Taiwanese convenience-store food has some of the best local food I’ve ever had. Similar to Japan, Taiwan has a big culture of eating at convenience stores. But Taiwan’s 7-11 convenience stores have some unique food items you will not find anywhere else.
From breakfast sandwiches and rice balls to ready-to-eat meals and cooked food, you will find something you want to try for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
If you are curious about convenience store foods in Taiwan, keep reading. I listed my top 10 foods you must try. Make sure you try at least one while you are travelling around the country.
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Before you check out the 7-Eleven in Taiwan
Before eating at one of the 7-11’s in Taiwan, take a look at my post on all my best tips for travelling to Taiwan. I included information like how to get a Taiwan prepaid SIM card, transportation around the country and more.
Here are some additional tips for making the most out of eating at a Taiwanese 7-Eleven:
- There are 7-11’s everywhere! Even if you are in a small town or somewhere off the beaten path, you will find one (I found one hiking at Bitoujiao, a small village in Northeastern Taiwan and even hiking in the mountains in Alishan)
- It is possible to have all three meals at 7-11. They have excellent choices for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
- Many 7-11’s across Taiwan have a seating area where you can enjoy your food. Sometimes it is a row of chairs and table and sometimes it is a large area with many seating options.
- Pay with cash, credit card or your EasyCard or iPass. Super easy and convenient.
Taiwan 7-11 Food: Top 10 Must-Try Food on the 7-Eleven Menu in Taiwan
The 7-Eleven menu varies by store, but generally, you can find similar products throughout the country.
After all my research and trying many foods at 7-Eleven in Taiwan, here is my list of the top 10 must-eat items. Click the hyperlink below to go directly to the specific section.
Classic Taiwanese Food at 7-11
Cooked Food at 7-11
Drinks and Snacks at 7-11
- Onigiri (Japanese Rice Ball)
- Potato chips in Taiwanese flavours
- Iced Milk Tea, Warm Milk Tea and Bubble Tea
- Taiwanese Ice Cream
Classic Taiwanese Food at 7-11
1. Xiao Long Bao and Pork Dumplings
In Taiwan, a must-try food is xiao long bao (soup dumplings). Besides finding this Taiwanese specialty in local restaurants and night markets, you can also find it in local convenience stores.
A package of xiao long bao contains six soup dumplings, a packet of soy sauce, and a tiny fork. And it has microwave instructions on the package, so you know exactly how long it takes to warm up the soup dumplings.
And besides soup dumplings, 7-11 also has other pork dumplings, and there’s even a vegetarian plant-based option.
2. Taiwanese Breakfast
If you have been to Taipei, you may have heard of Fuhang Soy Milk, a Michelin-recognized breakfast restaurant. And you may also know that there is always a long queue.
During my last trip to Taiwan, I actually found the Classic Rice Ball by Fuhang Soy Milk at 7-11. It is more like a tube of sticky rice filled with ingredients such as egg, Chinese fried dough, pork floss, and pickled radish. All you have to do is heat it up in the microwave and enjoy. And 7-11 even sells the famous soy milk.
Besides getting a breakfast rice ball, there are other breakfast options at 7-11 like scallion pancake wrap with ham and cheese. It’s super delicious!
3. Beef Noodles and Hot Pot
One of Taiwan’s signature dishes is the beef noodles in soup. You can get a savoury bowl of beef noodles almost anywhere in Taiwan. And also in 7-11! The convenience store has many different beef noodles brands, costing between NT$35 and NT$55.
If you are a hot pot fan, you must try the Haidilao self-cooking hot pot meal. Haidilao is a popular hot pot chain with over 1,300 restaurants worldwide. The self-heating hot pot meal has several flavours. It is a bit pricey compared to a cup of noodles, and it tastes so-so. But if you crave the Haidilao soup, then this is a must-try.
Many 7-11’s across Taiwan have sitting areas where you can enjoy your food. They also provide piping hot water to cook your noodles. And they will even give you a pair of chopsticks.
Cooked Food at 7-11
1. Taiwanese Tea Eggs
Taiwanese tea eggs are hard-boiled eggs steeped in a broth with tea, soy sauce and spices. The eggshells are cracked so the broth can infuse the eggs with flavour. It makes a great breakfast, and it is one of my favourite 7-11 snacks.
One tea egg costs only NT$10. It is one of the most inexpensive foods on the 7-Eleven menu.
To buy Taiwanese tea eggs, use the kitchen tongs to pick up the eggs and place them in a plastic bag. Almost all the 7-11’s I’ve been to have tea eggs, no matter how small the convenience store is or how remote the location is.
2. Tianbula (Taiwanese Tempura)
Oden is a Japanese one-pot dish containing all ingredients in a light soy-flavoured broth. It is a popular food in Japan, Taiwan and South Korea.
In Taiwan, it is referred to as tianbula. Even though the term in Chinese literally means “sweet, not spicy,” there is nothing spicy about the Taiwanese oden. Phonetically, the Taiwanese word sounds like “tempura”; therefore, tianbula is called Taiwanese tempura.
During the cooler months, 7-11 offers this one-pot dish, which includes many ingredients, such as pork meatballs, tofu, daikon radish, and processed fishcakes in various forms.
