Halal Food in Taipei: Restaurants, Night Markets and Muslim Guide

Halal Food in Taipei

Halal food is available in Taipei, primarily in the Da’an and Zhongzheng districts near the Taipei Grand Mosque, and at selected stalls in major night markets. Taiwan has approximately 60,000 registered Muslims, a small domestic community supplemented by a large volume of Muslim tourists from Malaysia, Indonesia, Brunei, and the Middle East. The Chinese Muslim Association (CMA, 中國回教協會) is the primary halal certification body in Taiwan, operating in coordination with the Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA). With preparation, Muslim visitors can eat well in Taipei, though pork is the default protein across most Taiwanese cuisine and vigilance is needed outside certified venues.

Taipei received the “Most Promising Muslim-friendly City Destination of the Year (non-OIC)” award at the 2023 Halal in Travel Awards. The city has more than 60 Muslim-friendly restaurants and accommodations, and over 30 sightseeing spots and public facilities are equipped with Muslim prayer rooms or bidet facilities.

Halal Certification in Taipei

The Chinese Muslim Association (CMA) certifies halal restaurants and food products in Taiwan. The CMA’s halal seal is a green crescent moon logo on a white background, with the text “HALAL” and Arabic script. Look for this seal at restaurant entrances and on packaged food products.

The TFDA works with the CMA to develop halal standards aligned with international frameworks from JAKIM (Malaysia) and MUI (Indonesia). Taiwan’s halal certification system is recognised by OIC member states. The CMA’s certification covers slaughter method, ingredient sourcing, kitchen separation from pork products, and preparation protocols.

For practical guidance on what halal certification requires, halal certification standards vary by country, but Taiwan’s CMA system follows core international requirements including hand slaughter with tasmiyah and full separation of pork from certified kitchens.

Taiwan’s government actively promotes Muslim-friendly tourism under the label 清真旅遊 (halal tourism). The Taiwan Tourism Bureau has published Muslim travel guides in English, Arabic, Malay, and Indonesian.

Halal Restaurants in the Da’an District

The Da’an District is the centre of halal dining in Taipei. The Taipei Grand Mosque (Da’an Mosque) is located at 62 Xinsheng South Road Section 2, about a 10-minute walk from Da’an Station on the Red Line (MRT Wenhu Line). Built in 1960 in a style mixing Chinese and Ottoman architectural elements, the Grand Mosque serves as both the main prayer facility and the Islamic information centre for Taiwan. The CMA offices are attached to the mosque.

Halal restaurants cluster within a 500-metre radius of the Grand Mosque along Xinsheng South Road and the surrounding side streets.

The Halal Restaurant (清真餐廳) operates near the Grand Mosque and serves a mix of Uyghur, Chinese Muslim (Hui), and international halal dishes. Menu items include hand-pulled noodles (la mian), lamb skewers, pilaf, and beef stir-fries. Prices range from 250 to 550 TWD (8 to 17 USD) for a main dish.

Istanbul Restaurant is a Turkish restaurant near Da’an that holds CMA halal certification. It serves doner kebab, lamb shish, hummus, and baklava. A full meal with a main course and side dish costs 400 to 700 TWD (12 to 22 USD).

Tasik Cafe is a Malaysian halal restaurant in the Da’an area. It serves nasi lemak, laksa, satay, and Malaysian-style curries. CMA certification is displayed at the entrance. A meal costs 280 to 480 TWD (9 to 15 USD).

Royal Indonesian Food is located at No. 72 Xinsheng South Road Section 2, Da’an District, beside the Taipei Grand Mosque. It serves Indonesian halal dishes and is convenient for visitors to the mosque.

Halal Chinese Beef Noodle House at No. 3, Lane 144, Section 2, Keelung Road, Da’an District, is a CMA-certified restaurant specialising in Taiwanese halal beef noodle soup. A bowl of beef noodle soup costs 150 to 250 TWD.

Mayur Indian Kitchen has a Da’an branch at Lane 146, Section 4, Zhongxiao East Road, 1 Floor 2. It serves North and South Indian dishes, including chicken tikka, butter chicken, tandoori chicken, naan, and masala curry. CMA-certified. Prices range from 280 to 550 TWD per main dish.

