Vegan Options in ZhongXiao FuXing

Hello everyone, 大家好! Today we’re going to talk about a super popular, busy, and commercial area of Taipei: ZhongXiaoFuXing. ZhongXiaoFuXing is located on the Blue and Brown lines and is essentially in the middle of the city. This area is filled with restaurants, high end clothing stores, SOGO department stores, and more shopping, shopping, shopping. And lucky for us, ZhongXiaoFuXing is brimming with vegan restaurants. Just a fair warning, due to the location, all of these restaurants are a little more pricey and expensive compared to others I’ve covered. But hey, we all deserve to treat ourselves every now and again.

VEGAN

1. Herbivore - One of the top restaurants in Taiwan, Herbivore takes the cake for absolutely delicious food. Their ZhongxiaoFuxing location menu varies a little bit from their Taipei101 menu, but they’re essentially the same. They offer noodles, soups, salads, bowls, and even traditional taiwanese food. The hummus is to die for. They’re probably one of the most expensive vegan restaurants in Taiwan, but they’re definitely worth at least one visit. Their portion sizes are huge so don’t get too carried away when you’re there. Their menu has both Chinese and English. Google Maps

2. Chao - Kao in Mandarin, Kao makes more Chinese than Taiwanese food. They have kung pao tofu and popcorn tofu and crispy tofu. They’re one of the more affordable places on this list, where you can be a little more adventurous and try more traditional dishes. They say their english menu is outdated but they will still provide it for you. Google Maps

3. Doi-chaang -Doi-Chaang is a super cute all vegan cafe. They offer special coffee. I don’t know what makes it special because I don’t drink coffee but hey, maybe you’d like to find out! They also offer little snacks which are really delicious and filling if you need something to nibble on. You have to go up one flight of stairs to find them. Their menu is also in English. Google Maps

4. Plants - Plants is another highly popular restaurant that changes their menu seasonally. They offer a lot of bougie vegan food like chia seed pudding, beet tartare, acai bowls, and quinoa salad. Not that that’s bad or anything. They have a bunch of smoothies and juices too. They also have a little shop where you can buy soap, shampoo, and other small things. Their menu is in English and Chinese. Google Maps

5. Soul R. Vegan Cafe - Soul R Vegan specializes in veganized food like burgers, pastas, risottos, and even steak. They hand make their desserts and they’re one of the few places in Taipei where you can get a vegan creme brulee, and tiramisu. Again, I’d consider them pretty expensive compared to other Taiwanese restaurants, but they’re super delicious. Their menu is in English and Chinese. Google Maps

6. Hoshina - Hoshina is a noodle restaurant that makes their own udon noodles by scratch. They have soup and dry noodles. They’re a little farther away from the MRT station by foot but not far away at all on bike. Their menu is in English and Chinese and their prices are what you expect for the area. Google Maps

7. Mianto - One of the most famous vegan restaurants in Taipei, Mianto was founded by a South African woman who’s settled here in Taiwan. The place specializes in pasta, and even offers traditional south african dishes. You can order individual meals or get a set that includes an appetizer and desert. They’re menu has English and they’re priced like the rest of the area. Google Maps

8. Nicecream - Now, on to the holy grail of all veganism in Taipei! Nicecream! An all vegan ice cream shop. They change their menu frequently so they may have different flavors by the time you get there but they usually have coconut, chocolate, a tea like oolong or matcha tea, strawberry, pistachio, and peanut butter. They make their ice cream with coconut milk. They also offer coffee, and traditional waffles. This location is bigger than their Da’an location but still nice and cozy. Google Maps

Now, of course, I don’t advocate going to non-vegan restaurants. But it’s good to know where the plant-based options are. Here are a list of the vegetarian restaurants in the area:

VEGETARIAN

1. Herban Kitchen - Herban Kitchen is a vegetarian restaurant that offers plant-based dishes. They have a hip, cool feel.Everyone raves about their vegan mac and cheese. Their menu is in english and chinese and they mark what’s vegan or not. Google Maps

2. Healthy Vegetarian Buffet - Health Vegetarian is a chain of vegetarian restaurants around taiwan. They offer traditional taiwanese food, most of it plant-based. They calculate your meal based on weight and charge an extra $10 for rice. The benefit of a buffet of course is that you can see what you’re eating without having to read any Chinese. They’re probably the most affordable place on this list, so if you’re comfortable skipping over the eggs and dairy dishes, this may be a good place for you. Google Maps

3. Delisoys - Delisoys is one of the most popular restaurants here in Taiwan. Good luck trying to get a seat without a reservation. They offer a lot of Chinese dishes, and of course have dumplings. Their menu is in English and Chinese and I really, really, really recommend you book a reservation to get in here. Google Maps

4. 竹里館敦南店 - 竹里館敦南店 is a small cozy tea house. Everything on their menu is vegan except for exactly two dishes, landing them in this section of the video. They offer a wide assortment of teas that range from delicious oolongs to pu-erhs. For food they have dumplings, xiaolongbao, veggie balls, rice cakes, scallion pancakes, and little desserts. Their prices are just okay, and their menu has English. Google Maps

There you have it folks! All the vegan restaurants and additional plant based options here in ZhongXiaoFuXing. I hope this was helpful and I look forward to the next one. 再見