Taiwan Yum Yum

YumYum Finale

2008-10-04T23:02:00.000-07:00

It has been quite awhile since my departure from Taiwan. I apologize for the sudden stoppage of posts, but with only one more week left in Taiwan, I really had to treasure every second I had. I continued to take pictures but there was no time for sitting down at the computer to blog. Yet, even now, 5 weeks later, it does not feel right to leave Yumyum without one last conclusive post, for all the dedicated readers, for myself, for all the unforgettable foods. This last post has about 28 pictures, so it will take awhile to load. Here it is, my last week of glorious grubbin' on the island of Formosa. Enjoy!

Here is an awesome chicken sandwich I had during one of my lunches at work. The composition of sauces and toppings was simple yet unique.

Came home late on night to find the usual fried foods stand already packing up for the night. Slightly flustered, I quickly gathered my senses and made my way to the nearest 711, where I gathered this team of snacks. Sarsaparilla, which tastes like a less sweet Dr. Pepper, seaweed chips, and a refreshing grass jello. Bomb.

Considering the extreme waves of crowds and heat, there's surprisingly very few places to sit down and rest with some AC and quiet in Taipei. This leads to crucial napping sessions such as this at Dunkin' Donuts of all places...

Daikon pancakes at a local tea shop where I frequented to play card.

Sweet potato fries with ketchup.

There are a few places in Taipei that provide afternoon tea buffets. You get there at around 1 and eat as long as you want. I went to one at the Hyatt. The foods were indeed snacks, very small portions and not too many choices. But EVERYTHING was exquisite beyond your imagination.

Fried noodles, little sandwich and sushi.

Dessert.

Pork dim sum dumplings and chicken feet. The two best dishes at the Hyatt. They look normal but are seriously enlightening.

Chefs constantly switched in fresh dishes.

Formosa Chang.

Some Mos Burger. Just because.

Lulu does not enjoy haircuts.

The famous Mango Ice at ________. (I already forgot...)

Really long potstickers.

Sigh..the memories.

Beef stir fry.

Best buds.

I am confident Diana hates Mr. Donut more than Lulu hates haircuts...

My survival tools in Taiwan.

The strangest but quite delicious sandwich, with fried dough filled with egg, tomato, ham and much mayo.

Taro and coffee slushies, hand crushed.

Where temple and night market combine.

The amazing night market at Chicken Cage.

The most refreshing mango salad served at a fancy Thai place by my aunt's office.

More ice dessert.

@ the airport before my departure. Good times..good times..

Cast Art

2008-08-27T18:47:00.000-07:00

The sedatives must have still been lingering from the surgery because my uncle naively agreed to let me sign his cast...

Panda Picks Apple. Permanent Ink on Gauze, 6 x 15", 2008.

MOS BURGERS!!!!!!

2008-08-27T03:13:00.000-07:00

Considering how much MOS BURGER I eat in Taiwan, I think it's time for post dedicated just to some Mos. Even though they are just burgers, for some reason I feel like it might be one of the things I miss the most once I go back to California. Maybe Mos for dinner tonight then?

Teriyaki Chicken Burger. I was thoroughly unimpressed with the dryness and lack of flavor but I've heard great things about it so maybe I just got a bad egg.

According to the elders, when I was 4 yrs old or so, I spent a summer in Taiwan and every day after day care, I HAD to eat Mos Burger Fries. That was back in the day, when there was only one Mos in all of Taiwan.

My favorite item on the menu. A fried shrimp burger with a lot of thinly chopped lettuce and some crazy sauce that tastes like thousand island/ tarter sauce/ mayo. Every burger is made to order so the shrimp is always still steaming hot when you break the fried exterior.

The classic Mos Burger. Love it too. The patty is very dense and flavorful. Fits nicely with a thick tomato slice and a chili-like sauce.

A potato patty. My dad loves this one but I am not too interested. I eat it sometimes just for kicks.

Witness the joy that MOS brings to children all over the world.

IRON BOARD COOK!

2008-08-25T03:01:00.000-07:00

Hit up some teppanyaki this weekend with Diana. We went to one at the bottom floor of the huge shopping mall between Vieshow theatres and ESLITE. The seating was a bit cramped but the experience and food was great. Highly recommended for everyone. Now sit down and let's go teppanyakiiing!

Bean sprouts and chicken start getting some heat. Check out the pile of awesome garlic there. Wonderful.

The lamb gets tossed in the mix, as well as our green onion and pickle omelet.

WHOA!!!! Cover your eyes viewers. Don't want to get splashed with scalding oil! Teppanyaki sure is intense!

Our lamb and bean sprouts served and ready for consumption. Everyone had very strong flavor and depth though I never felt it was too oily. Mr. Omelet is still getting prepped up in the back. He is eager to get in on this action.

Garlic chicken and Mr. Omelet join the party. Time for another bowl of rice! (Why am I referring to the omelet as "Mr. Omelet" you ask? I do not know. Just go with it.)

It's times like these when I look around and realize how truly wonderful life can be.

