Zhonglun Market

Most markets are held from morning to noon and primarily selling fruit, vegetable and meat. As a response to high land price in Taipei, Zhonglun Market makes its usage more effective. During daytime, it is a market for family chef’s purchase; at night, salarymen gather here to enjoy the feast after their whole day work. At the time of sunset, stalls serving traditional Taiwanese food including stinky tofu, yansuji (鹽酥雞, Taiwanese fried chicken), pan-fried noodle, kezaijian (蚵仔煎, oyster omelet) and luroufan （魯肉飯, minced pork rice) gradually prepare their ingredients under rainshed. Customers then start to pour in, order their food and wait on benches set at the middle of the market. Office workers in suits play their cellphone alone; mothers bring their children here for a quick meal, urging the little one get ready for coming tutorial class; couples full of sweats come here after ball match. Foreign tourists will never find their way here and even outsiders rarely know the place, but it is a miniature of life of Taipei residents.

The most recommended stall in Zhonglun Market is Old Yang Shandong Dumpling (老楊山東水餃) at the right of entrance. TWD5 per dumpling is reasonable in Taipei. Despite of discouraging appearance, they are surprisingly delectable. Around the market, there are also alternatives like Japanese cuisine, tomato noodle and goose meat dishes, making the area an ideal stop after a show at Taipei Arena.