Friday Food Market at Taipei Grand Mosque: On Fridays after Jummah prayers, the Muslim community in Taipei sells home-cooked halal food in the mosque courtyard. This is a locally known source for authentic Chinese Muslim (Hui) and Southeast Asian home cooking. It operates weather-permitting and is not a formal restaurant.

Halal Taiwanese Restaurants: Named Establishments

Several named establishments serve halal Taiwanese cuisine with long operating histories.

Chang’s Beef Noodles is a Muslim-owned restaurant run by a Taiwanese Muslim woman, serving halal beef noodle soup for over 60 years. The Xinyi District branch is in Shin Kong Mitsukoshi Taipei Xinyi Place A8 at Songgao Road 12, Xinyi District. The restaurant uses halal-certified Taiwanese beef that is freshly slaughtered. Chang’s has been recognised in the MICHELIN Guide Taiwan (Bib Gourmand designation).

Lao Chang Muslim Beef Noodle Restaurant is at No. 23, Yanping South Road, Zhongzheng District. It serves beef noodles from 90 to 230 TWD and opens 11:00 AM to 7:30 PM, closed Mondays. This is one of the most affordable halal Taiwanese food options in central Taipei.

Uncle Ma’s at No. 67-2, Linyi Street is a Muslim-owned Taiwanese pastry and snack shop. Uncle Ma’s is the only place in Taipei selling halal Shao Bing (baked sesame flatbreads) and freshly made traditional Taiwanese sweet pastries. CMA-certified. A set of pastries costs 80 to 200 TWD.

Halal Restaurants in the Zhongzheng District

Zhongzheng District covers the area around Taipei Main Station, the central transport hub connecting the MRT, Taiwan High Speed Rail (THSR), and TRA rail services. Several halal dining options operate in and around the station area.

South Asian restaurants near Zhongzheng serve Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and Indian food with halal certification. These restaurants cater to the South Asian worker community in Taipei as well as Muslim tourists. Biryani, tandoori chicken, naan, and curry sets are standard menu items. Prices range from 220 to 450 TWD (7 to 14 USD).

The Zhongzheng area also has Indonesian and Malaysian workers’ restaurants serving nasi goreng (fried rice), ayam bakar (grilled chicken), and fish dishes. Not all of these hold CMA certification; confirm the halal seal before ordering.

Halal Restaurants in the Xinyi District

Xinyi District is Taipei’s main commercial and entertainment hub, home to Taipei 101 and the major department store cluster. Halal dining options in Xinyi are expanding.

Chang’s Beef Noodles (Shin Kong Mitsukoshi A8, Songgao Road 12) operates in the basement food hall. The MICHELIN Bib Gourmand recognition makes this the most internationally cited halal restaurant in Taipei.

Mayur Indian Kitchen has a Xinyi branch at 350-7, Section 1, Keelung Road, Xinyi District. This is the nearest halal Indian restaurant to Taipei 101 and the Xinyi shopping blocks.

Tandoor Restaurant serves classic Northern Indian dishes including butter chicken, tandoori chicken, and naan baked in clay ovens. CMA-certified. Located in the Xinyi area.

Halal Food in the Yonghe District

Yonghe District, across the Xindian River from Taipei proper (accessible by MRT Nanshi Ford Station on the Blue Line), has a significant South Asian population. Pakistani and Bangladeshi grocery stores and small restaurants operate on Zhongzheng Road and surrounding streets. The halal meat shops here supply fresh halal chicken, lamb, and beef to the South Asian community. These shops are among the most reliable sources of fresh halal meat in the Taipei metropolitan area.

Halal Food at Taipei Night Markets

Taiwan’s night markets are among the most popular tourist attractions in Taipei. Most night market food is not halal, with pork featuring in the majority of dishes. However, specific stalls at the major night markets hold CMA halal certification.

Shilin Night Market

Shilin Night Market (士林夜市) in the Shilin District is the largest night market in Taipei. MRT Jiantan Station (Red Line) exits directly toward the market. The market operates primarily from 4:00 PM to midnight.

