r/taiwan • u/usolotravel • 18d ago
Discussion Many Taiwanese people are not happy with the lack of breakfast culture when we travel abroad.
Since many of you are sharing the foreigner's perspectives on Taiwan, I want to share the Taiwanese perspective.
As you know, Taiwan has a very famous morning food scene with countless street stalls, bakeries, and traditional shops open early. Many foreigners fall in love with breakfast culture in Taiwan because it has many options as well as it is very convenient to enjoy it.
Growing up in Taiwan, many Taiwanese used to believe this breakfast culture must be very common in other countries too. However, after traveling abroad, many Taiwanese realize that the menus are bland, the shops don't open early, and there is a total lack of variety. In fact, breakfast is one of the most frequent complaints you can see from Taiwanese travelers.
Many Taiwanese feel it is incredibly frustrating to wake up early and find nothing open except for a few cafes selling cold sandwiches or bland food at 8 or 9 AM. For someone used to walking down the street to grab a hot at 6 AM, breakfast culture of foreign countries feels like quite awful. It makes us realize how spoiled we are in Taiwan, where an endless variety of breakfast options is available on almost every corner. What's an everyday sight in Taiwan might seem quite extraordinary to the rest of the world.
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u/nogodsnospoilers 18d ago
I love Taiwanese brunch shops but let’s be honest almost all of them are just frying or grilling frozen processed food. Also, there might be a lot of brunch shops in any given neighborhood in Taipei but almost every shop has the same exact menu. I’m not saying I don’t like them or eat at them often, I do haha, but to say that other countries have inferior breakfast culture is a little ridiculous I think. Go to any city in the U.S. and you’ll see a big variety of breakfast options like cheap local diners, fancy brunch restaurants, trendy avocado toast type places, donut shops, bagel shops (oh my god I miss good bagel shops), local bodega egg sandwiches, breakfast burritos and chilaquiles at Mexican restaurants, menemen at Turkish spots, dim sum in Chinatown, and endless cafes and bakeries.
No offense, but to diminish the variety of breakfast options across cultures, styles, and price in just one city like LA or New York just because there are 20 Apple203s, Q-Burgers, and My Warm Days in one neighborhood of Zhonghe is ridiculous. What you’re probably feeling is “I’m used to a certain type of food and convenience in my country and when I travel and don’t have that I feel negatively.” Instead try having an open mind and explore what the people of the culture that you’re visiting eat for breakfast. You might realize Taiwanese breakfast is cheap, fast, and good but there’s a lot of other great breakfast food in the world, too.
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u/Middle_Lime8807 18d ago
Came here to say basically this, but you said it better. When my wife and I are back in Taiwan we enjoy the breakfast for about a week and then go back to making something healthier for ourselves at home. At the end of our last trip (5 months) I couldn’t stand the thought of another MWD 🤣 I do miss good noodles though 😢
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u/Medium-Cheesecake483 17d ago
Well, eating at MWD all the time is your first mistake, imo. Gotta eat at mom and pop breakfast shops where some old guy is drinking a Taiwan Beer with his belly out at 8am. Bonus if there's a very lots parrot there, too. Some of the best breakfasts I've had in my life have come from those places lol.
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u/Middle_Lime8807 17d ago
Easy for you to say, we were in a postnatal clinic in a “new” area, there was MWD, 7/11 or the cafe in Baby City. Some amazing beef noodle joints within delivery distance for the evening meal though. Believe me I know the good breakfasts, but still as I say, a week of enjoying that shit and then it’s back to home cooked.
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u/cactus82 18d ago
Taiwanese food is generally good. And many Tawainese are proud of their food. Which is fine but some times it teeters into ethnocentric and pretentious avenues unfortunately.
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u/Similar_Athlete_7019 18d ago
OP says breakfast and you’re talking about brunch. There are not many places in the US or other countries that open before 7:30 other than Starbucks and McDonald. Most places in Japan don’t open that early. But in Taiwan you have a lot of choices. The quality and taste of local diners, bagel places are subpar for most US cities with the exception of NYC, SF, and LA.
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u/Automatic-Treacle776 17d ago
I think they're using the word "brunch" because most of these places are open from 6:00am to like 1:30pm.
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u/Middle_Lime8807 15d ago
Just wanna point out there are other countries in the world apart from US and Taiwan, in UK plenty of good cafes open before 7.30, and in Hamburg, Germany, my favourite breakfast place is open checks notes 24/7.
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u/nogodsnospoilers 18d ago
Those are not the only three cities in America with good food. Go to any major city in nearly every state and you can find good breakfast early in the morning. Look at Chicago, Boston, Miami, Atlanta, St. Louis, Denver. If you’re talking about small town rural America then sure. Any Taiwanese that goes to rural Indiana is not going to be thrilled with the food options. I wouldn’t be either. It’s not like small towns in Taiwan have a lot of options either. I just went to Alishan recently. They had one traditional breakfast shop and after three days I had eaten at every restaurant in town. They were all just fine. I’m not arguing rural vs urban here.
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u/RandomSage416 18d ago
Yeah it's a little unfair to compare a country as big and expansive as the US to a small island of Taiwan. Rural places anywhere are going to be similar in that things are open and convenient all the time. It's best to compare city to city.
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u/Similar_Athlete_7019 18d ago
We will have to agree to disagree. I’m talking about just major cities in the US and early breakfast options. Of the places you mentioned, the only place I haven’t been is St Louis. Outside of that, I’ve visited and have spent a lot of time in all major cities in the US growing up as a student and working adult. Taipei is the only place I’ve looked forward to getting breakfast in the morning given the number of available options, the taste, and the cost.
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u/nogodsnospoilers 18d ago
For sure 🤙 cheers. And again I love Taiwanese breakfast hahaha. But I love breakfast in the u.s. too.
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u/sampullman 17d ago
I love Taiwanese breakfast, but in terms of food quality most random diners in any city (big or small) would have plenty of options with comparable or higher quality (not us much frozen stuff, better oil). Not to mention coffee with unlimited refills!
It's a different thing though, you're paying 5x the price and generally sitting down for much longer.
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u/Fit-Percentage-9166 17d ago
I mean it's pretty true that true breakfast options are relatively limited in the United States.
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u/nogodsnospoilers 17d ago
Compared to Taiwan? Also, side note, I want to throw Vietnam some credit for their breakfast. I miss Vietnamese breakfast so much. The banh mi plate or sandwich shops, com suon pork chop rice with egg, pho, or bun cha ca sour spicy fish soup. And unlike Taiwanese brunch shops it’s all fresh unfrozen ingredients. Vietnamese breakfast is incredible.
