There's no shortage of great places to eat in Taipei because the Taiwanese really, really love food, really. Food is never far from their minds even when they have just finished eating!
Here're five restaurants where you can't go wrong -
Silks Palace
First, wonder at the beauty and creativity of Taiwan’s national treasures in the National Palace Museum and then head next door to eat them. True!
The chefs at Silks Palace spend hours painstakingly recreating imitations of the revered Meat Stone, Jadeite Cabbage, and Ting Cauldron, with curio cabinet full of sweet ’ornaments’ for dessert. The eight-course lunch is a perfect was to finish a museum visit.
Cow Cafe, Taipei 101
Once you’ve worked your way through the crowds, you might want to stop and enjoy the view at top (see photo below).
This cafe is located close to the lift when you first arrive at Taipei 101. You won't miss the cute cow and the cow hide pattern covered chairs.
DinTaiFung Dumpling House
Down in the basement level of Taipei 101 is one of Taiwan's iconic dumpling restaurants DinTaiFung Dumpling House. The queues here are fierce and it is best to book for an early or late meal and on a weekday. The tables do turn over quickly.
A meal of dumplings is a must do Taipei experience. You can see the dumplings being made and cooked through large glass windows. Hygiene is paramount here and all the pork used is organic. DinTaiFung has special arrangements with farmers to ensure premium produce.Read more about it here.
Amba Hotel
Cute and quirky, Ambais a refuge for those who want a break from Asian food, although you'll still find meals like Thai chicken salad on the menu, there's also spaghetti and nachos.
The cheesy chips are a heart attack on a plate but come highly recommended.
Modern Toilet
As the name implies, this restaurant has a toilet/bathroom theme throughout. You sit on toilet seats and eat off a glass covered bathtub. The dishes are toilet-themed as well with curries and hot pots arriving in toilet bowl shaped porcelain containers.
Drinks are served in variations of urinals and ice cream comes out looking like soft serve poo. It's all part of the fun, but the food actually tastes quite good with plenty of pasta, chips and nuggets to choose from.
Strangely there's not an upright toilet in the real bathroom at Modern Toilet, only Asian-style squat versions.
Disclaimer: Ed+bK travelled to Taiwan as the guest of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau and Scoot.