Night Market Raid

2008-08-24T10:01:00.000-07:00

This weekend my cousin took me out on another Taipei night market run, this time to Shipai and Shilin. I've been to these markets plenty of times this summer, but it's a different experience when you have some veterans in your company.

We arrive at Shipai with one goal in mind and nothing else.

The premier MEAT BUNS in Taipei, if not the WORLD! We hurriedly make the necessary payment. No time can be wasted.

These Bao Tz mean business. No inessential dough, amazingly crunchy cabbage for being inside a cooked bun, flavorful meat, and an extra thick fried dough at the bottom, just the way I dig it.

Fresh-squeezed watermelon juice to wash it all down.

With the primary objective accomplished, we hit up Shilin for some more goods. First, some cold noodles. Great stuff.

Fried tempura.

MORE fermented tofu.

"What Jordan? You STILL want to eat more!?!! Are you maaad...?"

"No..I just have an enviable superhuman appetite now get out of my way while I consume this delicious oyster omelete."

Some half sweetened green tea to finish what the watermelon juice started.

After shopping around the market for a bit we found our last destination for some ICE desserts to chill things out. Check out this peanut shaved ice. A peanut buttery liquid is frozen into cubes. The cube then goes through some intense shaving to somehow end up in this awesome formation. Tastes like cold peanut butter, that is really really gooood.

Sigh....I tried my best to fight it, but after some immoral cajoling by my cousin, I broke. Good news is that my skills still remain and I managed to keep things under control. Picked up this cutey with one coin. Respek.

One Oh One

2008-08-21T03:08:00.000-07:00

You can only wonder aimlessly through night markets buying cheap gadgets and eating greasy snacks so many times before your heart screams for something more, or just for you to take a break. So last night, Diana and I decided to try something cRaZy: Taipei 101....

Ladies and gentlemen...the tallest building in the world....sideways...

Going up the fastest elevator in the world. I think we took 89 floors in like 3 seconds, no joke. At 1.5 seconds, my left nipple pounded fists with my knee for the first time in my life.

A view of the Taipei citiscape from the 89th floor. Pretty crazy huh?

Just kidding. That was a picture of the ceiling in the elevator. THIS here is the actual view of Taipei from up top.

Learning stuff.

A straight drop all the way down through 89 floors of Taipei 101's stairwell. Diana thinks it's funny for some reason. I was shaking so much I could hardly take the picture.

For Children Only.

Rebel for life..

101 turned out to be a lot of fun. The wind on the top outside floor was ridiculous. It almost blew my shirt off, no joke. Anyway, we finished off the night with some Starbucks and Mceedeeeeees, the finest of Taiwanese cuisine.

Burger Bonanza

2008-08-20T10:48:00.000-07:00

I've accumulated a small collection of burger photos recently though we're missing a MOS burger, which I eat on a regular basis. Most of the employees there recognize my brother and I -- as the guys who can't read the menu but always order a ridiculous amount of food. Anyway, here's some other burgers I've met in Taiwan:

One of my coworkers is a vegetarian and graciously purchased this honey lemon vegetarian burger for me at lunch one day. I don't think the burger alone will be able to change my future eating habits, but it was definitely tasty. I bet most people wouldn't even be able to realize the absence of meat in the burger. However, I was definitely not full afterward, though I did indeed feel very healthy. It was good enough for me to want to go back, though next time I will probably have to buy 2 or 3.

If you remember the MEI ER MEI breakfast sandwiches I posted awhile ago, this is from the same place. My uncle just discovered they have hamburgers too! And MAN it's pretty good. I can't tell you what the patty is made from (I should probably look into that) but it's got a lot of taste and tenderness. It's sandwiched with an egg and some kind of onion and ketchup mix that makes for a very unique and fulfilling burger.

So I took my brother to the airport this past weekend for his return flight to the United States of America. And during his last couple hours in Taiwan, what does he want to eat? Despite the many mouth-watering foods at the airport that he will never find in the U.S. my brother without hesitation goes for a BURGER KING WHOPPER*!!!!???? Why??! WHY??!!!!!

*Despite the pure stupidity of his decision, it should be noted that it was very evident through the way he ate it that he thoroughly enjoyed the burger without regret. Maybe it's his way of transitioning back to the reality that is Davis.

The Japanese Place by My Aunt's House

2008-08-19T19:02:00.000-07:00

Aunts took me out to yet another awesome Japanese place. And once again I neglected to record the name of the place. It's close to the Luxy/Sogo area. For now, just know the decor of the place is awesome with a huge bar and private rooms, they update their menu constantly, and the food looks and tastes exquisite. Let's get dirty...

This is a unique take on the classic LIANG MIEN in Taiwan, made from peanut oil, sometimes peanut butter, soy sauce and other stuff. The manager claimed you will find nothing like their interpretation of it anywhere in Taiwan.

Very refreshing and the texture was great. The Alfredo-type sauce was combined with a peanut buttery spice and a dab of hot oil to create a surprisingly pristine flavor.

