Street to street, coast to coast

NIGHT LIFE: The famous Shilin market in Taipei. [Photo provided to Shanghai Star]

Faced with the cornucopia of goodies at a Tainan night market, Xu Lin is given this advice: Eat your way from one end of the street to the other. She records her adventures as a galloping gourmet.

Taiwan’s night markets are well-known for their delicious, affordable snacks as well as the warm humanity exhibited by the communities of buyers, sellers and eaters.

As a resolutely must-see tourist attraction, the crowded roadside stalls have consistently delivered mouth-watering, cheap food to the countless visitors who come expecting a good feed.

When I asked a colleague the tips of eating out at the markets, she simply told me to "just eat from the beginning to the end of the street, and then start again from the end to the beginning".

I was dumbfounded to hear that, but soon realized the truth when I arrived at the night market in Kenting.

Located in Pingtung county, southern Taiwan, Kenting is a popular beach resort due to its beautiful sea and picturesque cliffs.

At night, Kenting Street is lined with vendors hawking chicken cutlets, braised food, seafood barbecue and the ubiquitous pearl bubble tea.

Travelers casually sporting flip-flops kept one eye on the snacks in hand while the other eye roamed like radar looking for new edible trophies.