of Taiwan, street food such as stinky tofu is always one of the first to come to mind. This is because of its memorable pungent smell that keeps many travelers at arm’s distance.
While the smell of this fermenting deep-fried tofu can be incredibly off-putting, those who are willing to brave the smell often consider it one of the tastiest dishes of Taiwanese cuisine. Stinky tofu is one of the most popular night market dishes, and it can be found at nearly every night market in Taiwan.
If you’re up for a challenge, give it a try!
6. Pork Blood Rice Cake (mi xue gao 豬血糕)
While pork blood rice cake may sound scary, it is actually a very popular Taiwan street food. This dish is a sweet, spicy, and salty dish that is made of a congealed mixture of rice and pork blood. These pork blood rice cakes are served warm on a stick with some sweet soy sauce, spicy sauce, peanut powder, and coriander.
7. Scallion Pancakes (cong you bing 蔥油餅)
If you are a bread lover, these scallion pancakes are absolutely incredible. Scallion pancakes are a relatively simple flatbread made with green onions and dough. The fresh dough is rolled up into a ball and then flatted before being fried in oil.
You can add eggs to the scallion pancakes as well as other toppings, including cheese, basil, corn, and even pork floss. Cong you bing is often enjoyed for breakfast.
There are two places for green onion pancake at the Feng Jia night market. One stall is located on feng jia road 逢甲路 near the University. This stall has a central location and it is located at the corner. There are usually long lines, so you won’t miss it. Here, the dough is freshly rolled out into a thin, flat pancake and fried. Then, you can choose if you want a full piece, half piece, or quart of a piece. The whole green onion pancake is quite large, so if you are eating alone, I recommend getting a quarter piece. You can also pick the types of powders that they sprinkle on the green onion pancake. These include cheese, chicken powder, garlic powder, salt powder, and many more!
The second green onion pancake place is located more towards the Japanese restaurant section and it is just a bit further down the road from the uncle being corn stand. They sell a thicker green onion pancake. They make these fresh on site as well and the green onion pancakes can be stuffed with many different toppings. My personal favorite is corn, cheese, and egg. You can also get tuna, basil, kimchi, pork, beef, and many others. While I prefer this stall, my boyfriend likes the flavoring of the other green onion pancake better.
8. Beef Noodle Soup (niu rou mien 牛肉麵)
Cold Taiwan winters call for rich and hearty beef noodle soup. Taiwanese beef noodles are generally made with beef shank, beef tendon, and plenty of vegetables such as carrots and bok choi. They are then topped with pickled mustard greens and some spicy chili oil or sauce.
The beef noodles broth is traditionally made with beef, soy sauce, sesame oil, star anise, five spice, and plenty of other classic Taiwanese flavors. These flavors are also commonly used in Taiwanese braised pork rice and pork belly, which are other iconic Taiwanese street food.
9. Grilled mochi (kao ma shu 烤麻糬)
Kao ma shu, or grilled mochi can be found throughout Taiwan at Shilin, Fengchia, Roahe, and even the smaller night markets. The grilled mochi is cooked on long skewers and pounded with a flat iron to get a soft and fluffy texture.
The mochi is grilled over a fire until the outer layer becomes golden brown and slightly crispy. This makes a delicious contrast to the soft and chewy inside. Grilled mochi comes in many flavors, and you can get it topped with sweetened condensed milk, matcha, and chocolate. While grilled mochi is now considered Taiwanese food, it likely originated in Japan, where mochi was created.
10. Tofu Pudding (dou hua 豆花)
Tofu pudding or (dou hua) is a great snack for both the summer and winter as it can be enjoyed hot or cold. The cold version often includes shaved ice to make the dish a cold yet simple dessert.
Dou hua consists of soft tofu in sweet brown sugar water or ginger water, usually topped with various toppings. The most common toppings include red beans, peanuts, glutinous rice balls, chewy tapioca balls, grass jelly, green beans, taro balls, and mung beans.
11. Taiwanese Spring Roll (run bing 潤餅)
Also often referred to as chun juan, these Spring rolls look almost like a Taiwanese version of a burrito. Run bing rolls consist of a mix of meat and vegetables wrapped in a light, chewy, tortilla-like bread.
The wrapper is the same wrapper used in Taiwanese ice cream burritos, made with strawberry, vanilla, and chocolate and topped with peanut powder and cilantro. This peanut ice cream roll is the dessert version of the chun juan and can also be found at most night markets.
The filling of savory Taiwanese Spring Rolls is traditionally made with peanut powder, sugar, cilantro, braised firm tofu, roasted pork, steamed cabbage, and carrots. These spring rolls are slightly sweet, chewy, and super fresh. If you need a break from fried foods, chun juan is the perfect option.
12. Oyster Omelet Pancake (ke zi Jian 蚵仔煎)
Taiwanese street foods such as oyster omelet pancakes are always made incredibly fresh. The fresh oysters are cooked into an omelet pancake with a batter that is almost gelatinous. The oyster omelet also usually has lettuce and is then slathered with a sweet red sauce. The texture may be a bit unusual to those who have never tried the dish, but oyster omelet pancakes are a delicious savory snack.
13. Taiwanese Fried Chicken (da jipai 大雞排)
The fried chicken craze has taken over the world, and Taiwan is no exception! The Taiwanese fried chicken fillet is a flattened, giant piece of fried chicken that is well-flavored and coated in pepper salt powder. The chicken cutlets are available with regular seasoning as well as a spicy seasoning that kicks it up a notch.
14. Uncle Being Corn (Kao Yu Mi 炳叔烤玉米)
Taiwanese grilled corn (https://www.uncle-being.com.tw/en/product/get_product_content/4/56)
You cannot leave the night market without getting a grilled corn. This restaurant is always there, so be sure to check it out! The must-try food item from this restaurant is the Taiwanese grilled pearl corn. If you are from the US, this corn is unlike any other that you have had. The corn has an incredible texture and can be considered chewy or QQ. The sauce is also so flavorful and grilled right into the corn. You can also choose regular yellow corn if you want, but the pearl corn is definitely what makes this place unique. They also top the grilled corn with various powder flavors like the mixed flavor, wasabi, salt and pepper, spicy, and many others. You can also choose the size and weight of the corn, which determines the price of the corn. If you bring someone who isn’t into grilled corn, you can also get a boiled yellow corn or pearled corn.
Note: the stands change daily and different stalls come depending on what day of the week it is.
