The food in Taiwan isn’t nearly as good as most locals seem to think, however one thing it certainly is not is “overpriced”. Eating out is very cheap.
Anyway, if you are unable to cook yourself and can’t stand bought food then there is no solution to your problem.
At Ximen there’s a few options. There’s that little corner joint that does Japanese style fried chicken. They also do noodles but they are a bit greasy and light on the vegetables and meat. Throughout Ximen there’s a bunch of places that do pretty decent meals for a fairly decent price but you’ll usually be looking at $200nt minimum. If you want to buy things head to Carrefour or Jason’s Market. There’s also City Super downstairs at MegaCity at Banqiao. A new burger joint opened up on the same level. If you want to get super sized Amercian style burgers there’s The Diner. They have a few locations throughout Taipei. Prices are pretty steep but you usually get a decent product. Avoid the pasta dishes here. They are pretty much just shit. There’s also this new sort of chain restaurant that serves Korean food. They seem to be a franchise so the quality can vary. Go onto Tealit and join a few language exchange pages on facebook and start making some friends. You sound more homesick than anything else. In that sense carrefour has Tim Tams. You can also get tim tams from some Family Marts. Best of luck with it.
Thanks not really homesick. 
I really do love Taiwan. It’s just cmon! The food is a joke.
Where and what are you eating? Its not easy to find overpriced food. Usually I eat what I pay.
Wrooooooong.
I have a pot and an electric cooking hot plate that a friend gave me. I’ll buy some drinking water from 7-11. Boil it in the pot and throw in some veg that I can get at the market. Add salt and butter and it will almost be healthy food. Then I think I can wash my dishes with the sink on the rooftop.
second pic is dingtaifeng, nowadays found in nearly every department store, especially in taipei. first pic is from kaohsiung, imo the best beef noodles on the rock, at least for me.
these are just 2 random samples of good food here. but there are many more in every city. when i first came here i depended on 7/11, rouzaofan and biandangs. it can get frustrating with time(but you’ve only been here a month,wow). it took me about 2 years to start craving for anything particular which is not easily available in taiwan.
if you live in taipei, maybe you’d like to read this blog: http://hungryintaipei.blogspot.com/
it’s in english and shows a variety of food
Thanks for the help and the giving of shit everyone Some good advice. I appreciate it.
Finally someone who agrees with me. The food here really is average at best and compared to Thai or Japanese it tastes terrible. All the same taste and not salty enough.
This is what I have been struggling with the most since I moved here and I get triggered every time someone praises Taiwanese food for being so great.
Of course there are a few good restaurants, but every country has those and it’s nothing special.
It’s called Costco brooooooo
Um … type “Taiwan food sucks” or similar searches in the upper corner. Or just scroll through the “Food & Drink” forum. You’ll find many, many people in this forum have said many, many times that Taiwanese food isn’t great. There’s no “Finally” about it. Sure, many local people will say that Taiwanese food is great, but I’ve almost never heard a westerner say that. (I don’t believe I’ve ever met one who’s said that, but I’ve seen articles and forum posts from these near-mythical beasts.)
there’s a little thing called salt shaker.
no one is saying taiwan has the best food or even top notch food.
but outside food is mostly very affordable and for the most part worthy. sometimes even great food.
imo you have an unrealistic idea of taiwan. it’s not all cheap and tasty just because it’s in asia. quality costs. and i think can get great quality in taiwan for a better price than in most western countries.
@Dontknow i second this. Costco and the Tianmu Carrefour are salvation for those in Taipei.
There’s some Indian places that aren’t too bad, but they are kinda pricey. Macho Tacos, while not great, is better than a lot of Taiwanese food. There’s that food court near that stadium like building near YuanShan MRT which has some Spanish and Latin American food there.
Have you looked in Xinyi district? Lots of non Taiwanese food there.
Here’s what you need to know: Taiwan is in many ways super uneven. In this way it’s a totally different scene from Japan, where this would not be tolerated. There are folks in Taiwan that are very careful and conscientious; there are folks that do things in ways that are utterly unprofessional. Some folks are very clean; some not. Some polite; some not. Some good at cooking; some not! The key is to find folks in the first group and try to stay the h*ll away from folks in the latter group. It takes a while to find your feet here (this is my experience anyways) but do not give up! It’s worth the effort and you’ll learn a lot about yourself, and what is important to you (i.e. your values) in the process.
Guy
why shouldn’t they? everyone loves what they grew up with. just because they don’t accomodate your tastebuds, doesn’t mean it’s bad. i’m european, do i like french duck liver? hell no. or stinky blue cheese? no way.
but i’m sure if i grew up with that stuff i’d defend it with my life:p
well, this is a general fact. not just something between two countries/cultures.
ratio may vary
If you want to cook by yourself, an option is a shared house with a full kitchen.
There was this old couple at Jingtong near the station that made the best lamb soup I’ve ever had in Taiwan. One time I was in Yilan I had the best fried chicken I’ve ever had in my life. There was this dumpling store near the hotel I was staying in at Hualien that had the best dumplings I’ve ever had. As far as restaurants go is Shanghai Shanghai still open? I thought that was pretty shit really. At Banqiao station there’s a couple of vegetarian restaurants. Reasonable price too. We had the Mabo Tofu, Kung Pao (fake) Chicken, and sautéed vegetables for about $700nt for 3 people the other day. Might’ve been less. Go out and explore. Usually long lines means it’s ok. Sometimes it doesn’t. There’s one you might like called Hu Jao Bien. It’s a pork and spring onion stuffed bread cooked inside a Tandoori oven. One of them usually goes for about $40nt. There’s a “famous” store near Taipei Main Station. Once you know what they look like you’ll find them in a lot of places.
one would think so, but as a foreigner i wouldn’t recommend this. first, search what you’re looking for. then if you think it’s worth the line, wait in line patiently.
taiwanese people just love to wait in lines. sometimes they don’t even know themselves what they are waiting for, so that’s not really a good advice.