All the Vegan Restaurants in Guting, Taipei, Taiwan

Hi everyone! 大家好。Today we will talk about one of my favorite areas in Taipei, and where I call home, Guting. Guting is just beneath Chiankaishek memorial hall, right across the river from New Taipei City. The Guting MRT has the Green and the Orange line, and is conveniently located to the rest of Taipei. There are a ton of vegan restaurants and vegan options in this area. Today is the ultimate guide to eating vegan in Guting.

1. Purple vegetarian place - Our first restaurant is hóngdé sùshí jiànkāng shūshí but I just call it the Purple Vegetarian place because well, the sign is purple and i t says vegetarian. Despite being called vegetarian though, they are completely vegan. This restaurant has solely kept me alive in my time here in Taiwan. They have delicious vegan taiwanese food at a great price in a comfortable, cozy atmosphere. They have soups, noodles, and even a bento box with a different array of foods everyday. Feel free to ask to see the English menu. Google Maps

2. Big Windows place - Right up the street you have another vegan taiwanese place with very cheap food: kè láiyuán sù fāng but I call them, The Big Windows place. They sell noodle soups and also water dumplings. They have beautiful large windows so they're a lovely place to go on a nice day. (Apparently some of their imitation meat has eggs in it so please ask the staff.) You can ask them for an English menu at the counter. Google Maps

3. Grandma's place - Again on the same street we have zhēnxīn sùshí, or affectionately known as the nǎinai place, or the Grandma place due to the lovely woman who runs the restaurant. If you're looking for a home cooked meal at an affordable price, you should go to grandma's place. I don't know how often she cleans her facilities but her food is always killer and priced really well. Her English menu doesn't really match up with her Chinese menu. I suggest just pointing at something that looks good and going with that. Google Maps

4. Ooh Cha Cha - Sticking to our same street, we have the widely popular Ooh Cha Cha. Their Guting location is a little smaller than their Technology Building station location and they have a more limited menu but it's still a wonderful all vegan option. They also don't close for a xiūxí (or midday rest) like most of the others do so if you're hungry in the middle of the day, they're a great option as well. They’re also open on Sunday which is rare here in Guting. They offer smoothies, bowls, sandwiches, burgers, and desserts. They're on the pricier side, but well worth it. THey too have an English menu. Google Maps

5. Opium Fen-Yuan - Across the street from Ooh Cha Cha we have Opium Fen-Yuan, a DouHua shop, or tofu pudding shop. They offer milk tea so they’re not 100% vegan but if you’re looking for a traditional taiwanese vegan dessert, they’ve got you covered. Google Maps

6. Aixiang - Now, a little farther away we have a well priced vegan restaurant called Aixiang. They also offer a bento box style meal and water dumplings. Their entrance is a little hard to find, as you have to go up a small staircase that's easy to miss. They do not have an English menu so you may need to use your phone to translate. Google Maps

7. Vegan Resort - Now we arrive at the heart of veganism in all of Taipei: a hair salon, restaurant, cafe, bakery, and an event space all vegan called the Vegan Resort. They serve veganized traditional taiwanese food you can't get anywhere else on the island like the sticky oysters or taiwanese pancakes. Chat with a friend over coffee, eat your dinner, grab a snack, and get a haircut all in this wonderful vegan haven. They're open throughout the day and on Sunday so you could stay here forever if you wanted too. I know I do. Feel free to ask for the English menu. Google Maps

Now obviously, I don't like going to non-vegan restaurants but I understand, sometimes you're in a group and you're just looking for a place that accommodates everyone. Here are a few options:

1. Xialongbao place - Sūháng diǎnxīn diàn. This place specializes in xiaolongbao. They have one vegan xiaolongbao option and sometimes they have bamboo shoots, veggies, or cabbage you can also eat. This place obviously caters towards meat eaters but is a good location for a large group. They don’t have an English menu. But if you look for the characters 素食 on the menu, you’ll find the vegan xiaolongbao. Google Maps

2. Noodle- Noodle: a smaller location that also sells vegan xiaolongbao. That's the only vegan thing on the menu, but a good intimate place to go with non-vegans if you're willing. They also don’t have an English menu. Google Maps

And there you have it! All the vegan restaurants within walking distance of the Guting MRT station. All of these rich options are one of the many reasons I choose to put my roots here in this neighborhood. I hope this was helpful and look forward to the next one. 再見！