A Taste of Taiwan

Before I went to Taiwan, I didn't really know much about the local cuisine. I had heard great things about the night market food and the food in general, though the only famous item I knew for sure was the iconic bubble milk tea.

Upon the recommendation of a friend, one day we took the Maokong gondola, or cable car, from the Taipei Zoo to its final destination of Maokong. This village is nestled in the hills among small rice paddies and tea plantations, though I suspect the main source of revenue is tourism.

Nevertheless, it was a nice day trip outside the city, and we had a delicious and plentiful lunch at one of the many tea houses. We had planned to only order noodles stir-fried in tea oil and a pot of tea, but the set menu was just slightly more expensive and offered a great deal more variety. I wasn't that hungry to begin with, but I stuffed myself anyway!

Locally grown tea

Noodles in tea oil

Bamboo with pork

Spicy chicken in tea oil

Salt and pepper fried vegetables

Stir-fried greens

We spent our last evening in Taipei around the famous skyscraper Taipei 101. We decided not to go up the tower, however, because the weather was quite foggy. Instead, we had dinner in the large food court in the mall below.

As it was my last meal in Taiwan, I figured I should try one of the local restaurants, though the sushi and Indian places were tempting. I got a set meal of traditional braised pork with rice, fried tofu, steamed vegetables and meatballs in soup. The pork was okay, and I barely touched the soup, but the tofu and veggies were delicious!

Our flight back to Hong Kong left Taiwan mid-afternoon, so we were at the airport during lunchtime. I did not want to eat a big lunch because we would also get food on the plane, so I had a lovely bubble milk tea and steamed pork bun. Seriously, steamed buns with savory fillings are amazing. I need more of them in my life.