Wow, these pictures are from a million years ago!!
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| Mary Jane's Pizza: Salad |
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| Mary Jane's Pizza: Mushroom Pesto |
So, I heard that pizza sucks pretty badly in Taiwan, usually due to a combination of not delicious dough and not enough sauce. Above, you can see my first pizza in Taiwan! (at least since 2002 as far as I'm concerned). While you have to pay more for foreign food ($200NT+), the quality is generally a mixed bag. Actually, if foreign food isn't done properly in Taiwan, it's generally because it's super bland. Anywho, I am very glad to report that I had a pleasant experience at Mary Jane. Though perhaps not filling- a personal pizza feeds 3/4 an American- the cheese and sauce satisfied my soul. Here is a great place for ex-pats to get their (three-fourths) fill of CHEESE! There is another pizza place near my dorms that I hear is quite great, So Free, but I haven't made my way over there yet...
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| Go Go Pasta |
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| Go Go Pasta |
Western food strikes again! I have no memory of the name of this dish, but I do remember that I did find it tasty.
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| That chicken place...fried mushrooms |
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| Fried Chicken |
What can I say here? I love fried mushroom and fried chicken. I advise against eating this daily as you will most likely result in a fatty if you over do it. Plus, you'll have high cholesterol from all the fried-ness, so they say. But ish sooo dericious!
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| Machos Tacos: Churros |
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| Machos Tacos: Fish Tacos |
Machos Tacos' Fish Tacos are pretty delicious. I'm not sure that their other food items made much of an impression on my fellow eaters, but the fish tacos are worth a try. Unfortunately, if you have lived where the Mexican food is plenty, this is no match. (How I long for the tacos I've had in Los Angeles! *pang pang*)
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| A Noodle Shop recommended to me: Noodles With Chicken |
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| Chicken comes on the side |
The soup is very rich in the good way in which you can tell it's been cooking with some bones. The chicken is tender and flavorful. I'm getting hungry. This shop also has some broths which I think will be great when I have a cold or I feel cold. The only problem is...or is it really a problem...I haven't gotten sick yet!
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| KFC |
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| KFC |
Oh myyyyy, these pictures come from not long after the Thanksgiving break.... I had a major craving for mashed potatoes. If only they had mac n cheese in Taiwan KFCs...perhaps one day. Something special about Taiwan's KFC? They have egg tarts...in three flavors. I only had it once, once upon a time. My brother loves them. Yup.
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| I Heart Cookies |
I Heart Cookies (I think that's what it is called) specializes in cookies and cupcakes. Let me say while I did not find the red velvet red-velvety enough, the cookies are pretty good, especially the chocolate one with dried mangos in it. I'm going to have to recreate that when I get back to the States. Oh, how I miss baking! The chocolate chip is not bad, though I personally think it's a little too bread-y for my taste.
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| A Thai Place in a nearby alley |
I guess it is the equivalent to what we Americans imagine Pad See Ew to be. If anyone knows what Pad Kee Mao is in Chinese, please feel free to let me know.
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| Up in Maokong: Tea Rice |
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| Fried Tofu with tea leaves! |
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| Fried Sweet Potato! |
So, I went to Maokong with some friends. Despite a rainy day, it was a glorious trip. We took the gondola up which was about a 20 minute trip. We wondered for a bit and decided to have tea because there are many tea places in Maokong. Fried food is delicious! Especially with a nice tea to cut through all that oil! Mmmmmm, all these things were good, but I especially loved the fried tofu and the sweet potato. Fried sweet potato is killer. Though, the winner here was the tofu which I believe had tea leaves fried with it.
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| Seafood Soup Noodle with Kimchi |
My friend told me this place's pumpkin noodle soup is amaze-balls. I guess I should have ordered it. What I ordered was good, too, though I'm not completely crazy for this place. The soup is definitely special, as it's not exactly typical Taiwanese and not exactly Western. It is creamy without over doing the creaminess. Very heart-warming.