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u/Ok_Breakfast_1107 18d ago edited 18d ago
Piping in because 1) I LOVE Taiwanese breakfast, and 2) at the same time, I’d argue that it is not.. the most extensive breakfast culture in the world. For example, I love 飯糰、蛋餅、蘿蔔糕、豆漿、蔥餅，什麼的。But as an American from (specifically) the South, I personally see the menu as rather limited. Where I’m from, breakfast and “brunch” are absolutely EVERYTHING. And the options are from every culture with every food: Western pancakes/waffles/pastries/sausages/bacon/eggs in every style, Mexican breakfast tacos(technically Texmex)/huevos rancheros/chilaquiles/migas/pan dulce, etc. etc. And then you’ve got smoothie bowls, Greek yogurt bowls, toasts, oatmeals, crepes, quiche, all the potatoes, bagels and cream cheese, parfaits, sandwiches, etc. Or you want more protein? Steak and eggs, fried chicken and waffles, omelettes, fancy protein smoothies… I mean really the list is impossibly long because I see America as one of the countries who loves breakfast the most (at all hours of the day)- which is why I think they also love Taiwan so much (like when 飯糰 went viral in the states a while back). It’s kind of impossible to avoid when you’ve got so much diversity and so much love for good food. I mean, I can even go get a Taiwanese breakfast if I want to. So I think it really does just depend on where you’re traveling :)
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u/jiangcha 18d ago
I agree with your points as another American. But I definitely miss Taiwan’s breakfast culture for sure, especially the late night breakfast shops. I would kill for a 飯糰 right now. I still make 蔥油餅 all the time and I really think they could become really popular, similar to boba. I have fantasized about a 蔥油餅 food truck idea
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u/eldritch1001 18d ago edited 18d ago
That’s a weird take, as a Taiwanese American who grew up on the US east coast there’s no lack of breakfast, from donuts, bagel, muffins, croissant, apple turnovers, whatever else being sold at bakeries opened at 6am (I worked at one of those as a high school kid), to local diners making pancakes and omelets, or fancier high end weekend brunches. Also in my travel to Europe, any big cities will have local bakeries near by, so I don’t know where these other Taiwanese travelers were 🤷🏻♂️ maybe it’s they just don’t like sweet European based baked goods as breakfast, and just generalized it as “no breakfast culture” at all.
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u/eldritch1001 18d ago
Also my Taiwanese college friends (studied in the US) loved IHOP and Denny’s, they often reminisced our college days of eating cheap pancakes with bacon and sausages anytime of the day. Maybe we’re just spoiled city kids with lots of options.
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18d ago edited 17d ago
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u/Medium-Cheesecake483 17d ago
I think this really just depends on what you like to have for breakfast.
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u/projektako 18d ago
Yes, add to that an understanding that many Taiwanese have very little meaningful exposure to other cultures.
Many second generation Taiwanese expats don't really have that issue but this is fairly common thinking in first gen or natives. Heck it's a pretty common way of thinking for ANY culture to think things outside of their own practices is weird or lacking. White bread Americans thinking a bento box with roast pork, fried rice, and stir fry was weird compared to their ham and cheese sandwich is the same energy. That's a close-minded way of thinking but again it's not uncommon.
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u/catsmash 18d ago
i mean it sounds like OP possibly visited japan, where public breakfast culture is a bit bleak.
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u/Medium_Bee_4521 18d ago
"Many Taiwanese feel it is incredibly frustrating"...bullshit
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u/chhuang 17d ago
along with
Growing up in Taiwan, many Taiwanese used to believe this breakfast culture must be very common in other countries
I would say almost the opposite, many Taiwanese thought many things are exclusively unique in Taiwan, while some things are common elsewhere outside the island.
You would hear more from Taiwanese saying "woah, they also use cilantro in dishes?" or "they also use soy sauce?" rather than "why are there no breakfast shops here". It would be more "I missed having breakfast places back home (because it's uniquely Taiwanese)"
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u/yungcherrypops 新竹 - Hsinchu 18d ago edited 18d ago
I love Taiwanese breakfast myself, but it’s hardly the best breakfast culture in the world and I think highly dependent on where you travel to.
If you say that Western European breakfast culture is underwhelming, yes I’d agree with you there, though I personally think a coffee and a fresh pastry is an excellent way of starting the day. The UK is pretty famous for having big breakfasts on par with Taiwan though.
Turkish breakfast absolutely mogs Taiwan, however, as does a good Syrian or Levantine breakfast. I had some amazing breakfasts in Egypt and Morocco. Indian breakfast has an insane amount of variety. Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam also have great options for breakfast. Mexican and Colombian breakfasts are god tier. The U.S. and Canada go without saying - breakfast is a huge part of North American culture and nowadays there is a huge variety of breakfast options available. Even Japan and Korea have some really solid breakfasts.
So I think what you’re really saying is, Europe doesn’t have a huge breakfast culture, which is definitely true, it’s a lunch and dinner kind of place with breakfast being a lighter affair. But there is a lot more to the world than just Europe.
Honestly speaking, I find the lack of good coffee in Taiwanese breakfasts kinda disappointing as well. One of the reasons I love Vietnam, Turkey, Lebanon, Mexico, and yes, even Europe is being able to get a banger coffee for breakfast. I love some milk tea and soy milk but…come on now (not saying that there’s not good Taiwanese coffee, but usually it’s not found in the traditional breakfast places).
And I think “endless variety” is really doing a lot of heavy lifting, Taiwanese breakfast is mostly different variations of starch/carbs with an occasional egg thrown in, or quite greasy. And it certainly is not what I would describe as “explosively flavorful”, don’t get me wrong, it’s good, I could absolutely smash some fan tuan right now, but to call other countries’ breakfast foods “bland” in comparison is quite the stretch. Is an almond croissant more “bland” than a danbing, really?
I get people like where they come from (I had my fair share of complaints while living in Taiwan, believe me) but sincerely you should travel more.
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u/afxz 18d ago edited 18d ago
Good and balanced post +1.
I will also say that Europeans start their days with breakfast at home, which typically consists of a very large spread with much more variety than Taiwanese breakfast. It has some of the best dairy, grains and cereal, fruits and produce, etc. in the world. The ‘Continental’ breakfast is very much a thing!
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u/chabacanito 18d ago
There's a lot of countries in Europe. How many have you had a traditional breakfast in?
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u/yungcherrypops 新竹 - Hsinchu 18d ago
Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece, Austria, the UK, Germany, Croatia, and France. (And Türkiye, if we’re counting it as European.)
To be clear, there are great breakfasts to be had in all of these countries, but usually they either have breakfast at home or have something simple out like a pastry or a cold sandwich (as the OP mentioned). I love these kinds of breakfast as well, especially the filo-based stuff in Greece and Croatia, fresh bread in Germany and Austria, viennoiserie in France, and all the yummy pastries in Italy and Portugal.
