Keelung eats well, and it eats from the sea. The city's fishing fleet and its position on the northeast coast mean the seafood is fresh, varied, and cheaper than in Taipei. The Miaokou Night Market is the main event — it is one of the best-known night markets in Taiwan and the easiest way to eat your way through the local specialities in a single evening. But Keelung has more than one mode: the waterfront restaurants handle sit-down seafood meals, and the daytime market stalls around Miaokou operate a different, quieter rhythm that rewards early arrivals.
The signature dishes are crab congee, oyster vermicelli noodles, grilled squid, braised pork rice, herbal duck soup, and taro balls in sweet soup. Seafood is ordered fresh from tanks in the larger restaurants. Prices are honest throughout — this is not a city that has priced itself for international tourism.