Top Taipei Food Tours

Jackson met us at the cruise terminal. Our first stop was the Chaing Kai-Shek Memorial. Since I’m a bird nerd, Jackson took us around the gardens for quite some time while I photographed birds. We then visited the memorial building. We wanted to go to the jade market, so that was our second stop where we spent 30 minutes. We went to the Grand Hotel for a delicious lunch and to check out this beautiful hotel. Some of our group of 4 wanted to do some shopping, so Jackson dropped us off at a shopping area. Next we went to the National Palace Museum. Our day was tailor made for our interests and Jackson was extremely accommodating and fun to be with. We made a new friend and will definitely use him again the next time we are in Taiwan. The day was fantastic!

This is an easy 5/5. Our instructor, Chelsea, was outstanding. You can tell she’s not just teaching recipes—she has a bigger mission of sharing Taiwan with the world through its food and culture. That really comes through in the class, which feels both personal and purposeful. The setup is also a big step above most classes I’ve done. It’s held in a professional studio kitchen (not someone’s home), and the whole experience is incredibly well organized. There are assistants helping prep ingredients and clean as you go, so you can stay fully engaged in the cooking without feeling rushed or overwhelmed. The class itself is very hands-on and a lot of fun. We made Xiao Long Bao, beef noodle soup, and boba tea, with a strong focus on the dumplings. Learning the full process—from rolling the dough, to filling it with the soup-rich pork mixture, to folding and pinching each dumpling—was both challenging and rewarding. (Let’s just say mine didn’t look perfect, but they tasted amazing.) Along the way, Chelsea shared great insights into Taiwanese cuisine and culture, which made the experience even more meaningful. Selecting the right cooking class can be a bit overwhelming; If you select CookInn Taiwan you will not be disappointed. If you’re visiting Taipei and want something interactive, memorable, and genuinely authentic, I can’t recommend this class enough.

Come hungry! You will quickly fill up wit Taiwanese food delights such as BBQ tofu and spices on a stick, steamed shrimp meatballs and scallion pancakes. Wash it all down with Boba milk and finish with pineapple cake. Add in the bonus o seeing local neighbourhoods.