Moon Moon Food Beitou

The XinBeitou (新北投xīn běi tóu) area is famous for its hot springs, and when you get off the MRT at Xinbeitou station, the smell of sulphur in the air really hits you. Visiting the hot springs is definitely a must-do when you are in Taiwan.

Right outside the station is Beitou Park, and right beside the park, you’ll find a very famous restaurant called Moon Moon Food (雙月shuāng yuè）

It’s known for its local delicacies, healthy foods and delicious soups. It’s also a great value for money, which has won it a Michelin Bib Gourmand every year since 2018.

I went for the famous Garlic Braised Chicken Thigh Soup (蒜好好燉雞腿湯suàn hǎohǎo dùn jītuǐ tāng), which is the ultimate winter comfort food. The chicken was nice and tender  with the white cabbage. The real flavour is in the soup, which had a nice garlic sweetness with a creamy texture.

Photo by Richard Elliott

Next on the menu was the delicious Love-Hate pepper sesame noodles 愛恨椒芝麵Ài hèn jiāo zhī miàn, which is also their recommendation. According to the Moon Moon website, it's called love hate because you’ll “love” the smooth and mellow sesame sauce, and the “Hate” part comes from the spicy and numbing Szechuan pepper that is added. Trust me, though, you’ll love all of it.  The sun-dried noodles were exceptionally bouncy, holding the creamy sesame sauce and a nice hit of spice you get from the Szechuan Chilli Pepper. I highly recommend you try these noodles out.

Photo by Richard Elliott

For my sides, I went for the crispy bean sprouts 鮮脆豆芽Xiān cuì dòuyá and the Green Bok Choy 小白菜Xiǎo báicài . Both tasted nice and fresh. The bean sprouts were nice and crunchy, cooked in their signature sauce, which gave them a nice salty Taiwanese aroma.  The Green Bok Choy was served with crispy shallots and cooked in their signature house-made oil. It really brought out the taste of the green vegetables, and the dish tasted nice and light.

Photo by Richard Elliott

The service at Moon Moon Food was excellent. Even if you can’t communicate in Chinese, the staff will do their best to accommodate you. Ordering is easy; they have the menu for you to look at and the machines on the side for placing your order. After placing your order, you're given a number. If it's busy, you can wait in the seating area provided until they call your number and bring you to your table.​

Moon Moon Food is a must-visit here in Taiwan. The food is delicious, and the pricing is incredibly fair- you get good service and a good atmosphere in the restaurant. They truly succeed in making you feel like you're enjoying a bowl of high-end Taiwanese home cooking without the high-end price tag.

Photo by Richard Elliott