This was actually the first dish served, I just didn't want it to be the first pic in the post because it's kind of intimidating. Also, we had already ate 90% of the dish before I remembered to take pictures. It's some kind of raw fish bombed with a ton of spices and oils. Looks like it'd be painful to eat but was actually more refreshing than the noodles.

Fresh uni on a soft bed of rice, centered on a fried leaf(aloe?) with strings of daikon. My mouth is still convulsing with pleasure right now, 3 days later.

Another great roll. Look at the intricacy and color of the inside contents.

A half eaten shrimp/rice/leaf puff. My camera hand simply couldn't overpower my mouth's desire for a bite.

I don't remember what this is but I remember it was very juicy and citrusy(?), with a pleasantly fishy aftertaste.

This guy looks pretty damn cool but lacked in the taste department. Too dry though the blackened exterior was something new. The fish roe on top was also a highlight.

Took a break from the rolls for some fried chicken dipped in sweet & sour sauce. Nothing crazy but freshened up the palette.

I don't know what that sauce is but bamboo should not leave home without it. The bamboo itself was very crisp and burst with warm juices upon impact.

This was when my camera started pissing me off with the whole no battery escapade so I could only get this landscape shot. The centerfold of this dish was the inside, which was stuffed with mashed yam/sweet potato that worked wonderfully with the bbqed skin of the chicken. The chicken itself was more tender than my buttcheeks.

O MAN, best fish I remember eating in a while. After your teeth break the exterior of the brittle skin and the taste buds catch a whiff of the fried aroma, the fish meat detonates with precision, launching layers and layers of warm fish soup and oil in all directions as the actual flesh massages your gums. And this repeats with every mouthful and very chew. It's like eating a....fried peach, that tastes like fish. MMMM...

Another roll ordered at the end to fill up the stomach. Everyone was thoroughly impressed with this one, but to me it just tasted like the regular Hot California Roll back in the US, just embellished a little more. Enjoyable but not as enlightening as the others.

And maaaan what a great ending to the meal. Here we have some kinds of sesame/vanilla gelatin. Simply amazing. The texture is something at the halfway mark between jello and yogurt. It's not too sweet, just enough to tame the chaos from the rest of the meal. Actually, the sesame reminds of a cookie and creme flavor, but more refined. My aunt gave me hers so I got two. SCORE!

Ice In, Fire Out

2008-08-19T01:26:00.000-07:00

Here you can see the refreshing crushed ice desserts Diana and I enjoyed at Meet Fresh (the name of the place) about 1.5 weeks ago. That is also approximately the same time my stomach took a turn for the worst. Since then I have been mutilating innocent toilets around Taipei without mercy. One of the many benefits of writing Taiwanyumyum is that I can use all the photos I take for it as an accurate database for what I've eaten and when I ate it. I am still currently analyzing the immense amount of data, but the dishes you see below are very high up on the suspect list. However, The possibility of it being the cause of my traumatic intestinal issues is unassociated with its deliciousness. So jump into the past with me and try to enjoy the cold treats below without thinking about the unpleasant aftereffects.

Red beans/Ice/Condensed Milk. The simplest and best ice dessert in my opinion, though probably not that many people agree with me. You can't tell from this image, but this plate was HUGE. So HUGE that I could barely eat it fast enough to prevent the melting mountain of ice from overflowing over the edge. Many children strolling past my table commented to their mothers about my situation.

I'm not really sure what's going on here but Diana really digs it so maybe it's okay. I do know those things on the left are squishy taro balls. Wouldn't mind a couple of those guys chillin' with my red beans.

An Oath

2008-08-16T07:49:00.000-07:00

On this day, I, Jordan, promise to never (actually, just for the rest of this month, for now) put a 10NT coin into a claw machine again. I promise not to carefully and intensely study machines for the best possible moves, and then celebrate with glee when the prizes drop into the hole. In the end, despite the fun, it's time to move on, divert my time, money, and effort to more mature activities. It will be hard to break this addiction, but I will try my best.

What you are feeling right now is called envy. Each one tells a unique story, filled with different emotions, and distinct memories. Just to note, some of these were acquired with the help of others while many were given away and unfortunately not present for the photo shoot.

*Sigh*... We sure had some good times.

The New Flavor

2008-08-16T07:07:00.000-07:00

My buddy Duke suggested I try out OOLONG milk tea. It's always been around but I've just never thought of trying it. Well I give Duke a high five and a chest bump because it's pretty good. It carries a much stronger tea flavor than black tea with a toffee like aroma, though not as sweet. My usual green milk tea has a worthy competitor now.

Jiminey Cricket (Fried)

2008-08-13T18:51:00.000-07:00

Recently stopped by a friend's restaurant/bar to test out some new dishes that are in development. The new items are based on the cuisine of Taiwanese natives with a modern twist:

It took about 10 minutes and some aggressive persuasion to get me to eat this giant fried insect. Looking at it now makes me slightly nauseous but I admit it tasted fine, kind of like fried shrimp but flakier. Apparently, there's also a stick of onion rammed through the body of the insect, if you can tell. That nasty insect dome really gets me though. Still, I recommend huge crickets to anyone with curious taste buds and a need for cheap thrills. It made me feel like a man.