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| Peanut with rice balls |
In a misguided attempt to order glutinous rice balls in which the peanut filling is on the INSIDE, I ended up with this. Sweet peanut soup is a nice dessert for a cold day, and the rice balls add a nice Q (aka chewiness). But FYI, if you are looking for the above or for what I was looking for (the giant filled rice balls *~湯圓~* :] ), make sure you are reading the menu properly. :P
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| Lunch Box |
Yay! Simply, fast food! My school has a this-- Siu Mei (Cantonese)/Shao1 Wei4 (燒味, Mandarin) --place. It's not bad for Cantonese food, and it's pretty good value (~$70-90NT for a lunchbox). HOWEVER, while some of the meat is perfectly delicious and chewable, some parts are a little too hard. Still, when I'm short on time during my lunch break, it's not a bad choice.
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| Another Thai Place |
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| Basil Chicken at mysterious Thai Place, $110NT |
Haha, I'm sorry I don't have the names for the non-Asian places. This mysterious dish at this mysterious Thai Place near school is basil-y and lemon-grass-y. It is good.
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| I don't even remember what you are |
I'm pretty sure I had a Thai-style stone pot bibimbap, though let's not go betting on that. This shop is very interesting. They specialize in stone pot mixed rice not exclusive to Korean-style. They beautifully present your pot of rice and veggies/ingredients along with a sauce/spice dish which you toss in and start mixing. Great fun! Also, crispy rice is yummy! Getting crispy is an art which I need to perfect as I usually don't leave my rice cooking long enough against the stone pot. Also, too long and you get hard rice. The key is balance.
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| 2nd Floor Cafe |
Ehhhh, the burger was a little too dry. Fries are delicious though!
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| ICE MONSTER |
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| Ice Monster: bubble tea snow ice |
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| Ice Monster: Strawberry snow ice |
Errr, don't remember much except that the Bubble Tea Snow Ice (Avalanche?) left a delicious impression with me. I don't remember how much or little I enjoyed the tapioca, but I do remember I did like the combination of the frozen milk tea with the syrup from the tapioca balls. Mango was out of season at the time so their really famous mango ice was off the menu. Howevs, I would, in fact, like to recommend the bubble tea ice as I find it quite special.
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| 7 Eleven: Beef Noodle Soup |
Oh yes, that is right! I got 7-11's 牛肉麵! Haha. And actually it isn't so bad! The soup is good, though maybe on the oily side? Of course, I'd rather go to my special spot near the dorms for beef noodle soup, but it was worth a try.
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| Some fried object with oysters in it! |
I don't know what this thing is called, but I got it while I was on a bike trip. I liked it a lot, and I noticed that Danshui's night market also sells these things.
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| Gua Bao! aka usually written as 刈包 (aka 割包 aka 掛包) |
This is an incredible delicious Gua Bao ($50NT) that can be found right across from the famous Chen San Ding. See, I once had gua bao in Monterey Park because my mom ordered it. I was so sorely disappointed, but not because it didn't measure up to past gua bao - at the time I didn't know what a gua bao was -, so I was hesitant to buy one ever again. I'm not sure what changed my mind to make me decide to try it, but I'm glad that the forces that be guided me to this decision. I haven't tried this at other places, but if you happen up the one near Gongguan station whereabouts I reside, try try try this. It begins with a steamed bun. Then you choose how you want your pork which has been stewing to deliciousness: all fat, all skinny (lean?), or half fat/half lean. I recommend the half and half. Next comes the pickled veggies. To top it all off, cilantro and crushed peanuts. Yum yum yum! If you don't mind the ingredients, you must give this a try!
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| Eggplant Curry |
I had eggplant curry from an Indian restaurant when I was back home in Hsinchu. My cousin lovingly brought it to me. Unfortunately, I'm not sure what the restaurant is called...India Town? Little India?
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| Hot Grass Jelly with tapioca pearls, red beans, and those colorful QQ things |
Hot grass jelly (燒仙草 - shao1xian1cao3) is a pretty delicious dessert that isn't too sweet. Besides that it delivers warm and joy, I love its strange consistency which is somewhere between liquid and solid. You can choose a variety of toppings to go with it, such as barley or beans. I like tapioca balls.
