Jason Panuelos | The Dapper Drone: Travel Guide | What to Expect at a Taiwanese Night Market

Hey guys! Instead of mixing this into my Taiwan 2017 travel diaries, I decided to create a completely separate travel guide post to show you what it's like at a typical night market in Taiwan! So read on for a quick tour!

Taiwan is famous for their night markets because it's where you can find almost anything that's unique to the country - especially when it comes to food and fashion! The one I'm touring you guys through is the Feng Chia Night Market in Taichung but the set-up is pretty much the same anywhere you go. :)

The night markets or 夜市 can usually be found with a well-lit arch or sign like the one above. The famous night market in Shilin, Taipei is even in English!

There is usually a mix of sit-down restaurants as well as stalls so it's not all eat-while-you-walk.

There are also TONS of clothes to check out at varying prices! Some are really affordable while some can lean on the pricey side. Usually the pricier ones are actually from independent designers (usually they're the ones who own the store), while the really the affordable ones are mass produced and most likely sourced from China. That's not to say that they're bad but I just prefer looking for clothes are truly unique to Taiwan and Taiwanese design because you're there after all!

You can also get affordable bags that sourced from different countries - some even from Korea!

Fancier boutiques such as this one are more certainly owned by designers themselves and you're sure to get pieces that are more one-of-a-kind. Also, support local talent! :)

And of course, THE FOOD! It's no secret that Taiwan is a food lover's paradise because you can get tasty treats at really affordable prices and they definitely don't skip on quality as well as quantity so you know you'd be getting your money's worth.

Here, you've got a savory delicacies such as blood cake, tofu, sausages, and so many other things I can't name, but if I remember correctly, these are on the sweet-salty smokey side. Definitely worth trying!

The most commonly available street food is fried stuff of course! You can fried chicken fillet or Ji Pai (雞排) and Fish Balls!

You've also got different beverages like Coffee, Chocolate, Milk Tea, and Fruit Shakes. And also Taiwanese pancakes which are suuuuper tasty!

However, I think the most iconic street food in Taiwan remains to Chicken Fillet or Ji Pai 雞排 (whether fried or grilled) because you don't really see lines like this anywhere else! The most famous brand has to be Hot Star because it's expanded everywhere else in the world. One of the most memorable ones I tried during my last visit however was this one from 按摩雞排 which apparently made it to the local news because of how good it was. You can even see them streaming that segment on a monitor by their stall. Haha!

Ji Pai is more commonly fried, however this place also offers it grilled which I tried because they were all out of the fried one! The grilled version is more sweet and smokey with a little spice. The texture is soft and juicy as expected! Perfect for a light dinner for me. Haha!

The owner is also very nice because he tries to make a little conversation while you wait for you order. Thankfully our Mandarin was still in working condition after years of zero use in Manila. Haha!

You can also try different parlor games if you're up for them!

Other than small stores, you can also find bigger shops such as these near night markets so there's just a lot of options for everyone. ABC Mart seems to be a staple in any Night Market. There, you can buy popular sneakers, sometimes at crazy deals so it's always good to check out.

P.S. Red Velvet - Irene! <3

In nearby streets you can find the more mainstream chains such as Cosmed and Watsons.

Another shop that I've noticed in most shopping districts is OMA! It's a huge store that sells insanely affordable clothes. However, it's always a hit or miss in this place so check it out if you feel like really patiently checking out the stock. Everything here is usually really really affordable. You can find tops for just 100 to 150 NT$! And everything else is just as cheap.