In Taiwan, saving money on food doesn't mean you have to put up with crappy food or force yourself to go hungry. Breakfast at breakfast shops, lunch at 7-eleven and dinner at night markets. Perfect way to settle your meal in less than NTD300! You can even make it NTD200 or less!
Breakfast shops 早餐店 - selling cheap, wholesome and filling breakfast that can last you to a good midday. Many shops available and lots of franchises of different brands (美而美 etc), most serving the same good selection of Egg Crepe, Sandwiches, Burgers, Carrot Cakes and Noodles etc. My favourite has got to be the Egg Crepe that comes in a wide selection of fillings such as Ham, Bacon, Corn Salad, Tuna Salad, and many many more! There is also an interesting sauce served together with the food that apparently is a different rendition of soy sauce.
Thicker, more starchy and sweeter, I was unable to accept the taste the first time I had it but now I can't eat the Egg Crepes without it! On average, breakfast costs about NTD25 without drinks. With drinks it will sum up to about NTD40-50. The milk tea served in breakfast shops have a different taste that is hard to describe. Might take a few sips to get used to, but overall it is good too. Otherwise, just get your beverage elsewhere.
Local markets 市场 - The best of affordable and delicious local food. While maybe not all are delicious, it is a good experience to walk along their local markets. Google and search what markets are near your hotel. Depending on the region you are staying, the food available differs. The locals might be a little more boisterous (older generations tend not to be too restrictive with their actions), the whole experience is pretty good as vendors tend to be very friendly. I was simply taking a photo of a mini pineapple and the vendor immediately picked it up and posed for me saying, you can't tell how small it is just taking a photo, you need to make a comparison! So Mr Friendly Pineapple Vendor, here you are in my blog! XP
First time in Taiwan, I wasn't too fond of Oysters so I passed up on the Oyster Mee Sua that my friend ordered. In the end, the stall vendor gave me half a bowl for free without the oysters and even recommended the different types of vinegars she used. There were only 4 tables in front of her cart stall so she was able to provide very personal service. Once you get used to the loudness and open-ness of the locals, you will start to appreciate their friendly ways. Of course, do not expect everyone to be friendly. Cost about NTD25?
In Singapore we call these Butterfly, in Taiwan, they call them Twins (双胞胎 shuang bao tai). Tastes just as good and there are even sugar donuts and sesame balls sold. Basically, all these items are fried dough. Twins are fried with a little bit of sesame sprinkled on top and lightly sprinkled with sugar. The dough is not too compact so is quite light but at the same time quite filling. Average cost is about NTD10-15.
7-Eleven - How can you not love this convenient store that really brings convenient to a whole new level. Apparently here the 7-elevens offer photocopying services, postal services and such. Like WOW~
And their adorable Mascots - Open chan and friends are just THE MOST ADORABLE!!! The mascots even have their own themed shopped to get a full range of merchandises! Cups, towels, travel pack items, clocks and what not. (I have a 2013 diary, travel chopsticks set, travel toothbrush set, a mini cup and a postage set of post cards and stamps - obsession I know). Aside from the great range of merchandises, most 7-eleven, if not all, have a City Cafe in the little store that sells pretty good coffee for affordable prices! Choose your flavour and the staff will ask how many syrup packets do you need (and they add it for you! so don't need to be nervous about making a mess while adding sugar). The coffee is good enough that I don't add sugar when drinking latte. Mini sandwiches sold here are quite yummy but not as filling compared to those breakfast shops. There are also mini size cereal with milk that while convenient, does nothing much in fulling your tummy.
I love the microwavable pasta (Creamy Chicken~~) and they sell bentos and others such as cold noodles, cup noodles, salad etc. Some larger outlets even have the Tea Eggs (茶叶蛋) and loklok (assorted ingredients on satay sticks boiled in delicious broth). A meal cost about NTD40-60 excluding drinks. Drinks range from NTD 20-30 for bottled drinks and City Cafe cost about NTD30-50. (Compared to a hot latte from McCafe that costs S$3.50)
Stir Fry 100 热炒100 - This is similar concept to Singapore's ZhiChar 煮炒, except that the dishes are almost all only NTD100! And the best thing is, cheaper ingredients like Vegetables are LESS THAN NTD100! Like WOWx10! I have always been impressed by this concept and finally had a chance to try. Being this cheap kind of make you over order. There are many brands as usual, these are not restaurants so do not expect websites or advertisements. Unless you have a local friend that can recommend their usual haunt, just go at random and feast! Needless to say the taste of food and portioning etc vary according to shops. But still, NTD100 is really tempting! This caters to the middle-to-low income locals so do understand if the place must get a little noisy. People usually gather after work for a good cheap meal and they tend to drink so if you are uncomfortable with such environment, you might want to have your dinner early. As I wasn't too fussy, I simply chose a place that was not too crowded (taking a chance with the taste of food), and luckily the food turned out pretty awesome! Long queue does not mean nice food and no queue does not mean lousy food ya? A wide variety of chicken, fish, vegetables, soup etc and cheap beer. Definitely something that I will want to go again. Average cost depends on the number of people eating and number of dishes (DUH?!) but on a whole, considered yummy and affordable dinner option, though you might go over the daily food budget.
I will not go into detail for Night Markets as lots of details can be found online, also because not being local, night markets stalls can change anytime and I will not be able to provide updated information. However, this is the cheapest option for dinner/supper that is both wallet friendly and taste bud friendly!
Do expect a lot of locals, a lot of queuing up and a lot of children at Disneyland. Merchandises are pricey and pretty! One thing to specially take note of is the popcorn stalls located all over the park. Each stall sells a different Popcorn container and I believe the Mickey containers are priced higher than the rest. Buying a container entitles you to a chargeable top up at other Popcorn stalls, which also provides different flavours of popcorn. Even the Churros have different flavours! I tried the Tangerine flavoured Churros, which to me is slightly odd. There is a very tempting Strawberry flavoured Churros with a long queue. If you have tried the Strawberry flavoured Churros, do comment and let me know if it is yummy!
I did not try out many rides as there was a limited time and queues were long everywhere. Do check out on showtimes for the day that you are visiting by clicking on this link. But just like all the other attractions in the park, you will have to prepare yourself for a huge crowd~