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| sauce for....wait for it... |
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| HOT POT YEAH! |
I love hot pot! The funny thing is, I'm probably just really drawn to dipping ALL THE THINGS into sauce. My idea of a nice sauce is: garlic, soy sauce, a bit of vinegar, a bit sesame oil, and that fancy schmancy barbecue sauce (that you find in grocery stores with the chef man/piggy against the silver background of the metal can). It is necessary. I also like to add green onions and those little, cute, killer (aka delicious) red peppers that add a nice flavor and spice.
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| Fried Squid |
This is battered fried squid hidden under two tons of sweet mayo topped off with bonito flakes. I love getting squid, fried or grilled, at night markets. Ahhhh, so good. I had no idea this one was going to have mayo on it, but it was still good anyway.
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| Espresso |
Random picture of espresso. It was espresso-y. I'm not a good judge of coffee (hunt for best latte, remember that?, canceled).
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| Grilled pork with vermicelli rice noodles |
I have a deep deep deep love for the Vietnamese Bun Thit Nuong, the vermicilli noodles which come with grilled pork. I like to drench my noodles in fish sauce.... Unfortunately, the rice noodles at this restaurant were thicker than I prefer. However, taste was good. Miss the ones I get back home though.
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| Some sort of sandwich...shawarma |
I pass by this stall called Egyptian Dali. The aroma coming from the meat roasting on the spit is so inviting. I finally tried it. I think I ate it too quickly, because I can't remember what it tasted like. Probably greasy and delicious. For sure, greasy and fragrant.
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| City Temple in Hsinchu |
This is, wow, just true love. I love Hsinchu's oyster omelette and rice noodles. Hsinchu is also known for meat balls and rice meat balls (ba4wan2 as the Taiwanese call it, or rou4yuan2 肉圓 if you want to be technical). I've already discussed oyster omelettes, I'm sure, as it is one of my favorites- if not my actual favorite- Taiwanese snacks. Hsinchu has the best oyster omelette I've had so far, because it has, in my humble opinion, the best sauce. Also, as apparently I mentioned before, the oysters are just better, too.
I didn't mention, however, the rice noodle soup which I didn't get last time but which is pictured as oyster omelette's accomplice. I don't know if there is MSG in this thing or something, but I just love the notes from the green onion and bean sprouts paired with the flavorful soup and topped with fried shallots which all support the stars of this soup: the rice noodles and the meatball. I don't know what it is, maybe the texture- rice noodles are just better here.
Intermission: Hong Kong
Yeah, I'm bit lazy right now. You can look at the things I had in HK, and we'll return to my ramblings in a bit. Enjoy!
Annnnnnnnd back in my motherland:
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| Self-choose (zi4zhu4can1, 自助餐) lunch box place |
I've been going to this "buffet" place quite often. Zizhucan is where you choose what you want to eat and they weigh it at the end or charge you per serving. Kind of like Panda Express, I guess. By the way, I don't think Panda Express exists in Taiwan if anyone is wondering. I'm not sure why people would wonder that, but I did at one point, so yeah.... Moving on, I've been told I should be eating special things instead of this place. But I enjoy attempting to balance my meals with protein and veggies at a reasonable price.
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| Some sort of tea flavored cheesecake |
After saving some money by buying a cheap lunch box, I splurge on cake. It only makes sense. This has not been my favorite cake, and you'll see why in a few pictures. It is still a nice cheesecake that isn't too sweet.
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| Yellow Chicken Curry |
Wow, I can't remember very well...I'm pretty sure that I like it though!
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| (Gao1Ji4) 高記 |
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| Xiao Long Baos and pan-fried steamed pork buns |
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| Siu Mai |
Kao-Chi is like Din Tai Fung but with more variety and more delicious-ness depending on who you ask. But yes, it was very delicious indeed, and I liked the variety of food available. Plus, they also have this yellowish soup that has tofu in it (and apparently sea cucumber) and tastes delicious...I do not know what it is called. Anyway, you can read more about Kaochi on the internets.