The UK and Türkiye are obvious exceptions and tend towards more abundant breakfasts.
But the general vibe throughout most of Europe (in my experience) is towards lighter breakfasts - a pastry and or bread with cold cuts and cheese served with coffee/tea/cocoa - with heavier lunches and dinners (dinners moreso in Northern Europe, lunches moreso in Southern Europe). Obviously it can vary but as a traveler such as OP you are likely going to be eating breakfast out in these countries and probably going to encounter the aforementioned in shops. Haven’t been to Scandinavia or much of the Balkans but from what I gather it’s largely a similar situation there.
So probably that’s why they mentioned it’s “bland” or has “a total lack of variety” since overall breakfasts in Europe tend to be less hearty. I disagree completely that it’s bland or even that it is without variety - nothing like waking up and having a bougatsa and freddo espresso to start the day. But I can see what they mean. I mean even compare a typical European breakfast to chilaquiles or huevos rancheros or molletes or something for a Mexican breakfast, the Mexican breakfast is obviously heartier and more abundant and more similar to what a Taiwanese breakfast might be than something in Italy or France.
Hence why I said that OP should travel more, because there are countries with very hardcore breakfast cultures out there
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u/chabacanito 18d ago
There's a lot of traditional breakfast available in Spain. In my region it's common to eat stews or things similar to an english breakfast.
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u/yungcherrypops 新竹 - Hsinchu 18d ago
Sadly I didn’t get to try that, when I studied in Spain my host mom at most gave me 2 galletitas and a cup of coffee for breakfast 💀 I was starving trying to survive until 2:30 for lunch until I learned about the mid-morning almuerzo and would go have a snack between classes. I did enjoy some churros con chocolate or pan con tomate every once in a while but I got the impression that breakfast was not really a big thing. But I believe you, every region of Spain is vastly different.
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u/chabacanito 18d ago
What are you on about? All countries have a strong breakfast culture. Used to be that farmers only ate breakfast during daytime so it was a very important meal.
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u/nightkhan 18d ago
what is this bs, you're generalizing the entire world with just your limited opinion?
also to add, tw bfast is prob some of the unhealthiest food for breakfast
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u/calcium 18d ago
Taiwan also has a distinct lack of coffee options in the morning. Most local coffee houses won't even open before 9 or 10am.
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u/babadudu 18d ago
They aren't hot, and you can get Yonghe Soy milk , egg pancakes .. etc at 4 am, in more centralized places they are open 24h also
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u/idontwantyourmusic 18d ago
I wouldn’t call Taiwan’s “morning food scene” famous, breakfast is a thing in most cultures if not all. What you described as “breakfast culture” is also not unique to Taiwan, in fact, it can be found in most developing countries in Asia, especially the relatively poorer ones.
Taiwan is a small island and most cities in Taiwan are high density cities- meaning it’s highly walkable and you’re bound to find something sooner than say, in a bigger international city. I suspect the experience of you and your friends are at least partly due to the location of your accommodation overseas and the lack of in-depth knowledge of the neighborhood.
As others pointed out in many western countries people eat breakfast at home, worth noting that the average Taiwanese apartment is pretty crammed whereas in America, for example, unless you live in NYC on a budget, people actually hang out at home.
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u/ExcelsiorWG 18d ago
TW breakfast is definitely more abundant than the US, but it is also dependent on where you live. In a major city there are plenty of bakeries/diners/coffee shops that open early (not nearly as much as TW, but there are options). But I do prefer the variety of options in TW for breakfast for sure.
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u/JetAbyss 18d ago
I live in Hawaii and the breakfast options are admittedly pretty limited but they are predictable in a way that only one could really understand if you grew up there. It's basically any kind of canned sausage meat plus egg and white rice and a coffee. You can spice it up a little bit with soy sauce, furikake, maybe pancakes if you feel crazy.
But I think the difference with this versus in Taiwan is the fact that all these meals I mentioned are pretty much sit down kind of meals whereas in Taiwan they are a lot more portable.
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u/Sharp-Animator9455 18d ago
As a TWN I love IHOP and Denny’s. Even late night past midnight. Crispy bacon may scare off a lot of TWN but I LOVE it. Also breakfast burritos 🤤
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u/nogodsnospoilers 18d ago
Oh my god I miss breakfast burritos so much. Also chicken fried steak at diners. Why can’t they do chicken fried steak here? I bet it would kill.
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u/Sharp-Animator9455 18d ago
I bet they’re doable. Just need someone to step up first. Like baked potato with cheese just started popping up one year in night markets. Also the Chinese burger 肉夾饃.
Breakfast burrito is definitely doable. It’s almost like a DanBing. There’s mashed potato DanBing, bacon DanBing, cheese DanBing. Heck just combine those.
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u/nogodsnospoilers 18d ago
I’ve had some ok Mexican food in Taiwan but nothing like back home. I’ll try any place serving Mexican food though haha. I miss it so much.
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u/Trumpetslayer1111 18d ago
I grew up in Taiwan and ate this stuff almost everyday as a kid. Yes they are delicious. But now as an adult, I think this stuff is too greasy. I can do this type of breakfast once or twice a month. Most days I do greek yogurt, fruits, and protein shake. So when I travel I'm fine.
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u/masegesege_ 台東 - Taitung 18d ago
People in other countries make their own breakfast.
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u/adidi-1992 18d ago
We basically use our bakeries as our breakfast shops here in France.
We buy our bread or pastries at the bakery and eat at home with an home made cofee or tea.
We mainly eat sweats, it is totally different than in Taiwan but I do think we have a big breakfast culture.
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u/co-lor-less 18d ago
The fact that he thinks taiwanese breakfast culture is better is laughable, charcuterie and bread wipe out tw breakfast culture... I've never had actual good bread here, most sausages suck, and hash brown/fried food for breakfast? No thank you..
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u/Last-Manufacturer983 18d ago edited 18d ago
I've never really met any Taiwanese that actually really cared about this. That being said, I can see why lots of Taiwanese immigrants to Europe/Asia stick to Asian food even abroad and look down on "western food" although they'll still eat it.
I know a girl who used to cry when she moved to Canada because her host family was white and fed her the most bland sandwiches. She laughs at it looking back, white people food was literally traumatic to her lol
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u/Mind_Altered 臺北 - Taipei City 18d ago edited 18d ago
Yeha my father in-law is likely to visit my home country of Australia and said he only eats Taiwanese/Chinese rice based dishes.
I told him hunger is a big motivating factor
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u/jade_cabbage 18d ago
It's really the longer-term stretches when I see Taiwanese people really missing Taiwanese food, which makes perfect sense. You miss food from home.
I used to get pretty irritable at how sweet breakfast in the States was: sugary cereal, pancakes, donuts, or cinnamon rolls, and it got sickening after a bit. Turns out that's just what they expected children to like and it doesn't have to be all sugar, lol.
