In my first week, my friend K and I ate our way through several night markets (Shilin, Tonghua, Shida, the stalls outside Long Shan Temple...). When you first get to Taipei, you just have to get your fix of certain taiwanese snacks like stinky tofu, fried oysters, dan bing (egg fried in a doughy pancake), jiu cai hezi (fried pocket filled with a Chinese veggie that's not available in the U.S.). This time, I acquired a new favorite - gua bao (taiwanese-style pork bun with pickled cabbages, similar to Momofuku except it cost 10 cents and is just as good). We'd meander slowly through the market, following the crowds like cattle, and literally walk and eat and sweat along the way. Meals eaten this way cost less than $3. I also OD-ed on fresh lee chee, bought from night markets and oozing with milky sweet meat.
After a week of this, the heat, grease and carbs started getting to me. Because of the sweltering heat that doesn't dissipate at all in the evening, we started seeking almost-as-cheap meals where we could sit down in A/C. And in Taipei, this pretty much means eating in the basement level (B1) of a multi-story mall. These meals usually cost between $4 and $6, and included the entire global culinary spectrum on this side of the world (Taiwanese, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamese, Singaporean, and even Indian). The Breeze Center at the Taipei Train Station even has a food court that's 'curry' themed, including cuisine from all over South-east Asia, India and the Middle East.
One night we had Chinese-style bi bim bop at The Mall (there's Korean food everywhere in Taipei, and though it's not necessarily authentic by Korean standards, it's still very good nonetheless). After a long day where we went to Long Shan temple to bai bai (pray to the gods), visited the Museum of Contemporary Art, and shopped at the underground mall in Taipei Train Station (where my friend had to take the bus home), we decided to eat at one of the food courts in the beautiful, shiny, remodeled Breeze Center in the Taipei Train Station (I love this place, and yes it's in train station). I had a standard Chinese set dinner of soup noodles and veggies.
My family friends took me to Ding Tai Feng (famous for the same soup baozi as Joe's Shanghai, except this is the real deal) at the Sogo #4 in Tianmu (a neighborhood that's equivalent to the Upper West side of Taipei), the sister of another one in Sogo #2 in Dong Qu (. On another weekend, K and I trekked it to Tianmu to say hello to her grandmother, then go to the Takashimaya (which is totally low-key and normal compared to the one in New York) for Teppanyaki, which was really yummy.
One of my best mall meals so far was okonomiyaki and mujamiyaki (with mochi, yuuum) at Sogo #2. Japanese food has been popular for awhile in Taipei, and again, even though it's likely not authentic, it's still damn good here, just with a slight Chinese twist. They make the -yaki's right at your table, on the grill, and then season it to your liking.
Last but not least, one of the best accidental discoveries yet, is my favorite lunch of vietnamese chicken strips and flat rice noodles at Dunhua Shopping Center. It has crumbled peanuts, shredded carrots, bean sprouts, (and some more veggies that I can't remember), parsley and is flavored with a sweet, hot sauce and lime. They give you a flavorful chicken soup and cold melon tea as well. (And sometimes a mini milky pearl tea). I was on my way from the yoga studio to the bus stop (to visit grandmother), when there was a sudden downpour, so I ducked into this shopping center and hence the discovery. It's great because it's light, there are veggies, nothing is fried, and there's no grease. Unabashed eating these past three weeks has left me with an undeniable pouch. Thus, this week is the week of veggie bian dang's (to-go box).
Monday, June 29, 2009
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Simple things
I watched an "I love Aaron Kwok" special on MTV here, which plays non-stop music videos and is great for practicing my Chinese. If I ever loved a pop singer, it's Aaron. He's Johnny Dep hot and has Justin Timberlake style and moves. People ridicule him for his simplistic pop lyrics, but he's a really good dancer, rare for an asian male I know, plus he's frickin hot. I think I can overlook the lack of deep meaning in his lyrics. Did I mention he was hot? His videos are awesome to watch because it's all dancing, and he has really good Janet (or even Michael) Jackson-in-the-old-days-type dancing at that.
Living in Taipei leaves one yearning for some calm and tranquility once in awhile. The hustle and bustle of the city is part of why I love it, but every now and then one needs to get away from the sweatiness and into Sogo or Mitsukoshi (popular Japanese department stores), or get a $13 foot massage, or a $5 head massage, or...join a posh, boutique-y yoga studio, which is what I did. The studio is like heaven, compared to the crowded, sweaty, dirty, cramped studios in new york. Almost literally too, because it's on the top floor of a 16 story building, and has floor to ceiling windows in all the practice rooms (yes, there are mutiple) and a 'resting' area. During class, I've taken to staring out the window, at the tangle of old tenements and new glass and steel. It's pretty amazing that the Taiwanese are into yoga, since 5 years ago it seemed like no one exercised except the mayor of Taipei (now President), who was a big runner. Even though you have to call ahead to book a spot in class, this ensures that the classes are never overcrowded (the opposite of doing yoga in new york, which stresses me out getting into a class). Sometimes I do like the Chinese way.
Given this is the land of silicon chip manufacturers, there's something very wrong with being on dial-up. After a lot of running around from telecom stores to 7-11's to electronics stores, it was confirmed for me that my only option was to go to a cafe with wi-fi. Sigh.
(7-11's in Taipei are pretty much the everything store. They sell everything from microwaved meals to umbrellas to wi-fi cards (which provide a pay-per-use wi-fi/ISP type service), as well as receive delivery packages for you to pick-up. And there are as many 7-11's in Taipei as bodegas in Manhattan)
The highlights of my days are simple things, usually involving food or some new discovery or the resolution of some errand (i.e. finding a grocery store that sells soy milk, harder than you think!). Some highlights include finding a good foot massage place in the hood, buying fresh leechees & super tasty apples, eating a vegetarian 'bian-dang' (take away). It rained the last two days, which is a relief because it's now a cool 77 degrees.
