Some good ass noodles. Hearty chicken broth that was over the top rich and not too savory. The chicken which was in the form of meat balls, slices, and thigh chunks made up this unique ramen. Unexpectedly yummy. No wonder there was a line waiting outside in the humid sun. . . .
Random photos of my Taiwan trip. Lots of first for me even though I’ve been here many times. Lots of lasting memories of my past. Saw my grandparents home in Tainan. My old apartment in Taipei. My old apartment in Shanghai, too. The Apple Store and Xiaomi store in the xinyi district. Lots of trains and stations. I hope to return again sooner than this last time of 10 years. Last of all, it was great to see old friends and to make new memories with them. . . .
Northern Chinese Cuisine tonight on a rainy day. This famous restaurant has been around since the 1940’s and hosted dinners with dignitaries, like George H. W. Bush. They have the traditional cauldron smoke stack hot pot for beef or lamb. They have the sliced pork with baked sesame bread, and they also have their famous dry noodles. I enjoyed their pickled cabbage and pork soup. Great place to first visited about 15 years ago. . . .
Beef Noodles Soup with a spicy broth or a clear broth. The spicy brother is the Taiwanese style that most people in Taiwan are familiar with. But the clear broth, which is quite flavorful too, is a Chinese style found more in mid- western China. The thin pancake with beef is certain a western Chinese dish. I enjoyed everything here and wondered why I didn’t visit before when I lived here. . . .
Cantonese cuisine tonight. Lobster, fish, clay pot rice, and more. And yet another bottle of Kaoliang. I think this was the third night this week I had Kaoliang. Harsh after the first shot, but taste like water after the fourth one. People say it’s like tequila this way. They also say you shouldn’t get a hangover with this stuff. But I don’t want to test it out. . . .
Goose lunch in Taipei. Popular lunch spot with a long queue. Steamed stinky tofu, Taiwanese sausage with mushroom, rice noodles, and of course roast goose. 阿城鵝肉 . . . restaurant
Taipei DangDai art & ideas. Got to check out the Taipei art show. Taiwanese artist with artists from around the world including Japan, Europe and Africa. Galleries were also from around the world, too. I enjoy and appreciate art. Wish I had more time to really study and understand contemporary artists and their inspirations. I hope to find artists and their works that really connect with me. For me, design is important, but I feel the story behind the works might be even more significant to me. . . .
This was my friend favorite yakitori joint in Taipei. Low key and good environment with good food. Just the right price that young kids wouldn’t go to, so it had the right crowd. Outstanding service. . . .
Lunch at an old favorite with an old friend. I usually go here at least once every time I’m in Taipei. I realize I should have stopped by the one in Tainan - my mistake. My friend and I walked here from their tea shop through the underground shopping mall - Zhongshan Metro Mall. I used to live across the street from the Ming Yao mall in the 90’s. And also lived on Yanji street, about a 5 min walk away. I have always enjoyed the East District 東區. I would also bring family and friends here, too. . . .
Taiwanese cuisine at 巷子口食堂. Traditional dishes that you won’t find at night markets or on the street. Pork and seafood dishes done well. We almost polished off a bottle of Kaoliang,Taiwanese white wine. It was a great night to catch up with old classmates, from our USC MBA program. . . .
Good whiskys and whiskeys at the Malt in Taipei. Nice little bar tucked away off a small street in Taipei. They have a great selection of whiskeys and bourbons. They even had Pappys. I should have gotten more pics but I was feeling under the weather. . . .
Had barbecue with my relatives at one of the most popular American Barbecue restaurants in Taipei. As a visitor to Taipei, I don’t look for western fare while overseas. But my friends know that I am a
Japanese food in Taiwan, is arguably the best outside of Japan. I doubt anywhere else has the diversity, quality of fish, and abundance of great Japanese restaurants than Taiwan. This neighborhood Japanese restaurant does not disappointment, located in the east district 東區 of Taipei 大和 is a favorite of an old friend that I’ve known for over 49 year, our moms went to college together. It was great to catch up with him and his family and of course his mom. . . .
Costco in Taipei. Had to check it out. I had some free time and my buddy was going - so I decided to check it out - on a Saturday afternoon, the busiest day of the week. Yeah, I know I’m crazy. But what the hell. Anyways. The $5 chicken there but slightly higher priced. But they also had some other good deals for hot foods - like pork knuckle. Their hot dog and soda deal was there too. They said their hot dogs came from the US. . . . .taiwan
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. . . .
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. . . .
My 灶. One of the more notable Taiwanese restaurant in Taipei. Included in the Michelin guide - My “Stove” is known for their chicken, which is cooked with fruit. The dipping sauce are pretty good. One thing to note, when you make reservations you need to order this chicken ahead of time - at least 24hrs ahead. These dishes are all home style favorites done well. I dig the decor. This place could be known as one of Taiwanese drinking places since these dishes go well with beer. . . .
Taiwanese braised pork on rice. Lu Rou Fan 滷肉飯 one of Taiwan’s more famous dishes. At 金鋒魯肉飯 This a flavorful dish that can be found in almost any street stall. This place has been around for awhile and usually has a wait. . . .
