This page has now been replaced with Taipei's Best Vegan Restaurants
Updated July 2015.
Sophie's Garden
Sophie's Garden is, in my humble opinion, Taipei's top restaurant. Serving a delicious fusion of Taiwanese food with European Flavours, Sophie's Garden is a must-visit while in Taipei. It's conveniently close to Taipei's Songshan Airport, so is usually where I have my first meal in Taiwan when returning from Japan.
Guangfu Loving Hut
This Loving Hut is probably Taipei's best, and provides a rare opportunity to try the Asian favourite of hotpots, in which diners cook their own vegetables and other ingredients in a chosen vegan broth. It also serves a good range of international dishes, including my favourite Tomyam Tahini Rice.
Bio @Peace Cafe
This restaurant has gone through a few different owners in its time, but it's now (July 2015) back in the hands of its founders, serving the pizzas, baking and other creations which have been bringing people from all over Taipei and beyond for years. It's well worth the short trip up into the mountains from Xindian.
Fruitful Food Buffet
Large, all-you-can-eat buffets are a part of Buddhist life in Taiwan, and every visitor to the country should try one at least once. For the last few years the amount of vegan food and consistency have declined at most of the major buffets, to the point that I almost no longer recommended them anymore. That changed with Fruitful Food.
Veggie Creek
One of my favourites in Taipei, Veggie Creek applies an incredibly simple and successful formula to dining: choose your vegetables and other ingredients and they'll be cooked to order and turned into a one-pot wonder in minutes.
Fresh Bakery
Taiwan's first all-vegan bakery serves a range of cakes, breads and other creations. It's mostly a take-out bakery, but they also serve a famous pizza, which can be eaten hot at the bakery. They also sell some less-perishable items at iVegan Supermarket, and are opening a bakery (for delivery only) in Taichung.
Minder Vegetarian Restaurants
This large, Buddhist-owned chain includes pay-by-weight and all-you-can-eat buffets, and chances are you'll eat here at some point during your stay, or possibly quite regularly. Watch out for dairy though, especially in fake meat products and even tofu. There's a branch on the second floor of Taipei Main Station (the Breeze Foodcourt) and another on in the B2 Foodcourt ("Dainty Ave") of the adjacent Taipei Bus Station.
Not Recommended
I like to keep my blog positive, but I must warn against Jen Dow Vegetarian buffet (no way to know what's vegan), Jing Ping Thai (formerly recommended on this blog, I can't offer any confidence that their fake meat - in almost everything - is vegan, or even vegetarian), Lavender Garden (little vegan, they're not honest about their use of dairy products and it's outrageously expensive) or So Free Pizza (little left on pizzas once cheese is removed).
Other Cities
Hsinchu, Hualien
Updated July 2015.
Taipei Restaurants
Sophie's Garden
Sophie's Garden is, in my humble opinion, Taipei's top restaurant. Serving a delicious fusion of Taiwanese food with European Flavours, Sophie's Garden is a must-visit while in Taipei. It's conveniently close to Taipei's Songshan Airport, so is usually where I have my first meal in Taiwan when returning from Japan.
Guangfu Loving Hut
This Loving Hut is probably Taipei's best, and provides a rare opportunity to try the Asian favourite of hotpots, in which diners cook their own vegetables and other ingredients in a chosen vegan broth. It also serves a good range of international dishes, including my favourite Tomyam Tahini Rice.
Bio @Peace Cafe
This restaurant has gone through a few different owners in its time, but it's now (July 2015) back in the hands of its founders, serving the pizzas, baking and other creations which have been bringing people from all over Taipei and beyond for years. It's well worth the short trip up into the mountains from Xindian.
Fruitful Food Buffet
Large, all-you-can-eat buffets are a part of Buddhist life in Taiwan, and every visitor to the country should try one at least once. For the last few years the amount of vegan food and consistency have declined at most of the major buffets, to the point that I almost no longer recommended them anymore. That changed with Fruitful Food.
Veggie Creek
One of my favourites in Taipei, Veggie Creek applies an incredibly simple and successful formula to dining: choose your vegetables and other ingredients and they'll be cooked to order and turned into a one-pot wonder in minutes.
Fresh Bakery
Taiwan's first all-vegan bakery serves a range of cakes, breads and other creations. It's mostly a take-out bakery, but they also serve a famous pizza, which can be eaten hot at the bakery. They also sell some less-perishable items at iVegan Supermarket, and are opening a bakery (for delivery only) in Taichung.
Minder Vegetarian Restaurants
This large, Buddhist-owned chain includes pay-by-weight and all-you-can-eat buffets, and chances are you'll eat here at some point during your stay, or possibly quite regularly. Watch out for dairy though, especially in fake meat products and even tofu. There's a branch on the second floor of Taipei Main Station (the Breeze Foodcourt) and another on in the B2 Foodcourt ("Dainty Ave") of the adjacent Taipei Bus Station.
Not Recommended
I like to keep my blog positive, but I must warn against Jen Dow Vegetarian buffet (no way to know what's vegan), Jing Ping Thai (formerly recommended on this blog, I can't offer any confidence that their fake meat - in almost everything - is vegan, or even vegetarian), Lavender Garden (little vegan, they're not honest about their use of dairy products and it's outrageously expensive) or So Free Pizza (little left on pizzas once cheese is removed).
Other Cities
Hsinchu, Hualien
Hi. Thank you sso much much. I would visit Taiwan because I found many vegan restaurants from your blog.
ReplyDeleteIs it possible to avoid garlic and onion ingredients ?