Food tripping in Taiwan
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Filed under Food trips & events; Non-recipes; Asian, restaurants, travel
At the Shih lin night market (Warning: Don’t go on a Friday evening!), the heady smell of fried pork intestines, simmering broth and a variety of stir fries was overwhelming. I don’t know if it was my untrained eyes and nose but it seemed to me that many food stalls offered similar dishes. If you’re not into the usual omelets (foo yong) and deep fried dumplings, you’ll find a few teppanyaki stalls. There are several varieties of barbecue as well — from paper-thin pork rolls stuffed with vegetables to chicken tails (above). But the longest queue was in front of a chicken fillet stall near the night market entrance. Breaded, highly seasoned and deep-fried, a single order is good for at least two people. Residents eat them right off the paper bags but you can get a table, order rice and soup and enjoy your chicken with them. The chicken meat was moist and tender, but the breading tasted too much of monosodium glutamate to me. The Taiwanese are crazy about it though. If you find yourself drowning in a sea of meats and seafood, you can opt out and go straight to dessert like I did. I recommend the Taiwanese shaved ice topped with syrup and fruits. One serving is equal to one meal.
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I went to Taiwan when I was 5-years-old and the only thing I can remember from that trip was hiding in one of those plastic-y zip-up wardrobes and being confronted by my mom’s swollen, mascara-streaked eyes and a dozen (very angry) department store security guards after staying in the wardrobe for close to 3 hours. I don’t remember eating anything particularly impressive, although I went crazy for the soybean milk, which I would insist on being served cold.
Your article made me decide that I’ve to go back there again. I’ll probably enjoy it more this time (that with my newfound maturity. Heh.) I’m sending you a link of an article by one of my favourite food bloggers, Chubby Hubby, about his dining experience in Taiwan:
http://chubbyhubby.net/blog/pigging-out-in-taipei/
Let me know if ever you’re planning on coming over to Shanghai and I’ll take you to our neighbourhood food street and some yummy restaurants. (Trivia: Most “happening” restaurants have Pinoy food servers and Pinoy managers!)
LOL Marie, you must have given everyone a scare. I can’t stop laughing. But if my daughter did that, she would have gotten a nice good scolding. Grabe ka! hahahaha
Thank you for the link. And I’ll certainly remember to email you if I happen to be on my way to Shanghai.
Hi, Connie!
Your article makes me want to change my vacation destination from Saigon to Taiwan. I’m particularly interested in Black Mushrooms with Fresh Ripe Mangoes and Spicy Pork with Fresh Pineapple – I hope you can have your own version too to share with us
.
Very Veron, re “I hope you can have your own version too to share with us”
You read my mind hehehehe
mmm…the dumplings…have to say the President’s fish is really good. hirap lang kainin with chopsticks. spent about an hour just removing the bones with a pair of freaking chopsticks. still miffed about not being able to eat a good bowl of noodles. *sniff sniff*
because of your food pics, baka bigla na lang ako mapunta sa quiapo bukas and emerge there 50k lighter. god forbid.
Thanks for sharing your recent trip and word of wisdom on how to enjoy Taiwanese cuisine. Looks like ideal place to visit – moneywise – is it worth the money to make that trip aside from the food, how about clothing any clothing stores to shop? I like shooting two birds in one stone.
Luthien, alam mo, di ko na-appreciate yung President’s fish kasi nga lintek ang daming tinik.
Taiwan is expensive, Ube. I didn’t go shopping. I tried the night market but it was Friday and I thought I was going to collapse in the heat and crowd.
wow! all those dimsum make me salivate… and the sushi….aaahhhhhhh! kainggit!
These are THE BEST xiao long bao EVER! I always tell my dad to bring home frozen ones every trip!
I personally like the Pork ones and the Gulay ones.. 
Kaya when in Shang-Hai, Beijing, Singapore, Tokyo and Hong Kong – GO TO DIN TAI FUNG!! Buti nga raw they have 2 branches na!!
i was also in taiwan when you were there…:) after 7years, nakabalik din ako ng taiwan.
i was there nung July 19-29. ang init nga grabe… lalo na anung july 20-22. nag 39-40 degrees! after ng days na yan, nasa 37 average na ang temp dun… (july 24 ba kayo dumating?)
wala lang… went there for a vacation kasi hubby works there. (fil-chi kasi sya).
naaliw lang ako kasi super familiar ako sa mga food na namention mo:)
lalo na sa shilin. daming food.
may mga regular na kami na kinakainan dun:)
sorry, naexcite lang…humaba tuloy
18-22 kami nandun.
kung alam ko lang…sana nagkita tayo kahit shy ako
eh shy din naman ako. hehehe
seriously, i was searching for pinoy bloggers in taiwan a few days before we left. my plan was to meet with them so i could write an article that was not travel/food related. i found none. then we were told that the HUGE Pinoy community gathered on Sunday mornings at around 9. Eh our plane had left by then.
The Xiao Long Bao ( steamed meat dumplings )@ Din Tai Fung is so divine!
The dimsum wrapper is very very thin, and yet it’s very malambot. Here in Manila, medyo makunat, e 
I ate @ Din Tai Fung Shanghai naman. 
Totally loved my dining experience there! 
may 2 big events nga nung sunday.
anniversary ng eec (where hubby works) and anniversary (ata) ng JIL.
kahit nasa 39-40 degrees ang init, successful ang both shows…
am really hoping to meet you someday
hi there!! bigla kong na miss ang xiao lom pao!! parobito naming almusal to nung nasa taipei pa ko!! da best pag mainit saw saw sa chang-yo! have you tried their tomato on stick? its sugar coated hehe
Would love to go back to Taiwan someday, Dee, but not during the summer hehehe Never again during the summer.
Riddle Dejesus, no, didn’t try the sugar-coated tomatoes. Sounds intriguing.