Breakfast from Pine & Crane. Taiwanese breakfast is one of my favorite meals. Similar to a western breakfast, it features hearty foods with eggs, rice, and fried pastries. Had the Chive and egg pocket. I don’t remember seeing this in Taiwan as a breakfast item. But I know it is popular in China, too. The thousand layer pancake with egg and chili sauce was surprisingly good. I expected a pan fried and thinner pancake with the egg, called a Dan Bing 蛋餅. I would assume they pre-make the thousand layer pancake, and the Dan bing requires fresh made pancakes. I believe this leans more toward a China version as well. Regardless, I did like it pre-sauced, even though it wasn’t what I expected. And lastly, my favorite Fan Tuan, basically a Taiwanese rice ball. This was the most Taiwanese item visually, taste, and texture. It had the pork floss, preserved veggies, and egg. But the egg, which they included, was a hard-boiled soy egg. I asked for a fried egg, like how it is done in Taiwan. But they said no substitutions. I remember when I was living in Taipei and almost every morning I’d get one of these fan tuans 飯糰 with a fried egg. Anyways. Would I return? Yes. I want to try the other things. Would I recommend this place? Maybe for a few select items. . . . . . .
Taiwanese Breakfast Burrito. 飯糰 and egg pancake. This was my daily breakfast when I lived in Taipei. Must have the fried egg. Only with the curlers 油條 was more crispy. Other than that it was good. Also had the savory soy milk, also with curlers 油條. . . . .
Taiwanese breakfast with Rice Burritos 飯糰, egg crepe roll 蛋餅, fried radish cake 蘿蔔糕 and salted soy milk 鹹豆漿. I love the rice burrito, but I like the fried crullers to be more crispy. The egg crepe was was yummy and salted nice, but unfortunately the crepe was too crispy - I like it to be little softer. Yes I am picky but I liked these versions when I was in Taipei. But with 四海 Four Seas - I like it enough to return since it might be one of the better Taiwanese breakfast in SGV.
Taiwanese street food - . We had the beef Ban Mien (noodles) - 牛肉麵. The broth was rich and slightly spicy - very good. Noodles were interesting but good - soaked up the broth. Loved the pickled mustard greens, could use that on everything. Wish is was hotter (not lukewarm). Then had the Rub A Belley with rice - braised pork over rice 滷肉飯. The chunks were too big and wish for more seasoning like dried onions and shallots for depth. Not sure what creamed corn was there for. The Taiwanese sausage was yummy. I remembering that we used to play dice for sausage on the streets of Taipei outside of the clubs. The oh Ah Jian (oyster egg omelette) had nice spicy kick. (I would guess this is a tough sell as well as the next one). The favorite dish was clearly the century egg tofu salad 皮蛋豆腐 when you get this, make sure you mix everything up to merry the flavors. I wouldn’t change anything with this dish. Am I too critical - maybe. Would I come back - yes. Sorry for the wall of txt. . . .
An interesting business model we see in Taipei is the chain restaurants that feature different cuisines. With the People and Shintori, they feature Chinese cuisine, Japanese Sushi, as well as a cool l
An interesting business model we see in Taipei is the chain restaurants that feature different cuisines. With the People and Shintori, they feature Chinese cuisine, Japanese Sushi, as well as a cool l
With growing emergence of Mexican restaurants, in both Shanghai and Taipei, I have seen both high end restaurants like Maya, everyday type of restaurants like Cantina Agave, and almost fast food types
以前太鼓判關東煮http://blog.sina.com.tw/odenstudio/index.php?pbgid=17849還只是一家開在小發財車上的小店，類似像是行動咖啡那樣，車子停在人行道上，旁邊是山坡，四周荒涼，隔壁只有一家海產店。第一次注意到這一家店是因為開車經過的時候，發現路旁這家富有濃濃日本居酒屋台的小發財車。吧台前只有三、四個座位。
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Fool’s Noodles is a noodle shop that features simple “dry” soup-less or non wet noodles. A small chain, Fool’s Noodles apparently does and specializes in one thing – Sha Gua Gan Mian 傻瓜干面, a version o
Eel Noodles is a delicacy that is part of Tainan cuisine. This dish is first stir-fried with the eel with scallions, onions, vinegar, soy sauce and other ingredients. The sauce, thickened, then served
Rakumenya is ramen house featuring a spicy ramen. Modeled after a typical Ramen house in Japan with wood accents and a chorus of Japanese yells and calls – as you enter, leave, and order.
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Paul Bakery is a quaint little cafe featuring baked breads, dainty entrees, in a nice ambient local. Afternoon tea is nice for a place like this. But what is a guy, like me, doing there? I wasn’t quit
Opened by Shandongense, Hanyang features traditional Korean BBQ cuisine. With the standard Korean BBQ grilling tables, gas powered, raw meats are cooked by the patrons. This interactive restaurant is
Chili’s "IMG2411"http://www.thethirstypig.com/2010/07/07/chili%e2%80%99s-grill-and-bar-taipei/img2411/ My first experience at
This brings use to Fu Tai. Almost Universally accepted to have the best hot and sour soup around. Whilst, with the name inclusive of their steam dumplings, they are arguably more known for this soup.