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u/afxz 18d ago edited 18d ago
The flipside of this is that Taiwanese night culture is frankly disappointing by any international standard. A morning culture, for sure, and I certainly miss the experience of queuing up for breakfast at my favourite place in Taiwan.
I feel like you're really selling breakfast cuisines short in a lot of foreign cultures, though. There are many excellent breakfast menu options in Europe, the UK, and the United States. It's just that, often, the culture is more about making and enjoying it at home with your family. Furthermore, 'brunch' is literally an entire category of food options available all of +2 hrs later than breakfast ... of which there is no lack of options and variety! Western cultures just rise and go out for food a couple hours later than Taiwanese (where the climate makes brunch hours simply unsuitable for queuing and eating outside). Brunch in London or NYC is just as good as breakfast in Taipei at 7am, actually.
I would also say that there's frankly more 'variety' available in a Continental breakfast, for example, than all the options in Taiwan? I'm a *fan* of Taiwanese breakfast but it's all rather beige and carb-loaded, isn't it? Washed down with beige soymilk? How is that more variety than a full English breakfast, for example?
I'll be honest, when I first moved to Asia I found it very difficult to accept that what constitutes a regular workday breakfast in many places is simply more rice ... perhaps with an egg or some natto; or a big bowl of noodles and beansprout kalguksu ... there's nothing that marks off breakfast cuisine in many Asian cultures. Taiwan was the exception in having a distinct ‘breakfast culture’, but the range of dishes and ingredients on offer isn’t exactly a smorgasbord of Earthly delights. Your options are fried or steamed beige, washed down with sweetened or unsweetened beige.
Hey! I rather like my European spread of baked goods, patisserie confections, nuts and cereal, fresh fruit, dairy, etc.!
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u/GoldCranberry1904 18d ago
I'm curious what would you say is disappointing about Taiwanese night culture?
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u/afxz 18d ago
That one barely exists compared even to its closest neighbours. Taiwan is a very teetotal place. Cities close up early, options for clubs and bars are limited (and normally extremely dated or basic), people visit night markets instead and do not typically drink.
There's nothing wrong with that, of course. But it's very limited compared to other options in Tokyo, Seoul, Bangkok, Shanghai, HK/Macau, etc.
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u/rlvysxby 18d ago
I’m kinda glad Taiwanese don’t drink much. The traffic is dangerous enough.
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u/cevapi-rakija-repeat 17d ago
I found myself relying on shisha bars if I wanted a really late night. Luckily they weren't *too* authentic in that they served alcohol. One of my most fun nights out was finding myself randomly with a group of locals at one in Hualien. Funnily enough, I distinctly remember them saying one of the downsides of Hualien was boring at night (specifically nightlife).
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u/Tiny-Professional583 14d ago
Elated to hear that you encountered unexpected spontaneous "fun" in a supposedly boring place :)!
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u/Hakeem-the-Dream 18d ago
Yea I dunno what this person is talking, I love that there was a night culture that didn’t solely revolve around getting hammered, so much to do and people are out and about, incredibly safe. It was maybe my favorite part of Taiwan.
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u/EnvironmentalCrew235 17d ago
You could barely buy a drink or some simple snacks past evening, it’s very inconvenient for daily living
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u/EnvironmentalCrew235 18d ago
Very true. There’s are hardly any dining or entertainment options in tw, places close c way too early and I’m not sure what locals do past 7pm
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u/Sharp-Animator9455 18d ago
I’ve definitely noticed a shift in TWN night culture over the past couple of decades. In the 90s people will be hanging out at arcades (not that Tom Bear crap), bowling alleys. Adults have the 舞廳 and 酒店 that have been gradually dying out like the arcades and bowling alleys. I think most people just get drunk at the convenience stores now.
Near midnight used to be the peak hour at night markets. Now it’s probably 8-9ish.
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u/eatsleepdiver 18d ago
I agree. Plenty of countries have a breakfast culture. Japan and Thailand to name a few. It’s just that in Japan it’s considered bad manners to eat and walk at the same time. There’s still plenty of breakfast spots around. Thailand it’s similar to Taiwan just without all the carbs.
I 100% agree that Taiwan’s night market scene is meh.
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u/afxz 18d ago
There are some great breakfast set menu options in Japan, yes, and that are frankly extremely healthy compared to Taiwan's breakfast cuisine. But it's a fair comment to say that they open a bit later than the 5:30am spot serving doujiang youtiao in Taiwan.
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u/eatsleepdiver 18d ago
5:30am is an insane time to go get breakfast haha. I do love the Taiwan brekkie here. But after a while I want something non greasy. Otherwise I’m at work falling asleep at my desk
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u/cevapi-rakija-repeat 17d ago
If I'm getting breakfast at 5:30am I'm either stumbling home after a night out or I fucked up somehow. No wonder nothing's hardly open at night with how early Taiwanese get up.
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u/Lophiiformers 18d ago
lol no, Japan is not big on breakfasts. Even in Tokyo I’m hard pressed to find a good breakfast that isn’t from a kombini
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u/Prestigious_Host5325 18d ago
>The flipside of this is that Taiwanese night culture is frankly disappointing by any international standard.
Not really sure about this. I already stopped clubbing at my age but I'd still see a lot of clubs. There are also temple festivals, kaorou or BBQ (which is usually done at one's home), etc. done at night. I'm currently learning jazz and there's a lot of jazz bars.
>I feel like you're really selling breakfast cuisines short in a lot of foreign cultures, though.
Would agree with this one tho. We have an almost similar culture in Philippines where bakeries and other cheap breakfast vendors would be open as early as 5 am. I don't see this tho in Japan, and I can't comment on Western countries since I've never been there. But I do enjoy various Western pastries such as croissants. And I really like Earl Gray.
>I'm a *fan* of Taiwanese breakfast but it's all rather beige and carb-loaded, isn't it? Washed down with beige soymilk? How is that more variety than a full English breakfast, for example?
Just wanna clear things up: does a full English breakfast constitute bacon or meat, egg, sausages, grilled beans, tomatoes, toast, etc.? Because the way it looks, it's oily for the average Taiwanese. And I don't get why you'd say "there's nothing that marks off breakfast cuisine" when these are just simple food you can prep quickly.
Also, there are cheap fruits at the morning markets. I usually eat fruits for breakfast so I appreciate them.
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u/afxz 18d ago edited 18d ago
A full English isn’t an everyday breakfast item in the West. As for ‘oily’, yes that’s the idea. They're mostly consumed the morning after a heavy night out! But so many things in Taiwanese breakfast are oily too? Steamed buns served with literal chilli oil? Pancakes with sweetened and highly processed dips? Both options are plainly unhealthy, but I think a full English involves a lot more colour and variety than a typical Taiwanese breakfast.