This dish isn't very impressive after a fried bug, but it was actually quite memorable. Sticky rice and pork wrapped with tea leaves. I've had it before, but this specific version was much more reactive to the chew and carried a spice I have yet to encounter.

I don't know if you can tell, but these are little river fish, fried to a crisp. There's quite a punch in each of these little peckers, but I couldn't tell if it was from the fish itself or the groves of garlic it was cooked with. At this point, my palette was about pooped out and done. In the end, I give a thumbs up to proceed with all these dishes. If there's anything lacking in taste, the presentation makes up for it.

Operation Catch Many Stuffed Animals

2008-08-13T18:08:00.000-07:00

Through my month and a half in Taiwan, Justin and I have amassed quite a collection of stuffed animals through the claw game. I admit I wasted a bit of time and money in the beginning but through trial and error and pure talent I've learned a few things about this underrated sport. Here's a brief rundown of a typical night of quality claw action:

First, I scavenge through all my belongings, pants/shorts pockets, backpack, dresser top, Justin's money stash, for loose change, preferably the 10NTs. 50NT works too but you have to waste time exchanging them for 10NTs. Worst comes to worst, you gather up all your 5NTs, but that is generally shamed upon in the claw community

Second, I grab a backpack. Nothing looks more amateurish than walking around juggling your assorted prizes in both arms while reaching for change in your pocket and talking on the cell phone, while eating a grilled rice sausage. If possible, always carry a backpack for pure convenience. Also, nothing looks cooler than a backpack packed full of oddly shaped soft objects. This sense of mystery is a very powerful chick magnet. Oh, and notice Justin's technique of placing a previously won prize into the backpack before we leave. This is part tradition and part psychology. An empty backpack is generally damaging to the player's confidence, which is crucial in this deadly game.

Unfortunately, our actual animal catching techniques can not be revealed at the moment, as our enemies will surely take advantage and cripple us. But here's another piece of advice. Research and analysis are quite vital in the overall stuffed animal catching process. Notice here, while regular civilians are casually and naively ordering cold and overly sweetened beverages, Justin is busy browsing the street vendors that sell stuffed animals straight up for those can't claw. He carefully examines each individual piece for surface texture, weight and awkward protrusions among other factors that greatly effect the course of the claw games.

Here you can see the haul after one night's work. For an hour's worth of action, using only about 400 NT total, I'd call this excursion an acceptable success. Tonight, we will be thoroughly studying game tapes to mine our weaknesses and burn them.

BALLS OF STEAMY EXPLOSION!

2008-08-13T10:18:00.000-07:00

This is my second outing to the renowned Din Tai Fung, an extremely popular restaurant that has become an icon and major tourist attraction, especially for Japanese visitors. Employees at Din Tai Fung are required to be fluent in Chinese, Japanese AND English and apparently pull in very hefty paychecks. But it makes sense cuz there is ALWAYS a line here. Not sure if I'll be back again so here's some pics:

The cornerstone of this place is this concoction of ginger slices and vinegar. I usually despise the taste of ginger, but I can't get enough of it here.

The prize is unveiled in a fury of aromatic steam. I think these are pork buns?

This one is shrimp?

A completed piece, ready for consumption. The trick is to get all the toppings on without breaking the skin of the bun, thus letting all the soup within escape. If done correctly, the explosion of elegant fire in your mouth is pretty yumyum.

Veggie?

These sure look scrumptious but were very disappointing once it reached the oral region. From the looks of it, you'd expect that bottom sac to explode with delicious juices, but nope...no juices..

It still looks cool though!

Justin and Melissa practicing their coordinated eating routines.

Giant fried rice. Everyone raves about this but I really don't see what's so great about it. It's definitely very enjoyable, but nothing I'd dream about.

Dan Dan mien. A hint of spiciness within a bed of peanut sauce, fused with noodles to create a buttery and sandy texture.

My excellent photography skills.

KANAZAWA!

2008-08-10T05:40:00.000-07:00

Dinner @ Kanazawa:

Having too much fun. No time to write captions. Enjoys visuals. Peace out.

Late Night Grubbin'

2008-08-07T11:41:00.000-07:00

Tonight, I was about to start on my daily routine of push-ups and polar bear wrestling when my uncle came home with a huge bag of foods from assorted late-night food stands. Of course I could not reject this offering of food and disrespect my dear uncle. Thus, instead of getting some huge muscles tonight I devour these oily and DELICIOUS snacks:

This pork was fried and then barbecued while slathered with a very awesomely sweet & spicy sauce. It was pulsating with layers of flavor and texture.

For all you healthy vegetarians: barbecued corn and some fried squishy taro cube hiding in the background.

Sweet potato fries and fried squid. Looks simple and plain, but actually quite amazing. Well, time for bed now. Gotta let all this oily goodness digest and marinate my soul.

Random Snaps #3

2008-08-07T11:25:00.000-07:00

By brother passed out in the afternoon after getting back from a month long expedition. Look at that nasty scar on his leg from fighting a pack of tigers. And if you didn't notice, be impressed by my stuffed animal collection from the claw game. Details will be posted later.