Halal stalls at Shilin are identifiable by the CMA green crescent moon seal displayed at the stall front. Common halal options include grilled lamb skewers, halal oyster-free noodles, halal steamed rice boxes, and fresh-cut tropical fruit. The fruit stalls throughout the market (pineapple, mango, papaya, guava, starfruit) are naturally halal and widely available for 50 to 120 TWD per portion.

The strategy at Shilin: look for CMA-certified stalls specifically. Do not assume any stall is halal unless the certification seal is displayed. Oyster vermicelli (the market’s most famous dish) contains pork broth and is not halal. Stinky tofu stalls typically use pork-based fermentation brine.

Raohe Night Market

Raohe Street Night Market (饒河街觀光夜市) in the Songshan District runs along Raohe Street near Songshan Station (Blue Line). The market is smaller than Shilin and more manageable for navigation.

Raohe has CMA-certified stalls selling halal beef noodle soup and grilled meat. The market’s famous black pepper buns (胡椒餅, hu jiao bing) at the original stall near the Ciyou Temple entrance are made with pork filling; avoid these. Halal grilled corn, fresh fruit, and egg-based street snacks from verified stalls are available.

Night Market General Strategy

At any Taipei night market, use the following approach. Look for the CMA crescent moon seal (green on white). Ask vendors directly: “這個是清真認證嗎?” (Is this halal-certified?). Fresh seafood at market stalls is permissible when no cooking wine (rice wine) is used in preparation. Stick to fresh fruit, plain grilled seafood, and CMA-certified stalls for the safest experience.

Naturally Halal Foods in Taiwan

Taiwan offers several food categories that are naturally permissible for Muslim visitors.

Fresh seafood: Taiwan is an island with a strong seafood culture. Steamed fish, clams, shrimp, crab, and squid are available throughout the city at seafood restaurants and night market stalls. Request steaming or grilling without added cooking wine (米酒, mi jiu). Fresh seafood hot pot with a clear broth base and no pork products is a reliable halal meal at seafood restaurants.

Plain rice and noodle bases: Plain steamed rice, plain wheat noodles, and plain rice noodles contain no prohibited ingredients. The challenge is the toppings and sauces, which often include pork.

Vegetarian Taiwanese cuisine: Taiwan has a strong Buddhist vegetarian tradition. Restaurants displaying the 素食 (su shi, vegetarian) sign serve meat-free dishes. These restaurants use no meat at all, eliminating pork concerns. However, some Buddhist vegetarian dishes include five pungent vegetables (garlic, onions, chives, green onions, leeks) that are avoided by Buddhist practitioners but are halal for Muslims. Confirm no cooking wine is used in sauces.

Tropical fruit: Mangoes, papayas, guavas, pineapples, lychees, starfruit, and dragon fruit are plentiful and cheap. Night market fruit stalls sell fresh-cut fruit for 60 to 130 TWD per cup.

Soy milk and tofu: Plain soy milk (豆漿, dou jiang) and plain tofu (豆腐, dou fu) contain no animal products. The traditional Taiwanese breakfast of soy milk with fried dough sticks (油條, you tiao) is halal when prepared without lard. Confirm fat type with the vendor.

Foods to Avoid in Taipei

Pork is the defining challenge of Taipei. Lu rou fan (braised pork rice) is the most iconic Taiwanese dish and is universally non-halal. Ba wan (meat dumplings in glutinous starch) contain pork. Xiao long bao (soup dumplings) at standard restaurants contain pork filling. Oyster vermicelli uses pork broth. Intestine soup uses pork offal.

Cooking wine and mirin: Many Taiwanese sauces, stir-fries, and braised dishes use 米酒 (rice cooking wine) or Shaoxing wine. This includes dishes that look vegetable-based. Ask specifically about wine in sauces.

Shared fryers: Night market fried foods typically use shared frying oil that has contact with pork products. Avoid shared fryers at non-certified stalls.

Stinky tofu: Despite containing no meat, stinky tofu (臭豆腐) is fermented in a brine that often includes pork products. Its halal status depends on the fermentation process. Treat it as non-halal unless the vendor can confirm the brine contains no pork.

