I lived in St. Louis for 4 years and travelled across the American Midwest/ South and sampled the best BBQ I’ve ever had across famous BBQ cities such as Memphis, Kansas City, Houston/ San Antonio, Raleigh-Durham, Nashville, and St. Louis. So naturally when I returned to Taiwan one of the few American dishes that I…
Tag: Taiwan
Penghu Islands, Taiwan and the International Ocean Fireworks Festival
Last week I spent 4 days and 3 nights in the Penghu Islands off the eastern coast of Taiwan. As I mentioned in my prior post on Kinmen Island, one of my goals this year back in Taiwan was to explore more of Taipei as well as Taiwan. Penghu happens to be the second of…
Review: Hanko 60 Bar Taipei, Creative Local Craft Cocktails
A few weeks ago I reviewed a great hidden gem of a bar called SoShow Bar & Restaurant. Where I mentioned how I’ve been looking for those bars that bring local Taiwanese or Taipei elements, be it ingredients, tastes, texture, or ambiance, to craft cocktails at an international standard bar. SoShow fit that bill perfectly…
[Updated] Review: SoShow Bar & Restaurant: A Hidden Gem
[Updated July 2017] Taipei has recently seen an explosion of bars coming on to the scene here. From beer gardens to craft beer houses, from speakeasies to glamorous lounges, from wine bars to whiskey bars. I am certainly not complaining, and my favorites among these many choices are: Alchemy (not that new, but nonetheless a…
Journey to Kinmen Island 金門: A Must in Taiwan
This past week I took a 3 day 2 night trip to one of Taiwan’s major outer islands, Kinmen Island. It was my first time to Taiwan’s outer islands. Kinmen is simply incredible, and has become my favorite domestic destination in Taiwan. Filled with history, tradition and true old-school Taiwanese flavor and friendliness, yet fully in…
[Updated August 2020] Top 5 Burger Joints in Taipei, 台北前5名漢堡店
Everyone loves burgers, even here in Taiwan a few thousand KM across the Pacific Ocean from the birthplace of the great American classic. Some like it just once in a while, some view it as a religion. I love me a good juicy cheeseburger any day. But I also take things relatively, especially when it…
Chinese American Chefs Connect with their Past; Why Tokyo is World’s Best Food City
Happy Lunar New Year of the Monkey! I was recently catching up with some emails and read two short and simple articles on food. Particularly Chinese-American food and where the world’s food capital is according to chef David Chang (whose Momofuku Ko I found to be absolutely overrated and not good at all, but he…
[Updated] Review: Alexander’s v. Morton’s Taipei; U.S. Steakhouses Face-off in Taiwan:
[UPDATED March 2017] In the last couple of months two well-known American steakhouse chains opened their doors in Taiwan for the first time. One is Alexander’s Steakhouse from Cupertino, California* and the other is the famous Morton’s Steakhouse. When I heard about these openings I was rather excited but apprehensive as well because for…
Review: Paris 1930 Winter Black Truffle Tasting at the Ritz Landis Taipei
Last week we had dinner at the Paris 1930 Restaurant in the Ritz Landis Hotel, Taipei. They currently have their limited time Winter Black Truffle Tasting menu. The 11 course menu came down to around NTD$4200 (USD$125) per person without wine, which is more expensive than their usual offering and definitely expensive in Taipei but…
The Marriott Taipei and Garden Kitchen Restaurant
The Marriott Taipei [Scroll down if you just want to read about the food!] Taipei’s newest hotel had its soft-opening in July this year and will officially open sometime this month (at least from the last I heard). The Marriott Hotel Taipei is located in Dazhi, right by the Miramar shopping center and across the…
[Updated] Review: Restaurant Toh-A 桌藏 and 山海樓 Mountain and Sea House Vintage Taiwanese Cuisine
[Update] I just had dinner at 山海樓 Mountain and Sea House again the other night and it impressed me a lot more than my first visit. Everything we ordered, from stuff we’ve had before, to new seasonal creations, were all on point. The restaurant has recently gained a lot of popularity and as such its been…
[Updatded Sep 2019] Restaurant Ephernite: Bringing Chic Neighborhood French to Taipei’s Rising Haute Cuisine Scene
Bonjour! [Updated September, 2019] It had been a long time since I returned to Ephernite. Likely 3-4 years since my last meal here. All I can say is things have only gotten better. The food from Chef Vanessa is ever more refined, creative and sophisticated. Wine list curated by Claude is ever extensive and one of…
TheGastronomicTraveler 