Hua Hsin Street (Myanmar Street) Introduction
Located near the Nanshijiao MRT Station in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, Huaxin Street, commonly known as Myanmar Street, is the most diverse street for Southeast Asian cuisine in Taiwan. It is home to many descendants of soldiers who retreated from Yunnan to Myanmar and Thailand, as well as Chinese immigrants from Myanmar who came to Taiwan for economic reasons. Consequently, the food here inherits the cooking techniques of Yunnan and Myanmar, resulting in particularly authentic flavors. Huaxin Street, the largest residential area for the Myanmar Chinese community in Taiwan, has developed over decades into the largest Southeast Asian cultural community in Taiwan. It not only offers a variety of Southeast Asian cuisines but also hosts the annual Water Festival celebrations. The shop signs along the streets are written in both Chinese and Myanmar languages, and it is home to Taiwan's first Southeast Asian-themed bookstore, "Brilliant Time." The restaurants on Huaxin Street serve nearly exclusively Myanmar, Yunnan, Thai, and Indian dishes. These modestly-decorated eateries offer the most authentic Southeast Asian snacks, such as Babbas (rice noodles), coconut chicken, fish soup noodles, curry chicken, spicy rice noodles, shredded chicken noodles, and pea fritters. These dishes are flavors that are not easily found elsewhere in Taiwan, and Chinese expatriates living in various parts of Taiwan often come here specifically to enjoy the snacks from their hometowns, comforting their nostalgia.