There is a menu right above the boiling pot. It tells you exactly how much each item costs. Grab a paper bowl, pick up as many items as you like, put a plastic lid on it and pay at the cashier. The cashier will charge you exactly what you took.
The staff at 7-11 continues to cook different items throughout the day because it is a popular food at 7-11. So don’t worry, the cooked food doesn’t sit around long.
3. Giant Steamed Buns
You will find a vertical steaming oven full of giant steamed buns on the cooked food counter at some Taiwan 7-11 stores. And they usually have a Hong Kong-style barbecue pork bun, pork and bamboo shoot bun, pork bun, spicy pork bun, and a sweet bun.
They are a delicious and very filling snack — not a bad price at only NT$25 for each.
Unfortunately, there is no English on the label, but hopefully, the photo of the cross-section bun is sufficient.
Drinks and Snacks at 7-11
1. Onigiri (Japanese Rice Ball)
Onigiri or Japanese rice ball is a favourite item on the shelves of 7-11 in Taiwan and Japan. Each onigiri has the perfect amount of rice, a sheet of crispy seaweed and different ingredients.
And the onigiri in Taiwan includes unique ingredients such as pork floss, fried chicken, soybean paste noodles, chicken rice, and various types of fish. Each one costs NT$36+.
However, the most innovative aspect of the onigiri is its packaging. A thin sheet of film separates the seaweed and rice to keep the seaweed crispy. When you follow the instructions, you will peel away the film one side at a time, allowing the seaweed and rice to come together.
First, pull off the thin plastic strip at #1 to separate the film. Then pull off the packaging at corner that marked #2, then continue to pull off the rest at #3. And voila! (see picture below).
2. Potato Chips in Taiwanese flavours
In Taiwan, 7-11 stores offer many varieties of potato chips, such as oyster omelette, pork sausage with garlic, grilled beef, scallion pancake, and braised soy sauce. During my last trip to Taipei, I saw the new flavours: cilantro and durian. Super unique!
Even if you cannot read the Chinese words on the chip bag, there is always a drawing or a photo of the actual flavour of the chips, like the ones pictured below.
3. Iced Milk Tea, Warm Milk Tea and Bubble Tea
Taiwanese people really love tea. And in 7-11, you can find many tea varieties, like oolong tea, milk tea, black tea, and so much more.
Throughout the year, you can buy iced tea packaged in a carton or a plastic bottle.
In winter, you can buy a warm can of tea. It is not super hot, but warm enough to keep your hands warm for a while before you drink it.
Moreover, 7-11 in Taiwan has bubble tea (a milk tea with chewy tapioca “bubbles”). I actually cannot believe they have bubble tea in a carton-boxed drink. And most of all, I was surprised that the bubbles are not soggy or mushy; it is actually quite good.
10. Taiwanese Ice Cream and Popsicles
Many ice cream and popsicle varieties are available at 7-Eleven convenience stores in Taiwan. Some of the unique flavours include pudding and matcha, red beans, etc.
One of my favourites is the ice cream waffle with tapioca pearls. It is like frozen bubble tea plus a waffle. What can be better?
I also found popsicles made by Chun Shui Tang. They created THE original bubble tea in Taichung. Their pearl milk tea crispy ice cream bar is so good! They also have a flavour called Pu-Erh tea pink salt cheese crema ice cream bar, which I will try next.
Which 7-11 food are you most excited to try?
Does my list of the top 10 foods in 7-11’s in Taiwan pique your interest? They are, by far, some of the best convenience foods I’ve ever had.
And if you find other unique food items at a Taiwanese convenience store, let me know in the comments below.
Ready to plan your trip to Taiwan? Here are some of my go-to travel planning resources:
* Book your flight: find flight deals on Skyscanner
* Book accommodation: find the best Taiwan accommodations on Agoda or Booking
* Buy insurance: Safetywing is my go-to provider for travel insurance, as it covers many things. I will never travel without the Nomad Insurance Package because it protects me against unforeseen events. Get a quote today.
* Order a SIM card: order a SIM card in advance, collect it upon arrival, and set up your mobile phone before arriving at your destination. Or find out how and where to get a SIM Card in Taiwan.
* Join tours: check Klook or Get Your Guide for the best tours around Taiwan
Thank you for reading my Taiwan 7-11 food post
I have many posts on Taiwan, and you might also like these other posts on solo travel in Taiwan:
Introduction to Taiwan
- Things to know before visiting Taiwan
- How and where to buy a Taiwan prepaid SIM card
- How to spend 3 weeks in Taiwan
- 22 must-eat food in Taiwan
Other food posts
- Best Porto Food: What and Where to eat in Porto
- 21 Must Eat Food in Singapore
- Where to eat Michelin Star Street Food in Singapore
- Traditional Hong Kong Food
- Okinawa food guide: best food to try
- Tokyo Food Guide: 42 best places to eat in Tokyo
- Budapest food guide: 26 Best Budapest Food
- 25 Bucharest Food: What to eat in Bucharest
- Vienna food guide: 23 must-try food
- Where and what to eat in Sofia: 21 must-try food
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Hi, my name is Queenie, and I’ve been a solo traveller for 20+ years and currently based in Hong Kong. Follow me on my adventures through Instagram and my blog!