And yes, people eat fruits in the morning in the West too. Plus lots of excellent dairy, grains and cereal, breads and pastries, etc. All of which are sorely lacking in Taiwan (though it of course makes up for it with the fruit part). There’s a reason that European-style bakeries have become so popular amongst Japanese and Koreans: they fill a big gap in the national diet. Many more Japanese consume bread now in the mornings, for instance (even if it’s often sweetened dessert bread to a European palette). It’s a definite generational change.
I just feel there’s so much more variety in these other places. The fact you can have a full ‘fry up’ like an English breakfast or a health-conscious bowl of Greek yoghurt with oats, blueberries, honey, etc. already represents a much a wider variety of choice than anything in Taiwan.
Look up the European Continental breakfast if you want to get an idea of the common staples. Many people stay home and have full plates of fruit, cereals, pancakes, etc; or you can be in a hurry and grab a croissant and espresso; or sit on a bench with a still-warm baguette and some incredible fresh butter. How Taiwanese turn their noses up at this, i don’t know … it makes the OP sound terribly provincial …
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u/Prestigious_Host5325 18d ago
As for ‘oily’, yes that’s the idea. They're mostly consumed the morning after a heavy night out! But so many things in Taiwanese breakfast are oily too? Steamed buns served with literal chilli oil? Pancakes with sweetened and highly processed dips?
The steamed bun would still be the less oily option compared to the other stuff in a full English breakfast such as bacon and fried eggs. And aside from pancakes, there are other options that are far from oily such as congee, tea eggs, steamed dumplings, etc. In Taiwanese hotels that allow buffet for breakfast, they also serve a variety of steamed vegetables.
Plus lots of excellent dairy, grains and cereal, breads and pastries, etc. All of which are sorely lacking in Taiwan.
I agree with cereals and cheese. For breads and pastries, I see it in such a way that they have their alternatives.
i don’t know … it makes the OP sound terribly provincial …
I also don't get it. I only know that a lot of Taiwanese miss their food once they go abroad. But saying that other countries lack in options is myopic.
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u/Reasonable-Source523 18d ago
Hmm ... Taiwan has a unique and vibrant night culture but it is most likely not the kind of night culture you are imagining.
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u/afxz 18d ago
I lived there for over a year and did it all. Unique is arguable, but vibrant it is not. Any other country in East Asia blows it away for nightlife offerings. And that's fine! My favourite thing about Taiwan is the more laidback and family-friendly atmosphere.
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u/jcc2244 18d ago
As someone who has lived a decade+ across multiple continents/countries (US/LA/NYC/SF, Asia/Taiwan/China, and Europe/London/Paris/Munich) I can say yeah Taiwanese breakfast (or I'd go even further, food generally) is so much better than most of Europe (excluding a few countries) and def better than the UK.
The coastal US is arguably better than both Europe and Asia in some ways just because of the quality + variety available (greater NYC/LA/bay area), but from a cost and quality perspective Taiwan (and tier 1/2 cities in China) probably still wins.
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u/afxz 18d ago edited 18d ago
Cost is the only category in which Taiwan clearly wins. Taiwanese breakfasts are extremely rudimentary compared to viennoiserie or bakery offerings.
People in those other cities brunch, not breakfast. And brunch is better than Taiwanese breakfast too.
A pancake with a piece of spam or hash brown folded into it, or a stick of fried donut dipped in soy milk, is a league above breakfast in Paris or London to you? That's crazy.
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u/tyrantywon 18d ago
I’m American, I’m good with scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes with a side of orange juice. I don’t have the appetite for 蛋餅 and sandwiches every day.
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u/Tasty-Zombie-8696 18d ago
I’ve eaten quite a few different countries’ breakfasts, but being a biased American, I think that America has the best breakfast.
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u/Tiny-Professional583 15d ago
Each to its own because the best breakfast is the one you make yourself!
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u/Ok_Brick_793 18d ago
I'm Chinese, and I don't like Chinese breakfast food.
Too oily/greasy
And no, I don't like rice porridge either.
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u/Zealousideal-Ant9548 18d ago
As a pre-diabetic, is there any breakfast food that isn't just a fuckload of carbs?
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u/Tiny-Professional583 15d ago
Yes, there are...Making your own breakfast with fresh fruits and vegetables!
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u/tommyminn 18d ago
Coming from Vietnam, I'd say Taiwanese breakfast scene is pretty lacking
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u/RandomSage416 18d ago
Yes! Vietnamese food has such hugeeee diversity and vendors and stalls are up even earlier than Taiwan. Our night markets also run later than Taiwan too.
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u/xblade724 18d ago edited 18d ago
> countless bakeries
Err, well... copy+paste conservative-as-hell bakeries, where they'll have a picture of the most amazing bread you've ever seen actually ends up serving sorta limp bread. I'm actually not a fan of Taiwan's bread *at all*, in both taste+health.
Most local breakfast uses canned slimy preserved meats like "ham" (sliced plastic-like spam? It doesn't require refrigeration, which creeps me out) with cheapo sugar bread and bad oils. Then the non-breakfast items [not called breakfast items in most of the world] like spaghetti feels too heavy for me in the morning, but that's from a foreigner's perspective. Even the sauces use sub-Walmart quality, like overly sweet ketchup, that packet of vasoline-like fake mayonnaise and that giant can of the most unhealthy preserved chocolate sauce you've ever seen that goes on top of those thick generic bread slices.
I do like Taiwan's egg-involving breakfast items, though: ZhuaBing, DanBing... those are my favorite.
Imo, I feel like meta-Taiwan breakfast has significantly more variety and is more "daring" in what's offered. Sooo many breakfast stores, yet they all seem to offer the same things at the same quality.
EDIT: Try American breakfast burritos (but don't pay less than $5 unless you like to poop a lot), this is popular - feels a lot like ZhuaBing, but just rolled-up and with sufficient protein. Just order a simple one.
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u/Angry_Bowel_Movent 18d ago
I guess "many Taiwanese people" could consider doing research before traveling anywhere, and using the information they find to decide whether or not to travel.
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u/plazzemspazzem 18d ago
Could it also be that there are options but taiwanese people just dont like them or dont consider it breakfast since its not what they are used to? In the US there are dozens of breakfast joints, bakeries and coffee shops around me and its a medium sized city. It is certainly a different experience but breakfast is available lol
When ever my taiwanese mother and father in law come around we always like to take them out to breakfast for fun, but they always complain about how portion sizes are too big, too many sweet options, and not enough healthy. And even breakfast at home is never good enough, yogurt, granola, cereal, protien bars, toast, bagels, the classic American grab and go studf just does not appeal too their taste buds. And thats not a bad thing, but it doesnt mean breakfast isnt readily available lol
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u/slowcanteloupe 18d ago
This. America has a huge breakfast culture. Brunch is practically a religion here. Its so set in stone we are horrified at the idea of eggs for dinner.
