We’ve said before that Night Markets are a quintessential experience in Taiwan: no other country is recognised for their regular epic, open-air evening food fests like this little country, and for good reason. Besides the incredible selection of delicious food for cheap prices and the rows upon rows of food, games, and merchandise, the night markets exist in sheer numbers throughout the island, with each of them bringing something unique.

Location

Keelung’s main night market, also known as Miao Kou Night Market (廟口夜市), is no exception to this rule, with a layout that differs from every other night market we encountered in Taiwan during the entirety of our trip. Much of it is located over two perpendicular roads: the eastern half of RenSan Road (仁三路), and continues north through AiSi Road (愛四路).

How the Night Market Works

We spent a few days in Keelung, allowing us to truly understand the night market and sample a wide variety of their fare. Half of the night market exists in marked stalls with seats that open from various hours throughout the day and generally close late at night with the night market. These stalls are beneath covers, with reflective metallic signs and numbered from 1 through to around 70, located mostly on RenSan Road. They operate just like any stationary eatery, though their kitchen consists mostly of outdoor burners, with benches for their patrons to sit and eat along their small counters.

During the evening, the entirety of the mentioned area is closed off to traffic, and like any other night market food stands and trucks roll in to set up their evening fare. This means that AiSi Road contains much of the food you won’t find during the day. We found that on the blue half of Aisi Road (marked on the map above), most of the fare is typical of what you’d find around Taiwan, whereas the southern half has a few  more interesting selections, including set-ups with sit-down benches along the streets. With the luxury of time and no mind for budgeting, we made it our goal to conquer Keelung’s Miao Kou Night Market – and document it over 3 parts.

The Permanent Stands

While these stands are permanent, there is some level of transience to be expected. Of course, they may undergo changes of ownership, which means that we can’t even guarantee that the number that we suggest will remain by the time you visit. Nonetheless, we were keen to try stands, and made an effort to seek the busier establishments, so to some degree they are likely to linger for a few more years yet. These establishments are little more than a kitchen with some space for patrons to eat at benches, though some leak into the buildings behind, offering more tables and seats.

Still, with its speedy service and a quick-dine style of eating, even stands with empty seats will eventually see a free space. But it’s first-come-first-served, which means that you’ll have to claim your place at any chance that comes. Note: the following are in order of the video, not preference.

Pork Thick Soup / Spareribs in Clear Soup at Stand 19

This stand operates during the day rather than following night market hours, finishing business at around 7pm, which is why we thought to visit for lunch. The menu is fairly simple but temptation always gets the better of Jos, and in this moment of illogicality, she decided that the soup-based dishes would justify ordering more than is sufficient for 2 people. Thanks to her, we ordered virtually the whole menu, starting with a clear pork soup (清排骨; NTD45; US$1.50). The clearness of the broth did not reflect the rich savoury flavour, which was deeper than what the colour suggested. Similarly, the texture of the pork was far more tender than the clear fibres of the meat suggested – an excellent version of a very basic pork soup, cooked masterfully to high quality.

Potage is one of the most common dishes you’ll find in the Keelung Night Market. Though originally referring to a soup or stew thickened from cooking its ingredients to a mush, in Taiwan this texture is achieved by using starch. Each stand has its own version, and this one was no exception. The pork potage (肉焿湯; NTD45; US$1.50) is slightly more viscous than the clear soup counterpart, the darker colour brought by heavier seasonings. Its sweetness is lent by what tastes like onions, as well as the light flavour of cooked cabbage, though without the pungent aftertaste. Though the pork has been either reassembled from mince or doused heavily with tenderiser, it’s still a delicious dish, especially for those with a sweeter palate.

Next up was the foot/leg meat soup (退肉湯; NTD55; US$1.80), which has a similar base to the clear broth though beautifully fragrant from the addition of the fresh julienned ginger on top. The layer of collagen adds a rich, gelatinous texture. The trotter soup (豬腳湯; NTD45; US$1.50) offers a much more gelatinous cut, likely from the toes as suggested by the presence of bones. These soups all offer slightly different experiences, so it’s great to order one which might suit your tastes the most. Any of these make a well-rounded meal when paired with the cabbage (小菜; NTD15; US$0.50) and the braised pork mince on rice (魯肉飯; NTD20; US$0.65), the melting fat seasoned to salty perfection from the braising sauce. This stand was one of Jos’ favourite picks from the whole of Keelung’s MiaoKou Night Market area, because of how simple, yet balanced and delicious it was.

Pig’s Feet and Shrimp Potage at Stand 22

This stand appealed to us because of its popularity – we only secured seats because we sprang in at the sight of someone leaving. It was a busy stand that continued with large crowds throughout the days we stopped by for visits. Everyone orders the same 3 dishes: shrimp potage (蝦仁焿; NTD60; US$1.95), pig’s trotter (豬腳肉; NTD100; US$3.30), and the ever-present braised pork mince on rice (滷肉飯; NTD20; US$0.65).

Thanks to the trotters being served at room-temperature, it retains a firmer, gelatinous texture to chew on rather than melting in the mouth. Still, with the addition of the soy sauce it has a smooth mouthfeel without feeling too rich or fatty. The sauce it comes with tastes like a mixture of fermented plums and tomato sauce – sweet, acidic, and a little funky, perhaps a bit of an acquired flavour, but tasty nonetheless.

