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Taichung Night Market. Lots of yummy things to eat. Lots of people, families, and kids. It has been a long time since I have been to a Taiwanese night market. Enjoyed it but I don’t think I could stay too long. It was a warm night. Plus some of the things were a bit questionable even though they smelled good. . . .
Tainan oldest department store 林百貨 also known as Hayashi. Lots of interesting items from local purveyors. 5 floors of clothing, housewares, and trinkets. The rooftop had a couple of eateries to go along with the great views. The building interior and exterior looks great and well preserved. . . .
Beef Noodle Soup, dumplings, and tofu + thousand year old egg with my cousin in Hualien. This is one of favorites growing up in Hualien. The beef noodle soup has a nice hearty but not overpowering broth. The noodles have a nice “Q” or bouncy texture. The beef chunks were tender but somehow a little dry. Overall I dig it. . . .🍜 🇹🇼
Local dumpling joint not far from where I am staying. Steamed dumplings with both puffy bread-like skin and thin skinned dumplings. I prefer the thin skinned ones. They more on the menu that I want to try. . . . 🇹🇼
Taroko National Park entrance. Due to the recent earthquake, the park is shut down for at least 6 months. This iconic park brings back memories when I was kid visiting with my family, then later on with the Taiwanese Study Tour (Love Boat). My cousin’s wife has a little shop midway up to the final stone temple. Now she is forced to close and her employees are now without work. Hualien’s local economy was already suffering. Now with this earthquake - I was told the government wasn’t or hasn’t provided any financial assistance to the community. With the lack of tourist from China, the no go decision to extend the HSR to Hualien, and now this earthquake- Hulalien will be looking at some lean times. I feel for my relatives and community that I adore. . . .
Ying Yang hot pot. Neighborhood/mom&pop hot pot place. This where locals in the neighborhood get their hot pot fix. . . .
My favorite meal is breakfast and Taiwanese breakfast is one of the best. With the rice balls, egg pancakes, and others. I try to find an egg pancake every morning. I used to have the rice ball with egg, oil curler, and pork floss - every morning but now I realize it is quite heavy and a bit much for me nowadays. You can find these treats almost everyday and almost every other corner. So good. In Taipei, Taichung, Tainan, and everywhere in between. . . .
Wagyu Beef Yakiniku at Zonzen Yakiniku 燒肉中山. One of the best meals I’ve had in in Asia. Outstanding beef - marbling, flavor with just salt, and tender buttery texture. Decor was cool. They even have a robot server. . . .
Burgers at Butcher Jr. I had the milk caramel burger, which had a pleasant sweetness that I never experienced before. It was recommend by the cashier. The fries were crispy and the onion rings, too. One noticeable difference was the portion which fit with the typical Taiwanese consumer. Initially I thought it might not be enough, but I realized it was just right. The custom sauces, the honey mustard and the burger JR sauces, both had a slight kick. I’d recommend and would return again. . . .
My buddy’s birthday dinner at 破壞者珈琲食堂. Excellent food and good times. Good to see an old friends and make new ones. Cozy Japanese restaurant smack dab in the middle of Taipei. We had countless courses of food and wine. I’d certainly return and would recommend. . . .
Taiwanese Whisky - Kavalan. Visited the distillery in Yilan and blended my own bottle and went on a tour. Good times. Got to taste and blend a flavor profile that I liked and was able to bottle one to bring home. Cool experience. Then we went on a tour of their distillery and saw their operation. Very similar to the tour I took in Louisville. . . .
Japanese style bbq - yakiniku. High quality meats and good times with old friends. Various grades of beef, chicken, and pork. The chicken rice was good, which turned into a nice flavorful rice porridge. Located just north of the Songshan airport in a newish shopping mall, Noke. I believe I saw this place was reviewed by the Michelin guide. . . . .04