Raohe, or Raohe Street, Night Market spans 600 meters (1,968 feet) long and sits nestled in northeastern Taipei City. It offers over 400 restaurants. Some of which include Michelin Star establishments.
I’ve lived in Taiwan and have been to Raohe Night Market at least over 5 times. I want to share my recommendations, along with other useful information. To help you decide this market’s worth visiting.
Raohe Night Market Restaurant Map
Quick Facts: Raohe Street Night Market
| Hours | Daily: 5:00–11:00 PM |
| Number of Stalls | 400+ |
| Closest Rail Station | Songshan Station (Taipei MRT) |
| Opening Date | May 11th, 1987 |
| City Located | Taipei City |
| Address | Raohe St, Songshan District, Taipei City, Taiwan 105 |
| Chinese Name | 饒河街觀光夜市 (Ráo hé jiē guānguāng yèshì) |
Foods to Try at Raohe Street Night Market
Foods you should try at Raohe Night Market include:
| Food | Restaurant/Stand | Address |
|---|---|---|
| Black pepper bun | Fuzhou Black Pepper Bun | No. 253號, Raohe St, Songshan District, Taipei City, 105 |
| Stinky Tofu | Hsia Kang Ming Peng Stinky Tofu | No. 189, Raohe St, Songshan District, Taipei City, 105 |
| Deep-fried potato spiral | Anywhere | NA |
| Deep-fried milk stick | Anywhere | NA |
| Mochi and tsai yen | Mochi Baby | Raohe St, Songshan District, Taipei City, 105 |
| Tofu pudding | Anywhere | NA |
| Beef noodles | Anywhere | NA |
| Chicken sausage | Anywhere | NA |
| Ribs stewed in traditional Chinese medicine | Chen Dong Pork Ribs Medical Herbs Soup | No. 160, Raohe St, Songshan District, Taipei City, 105 |
| Oyster vermicelli | Dong Fat Hao | No.94, Raohe St, Songshan District, Taipei City, 105 |
| Stinky tofu | Shi Boss Spicy Tofu | No. 166號, Raohe St, Songshan District, Taipei City, 105 |
| Bubble Tea | Anywhere | NA |
If Raohe’s the only night market you visit, I included many other foods, desserts, or drinks you should try while perusing.
Otherwise, let’s talk about specific food stalls.
Black pepper bun, or Hujiao bing, at Fuzhou Black Pepper Bun. It’s a Michelin-recommended stand with long, yet fast-moving lines [1]. Don’t let the lines intimidate you. Just grab a spot and wait for your turn.
Once when I went, there was someone who was trying to cut everyone. But I blocked him. Because I don’t tolerate line cutters.
This doesn’t happen much in Taiwan. But it’s a useful detail to know.
It’s the first stand you’ll see when entering from the Ciyou Temple entrance. If you’re familiar with Anthony Bourdain’s The Layover, you’ll have seen this stand.
He said “it’s good.”
I also recommend it.
You have a couple options for stinky tofu. I don’t have a preference, so I recommend choosing the least crowded restaurant.
For dessert, try mochi and tsaiyen at Mochi Baby (麻糬寶寶). It’s another Michelin-recommended stall that offers gelatinous, yet vegan products.
The mochi is NT$50 ($1.70) for a small amount and NT$70 ($2.45) for a large amount. It was the best mochi I’ve had. Not too chewy.
The tsaiyen was NT$30 ($1). If you freeze it, tsaiyen will have an interesting taste and texture combination.
Mochi is a rounded cake made from Japanese glutinous rice flower. Tsaiyen is a gelatinous and vegan treat that combines wax gourd and various traditional Chinese herbs.
Aside from food, you can shop for souvenirs, cheap electronics, clothing, and other accessories. Or you can know what’s going to happen in your future.
By the Fuzhou Black Pepper Bun stand, you’ll see an old man with a bunch of birds. These birds are apparently psychic. And if you want them to predict your future, you’ll need to pay NT$300 ($10).
The bird will draw a card that has your future.
There’s not much else to this night market. It’s like many other Taiwanese night markets. But bigger and more popular food options.
Let’s cover ways to get to this night market.
How To Get To Raohe Night Market
The easiest way to get to Raohe Night Market is to take the Taipei MRT Green Line to Songshan Station and depart from Exit 5.
Afterward, cross the street to Ciyou Temple and turn right.
If you take a train to reach Songshan Train Station in Taipei, move from the train station toward the MRT Station. Then you can also depart from Exit 5.
Those who are close enough to Raohe Night Market could also walk. Or rent a YouBike and follow the Keelung River to the Rainbow Bridge.
Things to do Nearby Raohe Street Night Market
When around the area, be sure that you’re by the riverside so you can catch the sun setting. You can also stroll along the steel cable suspended bridge, Rainbow Bridge. There’s nothing special across the river, but it’s a great way to exercise and get fresh air.
If you want to walk around 30 minutes north, you could reach the IKEA or Costco in Neihu.
Raohe Night Market works better as another stop when on the way back from somewhere else.
I recommend visiting Raohe Street Tourist Night Market at night on the way back from a daytrip to 1 of the following places:
- Jiufen Old Street and Jinguashi: come back by bus
- Houtong Cat Village: come back by train
- Anywhere on Taiwan’s west coast: take the High Speed Rail (HSR) to Songshan Train Station
- Beaches along northwestern Taiwan: take a bus back at night
Or you can come to Raohe on a whim. I doubt you’ll regret making the journey to try some dishes.
Raohe Street Tourist Night Market History
During the Qing Dynasty, Raohe was a transportation hub known as Xikou. This hub routed its goods that came from various northern cities through the Keelung River.
As sediments accumulated in the river, the northern body of water eventually became obsolete.
Come 1987, the Taipei City government transformed the former river hub into the nation’s second tourist night market.
Toward the market’s eastern end lies Ciyou Temple, which a group of wandering monks founded in 1753. It’s a Taoist temple that’s dedicated to the Goddess Matsu.
There’s also a massive pilgrimage in different parts of Taiwan dedicated to this goddess during the Mazu pilgrimage.