It is no secret that I’ve gained a lot of weight since I moved to Taiwan. Can you really blame me when I am literally surrounded by nothing but FOOD? I’m not complaining! Afterall, I fancy myself as a connoisseur of Taiwanese food since curating a Taiwanese food program back in 2014 for Asia Society Texas Center using my personal culinary experiences here, growing up. So here’s a list of my all-time favorite places to eat that I strongly urge everyone to try if they find themselves on this side of the world:
50岚
50岚 is like a Taiwanese Starbucks for Boba Tea. It’s popular, and there’s a lot of locations throughout this tiny island. My love for 50岚 (aka “C-Tea”) runs deep. Deeper than my love for Starbucks. Ask my friends, I’m typically known for being a Starbucks girl. Don’t know what to gift me? Starbucks. Don’t know where you want to hang out with me? Starbucks. Don’t know what to get from Starbucks? Girl, I got all the made-up “secret menu” drink recipes memorized in my brain to spout to your barista in case they don’t know how to make it. I digress. Out of all the bobas I’ve had in my lifetime (and I’ve had A LOT!!) 50岚 is by far my favorite. It is the most simplistic yet most delicious, and addictive beverage I’ve come across in the entire world. Hands down.
Bad news for me is, I live a walkable distance from them so I’ll be making my way down there a lot and possibly get even fatter from their drinks. Good news is, they will not only get a lot of business from me but one drink is less than $2 USD. That’s right, America! Don’t you wish you can get a cup now?! It is surely a better deal since America likes to charge upwards of $4 USD for a cup less than 20 ounces. Yikes! They aren’t gimmicky as Starbucks in the sense that they don’t have seasonal items or anything like that. They have a staple menu and honestly, it’s pretty basic– but it is enough to keep me happy. Not only are they cheap, but you can tell them how much ice, how much sugar, and of course, how much additives (boba, egg pudding, etc.) It is so good. There’s nothing else like it and it only exists in Taiwan which is exactly why this is one of my happiest happy places here.
My favorite: Milk Tea with Boba and Egg Pudding– make that extra pudding. Yum!!!
鼎泰豐 (Din Tai Fung)
Ding Tai Fung is a dim sum restaurant world famous for their 小笼包 (“xiao long bao”) aka “soup dumplings.” First originating in Taiwan, they now have locations literally ALL OVER THE WORLD! In China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Australia, UAE, and of course, USA in Washington State and California. (What’s up, Europe? Get on this train!) No matter what kind of day I’m having, my face lights up over the mere mention of Din Tai Fung. This happy place is more accessible worldwide but fair warning, after dining at Din Tai Fung in both China and USA, neither compares to where it originated. Each soup dumpling is famously made to order, and carefully hand rolled to perfection. If you’ve never had soup dumplings, definitely go to this place whichever location is nearest to you. Once you do (and if you like it) you must put “eating Din Tai Fung in Taiwan” on your bucket list! I promise you, you’ll notice a difference. It’ll be amazing. I wouldn’t steer you wrong.
Another reason why I say this is, Din Tai Fung is so much more affordable in Taiwan than anywhere else. Of course, there’s a upcharge at international locations!! In Taiwan, a family of three can literally feast and overeat for about $20 USD. Whereas, the same exact meal can be upwards of $100 USD in America. No matter where you go, expect a wait! Din Tai Fung is notorious for not taking reservations and there is always a line out the door…and down the hallway…and maybe out the building. Waiting is definitely part of the experience but, at least you’ll have entertainment with their signature wall-to-wall window where you can look into their kitchen and watch them make every single dumpling. I’ve waited up to 4 hours for a seat inside so maybe, go on a weekday? Pro tip.
Taiwanese Night Markets
Going to a Taiwanese night market is definitely a cultural experience everyone HAS to undergo if they ever visit Taiwan. As you can tell from the name, Taiwanese night markets are street markets that open typically after sundown around 6pm and close around 10pm/12am (depending on the location.) No two markets are the same. Some are primarily for shopping so there are a lot of vendors that sell clothes, household items, toys, and the like. Some are primarily for groceries so they typically have fresh fish caught that day, fruits, and vegetables. Finally some are primarily for entertainment so they have a lot of gaming booths similar to a fair in America. You can play claw machines, slot machines, throw darts at balloons or throw rings over bottlenecks for prizes, fish for real fish using goldfish nets (and you can take them home!), or simply enjoy live entertainment in the form of music, stand-up comedy, or even a theatrical show! However, there is one thing they all have in common: street food.
Don’t be fooled by the simplicity of street food because in Taiwan it is served seriously! Staples include a large variety of kabobs, oyster omelets, oyster noodles, Taiwanese beef noodles, Taiwanese meatballs, Taiwanese fried chicken (which, by the way, is VERY different from American fried chicken), and even sizzling plates?! YES!!! There’s takoyaki, caramelized dates, fried calamari, shaved ice, and the list literally goes on and on. If you wind up at a Taiwanese night market, just go on an empty stomach and eat everything in sight. Dishes range from $0.07 USD to $4 USD depending on what you get. As I mentioned earlier, it is a real riveting cultural experience. This is why night markets, no matter how big or small are one of my happy places.
Hope you enjoyed reading this post! As always, I appreciate you reading. To all my friends in America who have already expressed they will be visiting me in the future:
Get ready and BE HUNGRY.