Meals & Drinks
All meals are included in our fully inclusive group tours from the groups’ arrival until the day of departure. For private touring or extensions, please refer to your itinerary for inclusions.
Our schedule of meals is designed so that you can experience the local dishes, their individual flavours as well as the different ways they are prepared and cooked throughout Taiwan.
You may like to drink beer, wine, soft drinks, fruit juice or bottled water with your meals – please note drinks are not included in your tour price so payment for these is made directly to the restaurant staff. Tea is often provided complimentary at restaurants.
Breakfast is served in the hotel and usually includes western dishes. Lunches and dinner is feature a wide selection of high-quality Taiwanese and Western dishes. We find this style of dining suits the wide and varied tastes of our customers. You may even find that there is too much food, to which we suggest you eat as much or as little as you like.
On some days where lots of sights are covered, dinner times may be early and your tour group may head directly to the restaurant after sightseeing without stopping at your hotel to freshen up.
All the restaurants we visit will be researched and inspected regularly to ensure that they follow the strictest health, cleanliness, and safety guidelines.
Food in Taiwan
Taiwanese cuisine is delicious, colourful and healthy. Meals are usually served with a bowl of rice and several dishes of vegetables, seafood (normally fish and/or shrimps), and meats (pork, beef or chicken). Taiwan’s other main staple is noodles, most famous being beef noodle.
Food is an important element of Taiwanese culture. It is a time for families and friends to come together and much of family life revolves around the dinner table. Most food is eaten with chopsticks so best get practicing as cutlery is not always available at restaurants.
Here are some of the most popular and iconic dishes to try in Taiwan:
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Beef Noodle Soup - a hearty bowl of broth, beef, and noodles that is a staple in Taiwanese cuisine.
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Gua Bao (Taiwanese Burger) - a steamed bun filled with braised pork belly, pickled vegetables, and peanut powder.
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Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) - delicate steamed dumplings filled with soup and meat or vegetable filling.
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Bubble Tea - a sweet tea-based drink with chewy tapioca pearls or other toppings like fruit jelly, aloe vera, or pudding.
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Stinky Tofu - a pungent, fermented tofu that is deep-fried and served with pickled vegetables and chili sauce.
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Oyster Omelet - a popular street food dish made with eggs, oysters, and vegetables.
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Scallion Pancake - a savory pancake made with scallions and often served with soy sauce or other dipping sauce.
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Pineapple Cake - a sweet pastry filled with pineapple jam, a popular Taiwanese souvenir.
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Hot Pot - a communal cooking pot of simmering broth that is used to cook meats, seafood, and vegetables.
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Braised Pork Rice - a simple but delicious dish of tender braised pork served over steamed rice.
Water
We always recommend bottled water as a first option when in a foreign country, especially if you have a sensitive stomach or are traveling to rural areas where water quality may be less reliable. Some hotels provide free bottled water in your room. Bottled drinking water, soft drinks and beer are widely available and affordable.
Dietary Requirements
Those with dietary requirements will be catered for - just make sure to inform your booking agent of any specific requirements well in advance of your trip. Please be aware however that restaurants may not always be able to accommodate these. Wendy Wu Tours cannot guarantee that there will be no cross-contamination for travellers with severe allergies, and suggest you remind each restaurant of your requirements. Gluten-free food may not be as readily available as in Australia.
Whilst travelling away from major cities, it is highly recommended that passengers with food intolerances take additional food items, as not all dietary requests will be met due to the limited foods available.
Next: Accommodation