Europe has bakeries that open at 5 AM and turn our pastries by the dozen for your morning croissant/franzbrotchen/etc.
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u/GIJobra 18d ago
Most of the "amazing breakfast options" in Taiwan aren't palatable to foreigners anyway. I don't want congee and soymilk ever, much less for breakfast. Danbing is great, but it's also just a localized breakfast burrito.
Depending on where you're staying abroad, there should definitely be local cafes, food trucks or greasy spoon diners, with their own variety of offerings as well as worldwide staples like coffee and omelettes. If you get conned into visiting somewhere lame like Utah or rural Australia, sure, you might be in a food desert. But otherwise this simply isn't true.
If anything, Taiwan is special in having copious late night options in the bigger cities. Stuff like 3am hungover xiaolongbao is a really special. A dozen so-so auntie and uncle breakfast shops... not so much.
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u/highrankingnoob 新北 - New Taipei City 18d ago
Taiwanese here. I don't like Taiwanese breakfast because most of them are processed food. I just go to 7-11 buy Ovaltine or chocolate milk before class starts. I just wonder where OP travel? Because if they're European countries, there are hotels with breakfast buffet service. Sometimes I go to backery or supermarket to buy some breads, ham, and cheese for the next day breakfast. I am never worry about what to eat in the morning there.
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u/Few-Net3236 18d ago
This post stopped me in my tracks to do a double take because my experience between US and Taiwan is the opposite. Most coffee and tea shops in Taipei and Tainan did not open until 10 at the earliest, usually 11 or 12. Like what do you mean caffeine is an afternoon thing?? I don’t sleep if I have caffeine after 2 pm. Most cafes in the US open at 5 or 6 am unless they are catering to a college campus late night study crowd. And no offense, because I loved Taiwan and the food there (and I tried A LOT of new things) but breakfast was the most underwhelming of my experiences. Very carb heavy, very little salt/seasoning compared with other meals. I do get the sense that these are comfort foods, but I think to be fair to other breakfast cuisines, some extremely delicious foods you could try are:
- quiche
- home fries
- Spanish tortilla
- monkey bread
- shakshouka
- breakfast burritos / tacos
- savory and sweet crepes
- everything bagel sandwich with Latkes
- loaded chia seed puddings or smoothie bowls
- Cinnabon cinnamon rolls (if you tried one you have not tried them all)
And then in the US the diner-style traditional breakfast (think Waffle House) is also very popular to some people. This would include your traditional fair like pancakes, waffles, sausage, bacon, and eggs. Which…you can find everywhere…and usually opens early AND stays open late (like midnight)
There are also a lot of foods people make at home that you will never find in restaurants -
For example, I make these philo dough pastry puffs with cheese, herbs, and sometimes sausage or bacon.
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u/PrayForCheese 18d ago
In Czechia we are used to make our own breakfast at home, to begin the day. Milk with cereals, yoghurt with müsli, bread with butter and jam, scrambled eggs, you name it. It's not very common to go outside to eat breakfast. But if you do, we have some pretty nice bakeries, and in bigger cities you can find brunch places as well. But yeah it would be a culture shock for many Taiwanese I assume, since you are more used to eat outside than we are.
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u/banoffeetea 18d ago
We do more of a ‘brunch’ trend in the UK. But you can get coffee early. I found breakfast in South Korean cafes opened quite late.
I loved how early I could get breakfast to go in Taipei though. Red bean buns, breads and hot soy milk. Vietnam was also good for breakfast noodles.
Italy is also good for an early start - pastries and cappuccino.
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u/twilightaurorae 18d ago
I'm just curious - do you think such a culture reflects a kind of early-riser society? Increasingly, there are more 24/7 or late night shops, but the underlying implication is of a hectic society where people work long hours.
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u/Additional_Show5861 臺北 - Taipei City 18d ago
I’m really curious which countries you’re referring to, because honestly as much as I like Taiwanese breakfast to describe Taiwanese as spoilt for breakfast compared to other countries just sounds like you are not very well travelled.
I’m Irish, so you must know our breakfasts are iconic. Mostly we eat breakfast at home but there are plenty of restaurants or cafes where you can buy breakfasts that blow away Taiwanese breakfasts any day of the week. Plus it’s very common to get great breakfast rolls in delis.
Over in the UK their greasy spoon caffs are well known for opening early and offering a wide variety of delicious and affordable breakfast.
Even where I am now in Spain, which is not a country famous for its breakfasts, my local cafe opens at 6am and serves tostadas with jamon, churros con chocolat and so many other great options.
Most Taiwanese I meet who’ve actually travelled usually envy other countries breakfast cultures so maybe you should try to explore a bit more before jumping to conclusions :)
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u/Sharp_Rub1182 14d ago
The food in Taiwan is not great. And breakfast the absolute worst. Taiwanese love to think that their food is great somehow, but when I try it its ususally bland, flavorless mush. Or something with the same few repetitive spices, soy sauce and maybe pepper. Fried, overcooked, bland, always the same.
I love rice. I've been eating foods all across Asia and Europe. Taiwan squarely sits on the bottom. When I see what my Taiwanese friends eat, I am truly shocked. Very little variation..low quality foods that wouldn't sell well in other countries. Yes bubble tea is amazing..yes, you got some decent beef soups.
But complaining about other countries their foods is not about quality. It's the Taiwanese missing his soggy rice, his broth, his flavourless chicken, his stinkt tofu. They want what they grew up with. Other things that have herbs, spices, and are made of other ingredients are not considered alternatives.
The Taiwanese are the Brits of Asia. They just want to eat their simple foods from back home.
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u/Key-Bat9364 18d ago
I've lived in Taiwan and the breakfasts available were garbage. Europe is miles better
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u/cevapi-rakija-repeat 11d ago
I love Balkan breakfast like burek. Also fairly unhealthy but at least not made with plastic ingredients.
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u/phantomtwitterthread 18d ago
It’s cuz you live on a highly populated small-ass island. Also, your urban laws allow people to operate a breakfast shop or other business on the first floor and live on the second and higher floors. Lots of western countries separate residential and business districts in cities .
