Where to Eat On the Island if You are Plant-based

A lot of freedivers are vegetarian or practice a mostly plant-based diet as it boosts their performance and recovery. And we are starting to see more inquiries about vegetarian options on Xiaoliuqiu on the Facebook group XIaoliuqiu for Foreigners.

It was high time that I wrote an article about vegetarian options but I have put it off as I don't normally seek out vegetarian options. However, recently, one of my freedive students replied in a thread about vegetarian options, so we have something to work with. 

Do note though that the definition of vegetarian here in Taiwan may differ from yours as dishes with small pieces of meat or lard, or soup cooked in pork bone broth or eggs/dairy would be considered vegetarian.

Vegans, in particular, will have a difficult time here unless they bring their own cooking gear which would not be so terrible as they have plenty of tasty vegetables in and around the wet market, much of it grown on the island. 

For more tourist information about the island, check out my Tourist Guide to Xiaoliuqiu.

Mizi's House

This little bistro is brightly decorated with living plants that make it feel almost like a miniature nursery. Located close to the main harbor of Baishawan, it has vegetarian options like mushrooms and pumpkins with rice or pasta. They also serve pizza.



Address: No. 65-1號, Minsheng Rd, Liuqiu Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan 929

Phone: +88688614423

Opening Hours

Thursday, Sunday and Monday - 11AM–2PM, 5–7PM

Friday, Saturday - Saturday, 11AM–2PM, 5–8PM

Closed Tuesday and Wednesday

Luna Pizza

Other than Mizi's House and this place, there is quite possibly not another place that serves pizza on the island.

The pizza here is legit, not Asianized at all. I've received rave reviews from friends and students.

It's a food truck with a pizza oven on the back. Located next to Jo Scubar.



Address: 90-1 Benyu Rd, Liuqiu Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan 929

Phone: +886937802669

Opening Hours

Thursday-Monday 5-10pm

Closed Tuesday and Wednesday

Mrs. Chang's Vegetarian Cantonese Congee 粥太太蔬食廣東粥

Cantonese congee though typically a breakfast dish, is a one-dish meal that can be eaten any time of the day. Their signature congee has corn, mushroom, vegetarian meat, century egg, and Chinese green veggies. They also have pumpkin, loofah, and taro congee.

In addition, they have soup noodles and stir-fried noodles with a selection of 9 types of noodles.

According to my student, this place accommodates vegans.

Located diagonally across from the only post office on the island.



Address: No. 74, Zhongshan Rd, Liuqiu Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan 929

Phone: +88688614972

Opening Hours

Monday-Saturday 9AM–2PM, 5–8PM

Sunday, 10AM–2PM, 5–8PM

上好味食堂

I use to eat here a lot after diving. There are a few vegetarian options: seaweed dumplings, bitter melon soup, and Chinese stir-fried green veggies.

Address: No. 19-2, Fuxing Rd, Liuqiu Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan 929

Phone: +886952348362

Opening Hours

Tuesday-Sunday 10AM–2PM and 4:30–7PM

Closed Monday

Wanfan Rice Balls 丸飯



A strictly breakfast place, this is a stand in front of 陽光浮潛 that serves the best rice balls on the island. Though there are some meat options here, you can easily just choose the vegetarian ingredients to stuff your rice ball with. Each rice ball is NT$40 and I often eat two for breakfast before freediving. They are open 6am to 10am or whenever they've sold out. Check their Instagram account to see if they are open.

Buffet Options 自助餐

When I lived in Taipei I would visit these types of restaurants as it was a convenient way to have a quick and tasty meal with a lot of choices. For these types of buffet/bento restaurants, you simply go in, pick up a tray or takeaway box, check out dishes that have no meat or fish in them, and put what you want and how much you want on your plate. 

Two choices:

代眾便當

One 10 meters from Seaside Cafe with no information online. Check out photo below: New Paragraph

小本愛玉

This eatery just opened several months ago and it's very Instagrammable. It has vegetarian beef noodle soup and mushroom rice as vegetarian options. Their aiyu jelly desserts are cute af as they are shaped like our sea turtles this island is famous for.

Address: No. 1號, Xinyi Rd, Liuqiu Township, Pingtung County, Taiwan 929

Phone: +886978062284

Opening Hours

7 days a week 9:30am-8pm

Street Stands

For street food stands at night you can always go to 阿亮香雞排, 一味入魂鹽水雞or any other food stand and pick only vegetables! 玥食堂 also does dish without any meat in them if you request it.

Others

Stay Around has a veggie burger. Hard Rock Gastropub you could just order veggie fried rice, salad and french fries. And Good Thai has Thai-style stir-fried veggies, papaya salad and mushroom soup with galangal and lemongrass.

Dessert

And if you are in a pinch, not the most diabetes-friendly diet, but there are a plethora of vegetarian dessert options on all corners of the island. My favorite shaved ice place is Ice Queen, they have a NT$50 shaved ice called 古早味 which is great value if your order is for just eating and not taking photos a more Instagrammable version with all the same ingredients would cost more than double. 

There are several fruit stands dotted around the island as well with two in the main part of the island next to Lixia, which is a beautiful place to have a coffee by the way.

Yellow Smoothie Bowl is also a good option if your sweet tooth is more Western and "healthy".

And that's it from me. Please check in regularly as I plan to update this.  If anyone has any places to include on this list please drop me a line at ray@freedivenomad.com or Line @freedive_nomad. If you'd like to learn the art of one-breath diving, check out my main page.

If you are planing a trip to Xiaoliuqiu, let us help you. My wife and I run a concierge service and help consult visitors on your trip to the island. You pay nothing extra, but each vendor for anything we help you book will give us a commission and the price for each service is the same whether you book through us or not. Fill out this form and let us know your needs. Services we help book our transport to the island and on the island, accommodations and activities like babysitting, SUP, scuba, freediving, glass bottom boat etc.