Hey everyone hope you're having an amazing day! It's Mark Wiens I'm in Taipei Taiwan And this evening we are going to go on an eating tour of the Nanji Chang Night Market which is a fantastic off the beaten path local Taiwanese Street Food Market where you will find an abundance of different foods to try. The plan is that we are going to try five well maybe even more than five dishes things that you absolutely have to try when you come to this market. and I'm going to share with you all of the food and all of the action coming up for you right now in this video. Oh welcome to the Nanji Chang Not only just the night market but a day! Market It's just a food street.

it's about 2 p.m This is where we are going to begin this food tour so we're gonna start eating Now There's a few things that we're gonna try first before it starts getting busier. Right at the front at the entrance here there is a place that I wanted to check out and eat right there. You can see it's pretty busy already, people are eating and we're gonna go there first. to begin this tour of the Nanji Chang Market They're famous for the tube steamed sticky rice and also a variety of soups and also the lural fun the braised pork over rice.

but I especially want to try the the sticky rice tube and the soup. um and then we. That's probably good because we have so much else to eat. Oh man, it's such a friendly place and they're so friendly and then they just have all the food up here.

At the front these are the giant Steamers where they steam the tube, sticky rice um in the the bowls and then they have the soups going just constantly steaming. They have all the braised uh, pork and parts over here and at the front. It's just non-stop food action. I Mean people come here just lining up.

Non-stop people eating here too. It's so much action, so many delicious. Aromas And because the seeding is all full here? uh Street Side: They give us a table a little ways down the road which they they have a few more tables set up over there making up wheat to dig in. Oh nice.

smells really good in it basically instantly arrives at your table because everything is just steaming and hot and fresh and ready to go. and they just literally I guess pull it out of the Steamers and bring it to your table. Okay here we go. It's sticky rice which is um, cooked and then mixed with sauce I believe and then steamed in a traditionally in bamboo but this time maybe in a can.

Oh I Love that sticky texture. It looks like there's some mushrooms in here, some slices of pork as well before. Oh and but there's pork on there too. I Love the texture of that sticky rice and that immediately brings back memories.

It's one of my favorite things to eat at dim sum restaurants where they they steam sticky rice in a lot of sleep and it gives off that fragrance. This has that same texture, it has a delicious fragrance as well. and I do believe that this this tube rice was traditionally steamed and cooked in bamboo but now I think they use cans but it has that same gooey texture, almost pudding like. Then with the flavor of the pork, that sauce is kind of kind of sweet and then it does have some pork on it.

For me it's all about that sticky gooey gooey fragrant rice. that's the Highlight for me and then it's along with your triggered. Tried two different soups: Braised meat Soups This one looks like it has some melon and then some big chunks of meat in there too. melts in your mouth.

So incredibly tender. All that beef. This soup is my favorite for sure with the beef that was beef, but this one is definitely pork with bitter melon. Yes it's really white though.

This one's very clear, oh so hot, so clear and pure. bitter melon is not very bitter. It's kind of like just uh I mean it just has a hint of bitterness. It's not very strong.

um delicious and hot. And then pieces of pork in here I just completely dissolves in her mouth. It's so tender. Everything is good here and you need because the rice is oily and fatty with the melted back.

You need that soup. It kind of cleanse up the palette and just wash it down. That combination is so good. And then last dish.

This is the Luro fan. This is one of the national dishes of Taiwan That braised pork belly over rice fat. Unbelievable how tender it is. Dangerously tasty and soft and gooey.

that is delicious. Wow. And now that you do look around, you can see everyone eating this and the toothbrush everything. It's really good food.

As you get to the bottom of that rifle, you taste a little dry. shrimp. That's also what's powering the flavor. We're off to an incredibly good start to this.

Nanji Chang Night Market Street Food Tour of Taipei You can see now it's middle of the afternoon. some stalls are open, but lots of them are still closed and some of them are still preparing to open them. You can see that they're cleaning, they're washing, they're preparing for the big night. But again, this is a market that opens pretty much the entire day, so even if you come here at lunch, you'll find quite a few stalls open.

