Narrowing down the restaurant selection in Taipei was no easy task. This gastronomically blessed city boasts dozens and dozens of tempting options, ranging from elegant hotel dining rooms to commendable street carts.

Taiwanese cuisines — specialties vary depending on the region — draw from a multitude of influences, including Indigenous, Chinese, Japanese and American recipes. Beef noodle soup is perhaps the most iconic dish, and one I particularly enjoyed at breakfast. Fried chicken, rice topped with braised pork, stinky tofu (better than it sounds) and pineapple cake are also all famously Taiwanese.

Since we took a street-food tour arranged by the Travel Office, I focused our restaurant explorations on more-high-end options. All the following accept (or require) reservations, a relief in a city where many of the notable casual dining spots have lines.