Just some cold noodles and wontons and chili oil. 紅油抄手, hong2you2chao1shou3, is usually delicious.
I don't know what style this is (I think I remember some sign relating to Burma), but it is very tasty. Unfortunately, the portion is a bit small and full of carbs- and if you know me, I'm slightly phobic of highly carb-ic situations. Except when it comes to potato chips and instant noodles...then, I welcome them with wide, wide open arms.
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| Candied Fruit Sticks |
Ummm, I don't know what this is called in Chinese actually.... Anywhos, I can't believe I haven't had them earlier. They are good!!! Even the tomatos and black things! I was afraid that the candy shell would be super hard, but actually it's crispy.
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| Strawberry Warm Cake |
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| Another warm cake |
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| Raspberry warm cake? |
Oh god, I'm making up names to these cakes! Remember that cheesecake from a decade ago? Like 10 pictures back...Confession: I didn't realize how delicious this place really was until I had the warm cakes. Previously, I had an Earl Grey flavored one. Recently, I tried the ones above AND another super delicious "apple pie" one. Following my epiphany, I came to understand my family's obsession with this shop (Die Flugel). These cakes which are served warm, bathed in a delicious sauce or whipped cream, are not your typical cake. Not too sweet, not too dense, not too spongy, it's kind of just a glorious balance suitable for many palates. This shop is always changing flavors. It's pretty amazing to see what they invent.
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| Hot pot for one |
For a quick hot pot fix, one can go to this restaurant where everyone gets his/her own hotpot. Choose your own soup base, your own fixings.
During lunch, I followed my friends here and didn't really pay attention to what kind of place this is. It's really good though! I had slightly sweet and spicy pork belly slices (like bacon). Yum to the steamed egg.
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| Avocado rolls from 2nd Floor Cafe |
No. What was I thinking...(I wanted avocados). I do not recommend these.
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| Dosa |
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| Eggplant Curry |
My friend and I went to an Indian restaurant near our dorms. It was pretty bland. I liked the dosa though, but the eggplant curry was definitely missing something...or all the things....
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| 芝麻湯圓!!!! |
臺一牛奶大王, you had me at zhi1ma2. I have been here previously for the cold desserts. December and January suddenly turned cold which lead to my exponentially increasing desires for Zhi1Ma2Tang1Yuan2 aka glorious glorious glorious Sesame Rice Balls. They can be ordered in a red bean bath or a sweet peanut bath, but I find clear to be classic and good enough for me. These sesame rice balls are bigger than the packaged ones I eat in the US. The best part of getting them here is that you don't have to worry about them cracking or exploding or leaking all the delicious sweet sesame before you get a chance to bite in. LOVE.
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| Rice Noodle Soup with a Chicken Leg |
Rice Noodle Soup with a Chicken Leg- that's what it is called in my world. I liked it, but I honestly can't remember exactly what it tasted like.
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| 紫米粥 |
I'm calling this zi3mi2zhou1 though I'm actually not sure what to call it. I didn't write down its name (do I ever?).... It can be found in a Macao style cafe near Dong Men Station. They also have delicious buttery heart-attack inducing egg tarts and a nice strong Hong Kong-style milk tea. This dessert is purple rice (zi3mi2) plus sweet adzuki red beans (hong2dou4) and sago pearls (xi1mi2lu4), topped with a spot of cream. In reality it's some of my favorite things coming together which is why it is so good!
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| Grandma Nitti's: Grilled eggplant and brie |
I added salt and pepper, but still the flavor was too mild for me. Fries are always great though! :]
I hope you enjoyed the pictures and well as my skeletal descriptions. It took me a few hours to go over so many! Ahhhh! Must go to fewer "new" places.
Good-bye for now, friends, and I shall try to update again around the end of February. Oh, that's terrifying...February is much too short.