There's so much variety, so many things to choose from, and then things are still opening up for this evening. So it seems like there's one main road which is kind of like the the center of the market with just lined on both sides with street food carts and food and restaurants. This is one of the roads that goes down to the side where you can see that there's some street food carts and some restaurants going down as well so that kind of looks like the main structure of the market, but we'll see how things continue to develop and change and get busier throughout the night as we keep on eating. So typically when you see a line you know there's something good and there's like many.

Many of the Stalls here have a long line waiting for some of the best food in the market. We're gonna stop for this very famous stall that serves a Savory oyster like a deep fried ball. Okay, I'm getting to the front of the line, it's almost time to oyster. I Was originally just gonna get this for takeaway, but then they had an open seat so I just decided to sit down but tried to watch them a little bit as they're making but it's so action-packed and they're just fine.

They're like little little balls or pies. Um, he Stuffs the spatula with a combination of the batter. That's an amazing process with the batter on the spatula and he stops it with this leak and green onion combination, stuffs in some really fat, plump oysters and covers it in batter and it goes into the deep fryer and the deep fryer is kind of hidden beneath this covering. Um, and then they serve it hot and fresh, put it in a box with some sauce.

Wow, this looks so good. It smells so good. I'll just grab this top one. Oh man, it's hot and fresh.

It's literally right out of the oil. Oh wow, that's delicious, right? It's so crispy and juicy and sweet. And literally that moisture just kind of melts in your mouth. And then you've got all of the flavor of the leeks.

And finally, leeks or chives and green onions. Oh man. Melt. Melt in your mouth crispy.

Oh it's so good. Wow. Hot and fresh. and on that bite.

I didn't get any of that sauce so gotta reach in next for that. that sauce. Oh the oyster. Nothing.

oh cool. melting. okay with all that sauce on it. Oh man.

I'm not even totally sure what that sausage. a little bit of chili in it, a little bit of a almost fruity flavor as well. The oysters are just so sweet and they literally just melt in your mouth. Oh man, this is something I haven't had before in Taiwan It's almost like an oyster budget.

It's so addictive. It goes down so easily as well. Wow, so tasty! Thank you very much! Oh man, we are off to a good start. That was impressively tasty and they're so nice as well.

We gotta move on to the next spot the picking up in business. This place gets so crowded and the popular places have extreme lines. I'm very excited about the next place It's a one of the national foods of Taiwan something that has a very strong Aroma and a very strong odor and you can smell from across the town. But something that tastes incredibly delicious and we're gonna go try it.

right now it's a very famous place. There it is the tower. the steaming rack of stinky tofu. smelly tofu, fermented tofu.

It's actually the aroma is quite Pleasant actually I I kind of I Kind of like it. It doesn't smell too strong actually here. I've had it. definitely smelled stronger, but that's the dish that you come to eat here.

This is called The Smelly Tofu Boss and this was actually featured in The Michelin guide as well. Oh man, that is so cool. When you order comes hot and fresh. Okay, it does have a bit of a pungent Aroma to it.

As soon as you order she takes it out of the bamboo steamer, she puts it onto a plate and then it has this broth. the stinky tofu broth. She asked you if you want it spicy, Very spicy. Okay, okay, okay, of course we want it spicy.

She adds in, mixes in some of that chili paste, mixes that in, and then adds in some basil. it looks like uh, then pours that sauce back onto the tofu. I Also saw the tomato soup so I decided to try some tomato soup although they do also have some other rice dishes as well here that look pretty good. Okay I Cannot wait to try it.

See the kind of almost cheesy bubbles in that tofu? Um, so hot, freshly steamed? Oh oh that is so good! Oh wow. okay. I've had stinky tofu before I Think this is the best version I've ever had Actual taste is this one is incredible. That fermentation gives it such a complexity, a bit of a sourness.

