A retro restaurant serving the famous “mala” hotpot that the Taiwanese love to eat year-round, even during the scorching summer months. A hotpot is best shared family-style, so round up a small group and fill your table with platters of meat, vegetables and tofu. The duck-blood option is a local favourite.

This recreation of a cosy, hole-in-the-wall neighbourhood diner, complete with round tables and wooden stools, serves classic Taiwanese dishes including braised pork rice and mapo tofu.

A hidden gem in the Yongkang Street area housed in a tiny Japanese-era cottage and serving old-school Taiwanese home cooking. Try the fried pumpkin noodles and the bamboo shoots.

There are plenty of places to enjoy beef-noodle soup in Taipei, but the most charming interior belongs to Shiyu. Its soup gets points for dedication – the tender beef is stewed with more than ten varieties of Chinese herbs for a deep flavour.