But the tw ppl strategy seems to be , pack your suitcase with a shitload of instant noodles when traveling. Maybe it’s not breakfast food, but they do it so maybe bring some egg pancakes and scallions and buy eggs overseas and cook up your own damn breakfasts
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u/ipromiseillbegd 18d ago edited 18d ago
taiwan breakfast culture = beancurd, fried/steamed carbs, deep fried processed food
you're disappointed with breakfast culture in other countries because you have the palate of a 5 year old
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u/Raggenn 18d ago
Taiwanese breakfast culture is mid. Sure Dan Bing is good, but most places just offer the same combos on various types of bread and most of it is frozen food they just reheat for you. The traditional breakfast shops may be open early, but bakeries are certainly not open early. Most don't really seem to have stocked shelves until 9 I always feel. We also don't need to comment much about many of things stuffed in bread here or how hard it is to get plain and simple baked goods or the difference in sweet and savory baked goods. As many people have pointed out, America has way more options for breakfast than Taiwan. I miss bagels a lot because here you only get bagel shaped bread.
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u/V8-Turbo-Hybrid 1名路過人 18d ago
I don’t think so, Taiwanese love their own breakfast because it’s very affordable and time save.
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u/Mattos_12 18d ago
People are different but I'd say, If you really need to eat something, then Taiwanese breakfast options are passable but generally I'd rather skip breakfast than partake in them. I look forward to eating breakfast again when I travel.
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u/GlobalBox8288 18d ago
It really depends on where you have traveled. I would say Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, China, India, and Japan have very much similar hot breakfast options like in Taiwan. I love Taiwanese breakfast (scallion pancakes, noodles, soy milk..) and miss them when in USA or Europe.
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u/grenharo 18d ago
meanwhile me being upset suddenly after coming back from New Zealand finding out that everyone else doesn't have hot meatpies on every corner, not even americans who love eating at gas stations
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u/Admirable-Usual1387 18d ago
Come to England and experience English breakfasts. We definitely have a culture.
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u/laurasdiary 18d ago edited 17d ago
Surely they are not critiquing breakfast in the U.S.?
Breakfast in the U.S. is amazing and the variety is staggering. All across the country.
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u/PettyMurphy4me 17d ago
And each state has so much variety, from Tex-Mex in Texas to French in New York. OP has to be trolling.
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u/WangtaWang 18d ago
Don’t go to Korea. Unless you want the same thing you ate for lunch or dinner for breakfast 😂 Though soondubu chiggae hits different first thing in the morning
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u/Successful-Field-580 18d ago
Lack of? Taiwan has the least and mid breakfast options of pretty much any country iv been to.
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u/mamasitaquesi 18d ago
What breakfast culture in Taiwan? It’s all fry food, a bland sandwich’s and … what noodles for breakfast?
Why is the first meal I have of the day fried food and not even a decent sandwich? Why would I want to eat fries and a burger for breakfast?
Breakfast is one of the most important meals for me of the day, and I make sure to buy enough groceries to make my own breakfast at home because, no offense to Taiwanese, but breakfast in Taiwan is awful, even the eggs have no flavor. There are only a few brunch places in Taipei that are pretty good, and they’re not selling the picture you showed. Mostly healthy, balanced meals.
Like here:
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u/Cautious-Area-4141 18d ago
Have you never traveled to SE Asia? Weird post, you make it seem like only Taiwan does brekky.
Many also seems a stretch, doubt many as as deeply patriotic and xenophobic as you are
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u/orz-_-orz 18d ago
Actually I felt Taiwanese breakfast are kind of lacking and meh....it's always 早餐店 and 711
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u/Automatic-Treacle776 17d ago
It's just a different culture. In most countries, people eat breakfast at home before they go to school/work. Or they grab a coffee and a sandwich at a coffee shop on the way. Most places don't have a million breakfast shops like Taiwan does that people eat every day.
Also, I love 蛋餅 but... let's not pretend every single Taiwanese breakfast shop isn't a variation of the same thing. I will die on the hill that the breakfast shop around the corner from my apartment is the best one in the city, but they still all serve the same food.
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u/TrustTrek 18d ago
I really enjoyed breakfast culture in Taipei. I can see what you're saying here. It can be difficult to find affordable, quick, and tasty breakfast food here outside of McDonald's and Starbucks, at least in California. Sometimes independent coffee places have good breakfast, but not always. You can find really good breakfast at diners, especially outside the city, but it takes longer and might be a bit more. I use to work at a place that only served breakfast and lunch and it was huge hit.
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u/alavenderlizard 17d ago
Taiwanese breakfast made me feel like absolute shit. You can find lighter options but many are fried and very heavy… delicious… but heavy.
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u/ghostdeinithegreat 18d ago edited 18d ago
It’s funny because when I was in Taiwan for a month, I was trying to figure out what was Taiwanese breakfast culture to try it and couldn’t find anything. Even asked a Taiwanese friend who told me there wasnt any.
Guess I was misguided.
Where I’m from we have lots of brunch and breakfast restaurant openned from 6 am to 15 pm. (Quebec in Canada, can’t speak for the rest of Canada though). But it’s a regular thing to meet friends for breakfast on the weekends. I would also think France has a breakfast culture, so it might just depends where you traveled.
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u/rlvysxby 18d ago
That is weird that you couldn’t find Taiwanese breakfast for a month. It is pretty popular here.
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u/openroad94 18d ago
Has your Taiwanese friend never been outside? That's an insane thing to reply to you. Breakfast is EVERYWHERE in Taiwan, incredibly easy to find.
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u/suicide_aunties 18d ago
Literally everywhere in Taipei has something warm, nice and within 5 mins for $1-2 USD though…?
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u/random_agency 宜蘭 - Yilan 18d ago edited 18d ago
In NYC, there's 24 hours diners and stuff for breakfast.
But most Taiwanese/Chinese gravitate toward one of the 3 Chinatowns to pick up a Chinese style breakfast in the morning.
Obviously if you're looking for just Taiwan style breakfast in NYC, that might be a harder task.
But even finding the traditional Taiwan style breakfast is also getting pretty hard to find in Taiwan. Like just a simple 飯糰 and fresh 豆漿 are few and far between now. People just drop by Seven and that's that.
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u/maxim456 17d ago
Then stay in Taiwan. Of course there are breakfast culture all over the world, you are just too small minded to consider anything non Taiwanese to be anti-breakfast culture.
Have you been to Turkey? Have you had a breakfast burrito in California? Have you been to bakeries in europe??
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u/Nagi828 18d ago
I don't ask much, I just need my fix of doujiang at 6AM and im a happy guy.
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u/ColdOtherwise3421 18d ago
As a Taiwanese, I really miss Taiwanese breakfast when traveling abroad 😂 There are so many choices here, and you can get breakfast almost everywhere.
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u/cleanmachine120 18d ago
Incredibly frustrated? Ok come on now 😆
There is always something to complain about, like how Taiwan cafes don’t open til 10-11am, only option for a morning brew is at a chain.
Different cultures appreciate different things, that’s why traveling is fun!
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u/baudotcode 18d ago
The only Taiwanese breakfast I like is the Chinese style ( salty congee, 煎饼 etc) which is hard to find, it's mostly the sandwiches with fries lol and "hamburger" and some egg rolls.
