Formosa Flavours Taipei Food Tour with 12+ Tastings
Description
Join a lunchtime food tour of Yongkang Street and Ximending, two different districts of Taipei. Experience 12+ tastings at foodie hotspots, ranging from Michelin-rated icons to historic local gems. We’ll uncover the flavours of Formosa Island, proving that Taiwan's "beautiful" namesake is best experienced with a pair of chopsticks and loose trousers. Come discover why the city's best views are found at the bottom of a noodle bowl.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Between the seasoned kitchens of Ximending and morning pulse of Yongkang Street lies the true, unedited flavours of Taiwan, the 'Beautiful Island'. We're here to show you why the spirit of "Formosa" is found in the street eats of Taipei. Our lunchtime feasting tour of 12+ tastings invites guests on a culinary experience around the backstreets of Taipei led by our team of professional foodie guides. Before we get started, your tour reflects the local cuisine and the limitations of street food vendors means we unfortunately cannot cater for every dietary restriction. Here's an honest appraisal for the tour so no-one is disappointed: ✖️ Vegetarians have 2-3 less tastings due to limited alternatives at some vendors. ✖️ Unsuitable for severe allergies, halal and celiac diets due to risk of traces and cross-contamination. If you are feeling adventurous for a foodie journey, read on!
Begin at vibrant Yongkang Street - recently dubbed one of the coolest streets in Asia - ground zero for deliriously good food. Kick off at a Michelin-rated institution to witness the art of the fold, tackling the holy trinity of dim sum: xiǎo lóng bāo pork soup dumplings that burst with savory broth, juicy xiā shāomài prawn siew mai, and the golden crunch of a fried mantou bun. Witness the mesmerising street-side masters slapping and swirling the dough of Taiwanese flaky scallion pancakes.
At a storied Tainan outpost, we pay homage to the island’s ancient food capital. We're here for glutinous meatballs, a translucent, chewy treasure. Hopping next onto the subway - tickets included - moving from the city's refined east, to the wilder west.
Emerging into the energetic Ximending district, grab a bag of Taiwanese popcorn chicken - basil-scented, addictive, and unapologetically fried. Past the 300-year-old Taipei Tianhou temple, we'll soon be working chopsticks over niú ròu miàn beef noodle soup, at a Michelin-rated joint where the noodles are hand-pulled in the back kitchen. The broth is a decades-old secret, closely guarded by the family owners. There are 12+ tastings in all, and plenty of surprises to feast upon. Come hungry.
Cool off by spoon-diving into tofu pudding with grass jelly—a silky, wobbling dessert that defines the Taiwanese sweet menu. We conclude our journey at the Red House, the century-old octagonal market that has survived fires and wars to become the beating heart of Taipei’s creative scene. Taste the two faces of Taipei in the daytime - a sensory collision of steaming broths, ancestral recipes, and lunchtime hustle. This is the real Taipei 101: a tower of flavour over the city’s most legendary kitchens.
Highlights
What's included
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- See 'What to Expect' section and 'What's Included' for info on dietary restrictions
- We recommend comfortable walking shoes. Bring rain gear/umbrella, if rain looks likely. There's lot of tastings to try, come hungry!
Reviews(11)
Susan was an amazing tour guide! She was incredibly friendly, flexible, and made the entire experience enjoyable from start to finish. Her knowledge of Taipei and its food culture was impressive, and she shared interesting stories and local insights throughout the tour. One of the highlights was experiencing the incredible variety of food. We went from a Michelin-recognized beef noodle restaurant to hidden roadside favorites, giving us a true taste of both famous and local Taiwanese cuisine. Every stop was delicious, and each one seemed even better than the last. We were a group of five with very different tastes. Some loved spicy chili dishes, while others preferred lighter flavors, and Susan made sure there was something everyone enjoyed. At one point, we took the MRT to another stop, which became a fun part of the adventure. As first-time visitors, we had a little trouble figuring out the ticket system, but Susan patiently waited for us, helped us through it, and made everything stress-free. She also went above and beyond by helping us take photos throughout the tour, making sure we captured wonderful memories. This tour was absolutely worth it. There was more than enough food to keep us full for the entire day. If you want to experience everything from Michelin-recognized restaurants to authentic roadside favorites with a knowledgeable and caring guide, I highly recommend this tour with Susan!
Bring an appetite! While the portions at each stop are reasonable, they add up. Pace yourself. Trix Yang was a GREAT host, explaining the history behind each dish. He had great visuals on his ipad, explaining the ingredients and cooking process for each sampling. Through the food, you'll learn a bit about the history, culture, and people of Taiwan. Pay attention, and you'll understand the layout of the city's neighborhoods as well.
Huck was a very nice and sweet guide. He took us to incredible places and we got to try over 12 dishes. It was the perfect amount of food.
Very enjoyable tour. Not only was the food very good, but the tour was quite informative. A lot to eat. Richard was an excellent guide.
This is our second time with A Chefs Tour and we were yet again blown away by it. We really enjoyed every single food stop and loved the history we were told about the food we were eating. Not only did we eat delicious food but we also stopped at different attractions along Taipei. What we most enjoyed about our tour though was our tour guide; Susan. Susan did an amazing job helping us feel comfortable inside the bustling city of Taipei. Not only was she a great guide but she was a kind friend at the end of the day and made sure we got to our next destination safely. If I’m ever back in Taipei I would without a doubt do this tour again!
The formosa flavours tour in Taipei was very well organised, I liked receiving a whatsapp message on the day with reminder of meeting time and clear description of meeting location. My guide Trix spoke very good english and a passionate foodie. The variety of food was excellent and I got to try all kinds of things I wouldnt normally go out to try. My favourite was the scallion pancake and soup dumplings. Trix also showed me a temple in between food stops and explained very well the customs that were experienced there.
We had a wonderful time with Sara as our guide. Not only did we eat so many delicious foods, she was so educational and fun. The tour was so great because we got to try out many local dishes (including many things we wouldn't have tried on our own).
I was the only one booked on the tour and it still went ahead! So I got the VIP treatment and had all the food samples to myself! Needless to say, I couldnˋt finish them all, altough I would have liked to! My guide was highly entertaining, very knowledgable and well prepared! Obviously, not every dish will be to everyones liking, but even the samples that didn't hit the spot for me were very interesting to try - so many different flavors and all with their own story! I can highly recommend this tour in Taipeh, it was amazing!
Great tour. Esther was a great guide! Great start to my trip.
This was a very good food tour. The tour guide (can' remember his name) took us to some really good places to savor some really nice things. It was all done in Chinatown. I wished the weather was nicer but it was extremely hot and humid and we had one stop at a noodle soup stop lol.
