Just a 30 min MRT train ride from downtown Taipei lies Tamsui Old Street – a place hailed for being a ‘romantic’ with a lover’s bridge and more. Apart from being the perfect place for viewing the sunset, Tamsui is peppered with many food stalls – and some are pretty amazing.
Here are three food places which I’d recommend trying if you’re heading there:
樂湯包
Unlike other shops, they drizzle soy sauce and vinegar for you.
Taiwan is known for it’s Xiao Long Bao’s – but did you know that other than Din Tai Fung which calls it Xiao Long Bao, this soup dumpling is called 小籠湯包in Taiwan? If you went to a regular breakfast joint and ordered a Xiao Long Bao, you will probably be disappointed when you see a pork-filled bun instead of a soup dumpling.
Fun fact aside, this shop serves three types of dumplings – pork soup dumplings, beef soup dumplings and prawn dumplings. We tried both the pork soup dumplings (8 dumplings per serving) and prawn dumplings (7 dumplings per serving). The pork soup dumplings were really good – the soup to meat ratio within the dumpling was delectable – we liked it so much that we ordered another portion! The vegetable taste in the prawn dumpling was a tad too strong for me but my friends enjoyed it.
At 70 NTD (SGD $3.45) per serving, I’d highly recommend dropping by this place for some piping hot dumplings if you’re in the area. Do note that seating is limited and the store has a minimum one serving for every two pax policy.
5/5 for the Soup dumpling 2.5/5 for the Prawn dumpling (Taste and value)
淡水渡船頭阿給老店
阿給 also known as Ah Gei is a Taiwanese dish. It essentially is glass noodles wrapped in beancurd skin, topped with a bit of fish paste and drenched in sweet sauce (similar to ‘yong tau fu’ sauce). The combination of sweet sauce and the different textures of the dish made it appealing and was honestly pretty filling.
My friends tried the fishball soup here and they enjoyed it too.
There are many shops selling Ah Gei around Tamsui and I personally don’t know if this is the best store in the area, but it was pretty good. Though crowded, the food options were all affordably priced at 40 NTD (SGD$1.95) per item. Also, if you are able to get the seats facing the pier, you will be greeted with a fairly nice view of the pier (and sunset).
Do note that service isn’t the finest here. Reviews on Google also highlight the poor service standards here.
3.5/5 for the Ah Gei
阿春蝦卷
Although I was full from the soup dumplings and Ah Gei, I decided to try these fried prawn rolls. At only 25 NTD (SGD $1.25) for three, how could I not try it?
Deep-fried, these prawn spring rolls were crunchy on the edges and warm on the inside. The filling was tasty and you have the option of glazing some sauce over it yourself (too salty with the sauce).
While there was a queue, it moved fast and I managed to get my item pretty quickly. I recommend eating this if you’re in the area – it’s pretty tasty, crispy, and piping hot. Suitable as a snack on a cold day.
3/5 for the Prawn spring rolls – would rate it higher if it were less salty and less crunchy.
Conclusion
Tamsui is the perfect place to end the day after a day of walking around Taipei City. Hands-down a must visit place for good food, good vibes (buskers are everywhere) and good views.
Tamsui Old Street
No. 1, Zhongzheng Road, Tamsui District, New Taipei City, 251
Terminal station for the Red Line
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