Shilin Night Market

Itinerary > Hotel Quote Taipei > Moss Burger / Ximending > Shilin Night Market

Having found our way back to the Ximen MRT Station, we proceeded on towards Shilin Night Market. Alight at Jiantan MRT Station Exit 1 to proceed to Shilin Night market. It takes about 10-15 minutes to walk to the night market, just follow the signs and the crowd and you will be able to find your way there effortlessly.

Along the way there were stalls selling foods such as grilled squid, sausages baked goods sweets and drinks. There were even a couple of games stores where people threw balls/rings/darts to win small prizes such as stuffed toys, contributing to the carnival ambiance, which was nostalgic.

Besides food, there were also stalls selling cute hats, umbrellas, t-shirts and a whole lot of other apparels! it is a nice experience and similar to Singapore pasar malam (night markets), the only difference is that it is on a larger scale, designated and much more vibrant. The main food stalls are located in below ground level, but we did not go there that day. The level above took some time to explore with its equally staggering amount food stalls, clothes and carnival-style entertainment.

Shilin Night Market

We came across the "Hot Star" chicken and decided to try it. There was along queue and it gave the impression that it was good, however the taste test proved otherwise. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't that great either, especially for the queue at the side of the road where you have to contend with scooters on the same road, but the line got longer nonetheless.

 

Once in the line, a guy took our order and handed us a plastic bag to bag the chicken cutlet when it was our turn. The chicken cutlet was prepared on the spot. When it was our turn, the lady collected our NT$55, and bagged the freshly fried chicken cutlet into our plastic bag. We were than hurriedly shooed away as she wanted to serve the next customer and not hold up the (still) growing queue. The seasoning seemed to have a little too much msg and you get tired of eating such a big piece of cutlet. As large a cutlet as it was, the fact that it was one large piece of cutlet made it a little troublesome to eat on the go, or for sharing for that matter.

As we walked around the night market and the night went on, we got a little hungry and come across a teppanyaki place called 红吉柿. We had the set meal for two which included beef, crab, cod fish and two prawns, vegetables (bean sprouts), chicken and rice, along with two additional cans of coke which cost us NT$570. The rice was free-flow, so those who are really hungry or have a good appetite can try out this place. The food was ok, the only flaw was that everything was fried with the same ingredients. The chicken, beef and crab were fried with lots of onions, black pepper and mint leaves - making them taste somewhat similar. The cod fish was fresh, while the prawns were slightly dry.

 

After filling our tummies, we did a little (more) shopping at the Shilin Night Market stalls. Once we were done with shopping, DramaQueen was still smarting from the disappointing chicken cutlet from "Hot Star" (she really loves her chicken). Fortunately, on our way back to Jiantan MRT Station we discovered a much better chicken stall that not only had chicken in bite sized pieces but also fried on the spot and came in a variety of flavors. We tried the mild flavored one (with mustard and some vinegar) and it was delicious! It also cost NT$55.

 

 

Related Posts:

• Hotel Quote Taipei
• Taipei August 2012 Trip Day 1
• Taipei August 2012 Trip Day 2
• Taipei August 2012 Trip Day 3
• Taipei August 2012 Trip Day 4
• Taipei August 2012 Trip Day 5
• Taipei August 2012 Trip Itinerary

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