I mean I think this. the aroma is definitely stronger than the taste. There's a little bit of mushroom in here too, and maybe some soybeans. and then Ginger which is also adding a nice fragrance as well.

There's a few small herbs in there fragrances as well and then I Love the texture of the tofu too. It's so spongy and then so it just absorbs that broth in that juice. Just look at how spongy that tofu is. I think part of the attraction and part of the reason it is so good is because it is so spongy and it absorbs so much of that broth.

Oh man, that's like a new found perspective on stinky smelly tofu. Almost get past our tofu. but I've almost forgot about the tomato soup. This looks like a stewed down tomato soup with the broth with a few vegetables.

Just a few blanched vegetables in here. foreign. I Love that flavor that's just straight like a liquid tomato broth. and I think this is I Believe that this place is is vegan.

it's um, plant-based restaurant just using that fermentation for the complexity of all that flavor. I Have to be completely honest with you, that was delicious I didn't want it to end. Hmm that complexity. Oh man.

give Stinky Tofu a try. So next up on this tour there is a I think it's almost always a continuous line here as soon as they open up at 4. P.M in the evening and it's for a unique Suite that they bake in this Barrel oven. It's a very famous place, something you have to try when you're at this market and it's actually called unnamed I'll tell you the story when we get to the front there.

I'm gonna stand in line I'm gonna wait it out to see just what is the attraction why so many people line up queue up to wait 30 minutes, sometimes an hour, maybe even longer to taste these. Clay Oven rolls. We're gonna find out the secret when we taste them. So this the stall is called unnamed Clay Oven rolls and I believe that they started off as a street food cart and then they started selling what they knew best and something.

They cooked delicious and never gave it a name. and then they got famous I came to the night market selling here at the night market and then just never never took on a name and so they just named themselves on named and we are almost. Actually we're almost getting to the front of the line at first I thought they only had sweet rolls, but actually they have four different types. two Savory two sweet.

we'll try one of each, we're at the front of the line and I think something. that might be the secret. That's truly impressive even with a crowd, a line just winding down the road is that they make everything by hand fresh. nothing is pre-rolled So they have all these different types of rolls, four different types.

They make them on the spot. The technique is that they roll out the dough, they fill it, then they put it on top of the oven and so it's sort of toasts kind of. Sears gives the the edges a little brown Edge before they then get transferred into the oven to bake. Smells incredibly good I Cannot wait to try it.

They're pretty small and we waited in line for so long. What's unique here also is that every shape is a different flavor. So I think this one is the salty Savory bag and this one is the sweet bag. Okay, let's try this one.

I'm thinking to break it in half first so we can see on the insides what's all in this one? Oh, it actually looks quite simple. Green onions, a little bit of sauce, and then just that dough I mean this one is kind of simple. The first one that I'm trying a little bit salty. the aroma of the green onions.

I Think maybe it's the dough that is the secret. Okay, let's try the next one. This is one with minced pork that's what you mentioned. pork bun that has more flavor.

It's a very thin litter or pork with that sesame seeds. again. I think it's the dough that is really special here. Flaky, crispy, kind of buttery and definitely traditional.

Okay, here's the sweet ones right out of the oven. they're really hot and two different versions. One oh, this one is definitely the red bean and the other one is sugar. I'll show you one is very good.

like melted sugar on the inside. and again, their secret is definitely the dough. that handmade dough. The crispiness and flakiness of the dough is outstanding.

Okay, and then the last one we have is the red bean. Oh, the red bean is excellent. Go through sesame seeds with that starchy red beans on the center. not too sweet.

Again, that dough. Sweet ones are really good and definitely extremely popular. It's starting to get dark now the people are starting to pick up. It's starting to get a lot busier at this time.