Romankan makes a type of sandwich that features a specific type of filling that is quite popular. This Japanese style sandwich is packed with a fried pork cutlet, or chicken one. That’s all you need,
Glamor is a universal feeling that people naturally desire. From Hollywood celebrities, to the Hampton debutantes, the plush Marquee maintains this mantle in Taipei.
The slushie is dessert that all youngsters in Taiwan grew up with. 臺一牛奶大王 Milk King, in particular, specializes in the typical Taiwanese slushie – heck that’s all they serve there.
Great for breakfast and late night urges, Yong He Da Wang seems to also have a steady flow of hungry customers at all hours. Even in the afternoon, such as the time when I went, there was a small crow
One afternoon I was looking for a cafe to do some quiet work and reading, and I was recommended 2 Bunnies Cafe. Its nice little cafe that serves Japanese style meals and cafe drinks.
Like its, more famous neighbor, 鼎泰豐 Din Tai Fung, 高記 KaoChi is known for it 元籠小籠包 Shanghai Steamed Pork Buns, also known as Xiao Long Buns. But locals know Kao Chi for it 上海生煎包 Shanghai style fried po
One of the toughest cuisines to find is Mexican food. I take that back, there’s actually a few. I hear there’s one in Tienmu, maybe a couple in Taipei, and even on in Dansuei. I’ve been coming to Taip
Lu Ro Fan is part of a main staple in Taiwan. Like noodles, this rice dish, is simply made with fatty pork and rice. For a quick fix, I know I can pick up a bowlor two, if I am hungry late at night, o
Years ago, when i was studying Chinese at the NTNU Mandarin Training Center, I used live near a cafe where there were a bunch of cats. They even had a cat on their sign. It was in a quiet area in the
The High Speed RailHSR of Taiwan has roots from Taiwan’s decades old train railway system. And after years of development and construction, the HSR finally opened a couple of years ago with much publi
Baocha is a tea house with all the traditional details you’d expect. A serene setting just meters away from the busiest street in Taipei. This oasis features speciality Chinese teas as well as unique
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Tu Hsiao Yueh, hails from Tainan – a city in southern Taiwan, is known for traditional Taiwanese food. You’ll find all sorts of foreign visitors waiting for a table, like Americans, Japanese,and Hong
Katsuta is a small Japanese Curry House that only locals in the nearby neighborhood would know about. They specialize in pork cutlet with their special curry sauce.
Fu Hang Dou Jiang serves up Taiwanese breakfast favorites in a food court in the Shandao Temple area.
VVG Bon Bon is a quaint little afternoon tea place. It is so cute and feminine that I had no business being there.
Sundubu jjigae 순두부찌개 is not easily copied well from Korea or LA’s Koreatown. But Ari Tofu House does it well. The piping hot soup with tofu, with the shrimp or pork or beef. As on the national dishes
Located just a 5 min walk from my old apartment in the eastside of Taipei, Jiang Jia Huang Niu Rou Mien & Yong He Dou Jiang, is the Denny’s of Taipei. Serving traditional Taiwanese comfort food 24 hou
With the impeccable service, Chao Ping Ji makes you wonder if you truely belong there. With 1st class attentive service dish by dish. You won’t see dim sum carts pushed around. What you lose with trad
VVG Bon Bon is a quaint little afternoon tea place. It is so cute and feminine that I had no business being there.
Romankan makes a type of sandwich that features a specific type of filling that is quite popular. This Japanese style sandwich is packed with a fried pork cutlet, or chicken one. That’s all you need,
It was so many years back when I noticed this famous cafe ‘Astoria Cafe 明星咖啡館http://www.astoria.com.tw/‘ in 隱地http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E9%9A%B1%E5%9C%B0‘s books. He was one of my favourite Chines
This kaiden sushi restaurant, Hi sushi 海壽司http://www.hisushi.com.tw/, looks quite modern from outside but provides superb and creative sushi which I never tasted before.
In my series of reviewing Taiwanese cuisine, Jurassic Restaurant is my second of three. The other restaurants that I choose are Wan Heng and Old Country Cafe.
There was a place in Taipei that I used to go to all the time. It was called Si Hai Tou Jiang of the same name 四海豆漿
On a trip back to Taipei, I was taken to a small tea house called Chun Shui Tang. I was told, that one of the chain in Taichung was responsible for creating the Pearl Milk Tea. The Pearl Milk Tea, als
Yung Ho is your typical Taiwan breakfast joint. There are two locations on Valley Blvd, that are not related. Each have similar items.
This place in Taipei is known for their Chinese Tamale. A Taipei institution – this place is open late and seems to always have a diverse young and old crowd. Their limited menu featuring the Bah Zhan
DOZOhttp://www.dozo.com.tw/ is not an ordinary Japanese restaurant – mixed of izakaya dining bar, lounge bar with very creative Japanese cuisine. The price is not ordinarily cheap either…….that was wh
I hardly write things in English, other than work related stuff. Since my uncle\, Thirsty Pig, invited me to post some restaurants in Taiwan, I tried my best to write something here for the restaurant