Beef & Bell Peppers. MMMMM. Touch it, it's still warm.

Pretty random pictures huh?

Irodori

2008-08-07T10:35:00.000-07:00

Remember this? Well I got to go back again! Man I am being spoiled. But this time I made sure to remember the name of the place. It's called IRODORI at the Grand Hyatt Taipei. Let's check it out again:

My aunt's first round. Looks bomb but as mentioned before I shy away from anything I have to spend time peeling.

My brother's first round, fresh from the grill. I don't know what the white stuff is.

I could eat this forever.

Just like last time, eggplant is the main course for me.

This is passion fruit....my brother likes it but look at it!! I get the goosebumps just from looking at those tentacles on the inside.

IRODORI = Happiness.

Justin likes to play with his food. It's made from melted green tea ice cream and some random stuff he found on the table. Quite impressive actually...

Come on, I can't let my cocky little brother go unchallenged in his artistic renderings of leftover food. Here's my masterpiece from an outing to the infamous Tadashi's in La Jolla. There's obviously a lot of influence from Renaissance works. Which one do you like more? Mine? Yea, I agree.

MIGHTY DUCK

2008-08-03T22:41:00.000-07:00

Thick clear rice noodles tossed with peanut sauce and wasabi. Glorious start.

More big green onion chinese pancake. These were quality and we ordered seconds without hesitation.

Stir-fried eel with assorted greens.

A panda express-esque dish, ordered for the kids, including me. It's like orange chicken, but you don't feel like a feverish whale afterwards.

Now THIS is how you do fried calamari!

Though the best part about the calamari were the green onions and red peppers fried to a crisp and infused with garlicky goodness. Amazing.

And now for the main attraction. DUCK! The chef comes out when your duck is baked to perfectiopm and skillfully slices it up on the spot with nifty towel tosses and other tricks. He was not happy about the picture taking though.

Check out that finely crisped skin. The meat literally exploded with animal juices. Like a slice of mango, but DUCK instead. You feel me?

You wrap it up like this with plum sauce and whole green onions.

The rest of the duck is boiled into a thick syrupy duck soup with tofu. Man, no part of this duck was put to waste. Thanks, duck for a complete and exquisite meal.

People and Massive Teas

2008-08-03T21:39:00.000-07:00

A rare good photo with the paterfamilias at dinner.

Explain to me how anyone can finish this in one sitting??? If they were superhuman and incredibly handsome? You're right. I left not a drop in that tub.

Jon and Justin working on their fruit teas while I wreak havoc on the Big2 battlefield.

Occassionally, very rarely, I get really really bored in Taiwan.

But most of the time I'm having a CrAzY good time!!

Lunch Shots Take 4

2008-08-03T21:29:00.000-07:00

Won tong soup with these sour/spicy noodles I've never encountered. Very nice combo but way too much food. I think this is the first meal in Taiwan that I couldn't finish.

This however, was the highlight of my lunch. Fried eggplant is beautiful. Check out that color.

MISTA DONA

2008-08-01T02:46:00.000-07:00

I always passed by MISTER DONUT shops like they were nothing special. One day I randomly decided to try one of these curious Japanese treats and hey.. PRETTY GOOD! They're really just Asian donuts. And I can't read Chinese so I never know what flavors I'm getting. Very exciting.

Fuzzy picture, sorry. There was sugar powder in my eyes.

These balls of sugar and love make me sweat syrup.

My Aunt is an Iron Chef

2008-07-31T11:56:00.000-07:00

Wednesday night had an amazing dinner masterfully cooked up by my aunt. Diana describes it as "Restaurant status...or maybe even better." Here are some highlights of the meal. Take a look. Close your eyes. Use your imagination. Taste it baby...

The first and best dish of the night in my opinion. I've never seen or tasted anything like it EVER. Perfectly roasted chicken covered with fire blasted garlic, onions, peppers and secret herbs I believe. Plate of this, bowl of rice, I'm set for life.

I'm a lazy bum when it comes to shells, bones or seeds so I did not experience this shrimp dish like I should have. I just squished the shrimp in my mouth, squeezing what meat out I could. Nevertheless, thumbs up.

This pork is not shy about its chub.

Chinese buns. Excellent with peanut butter too.

With our powers combined...

The stuffed and slowly scattering table of family and friends quickly reassembled when this dish(Snow Fish) was presented, fresh from the ocean, then fresh from the fryer.

Sad to say I was immobile by the time this black pepper steak with onion dish was served. It's a shame I could not experience it with an able palette but perhaps another time.

Dad's friend brought the dessert. There were many other kinds but you get the idea with this pic. I had the tiramisu (I googled the spelling) and it was YUMYUM. Sweet but not toooo sweet and nice combo of textures. You can call me a girl but I'll have 5 tea parties a day to eat this stuff.

THIS IS A HISTORIC MOMENT FOR TAIWANYUMYUM: THE VERY FIRST PRESENTATION OF REAL FRUIT.
Savor this moment. Enjoy the healthiness. I don't expect this to happen too often. Maybe I will though. The fruit here is awesome...and my body can't survive on the lemons in my green tea for much longer.