Living in Taipei leaves one yearning for some calm and tranquility once in awhile. The hustle and bustle of the city is part of why I love it, but every now and then one needs to get away from the sweatiness and into Sogo or Mitsukoshi (popular Japanese department stores), or get a $13 foot massage, or a $5 head massage, or...join a posh, boutique-y yoga studio, which is what I did. The studio is like heaven, compared to the crowded, sweaty, dirty, cramped studios in new york. Almost literally too, because it's on the top floor of a 16 story building, and has floor to ceiling windows in all the practice rooms (yes, there are mutiple) and a 'resting' area. During class, I've taken to staring out the window, at the tangle of old tenements and new glass and steel. It's pretty amazing that the Taiwanese are into yoga, since 5 years ago it seemed like no one exercised except the mayor of Taipei (now President), who was a big runner. Even though you have to call ahead to book a spot in class, this ensures that the classes are never overcrowded (the opposite of doing yoga in new york, which stresses me out getting into a class). Sometimes I do like the Chinese way.
Given this is the land of silicon chip manufacturers, there's something very wrong with being on dial-up. After a lot of running around from telecom stores to 7-11's to electronics stores, it was confirmed for me that my only option was to go to a cafe with wi-fi. Sigh.
(7-11's in Taipei are pretty much the everything store. They sell everything from microwaved meals to umbrellas to wi-fi cards (which provide a pay-per-use wi-fi/ISP type service), as well as receive delivery packages for you to pick-up. And there are as many 7-11's in Taipei as bodegas in Manhattan)
The highlights of my days are simple things, usually involving food or some new discovery or the resolution of some errand (i.e. finding a grocery store that sells soy milk, harder than you think!). Some highlights include finding a good foot massage place in the hood, buying fresh leechees & super tasty apples, eating a vegetarian 'bian-dang' (take away). It rained the last two days, which is a relief because it's now a cool 77 degrees.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Dial-up, sweat and soaps
I thought I'd die using dial-up at grandmother's house in Taipei, but I'm actually getting used to it. Scary. But I have a coping mechanism that goes something like this...dial-up, brush teeth, click, wash face, click, eat cereal, click...yay, open gmail.
It's sweltering hot here, like August in New York hot. It's so hot that getting on the subway is a treat for it's a/c. It's so hot I take two hand-held showers a day, and do like the local women do, walk around with a 'sun'-brella. That's right, I walk around outside with an umbrella. The Taiwanese women do this because they don't want to get dark (of course), but I do it because I can't deal with sun on top of heat.
Initially I thought it'd be a good idea to take Chinese classes, but then I realized I really don't want to study. So, to brush up on my Chinese, I've been watching korean soaps because they are dubbed in Chinese and have Chinese subtitles. There are three that I follow, and they all go something like this: Girl A falls in love with Guy A, but Guy A loves Girl B (or, Guy A cannot love Girl A because of his family), but Girl B loves Guy B, who of course is in love with Girl A. Other common dramatic elements include the stern grandfather, fighting brothers, and a daughter who doesn't know 'uncle' is her father. All the women live in apartments that look like a 10 year old girl's room, with wallpaper of pink or red flowers or hearts, frilly bed sheets, and lacey curtains that cover the doorway.
The one that I like best is of a country bumpkin (Girl A) who comes to the city to live with the family of her deceased husband. She falls in love with the son (Guy A) of the family, but for some reason their relationship is forbidden. Then, there's a rich family of which the son (Guy B) is a manager of the company at which country bumpkin is a cleaning lady. The rich son is in love with country bumpkin, but she doesn't know this of course, while the sister (Girl B) of rich son loves the son of country bumpkin's in-law family.
Koreans do know their drama. But I have to admit, they are addictive, and it's better than the Taiwanese ones, which is mostly a lot of crying and wailing.
It's sweltering hot here, like August in New York hot. It's so hot that getting on the subway is a treat for it's a/c. It's so hot I take two hand-held showers a day, and do like the local women do, walk around with a 'sun'-brella. That's right, I walk around outside with an umbrella. The Taiwanese women do this because they don't want to get dark (of course), but I do it because I can't deal with sun on top of heat.
Initially I thought it'd be a good idea to take Chinese classes, but then I realized I really don't want to study. So, to brush up on my Chinese, I've been watching korean soaps because they are dubbed in Chinese and have Chinese subtitles. There are three that I follow, and they all go something like this: Girl A falls in love with Guy A, but Guy A loves Girl B (or, Guy A cannot love Girl A because of his family), but Girl B loves Guy B, who of course is in love with Girl A. Other common dramatic elements include the stern grandfather, fighting brothers, and a daughter who doesn't know 'uncle' is her father. All the women live in apartments that look like a 10 year old girl's room, with wallpaper of pink or red flowers or hearts, frilly bed sheets, and lacey curtains that cover the doorway.
The one that I like best is of a country bumpkin (Girl A) who comes to the city to live with the family of her deceased husband. She falls in love with the son (Guy A) of the family, but for some reason their relationship is forbidden. Then, there's a rich family of which the son (Guy B) is a manager of the company at which country bumpkin is a cleaning lady. The rich son is in love with country bumpkin, but she doesn't know this of course, while the sister (Girl B) of rich son loves the son of country bumpkin's in-law family.
Koreans do know their drama. But I have to admit, they are addictive, and it's better than the Taiwanese ones, which is mostly a lot of crying and wailing.
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