Taipei Grand Mosque and Prayer Facilities

The Taipei Grand Mosque (台北清真大寺) at 62 Xinsheng South Road Section 2, Da’an District, is the main mosque in Taipei. Built in 1960, it holds daily prayers including Friday Jummah. The mosque can accommodate several hundred worshippers. The CMA offices are in the adjoining building and can provide halal restaurant recommendations and general information for Muslim visitors.

MRT access: Da’an Station on the Red Line (Danshui-Xinyi Line) is the closest station. Exit 5 and walk approximately 10 minutes north along Xinsheng South Road. Alternatively, Xinyi Anhe Station on the Red Line is a comparable walking distance.

Two additional smaller mosques operate in Taipei. The Longguan Mosque in Zhonghe District (New Taipei City) and the Zhonghe Mosque in Yonghe serve the South Asian worker community in the southern Taipei metropolitan area. Friday prayers are held at both facilities.

Over 30 sightseeing spots and public buildings across Taipei have Muslim prayer rooms or bidet facilities. Taipei Main Station has a designated prayer space. These facilities are listed on the Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s halal tourism map, available in English and Malay.

For Muslim visitors combining Taiwan with broader Northeast Asian travel, the Tokyo halal guide covers Japan’s halal certification system, which differs from Taiwan’s CMA system. The South Korea halal guide covers Seoul’s growing halal food scene for travellers routing through the region.

Taoyuan International Airport: Halal Food and Prayer Rooms

Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), Taiwan’s main international gateway, has Muslim prayer rooms and halal dining in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2.

Prayer rooms with ablution (wudu) facilities are available in both terminals, accessible before and after security. Terminal 2’s prayer room is larger and serves the higher volume of Southeast Asian Muslim travellers on routes to Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Middle East.

Halal food at the airport: Several restaurants in both terminals carry CMA halal certification. Look for the CMA seal at restaurant entrances in the departures hall. Options include Southeast Asian cuisine, Middle Eastern-style wraps, and rice box sets. Prices at airport restaurants run 350 to 650 TWD (11 to 20 USD) for a main course.

Transport to Taipei: The Airport MRT (KMRT Taoyuan Airport Line) runs from Taoyuan Airport Terminal 1 and 2 to Taipei Main Station. Journey time is approximately 35 minutes. Trains run every 15 to 30 minutes. Single journey fare is 160 TWD (5 USD). The express service runs every 15 minutes and connects Airport Terminal 2 to Taipei Main Station with no intermediate stops.

Practical Tips for Muslim Visitors to Taipei

Currency: New Taiwan Dollar (TWD). As of early 2026, 1 USD is approximately 32 TWD and 1 GBP is approximately 40 TWD. Card payments are widely accepted at restaurants and shops. ATMs are on every MRT station concourse. Night markets require cash.

Language: Mandarin Chinese is the official language. English is spoken at tourist venues, MRT stations, and established restaurants. Restaurant menus in tourist areas typically include English. The phrase “這是清真食品嗎?” (Zhè shì qīngzhēn shípǐn ma?) means “Is this halal food?” in Mandarin. The word for halal in Mandarin is 清真 (qīngzhēn), literally “pure and true.”

Transport: The Taipei Metro (MRT) is the primary transport mode. A single journey costs 20 to 65 TWD depending on distance. The EasyCard contactless payment card works on MRT, buses, and at many convenience stores. The Red Line (Danshui-Xinyi) connects the Grand Mosque area (Da’an Station) to Taipei Main Station and Shilin (Jiantan Station for the night market). The Blue Line connects Zhongzheng to Yonghe and Zhonghe.

Apps: HalalTrip lists CMA-certified restaurants in Taipei. Muslim Pro provides accurate prayer times and qibla direction for the city. Google Maps searches for “清真 halal Taipei” return relevant restaurant results. The Taiwan Tourism Bureau app includes a halal restaurant filter for certified venues.

Budget guide (per person per day in Taipei):

Taipei is considerably cheaper than Tokyo for comparable halal dining. A full halal meal at a Da’an district restaurant costs 250 to 700 TWD (8 to 22 USD). Night market snacks at CMA-certified stalls cost 50 to 150 TWD per item.

Frequently Asked Questions