Backstreet Food Tour: Food, Culture, and Fun

Today was a total treat. I was lucky enough to have Jean as my tour guide and even luckier that I was the only guests. I am very impressed that Taipei Eats was still prepared to honour my booking and provide the tour for just one client. Folks, this is a great introduction to Taiwanese food and some of Taipei's local gems. I have undertaken eight different food tours in various countries and this one is right up there as being a stand out experience. I can't thank Jean enough for all the effort she included on my tour, she is a lovely guide and introduced me to some great local dishes, along with a ton of knowledge, not only on the fare, but Taiwanese history and it's place in the world today. Big thanks all round

Irina did a great job guiding the group through the market with history, humor and clear explanations at many tasting stops and surprises. Her interactive style was engaging and catered to group/individual interests and needs. If you’re an adventurous foodie this is a fun way to spend a Taipei evening.

We had such nice time exploring food with Tina! She was accommodating and tailored our experience to our preferences, gave us interesting background about the foods we ate as well as recommendations for exploring on our own. The time just flew by and our bellies were stuffed! Thank you!

Great experience where you not only try lots of interesting foods but also learn so much about Taiwanese culture and life.

We loved this tour! It was one of the top experiences of our trip to Taiwan because it is so well designed and because our guide was so knowledgeable and kind. It was very hot and humid but the tour intersperses cold food and drink as well as locations with some A/C to keep you comfortable as possible for a street walking tour. On top of a great guide, the food was also amazing and we left asking about how we might find a recipe to try making it at home too!

Comprehensive and excellent tour of local eateries in Taipei. Tina, our guide, was friendly, approachable, and very knowledgeable. We tried so many dishes! Including things I would’ve never found on my own. Highly recommended.

Our guides were wonderful and knowledgeable and I very much enjoyed the opportunity to speak to them about their experiences living in Taipei. We tried so many wonderful foods at local spots I would not have found on my own. Memorable experience!!

I booked this tour at the last moment but it turned out to be a fantastic experience. Tina, our guide was an absolute delight and one of the nicest persons i met in Taiwan. The food tour at $75 is a bit pricey but I would certainly recommend it over other tours. I did 2 more food tours in Taiwan and this was eons better both in terms of food as well as storytelling.

In terms of Chinese cuisine, I am most familiar with Cantonese food. So for my first visit to Taipei and Taiwan, I booked Taipei Eats' Iconic Food Tour (aka Xinyi District Backstreets Food Tour) as an introduction to their cuisine. The 4 hour tour was informative, fun and tasty. We had 2 tour guides: Jean from Toronto and an apprentice whose name I can't recall, but she was raised in the US and went to Cornell. The tour had many stops and took us through "backstreets" of the Xinyi District, where the iconic Taipei 101 building is located. We traipsed through a classic wet market, where food of all kinds (raw, cooked, dried, still alive, etc.) are on offer alongside non-food items like clothing. The most memorable stops for me were the Taiwanese beef "burger" gua bao, stinky tofu (some taste like bleu cheese), a boba tea place, Taiwanese pancakes, and a sorbet place. Jean purchased bottled water for those of us in need. We also stopped at a betel nut dispensary, but I declined to try this carcinogenic stimulant than you chew like tobacco and then spit out, turning your saliva orange! Our tour was altered a bit because we happened to go on Election Day, and 2 of the usual stops, including one offering Taiwan's iconic dumplings, were closed so the proprietors could go vote. We also stopped at the National Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hall and were able to see the changing of the guards. Overall tasty, informative and recommended.

We had a great day eating lots of traditional Taiwanese dishes and desserts! Tina also accommodated our diet restrictions and there was plenty of food to eat, so come hungry.