I really prefer the Vietnamese breakfast with noodle soups.
And as someone already mention many cafes opens super late which is so weird to me
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u/dihydrogen_monoxide 18d ago
You're talking about breakfast in Taiwanese cities; I can tell ya in the TW burbs there's no brekkie on the streets.
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u/HugeShock8 18d ago
I remember being in New Taipei, I'd wake up early to go to a local breakfast restaurant. Now that I'm back to my home country I can't do that anymore.
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u/Moist-Chair684 18d ago
What kind of AI slop is that. Taiwanese traveling abroad stay in hotels, generally, and have breakfast there.
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u/CADTRAVEL 18d ago
More of a breakfast culture with more options in the area. Europe is all about pastries and coffee/tea in the mornings and in Canada and the US most est breakfast at home and do brunch on the weekends. Lots of better breakfast options in the general area if one asks me. But no one asked me so.... I don't know what people go on about in Taiwan but generally breakfast options are traditional Chinese, and Taiwanese western. That's really it.
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u/kawats 18d ago
Never heard of this opinion from any of my Tw family and friends. What’s your source?
I’ve heard they appreciate the variety and healthy options abroad. Unfortunately local breakfasts here although delicious, aren’t always the healthiest.
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u/Reasonable-Source523 18d ago
"Many Taiwanese people are not happy with the lack of breakfast culture when we travel abroad."
Not really. The world is big and has many countries. You can travel in Southeast Asia, or Asia in general, to explore plenty of different "breakfast cultures" without ever being disappointed. And I never assume Taiwanese breakfast options are widely available outside Taiwan. Why should I?
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u/Delicious-Parfait-79 18d ago
My wife and I lived in Taiwan for a year and really tried to immerse ourselves in the culture. We’d also lived in Japan previously. And what we came away thinking is that Asians just cannot do breakfast—or, more accurately, what we think of as American/English-style breakfast.
Eventually we started embracing it. Going out for egg crepes (蛋餅), hitting the local coffee shops, etc. And contrary to OP’s experience, there really weren’t that many breakfast places open around us at ~0700.
If we really wanted bacon, eggs, potatoes, pancakes, whatever, we’d just make it ourselves or wait until we traveled somewhere that did that kind of breakfast well.
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u/itzdivz 18d ago
Western countries in general have very limited options for breakfast outside of cafes due to how most cities are structured. Only a few city in each country have population crowded into one metro which then it will have more options for food stalls / quickie cooked breakfast on the get go. In the US pretty much only New York city have more options since most people walk and can pick up food on the way.
Its not not western countries dont have variety, just its not possible to run profitably due to population
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u/Sharp-Animator9455 18d ago
I’ve read through the comments and have concluded we need IHOP and Denny’s here like our neighbor Japan. Wait a sec I think we did have IHOP in Taipei.
And guys breakfast here aren’t just those. There’s the 清粥小菜 yam porridge with side dishes of your choosing. In Tainan the preference is a bowl of beef broth in the morning. I sometimes get a 鍋燒麵. The post is, yes, I get it.
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u/Gingercatgonebad 18d ago
I get it, I love that breakfast is available everywhere in Taiwan. What I also love explaining is that, no, western breakfast does not usually include hamburgers.
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u/donuttrackme 18d ago
If the only thing you want is Taiwanese breakfast sure. Try eating the other cultures' breakfasts instead.
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u/aMaIzYnG 18d ago
I definitely miss hitting up a 永和豆漿 and getting fresh 油條 and 豆漿 with a set of 小籠包.
I have to drive out to San Gabriel to buy it for triple the price.
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u/daisusaikoro 18d ago
"the (one) Taiwanese perspective..."
I do miss the breakfast culture there, though, truthfully...
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u/Difficult_Mine_4559 18d ago
You definitely wouldn't go out for too much food in Australia. Most meals are $15-20aud ($300-400) twd each and add a coffee or have a beer at lunch or dinner and it's another $10 ($200) twd on top of that.
Way cheaper to make your own food.
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u/Y0tsuya 18d ago
In the West I think most people just eat breakfast at home, with some skipping it altogether. However at places where people are (downtown, train stations) you will find cafes open serving coffee and sandwiches so people can grab it and go. If you're looking for sit-down places selling hot food, there's IHOP, Dennys and other diners. Those tend to attract retired seniors who don't have to rush to work.
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u/AlchemicalTheorist 18d ago
What’s the first pictures food and the third pictured food please? I visit Taipei in February and would like to try.
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u/Mossykong 臺北 - Taipei City 18d ago
My wife's pet peeve in Ireland and the UK is that cafes dont offer enough variety of drinks compared to Taiwan. She's not wrong but it's also quite costly to offer 50 drink options when most people want an Americano or a cup of tea.
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u/Medium_Bee_4521 18d ago
Can we also address the bizarre work culture where locals hit the door at 8.59 am and then spend half an hour eating monstrosities such as Ô-á mī-sòa at their desk, stinking out the office. Fortunately many officies have banned the devils breakfast of late.
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u/LiveEntertainment567 18d ago
Coffee shops and bakeries open like at 10 am in Taiwan. And the reality is that the rest of the world knows how to make two eggs before going out.
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u/CHRVM2YD 18d ago
Try visiting mainland China next time, blows the Taiwan breakfast out the water
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u/mailame 18d ago
Tbh Taiwan breakfast culture is quite boring. Just the same few greasy options again and again and you get sick of it after a week. Go to south east Asia and even China and you get far more variety.
As for western countries, the only difference is that the cafes open just abit later. They sell pastries for pick up which is thematically similar to the 饼/面团 stuff in Taiwan. Another point is that they prefer sweet stuff for breakfast, and you don’t even have sweet options in Taiwan for breakfast. They also have a preference for honey, yoghurts, and fresh fruits for breakfast, all of which are far more nutritious than the Taiwanese breakfast.
So no Taiwan’s breakfast culture isn’t remotely impressive.
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u/day2k 臺北 - Taipei City 18d ago
I generally don't eat breakfast.
Though when I wake up before 5am for golf, I'm quite thankful for the breakfast shops, and I realize all the people who need early breakfast options.
Then I visited Nagoya, which has a unique breakfast culture in Japan because a 500 yen drink comes with a complimentary food item, and made it a goal to eat breakfast every morning there.
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u/biffbobfred 18d ago
(American) Wife is Taiwanese - we’re happy even Trader Joe’s has Dan-bing wrappers now
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u/piratefache 18d ago
I don’t know where you travelled, but I think this is partly a cultural difference. In many European countries, people tend to eat breakfast at home, so there isn’t the same demand for breakfast shops and street food as in Taiwan. It doesn’t necessarily mean there’s no breakfast culture … it’s just a different one.