Take a bus south from Taipei, cross a few mountain ridges, and you arrive in Wulai, the ancestral homeland of the Atayal people. Wulai Old Street runs along the Nanshi River, with air carrying the charcoal scent of grilled mountain boar, the peppery-citrus notes of maqaw, and the most emblematic of all — bamboo tube rice just lifted off the coals. Split open the phyllostachys bamboo tube and the glutinous rice, saturated with bamboo fragrance, gleams with oil — this is the only Atayal indigenous restaurant street in New Taipei.
What is bamboo tube rice?
Bamboo tube rice is a traditional indigenous dish made by packing raw glutinous rice into fresh bamboo internodes, adding water or broth, sealing the ends, and roasting over charcoal. As the bamboo section heats slowly over the coals, the glutinous rice inside absorbs the natural fragrance released by the bamboo. Once cooked, the tube is split open and the rice surface is coated with a thin layer of bamboo membrane, adding a clean, plant-fresh aroma that ordinary steamed rice doesn't have. The Atayal and many other Taiwanese indigenous peoples share the bamboo tube rice tradition — in forest hunting, it allowed a full meal to be prepared with the simplest of materials, an expression of making full use of what the land provides.
Wulai Old Street is the most concentrated Atayal settlement in New Taipei City, with nearly all restaurants along the street operated by Atayal people serving indigenous-style cuisine. Bamboo tube rice is typically served alongside maqaw mountain boar, grilled stream fish, river shrimp, stir-fried tree fern with dried small fish, and wild pepper fried eggs — mountain produce and foraged vegetables forming a full spread. Maqaw is the soul spice of Atayal cooking, tasting somewhere between black pepper and lemon; mountain boar comes from pigs raised freely in the forest, giving the meat a firm and satisfying chew. Tribe-run restaurants such as Tayal Bale and A-Chun Cuisine are among the more well-regarded choices on the old street, offering a cultural distinctiveness that is hard to replicate elsewhere.
How to eat it like a local
Local knowledge
Verified credentials (sponsored content filtered out)
- Wulai District is an ancestral Atayal settlement in New Taipei City with a predominantly indigenous population.
- Restaurants like Tayal Bale on the old street are operated by community members and offer authentic Atayal cuisine.
- Maqaw (mountain pepper) is a traditional Atayal spice that grows only in Taiwan's mountain regions.
Visitor tips
- From central Taipei, Xindian Bus Route 849 goes directly to Wulai Old Street. Parking is limited for drivers.
- Wulai sits at a higher elevation and is 3 to 5 degrees cooler than the city. Bring a light jacket.
- After typhoons or heavy rain, the Nanshi River can rise rapidly. Check the weather and mountain road conditions before heading out.
Information compiled from the Michelin Guide, New Taipei City Tourism and Travel Bureau, and large volumes of public reviews, with sponsored content filtered out. Photos will be replaced with exclusive channel footage after Dio's on-site shoot.