Two Must-Eat Vegetarian Restaurants in Taipei – The Locals

Believe it or not, it’s fashionable to go vegetarian in Taipei. Taipei delivers some of the most creative and diverse vegetarian dining culture in Asia. From delightful local food stalls to chic upscale restaurants, you are guaranteed a vegetarian feast like nowhere else.

Here we delve into the off-the-beaten-path vegetarian diners in Taipei. These eateries truly show how vegetarian food has become an integral part of the local’s daily life. To explore the more lavish choices, check out Two Must-Eat Vegetarian Restaurants in Taipei – The Sophisticated.

Ji-Yuan Vegetarian Restaurant 吉緣素食

There is a saying in Taiwan that you are guaranteed to spot vegetarian diners at three venues – temples, hospitals, and local markets. So if you find yourself standing in front of the LongShan Temple, the prestigious center of Taiwanese religion, then you know you are guaranteed some vegetarian gourmet. Nestled between a beverage stand and traditional sweets shop, Ji-Yuan Restaurant may fly under your radar when you first pass by.

However, Ji-Yuan provides one of the most down-to-earth and unique Taiwanese veggie dishes. Try out the Pickled Vegetable Noodle (雪菜乾麵), a local favorite, literally plain noodles embellished with the indigenous “Pickled Vegetable”. Or else, take a leap of faith and order the Toon Rice Bowl (香椿拌飯) and Soybean Skin Soup (豆皮湯). The Toon Rice Bowl may look like mashed-spinach at first sight, but as the toon’s flavor blend perfectly with the rice underneath, its tastiness is worth the try.

● How to Order?

As this is a truly local restaurant, you’d expect the shop owners to be extremely amiable but non-English speaking. But no worries, we have your back covered. Order with the bilingual menu below (prices are on the menu board — they change from time to time, but most dishes cost well under NTD 100).

Angelica Vermicelli 當歸麵線

Pickled Vegetable Noodles 雪菜乾麵

Pickled Vegetable Noodles with Soup 雪菜湯麵

Spicy Noodle 麻辣乾麵

Toon Noodle 香椿乾麵

Toon Rice Bowl 香椿拌飯

Wonton in Chili Oil 紅油抄手

Sesame Oil Rice Bowl 麻油拌飯

Soybean Skin Soup 豆皮湯

Angelica Soup 當歸湯

Around the Corner: Of course you would have to visit the LongShan Temple, located just a few steps away. Literally “Dragon Mountain Temple”, LongShan Temple is one of the oldest and most awe-inspiring shrines in Taiwan. Its shrine to Yue Lao, the Chinese god of matchmaking, is especially popular with people hoping to find love. Come witness for yourself!

Budget: one of the cheapest sit-down meals around Longshan Temple — check the menu board for current prices

Country Health Vegetarian Buffet 全國健康素食自助餐

Country Health Vegetarian Buffet seldom graces blog recommendations, but often leaves my foreign friends with the most impressions. It is very different from the high-priced buffet westerners are used to. As a pay-by-weight diner, Country Health provides local residents with bargain meal choice.

However make no mistake, Country Health most certainly did not sacrifice price for quality. Its dishes are not only tasty, but are as varied as any regular Taiwanese cuisine. If you’d like to have some traditional hand rolls, green bean noodles or fungus salad, feel free to grab their vegetarian versions. If you’d simply like a detox from meat overload, you’d have an extremely wide range of seasonal vegetables to choose from. In the end, you can get a full plate of veggie savory for a fraction of what a buffet costs back home.

● How to Order?

This is a pay-by-weight diner, so just grab whatever you desire into your plate, and have them weighed at the counter. If you’d like some rice, order them at the counter too. Free soup is included.

Around the Corner: Country Health has many branches around Taipei, so it is easy to fit a meal into a day of sightseeing — for example, around the Taipei Confucius Temple in Dalongdong. You might recognize Confucius as the prominent Chinese philosopher, but he is also a traditional deity in Daoism. After visiting the intricately built Confucius Temple, you might also want to compare its architecture with the Baoan Temple nearby.

Budget: pay-by-weight, so you decide how much you spend

Want a local to take you round Taipei’s food scene? Browse our Taiwan tours or find a local guide.

Check out: Two Must-Eat Vegetarian Restaurants in Taipei – The Sophisticated