Random Snaps #2

2008-07-31T11:43:00.000-07:00

A sexy shot of the busy streets of late-night Taipei.

More stinky tofu!!! This stuff is better than Mcdonald's french fries...yes, I said it.

Office Gecko

2008-07-31T10:50:00.000-07:00

Saw this guy dash across my desk at work this morning. Tried to snap a pic but dude was TOO quick. But when I was packing my bag to go home at night, he calmly strolled out right in front of me, almost as if to say "I been watching you all day. You're cool man. Go ahead, get your pic. I'll catch you tomorrow." I'm pretty sure that's what he was sayin'. I gave him a high five before I left.

A Delicious Dinner I had Recently

2008-07-30T09:34:00.000-07:00

Some photos from an awesome dinner last week. Sorry I have no idea what the restaurant is called. Every where I go, I am so focused on eating I really pay no attention to the name of the place. I'll try to remember from now on.

I forget what this is. *UPDATE: It is EEL.

Frog legs! Tastes like chicken but more rubbery with a slight fishy taste. Really doesn't matter when it's fried though. I had frog in Florida too, as well as fried alligator and they all taste about the same (the same, but delicious regardless).

This is (mediocre) Chinese pancake. Meh...nothing special. My Mom makes it 20 X's better.

Sweet and sour pork..or some form of it. Either way it was fantastic. I feel like this is one of the best pics I've taken. By just looking at it I can taste and feel the aroma and sweetness bathing my taste buds, then my mouth, face, softly tingling my eyes, followed by my entire body...

Some kind of stew with pig blood and other insignificant ingredients in comparison to the pig blood. By the time this dish was served, everyone at the table was already full. Except me. So I think I ate about a pound of pig blood. That can't be good right?

Red bean sesame pancake. Its minimal appearance hides a searing flavor and texture. Just a thought though: I feel like dessert should be served halfway through a meal. I can never enjoy it because my stomach is usually already so full at the end of a meal that the partly digested food is squeezing out from my belly button.

Brunch @ Carnegie's

2008-07-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

Met up with my dad, aunts, uncles and cousins for a nice brunch at Carnegie's, which at night is known as a nightclub for cheeky foreigners and promiscuous Taiwanese females and during the day a friendly family diner.

This picture happened after the meal, but I feel like it has to be the header photo. I mean, look how lovable it is!? Oh and my aunt's dog is kinda cute too.

Chicken strips! Nothing interesting to say but sure was tasty.

Potato skins! Look at the continuous ivory white of the sour cream and sauce container. They look like one...I don't know why but it sure looks cool.

The plate I ordered. I was thoroughly impressed with the variety and amount of food. Though the mushrooms were kind of random and not good. My cousin failed to inform me that I could switch them out for fries (-_-). Still, very complete meal. That sausage looks like whatever, but exploded with oily goodness.

I hope Carnegie's is insured for earthquakes...

FRIED STINKY TOFU!!!

2008-07-28T09:27:00.000-07:00

This bowl of heavenly sin deserves its own post, it's own throne of pure beauty.

Anyone who says fermented bean curd with Chinese pickled cabbage smells bad, you're kinda right. But it's a perfectly bad smell that thus transform into an orgasmic aroma. Anyone who doesn't enjoy eating it...you can't be my friend, or at least not a friend who I will want to consume a meal with.

Typhoon Aftermath

2008-07-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

If you are not aware, a typhoon is in the process of rolling straight through Taiwan right now. Like the typhoon literally will sit completely on top of the island of Taiwan as it passes on to the mainland. Taipei wasn't hit too hard but nevertheless all class and work were canceled today. Awesome. Here's a couple shots of the emptiness when the rain and wind died down:

Loved the day off, but rain makes me sad. I need sunlight to be happy.

Looks like Resident Evil in Taiwan...

Lunch Shots Take 4

2008-07-27T10:46:00.000-07:00

10 potstickers. So good I got 15 the next day. Notice the milktea in the back right. My coworker introduced it to me and I think it's a worthy competitor to 50lan.

Where did I get this delicious looking lunch box of edible delight you ask?? I'll give you one guess. WRONG! It's from 711. I know. Amazing...

This is from a lunch buffet where you grab however much food you want from a giant table of assorted dishes, weaving in and out among a crowd of customers just like yourself while new trays of dishes are switched in constantly. The lady at the end then looks at what you have in your box and gives you a price all from her head. The selection you see before you is less than $2 though there is a whole art to selecting dishes that involves hiding expensive meats under a lot of vegetables without getting caught. Hopefully with some intense practice I can become a lunch buffet master...

YumYum Mixtape 1.0

2008-07-26T11:17:00.000-07:00

I just realized I've been in Taiwan for a month now and after thinking about it, this is definitely one of my best trips yet. Taiwanyumyum has let me organize the mayhem and enjoy everything much more thoroughly. Sometimes if you don't take a break from the ongoing events and analyze all that's happening, you can easily forget or fail to truly appreciate the memorable moments that pass by.