The potage is sweet, and though the prawns have been minced, it still has a delightful bouncy texture. Finally, the rice is surprisingly not too salty, with a lovely rich savouriness that goes well with the sweet potage. It’s an excellent, reliable stand for people who want to try something a little adventurous, but with fairly familiar textures and flavours.

Dragon Festival Dumpling / Four Tonic Soup at Stand 20

Another one of the popular stalls at the night market focuses on gua bao (or yi bao) steamed sandwiches (刈包), and an herbal tonic soup filled with all sorts of offal. While the first dish is a common dish throughout Taiwan and East Asia, and even quickly rising to mainstream fame in the western world, the second is much more of an acquired taste for those who want health foods, or are looking for something a little out of the ordinary.

The soup, of which we got a combination of stomach and intestine (綜合湯; NTD65; US$2.15), had a light, herbal flavour which may be strange to some, reminiscent of the Malaysian bak kut teh. The soup is thickened from the presence of what seems to be barley though not in the same almost gloopy manner of the potage rather than that of a very thin porridge. The stomach and the intestines are chewy, a little like cartilage, though have a meaty flavour not unlike pork ribs that have been stewed for a while. Though we loved the dish, we recognise that the vaguely bitter, herbal flavour may be difficult to enjoy for those who aren’t accustomed to it.

The steamed sandwich (NTD45; US$1.50) is a much safer option: fluffy, steamed bread, tender pork braised in a salty, sweet marinade, and sweet, sour pickled vegetables – this was one of the most balanced bao that we had throughout Taiwan despite not being crammed with ingredients or having the fattiest cut of pork. This stand, particularly the bao, is one of our recommended picks for all of Keelung’s MiaoKou Night Market – make sure to give both dishes a try, if you have the stomach for it!

Crab Soup (螃蟹羹湯) and Oil Rice (油飯) at Stand 5

Potage is one of the most common dishes you’ll find in the Keelung Night Market. Though originally referring to a soup or stew thick from cooking its ingredients to a mush, in Taiwan it is most commonly a broth thickened with a starch. The additions and flavours are as variable as one can imagine, so it’s easy to go hopping from stand to stand to sample a variety while getting a different sort of experience with each.

Right at the entrance of the night market is Number 5, which makes crab soup (螃蟹羹湯) and glutinous oil rice (油飯). With a menu virtually identical to Number 10 a few spots down, the two main items you’ll find that almost everyone orders is just that – crab soup and glutinous oil rice. Here, these two dishes cost NTD60 (US$1.95) and NTD30 (US$1) respectively. This turned out to be one of the most disappointing stands we experienced in the night market – besides the potage tasting of a very average meat soup, the crab was neither generous nor particularly flavourful. The rice was also very underwhelming. While it’s flavoured enough with some soy and other seasonings that it can be eaten on its own, it’s not a dish we would come back to, overall a little flat.

Cuttlefish Potage (花枝羹) and Fried Thick Noodles (大麵炒) at Stand 40

Another popular stand, at which we, in truth, didn’t have high hopes for. Both the cuttlefish potage (花枝羹; NTD55; US$1.80) and the fried noodles (大麵炒; NTD25; US$0.80) looked bland – the soup was colourless, and the noodles still pale and yellow as if it had been simply boiled without seasoning. Still, we love to be surprised, and this stand sure delivered. Light but still savoury, without the disguise of seasonings and sweetness of the other potages, the addition of fresh coriander leaves and white pepper added a lovely fragrance. The cuttlefish pieces were mostly chopped meat smashed together into bite-sized morsels of cuttlefish which added crunch.

The noodles were coated in a very light dressing, balanced well between sweet, salty, savoury, and just enough greasy to add the umami. The garlic is deliciously strong, making it a great stand-alone dish. It’s just too tasty to eat with the soup!

Pork Thick Soup King at Stand 31

This stand is so popular that it has a spillover room behind the outdoor kitchenette which houses a dense clutter of tables and benches for its huge influx of customers. Compared to other stands, Pork Thick Soup King, amongst its normal menu of soup and rice, has a variety of side dishes which makes for a complete meal, likely the reason why many locals like to visit. It may be busy, but thanks to the number of seats it shouldn’t take too long for a space to open up.

Having learned our lesson (kind of), we only ordered the pork potage (肉羹湯; NTD45; US$1.50) and the braised pork mince rice (滷肉飯; NTD20; US$0.65). The rice is delicious – the grains of rice separate in the mouth to give great texture, and the braising sauce is deliciously sweet, salty, and savoury, soaking all the way down to the bottom of the bowl. The potage is surprisingly light, more so than many of the other thick soups we encountered at the night market, with a light, almost sweet flavour from the cabbage. The pork was a pretty standard bite of heavily-tenderised lump of minced meat. Still, it was inarguably tasty, one of Jos’ top picks for the night market.

With the night market running virtually all day, there’s no reason not to stop by central Keelung for a unique taste of Taiwan, and with choices like this, you would be hard-pressed not to come across something that tickles your fancy. We explored the stands that roll out when evening arrives and snacked through all the treats on offer – with the selection on offer, there’s no excuse not to visit this night market.