< Visited in Jul 2019 >
Having been in business since the 1990s, Shi Dong Market 士东市场 after a revamp is now positioned as a five-star traditional market. The award-winning market caught my eye online with its stylish stalls, even making its way to IG posts. With about 250 units over 2 floors, you can find everything that you expect of a traditional market, and more. If there is any flaw (for me), it's probably its not being within short walking distance from MRT stations - which obviously doesn't dent its crowd.
I had planned this as a breakfast and stroll destination, before a (long) hike at Tianmu Historic Trail 天母古道 as both were on the same side on the MRT line and geographically parked under Tianmu 天母. From MRT Zhishan Station 芝山站 (R17), the market was an approximate 10 minutes cab ride away.
1F sells fresh meat and vegetables, dried goods and provisions, and has some foodstalls and coffee joints.
2F is primarily a food court of sorts, with some fashion apparels and accessories shops.
For drivers, there is a basement carpark.
Trolleys should be rather handy for the elderly and bulk-purchasing homemakers (and judging from the very few trolleys within sight).
There are even touch screens for store directory and promotional coupons.
I am not sure how the original marketplace looked like, but I reckon the current place is a good mix of both stylish stall fronts and simple traditional ones. The crux was, the revamp probably did much to keep the premises and image clean and organised, making it a pleasurable stroll through the maze of goods. On hindsight, it would have been a good idea to pack some fruits or even pastries for the hike.
⇩ There were several coffee joints like this, and seemed popular with the marketplace patrons. This would be something I'll love to try next time.
⇩ I deliberated on this standing sushi and sashimi bar (termed as 立吞, literally translated as 'to swallow instantly'), but decided to stick to my original plan for something western upstairs. Again, something for the next trip, perhaps.
Finally making my way up to 2F (by then, famished)...
There are 2 main food sections, divided by some fashion apparel and accessories shops, so be sure to check out both sides. I would gauge about 60% of the foodstalls to be local cuisine (think noodles, rice and dishes), 30% western (grill, pasta, sandwiches, coffee/tea) and 10% others (e.g local dessert, juices, Korean). Just like 1F, the premises were generally clean and odourless (unlike another marketplace I had visited for a famous local breakfast place), so while there was a steady crowd throughout my time there, it was still a conducive dine-in environment.
⇩ This Mommy Fang 方妈妈小吃店 is a popular stall that appeared in many local blogs I referenced, if you fancy noodles and soups.
⇩ What I had come prepared to eat - Chef Brunch. Run by a married couple, their modest setup consists of merely 4 counter seats (though I may have overheard the owners saying at off-peak hours, customers can sit at other stalls' area) so turnover was relatively high, besides the number of takeouts. I read from local blogs that the boss takes pride in his ingredients and dishes, which probably is the reason for his good business and regulars.
The menu, while not extensive (plus the fact that most of the beverages were sold out by the time I was there), seemed to be popular for its spaghetti, judging from what customers (except me) ordered.
I decided to be different and had a Classic Sandwich with omelette and cheese peanut butter lava 经典厚蛋熔岩花生酱 NTD75 - the 1st item under Sandwich - and an iced fresh milk tea 雪福鲜奶茶 NTD50.
The sandwich was prepared fresh and took a while, which I didn't mind at all as I was enjoying watching the couple's chemistry in the small kitchen. When I got to savour it, it was so good that I didn't mind getting my hands all gooey with melted cheese and peanut butter (the latter makes a heavenly combi with cheese and even meat patties, a taste I absolutely love in Taiwan). The lady boss gently reminded me that the cheese was hot (was it?!) but I could only reply her that it's very delicious.
After occupying their limited seats long enough (and a quick wash of my stainless steel straw at the washroom, though the lady boss offered to wash it for me), it was time to move off to my hike.
⇩ The other non-F&B units on 2F, which were alot quieter as we know where the crowd was.
A worthy stop if you have elders in tow, or if you are a fan of traditional marketplaces (like me) and want to check out some good affordable food in a clean environment with local vibes. Side note, the bustling zone outside the marketplace could be worth a walk too, if not for my other plan (and the heat) that day.
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Shidong Market 士东市场
FB | Web | Closed Mon
Address --- No. 100 Shidong Road, Shilin District, Taipei City 台北市, 士林区, 士东路100号
Nearest MRT station --- Zhishan 芝山 (R17), red line + cab/bus (a bus guide is available on its official website)
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