On that note, I've been pretty busy lately with the internship, personal work, and eating. So sorry for the lack of updates. However, I've still been taking pictures constantly. To catch up the audience a little bit and catalog my own thoughts, I'm gonna bundle up a couple days worth of material for some expedited pleasure. It's gonna be hectic, so try to keep up...

Diana rips apart a rice patty MOS burger like a velociraptor on a baby seal.

I've tried to document every meal my grandma cooks, but with 5 meals a week and 5 dishes a meal, its purely impossible. Here's one of my favorites, chunks of chicken blood with pickled lettuce.

As usual, Lulu waits patiently until someone gives in.

Stumbled into a random food stand at Shilin night market with Diana. Here's some stinky tofu with hot oil. I meant to order the fried kind but this was enjoyable too.

Some classic cold noodles with peanut oil and soy sauce.

Half an order of crab cakes drenched in sweet n sour sauce.

The line for these meat buns was massive. They're only 10 NT each, so only bout 30 cents US. Imagine how much I could sell MY meat buns for..

Diana was adamant on getting this fried pastry covered with an egg and hot sauce. It looks deadly in this picture but was thoroughly pleasing. Is it just me, or is 80% of the food posted on yumyum fried?

A shot of PRIMO nightclub. Pretty nice. Sorry, all the good pictures are too scandalous for our younger yumyum audience members.

A refreshing self chosen mix of soy bean jello, red beans and grass jelly on ice. This definitely helped ease some of the bodily pain induced from all the fried treats prior.

Can anyone guess what edible Oriental delicacy lies within this Taiwanese chamber of mystery?

What the..!! A hamburger?! What is going on!?
-Very impressive though, comparable to a solid restaurant burger from the states. A welcomed change of palette.

Alright party's over people. Now get outta here before Nappa here has to regulate. Seriously, look at him. Look at those fingers! Do you really want to mess with this guy???!!

Vietnamese Dining

2008-07-21T22:16:00.000-07:00

I'm slowly hitting up all the international cuisines here in Taiwan. This weekend, my Uncle and Grandma took me too a nice Vietnamese place close to home:

These fried shrimp balls don't look very exciting but actually pack quite a punch of flavor and texture within the fried exterior.

I used to never eat these because they look like the occasional big blisters on my feet -- when I play basketball too long in new sneakers -- stuffed with egg, lettuce and white noodles. YUMYUM!

And these look like....very good eggrolls!!

Look at that brilliant composition.

And the headliner. Very hot and fresh except they used thick noodles instead of the thin clear ones I'm used to. What the he..

And desert? Looks like yellow bell peppers. Tastes like yellow bell peppers soaked in some intense sugar and syrup. But it's not yellow bell pepper.
In the end, VERY fulfilling meal, just like every other meal I consumed on TAIWANYUMYUM.

The King of All-You-Can-Eat Cuisine

2008-07-17T09:53:00.000-07:00

This is the restaurant I look forward to the most every time I come back to Taiwan. I wouldn't say it's the best and I enjoy a bowl of noodles from the cart down the street just as much, but man, this place is really awesome. It's on the 3rd floor of the Hyatt hotel, which itself is visually amazing.

View over the balcony. Just to set the mood.

We got some prime seats, just a couple feet away from the food. You can see the oyster/clam bar behind my cousin.

Diana's head is blocking the part of the buffet with the cooked dishes and grilled meats.

With no regrets, I head straight for the sashimi. Very wide variety. I mostly stuck with the salmon (and by that I mean like 25 pieces.

The seafood all tasted extremely fresh and the fried foods were always seemingly fresh from the fryer. It was magical.

Customized handroll, kobe beef nigiri, and MORE SALMON.

I did not actually try the udon buffet because I figured fresh seafood was worth more in my stomach but word on the table was a thumbs up.

More handrolls, some kinda fish, and a bamboo sticking out the side there.

Only downer of the night because these were cold, but no worries we just got new ones.

Finish it off with some simplicity. I left out a lot of food because it's simply not worth my time to take pictures during this rare luxury meal. I will be more thorough next time.

Making the painful departure back to reality, stomachs filled to capacity, almost inmobile, but hearts still greedy for more.

I couldn't decide if this picture was really cool and artistic or really dumb and pointless. I pondered this for a couple minutes. I decided it's ridiculously legit. No questions. Just enjoy.

Stopped by NIKE to check out some limited edition TAIPEI shirts (refer to 2nd picture) exclusive to that store. Decided I'd come back for it later. Ran into my friend Kobe though. Crazy guy always haphazardly dunking on people at random times and places. What a silly guy.

Lunch Shots Take 3

2008-07-17T09:30:00.000-07:00

Some more lonely lunches caught on camera:

"Oil Chicken" roughly translated. It's from a popular but stantard lunch stand that has a variety of meats to choose from, all hanging in the store front. One of their waitresses is a 4 year old girl with an attitude. Look behind the lunchbox and you can catch a glimpse of an INOGU FABRICS design in the works.

