Hua Hsin Street (Myanmar Street) Introduction
Located near the Nanshijiao MRT Station in Zhonghe District, New Taipei City, Huaxin Street is known as the most diverse Southeast Asian food street in Taiwan, often referred to as "Myanmar Street." This area is home to many descendants of soldiers who retreated from Yunnan to Myanmar and Thailand, as well as Burmese Chinese immigrants who moved to Taiwan for economic reasons. As a result, the culinary traditions here blend the cooking techniques of Yunnan and Myanmar, offering particularly authentic flavors. Huaxin Street is the largest residential area for Burmese Chinese in Taiwan and has developed over decades into the largest community of Southeast Asian culture in Taiwan. It boasts a variety of Southeast Asian cuisines, and the annual Water Festival is celebrated here. The shop signs along the streets are displayed in both Chinese and Myanmar script, and it is also home to Taiwan's first Southeast Asian-themed bookstore, Brilliant Times. The restaurants on Huaxin Street serve some of the most authentic Southeast Asian home-cooked dishes, primarily offering snacks with flavors from Myanmar, Yunnan, Thailand, and India. These simple eateries serve traditional delicacies such as Babbas (noodles), coconut chicken, fish soup noodles, curry chicken, spicy rice noodles, chicken mixed noodles, and pea fritters. These dishes are unique and difficult to find elsewhere in Taiwan, attracting many Chinese from various parts of Taiwan who specifically come here to enjoy these hometown snacks, which provide a sense of nostalgia.