A lot more stalls are opening at this time as well and so we have a few more things to eat on this tour. Oh man. okay I Had a feeling this place would have an extreme line and before they open and it is the longest line at the market without a doubt stretching from the stall all the way down the road and into the alley. but this is really when I wanted to come eat at this Market This was one of the places that I absolutely said I have to try uh, it was written about and featured in The Michelin guide as were some other places in this market.

They are extremely famous for their sesame oil chicken which this is going to be my first time to try it. I Think we have to wait out the line. Oh man, this place must be incredibly good. We're gonna find out the king is waiting in line.

Um hopefully it doesn't take too long, but that's okay. Oh it just smells incredibly good standing here at the front of the stall you could just smell the aroma. It smells so good. Oh man, it's just like this warmth of sesame oil that overwhelms you.

You want to bathe in it. It smells so good. We are in and that actually didn't take that long because a lot of people get takeaway or kind of just jam-packed in this room behind the stall. Love it in here! So busy, so packed, so much action and the aroma of that sesame oil is almost unbearable.

I Cannot wait to try however the chicken leg. You pay at the front and then you sit down or you get take away while we're waiting. They have a little sauce in the back, it's a chili sauce. uh and I see people get it back here.

Oh that smells delicious. Chilies and garlic? maybe soy sauce? Foreign? thank you very much. here it is. The wait is over.

The sesame oil chicken and I got the the bone. the drumstick which is actually giant drumstick and that suit is so aromatic. Oh man it's like the thickness of gravy. And then we also got the vermicelli which is it looks like it's with the same sesame oil plus garlic.

And then we got some of the daily vegetables. kind of looks like lettuce. Oh wow so you can see that layer of Sesame Brown Golden sesame oil plus the broth plus the chicken. So the chicken has just been kind of sliced off the off the drumstick and into the into the soup.

But we have to try that soup. First the broth. What Oh it's actually kind of like mellow and soothing and warming, but it's not over overpowering at all. And then as you drink it you taste the flavor of the chicken broth and then you get that nuttiness of a sesame oil in the back of your throat.

Oh it's not like a really strong flavor, not too pungent, but it's really soothing. Okay let's try that drumstick as far as start with the bone since it's in my fingers. Thank you for the texture of that chicken. You can tell that it's a natural tasting chicken.

I Love the texture of it. It's also gooey and you like it's not so much fatty but you feel like the collagen of the chicken. All the characters Fantastic. That's like real natural tasting chicken and it's like cooked down so it's so soft but not mushy at all.

You really feel the grains of the of that chicken. oh that's good. Exactly Gelatini? okay. I'll reach in for a piece of the chicken.

you can see just just. you have to admire the texture of that chicken. I mean if you were to break it apart, you might need to use my fingers to just kind of break it apart. You can see just the grains of the chicken.

oh that is so hot. I think I will dip into that sauce which looks like possibly some ginger and chilies in here. Foreign. It's incredible.

Yeah. I See the attraction? Let's try that skin chunk. Wow. the skin is so gelatinous, so gooey that meat underneath you could just tell like how muscular that chicken is.

Yeah um freaking melts in your mouth again. Then we've got some of the vermicelli noodles. That garlic is so aromatic as well. and I think they have been um with some of that same sesame oil soup.

let's go do a very plain, just the flavor of the garlic and that chicken broth in the oil. and then we got some of the daily vegetables. kind of looks like lettuce. Yeah, okay.

then for my next bio chicken, we gotta dip into the sauce. It's not really a strong flavor, it's a very, very mild flavor. but it's just so addictive as you keep on eating it. I think the flavor of that chicken broth.

the sesame oil just kind of gives it enough nuttiness to keep you going and it's just really warming and really soothing. I Actually I heard this is a winter dish and people really like eating it in cold weather in the winter. and I'm I'm starting to sweat. it's just syrup.

so piping hot and it keeps hot. Maybe because of that oil in there? Yeah, soothing I would call it extremely soothing. actually. one more thing.

