Three types of breakfast to try in Taipei
From traditional soy milk shops to burger joints, breakfast in the city comes in very different forms
Breakfast is an important meal in Taipei, and it comes in many different forms. It could mean a bowl of warm or cold soy milk with freshly fried youtiao, but it could just as likely be a pork burger, noodles with an egg, or a beef bowl ordered to go.
For visitors, the sheer range of breakfast places and the often huge menus can make the first meal of the day feel slightly bewildering.
Here are three common types of breakfast spots you will likely encounter around the city, and some ideas of what to order at each.
#1: Traditional Taiwanese breakfast shops
Soy milk, sesame flatbread, and other morning staples
For a traditional Taiwanese start to the day, look out for one of the many eateries in Taipei serving freshly made soy milk alongside an assortment of fried and baked dough.
These soy milk shops specialize in a style of breakfast associated with northern China and offer a selection of filling staple foods, including steamed buns, flaky sesame flatbread, and fried dough sticks.
The menus are often only in Chinese, but Yong He Soya Milk King in Daan District is a beginner-friendly option, with English menus and signs.
#2: Neighborhood breakfast shops
Huge menus that mix Taiwanese favorites with Western-inspired comfort food
Neighborhood breakfast shops combine extensive menus of Taiwanese favorites and Western-inspired fast food with fast service, affordable prices, and convenient locations.
These shops began spreading across Taiwan in the 1980s. According to Taiwanese food publication FoodNext, Mei & Mei opened its first shop on Bade Road in Taipei in 1981, initially selling inexpensive hamburgers and sandwiches. The format then spread rapidly through franchising and imitation.
A typical shop serves dishes including egg pancake, radish cake, noodles, toast, pork burgers, hash browns, and milk tea, all listed in one enormous, often Chinese-only, menu.
#3: Japanese chain restaurants
Filling set meals built around rice, miso soup, and side dishes
If you are looking for something slightly different from a traditional Taiwanese breakfast, Japanese restaurant chains offer filling set meals built around rice rather than bread or fried dough.
A typical breakfast set includes rice and miso soup alongside grilled fish or beef, plus egg and other small side dishes. Sukiya, best known for its beef bowls, is one of the easiest places to try this style of breakfast in Taipei.
Its affordable meals, picture menus, and self-service ordering screens also make it a straightforward option for visitors who do not read Mandarin.
