Taipei: Disappearing Flavors Of Taiwan Food Tour With 12+ Tasters

Tried food I never would have in my own

We booked “Disappearing Flavors of Taiwan” because the description highlighted traditional recipes, family-run businesses, and the history of Taipei’s food and neighborhoods. There were enjoyable stops, but we would have loved more of the storytelling that drew us to this particular tour. Our visit started with a booking mix-up. We booked that morning within the advertised booking window and arrived 10 minutes early. After waiting until 10 minutes past the start time, we contacted the company on WhatsApp and learned that the group had already left and wasn’t expecting us. The company offered a small discount and arranged for us to catch up, which we appreciated. However, joining the second stop when everyone else was nearly finished made the beginning feel rushed. The food gave us a chance to try local flavors, but many stops had little explanation of the dishes, the businesses behind them, or why these traditions are disappearing. At the fruit stand, we were asked which fruits we hadn’t tried, but then just given one fruit to taste. An introduction to different varieties, their significance, or a small comparison would have made that stop more memorable. I loved the tea shop we visited, but beyond being asked whether we wanted sweetened or unsweetened tea, we didn’t learn about the tea itself. We also stopped to shop at a store described as the best place for tourists to shop, without much context about its products or their connection to the tour. I did appreciate the history shared about stinky tofu and pig’s blood cake, and the guide kindly took me back to try the latter after we had missed it. Those moments were closer to the experience I was hoping for. I regularly take food tours when traveling because they help me understand the culture and feel more confident exploring independently. This was one of the more expensive ones I’ve taken, so my expectations were higher for the cultural and historical detail. As a newer company, I hope they find this feedback useful: more stories about the recipes, families, neighborhoods, and what makes these flavors worth preserving—along with bringing the whole group into those explanations—would really strengthen the experience. There are lovely stops here; I would have enjoyed learning more about what makes them special.

Dave was a great guide. We had a good amount of food and an easy walk through a central part of Taipei. The street food is oily and heavy so come hungry.

Dave is a very upbeat and knowledgeable guide. Pleasant experience and well paced for all ages. Dave went above and beyond offering advice on many subjects other than food including follow up emails with further information.

We had Dave as our main tour guide, he was simply lovely, rather than just a food tour he was so knowledgeable about the surrounding area and I could tell that he was filled with experience and that's exactly what I wanted for my first visit to Taiwan, if I ever do another tour in Taipei I'll 100% be asking for Dave, he even went above and beyond by recommending other food spots after the tour was all said and done.

My friend and I booked this tour for our very first day in Taipei in June, and it was a fantastic introduction to the city! Our guide, Dave, met us promptly at the MRT station and shared fascinating insights into the area's history. Best of all, he led us to incredible, off-the-beaten-path food stalls and restaurants we never would have discovered by ourselves. We left absolutely stuffed and couldn't have asked for a better time.

Fun tour trying lots of different dishes. Our tour guide Dave was a lovely guy - recommend this tour.

Dave is such a good tour guide who is attentive to details: he understands using chopsticks might not be easy for us, so he asked if we needed spoons instead; he held hot food for us until it cooled down; he didn’t interrupt our group conversation but just wait until the right time to continue the introduction. The tour was also well curated: we have stinky tofu and regular tofu paired together to compare the differences; we had sweet dessert followed by a savory 刈包; we were able to sit somewhere in the night market after a relatively long walk in Dadaocheng and just enjoyed the food and the conversations with each others. All in all, this is a lovely experience and I would recommend it to anyone who plans to visit Taipei.

This food tour exceeded my expectations in the best possible way. Dave is an excellent guide - calm, patient, and able to answer every question with great knowledge and enthusiasm. And the amount of food was incredible… there was more than I could possibly eat! Highly recommended for anyone wanting to experience the local cuisine in an authentic and relaxed atmosphere. And it is not only about the food! Great way to spend late afternoon/evening

Dave was an excellent guide throughout. I was the only one who booked for this day and it was raining heavily, but Dave was flexible and still managed to navigate us through Taipei to all of the tastings. The food was excellent, and I felt like I tasted a variety of new flavors that I would love to eat more often. I HIGHLY recommend this tour and going in with an open mind - you may find some new foods you’ll love and you’ll learn a lot from Dave!

Had a really enjoyable experience from start to finish. Even though Dave wasn’t originally from Taiwan, his knowledge of hidden local food spots was impressive. He also created a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, making the tour feel more like exploring with a friend. Highly recommended! ^^

Attended the tour with a couple of friends since were visiting Taiwan for a quick layover. It was a super nice tour and kudos to our guide Dave! He gave us many background story about each dish we had and we left very full at the end of the tour. 10/10 would recommend!

Dave! I had a wonderful honeymoon holiday thanks to you! All of the food recomendations are local and unique, Price is reasonable and you're a very fun person to travel with! Cheers!!

Such a wholesome tour! If you're looking for a tour that dives into Taiwanese cuisine culture, this will be a perfect fit for you!

I had a great time exploring Taipei through this tour, which gave me the opportunity to visit many interesting places and try a variety of delicious local food. It was a truly enjoyable and highly recommended experience. Our guide, Dave, was extremely helpful, friendly, and informative. Throughout the tour, he continuously shared insights about the city and made sure we got to visit all the key spots. Overall, it was a very worthwhile experience, and I would definitely recommend this tour to anyone visiting Taipei.

Fantastic food tour! Dave and Corrine were so kind and knowledgeable about the food and the areas in which they took us. There was a focus on local vendors and their community which we appreciated. Good mix of adventurous food (for us American's) and more recognizable bites. They were easy to find and easy to communicate with. Our only regret is we didn't do this tour earlier on in our trip! We could have been eating so much more peanut ice cream.

Dave the tour guide is very very friendly and nice! I like how he explained the dishes that’s on the tour and he also gave us Gaoliang shots and beer which is nice too, very recommended i like the tour

Had a wonderful experience. Although the guide, Dave, was from a foreign country, he had extensive knowledge of Taiwan's hidden gem foods and created a great atmosphere.

Recommended ! Will definitely book again for my next trip with family.

Dave our guide was amazing! he took us to multiple authentic taiwan foods and gave us introductions to its cultural story behind each dish. I came hungry and left full! very recommended

Dave is a brand new tour guide but he is doing a superb job, very informative and accommodating .

Was visiting Taipei as a solo traveler and I really appreciate that they didn't cancel on me. It was on a Saturday and a lot of spot were absolutely heaving with people. Dave navigated around like a pro. Not only he explained the story behind each food, he also explained a bit of history of the neighborhood. The Taiwan beer is a really nice touch on top. 10/10 no regrets

From the very beginning, the tour guide made everything feel super welcoming and fun. It didn’t feel like a typical tour at all, more like hanging out with friends who know all the best hidden food spots. We got to try a wide variety of authentic Taiwanese street food, from savory bites to sweet treats, and everything was thoughtfully selected. My personal favorite was the Chicken Roll, it's a must try!!!! What I loved most was how the tour blended food with culture. The guides shared stories about the dishes, the neighborhoods, and local traditions, which made the experience feel much more meaningful. And of course, the “tipsy” part added a fun twist, I never experienced such a tour. Would definitely book this tour again when I come back to Taiwan, hoping to explore more!

Great vibe and lots of fun. The host Dave was fantastic and apart from having a great time I feel I have learn a lot of interesting and quirky things about Taiwan’s food and drink culture.

The guide was friendly and infrormative, about culture food and traditions, my trip wouldn't have been the same without this food tour. Highly recommend!!!