I'm up here at the front just looking again a little closer after we've already finished eating. Could that have been just a single drumstick in that bowl that I just ate? Was that just was that just a one drumstick? It is huge and yet at the same time it feels like such a natural chicken. That must be. Uh, I mean they have a pot of them.

They're like meaty, like almost looks like the size of a turkey drumstick. It's huge. That was delicious. We're at the next stall.

This is a really cool place. again. This place was featured in The Michelin guide. Sometimes they call it a Taiwanese burrito or a spring roll.

There's so many things in it. I mean coming from Southeast Asia They have very similar versions which are called Popia or Popia in Thailand or Popia in Singapore and Malaysia. This one is like a super-sized version, though it's extra big. It's often called the Taiwanese burrito and that's just impressive how many ingredients go into it.

They start with that wrapper, uh okay. They add in some sauce, they add in some pork, they add in some pork floss, they add in some peanuts, some coriander, and it moves over to the next station where then they add in just the blanched bean sprouts, which looks like there's some might be some radish and some other things in there as well. He adds in another layer of peanuts and coriander and sauces. So complex.

There's so many things that go into it and it's really cool to watch the whole process as they make it as well. And it's hot and fresh. Let's try it. Okay, wow, it's It's hearty, kind of like a burrito and you can feel that wrapper is really nice and soft.

Or even some do some sprinkles which looks like almost like a seaweed loaded fully loaded. Here we go. Oh wow, so that's you. Don't know if it's sweet or favorite, it's kind of everything in one.

It's quite sweet, but it's quite shavory at the same time. You've got all the freshness, the crunch of those bean sprouts. I've got a lot of nuts going on, a lot of peanuts in there. you've got the the flavor of chewy.

Definitely pork flush. There's tofu. Wow, that's that's a unique combination for sure. So many.

how is this even invented with so many different ingredients? and again, kind of like a dessert. Kind of like Savory all at the same time. You know what? as I as I keep on eating this. It's kind of growing on me.

It kind of like is addictive. I think it's that sweet and salty combination? Let's have another bite. Oh, and I got a really big piece of pork rind in there. by Duke there's pork rind.

I think there's pork flush. That's an incredible mix of ingredients. And really I think this could go for either it could be almost considered a sweet dessert crepe or it could be considered a Savory snack. a burrito.

Definitely unique and definitely a very interesting blend of ingredients. It's about 6 p.m it's dark now. the market is pretty much in full force, but again, that's something that's so cool about nanji. Chang Market is that it is a day? Market You can come here in the afternoon and just start grazing, eating your way through and then just work your way up to dinner.

And to be quite honest with you, there's still so much more to eat. There's so many more dishes, so much more food, so many more packed places. I mean I Saw a place that serves really good looking Oden There are places where you can get steamed buns. there's dumplings just out of control.

and if you come down some of these side Lanes There's just restaurant after restaurant. Yeah, just dumplings. They'll just find so many discoveries 10 lanes down the alleys. There's just food after food after food.

and then you start getting into restaurants. Look at this place. Wow. Oh man, it's a food.

Haven Without a doubt we tried some delicious food, but I really would like to encourage you to do is when you come here, just whatever you see, jump in line, try some food. Uh, there's such a variety. so many different things to choose from and so don't just limit yourself to the things that I ate because there's so much more as well. But that hopefully just gives you a little bit of an idea and a little bit of a recommendation.

Some of the things to try and especially to just come here when you are in: Taipei to experience a really authentic off the beaten path Night Market Taiwanese Street food experience and so that's going to be it for this video I Want to say a big thank you for watching this night market tour in Taipei and I'll have the information in the description box below and then also if you haven't watched other videos in this. Taiwanese Street Food series Uh, we're eating our way around. Taipei You're not going to want to miss any of the food in the other videos as well, so stay tuned and thank you so much for watching this video. Please remember to give it a thumbs up if you enjoyed it.

Leave a I'd Love to hear from you and if you're not already subscribed, make sure you subscribe now for lots more food and travel videos. Good night from Taipei I'll see you on the next video.