Tamsui Old Street (淡水老街): Food, Sights + more

How to go?
Take the red line MRT to Tamsui (淡水). Exit the station, turn left, then walk along the waterfront.

2 ways to get to Bali or Fisherman's Wharf from Tamsui:
1. Purchase a ferry ticket at the ticket counter by the harbour. A one-way boat ride costs 60 NTD. Alternatively, if you have Easycard, just queue and tap at the gantry - no need to buy a ticket at the counter.
2. Rent a bike and go on your merry ride around the waterfront.

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Stepping into Tamsui Old Street (淡水老街) is like walking into a 1970s film set, complete with all the wonderful sights, smells and sounds of a society encroaching modernism. The only thing that's missing? Rickshaws. A mix of old estates and food stalls, the picturesque Tamsui is bustling with people on weekends. Families come here for some bonding time, lovers for a semi-romantic stroll, friends for a food adventure, the introspective ones for people observing (not in the creepy way) and reminiscing a forgotten past. Weekdays would be ideal if you prefer a quieter walk through the street.

On this particular trip, I actually have friends joining me - who would've thought?! So come join me on this day trip to Tamsui Old Street and watch out for mini food reviews along the way. 👇👇👇

First things first - gotta capture a photo of the main street

Mandatory photo of the Tamsui Old Street

Nougat

The nougat cracker here is worth buying. Wide variety and not-so-sweet.

Bubble Lee (李圆圆)

A popular boba chain outlet

Milk + brown sugar boba! No milk tea involved.

This stall was extremely busy on a warm weekend afternoon, as both locals and tourists were eager to quench their thirst. The bobas were so chewy and warm, a great contrast to the coolness of the milk.

Bolo buns @ Bolo King

Famous Bolo Bun hailed from Hong Kong

Ah Gei Fishball Soup

A Taiwanese delicacy, Ah Gei (阿給) is basically fried tofu skin filled with starchy, chewy green bean noodles. The tofu is drenched in spicy gravy, which, though looks thin, packs more flavour than you'd expect.

tau pok stuffed with green bean noodles + spicy gravy

Though the dish itself does not contain meat, I'm not sure if it's fully vegetarian. But fret not - there's an Ah Gei vegetarian store at Tamsui Old Street, so kudos to that!

Soft Serve Ice-cream

matcha / blueberry soft-serve ice cream

There are plenty of soft serve ice-cream shops around. The only problem is that they look good, but don't taste good. The one I was holding in my hand was a mix of matcha and blueberry. Both tasted diluted, but it was a great way to cool myself down.

Fisherman's Wharf
Travelled to Fisherman's Wharf via boat in hopes of catching the sunset. Legend has it that if you and your lover stop half-way at the bridge, the both of you will stay together for the rest of your lives. If the two of you walk to the other end of the bridge, a break-up is inevitable.

no sunset. skies looking as bleak as my love life.

Mail to Future (寄给未来)
After the boat deposited us back at Tamsui, we made our way to this blue shop located opposite the harbour. The concept of this shop is quite interesting: you write a postcard to yourself (or whoever), and receive it in a few years' time, depending on when you wish it received.

A cutesy shop selling postcards

wax seal stamps

a huge variety of postcards

insta-worthy spot on the second floor

Macaroon Imitation (QQ 酥饼)
is not the actual name, but is what it is.

shaped like a macaroon, looks like a macaroon, but is not a macaroon.
7 flavours: red bean, taro, curry, Taiwan green tea, brown sugar mochi, Chinese yam

This tastes nothing like macaroon, for it lacks the chewy texture, and is instead slightly moreish and crumbly, like a waffle biscuit (in fact I think that's what it's trying to be! 😂). But if your imagination is wild enough, you can pretend that you're holding a fancy French macaroon.

Egg Waffle @ Bear Stone Egg

Bear Stone Egg. A famous Hong Kong franchise

Peanut Egg Waffle

For some reason I thought peanut egg waffle comes drizzled with peanut butter. Can anyone tell me why this is not the case?! I thought I was cheated with a plain egg waffle instead. I would say you're better off buying plain egg waffle, since the nutty flavour in peanut egg waffle was non-existent. Disappointment aside, the egg waffle itself was crispy. Eat it fast, or you'll lose the crunch.

Vegetarian Cong You Bing (葱油饼)

Vegetarian Cong You Bing (葱油饼) at 40 NTD.

Stuffed with egg, leek, and glass noodles

It was so-so. Nothing to shout at.

Wheel Pancake (车轮饼) @ Red Bean Cake (晴光红豆饼)

DON'T MISS IT!! FIRST STALL ON THE LEFT. I forgot how much this was, but it was around 12-15 NTD. In other words, it's priced at a steal!

Storefront

JUST LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF FILLING. More beans than Mr Bean and Jollybean.

PACKED WITH RED BEANS

You might expect red bean paste that is mashed and sweetened. Nope. Nadah. Not here. The red beans are cooked to the perfect mash-able texture yet left unmashed. Also, not sure if it's sweetened, but the blandness of it appeals to my light palate. The outside was crispy, and the red beans gel to the pancake in such an interesting way for a moment I thought there was mochi in the pancake. Literally magic in my mouth 🎆

Pastries
Here is one more spot you can add to the list of Formosan pineapple tarts I have curated. Personally, I didn't go in because of the somewhat hostile vibe due to the absence of customers. This place is located in the alley right of the main entrance into Tamsui Old Street.