This one was a little pricy and the steak was like gum, but overall still enjoyable. Lunchbox and CNN, very chill.

Midnight Snack

2008-07-15T09:06:00.000-07:00

The one thing I distinctively remember being in Taiwan since my first visit here is the fried food stand outside on the street every night. There are plenty of these around but this one is supposed to be pretty well known for the spices it uses. They have a huge selection of foods that you can choose from to deep fry. Tastes amazing but I can feed my heart squirming with pain with every bite.

We have green beans, shitaki mushrooms, yams, rice sausage, and pig blood. Hell yea.

Close-up. Check out that texture.

Toy Time

2008-07-15T08:49:00.000-07:00

Prior to opening.

Hm...I don't get it...

Toy karma. I love these guys.

PIZZA HUT!

2008-07-13T08:35:00.000-07:00

For lunch on Saturday, we had some classic Chinese dishes: two large pizzas and a bucket of fried chicken, from PIZZA HUT. It's just a little bit different from the pizza I'm used to...

French Style Seafood! Toppings: Crab, Shrimp, Brazilian Mushrooms, Onions, Squid, Fish Roe. And no tomato sauce, instead I think there was mayo or something like that?

Hawaiian! Toppings: Shrimp, Pineapple, Water Chestnut

There is nothing that Lulu will not eat, even Chinese pizza..with Salmon Roe and mayo.

Just to clarify, despite the very peculiar toppings, the pizza was not that bad at all. The crust and pizza overall still tasted like the oily pies you get from pizza hut in the U.S. Wash it down with some Pepsi and it's all the same.

SHIMEN #2

2008-07-13T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hit up Shimending again this weekend:

Diana furiously searches for that perfect pair of cute yet not too overly-priced summer sandals.

There were a ridiculous number of people at Shimending because COKE was having some sort of promotional event. There were cheerleaders, guys on stilts, live music, raffles, games, and gogo dancers in coke skirts. But I still couldn't figure out what they were promoting. And I don't feel like drinking coke today anymore than I did before. COKE you failed!

I think these guys are pretty famous. Anyone know who they are? Correct answers wins a garlic sausage.

For dinner, we went to AZABUSABO, a fairly nice Japanese retaurant. I got fried chicken breast with curry on rice. Check out that EGGPLANT! I looooove eggplant. It's usually a major factor in my dish choosing decision-making process.

Diana chowing down a refreshing wudong salad. 0/5 because there's no eggplant.

We had shaved ice with condensed milk and red beans for desert, the simplest and best combo in my opinion. Diana is focused on filling out a restaurant service survey. As mentioned before, I sadly can't read or write Chinese that well, so I just wrote PANDA and COMPUTER really big on the survey because those are the characters my Grandma taught me last week. Hopefully they'll understand what I was trying to get across.

Random Snaps

2008-07-13T08:20:00.000-07:00

I thought this was a nice picture of Shin Yi Road where I took a nice stroll with my uncle today. You can see 101 in the distance.

First-person milk tea drinking game. Way more exciting than Halo.

Lunch Shots Take 2

2008-07-13T08:17:00.000-07:00

Some more captures of lunchtime at work.

Marinated Pork lunch box. 2.5/5. Look how excited those business people are for my lunch!

Fried Chicken Breast lunch box. 3.5/5. Fried tofu side dish is bomb, but the chicken breast is tiny. Marvel > DC.

IS THAT NOT AN APPLE?! No, it's actually a tomato. But when you draw it like that and place the juice box next to similarly designed grape and orange juice boxes on the shelves at 711(and when your customer can't read Chinese that well), it's very easily mistaken as APPLE JUICE. Just a side note: I hate tomato juice and I hate plum juice. This was not a pleasant surprise when I sat down to enjoy my lunch. And realize I did not make the discovery until I chugged a mouthful and almost spit it all out onto my laptop.

Spice Market Round 2

2008-07-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

The void at Yum Yum caused by the temporary absence of my brother will be replaced by Diana for the most part. She will be the new accompanying face to all the tasty foods for the next couple weeks. We start off with another trip to the Spice Market for some exquisite Thai food. There really aren't that many pictures because they'd all be the same as last time but know that I did not enjoy experience any less than the first visit. And rumor is I'll be returning there soon when my aunt gets here from LA.

Diana having an intriguing conversation with her fried bun.

Something that I did not try last time: freshly made wudong with self-selected ingredients. Good but too filling.

Just a shot of some selected buffet items.

Night Market #1

2008-07-07T07:49:00.000-07:00

Here's some pics from my first night market trip this summer. You always need an experienced local to lead the way, make sure you hit up the best spots and pass by the weak ones. Props to my cousin because everything I ate was bomb. Check it out:

I forget which night market we went to but it was pretty close to Shimending.

The view from our seats at the selected food stand. They seriously all look the same. For anyone unexperienced, there's a very small chance you'll find the best deals and grub.

Assorted tempura and seafood balls.

Daikon and some crispy stuff.

All the walls were mirrors for some reason.

Fried oyster cakes. The sauce was the centerpiece to all this. Some kind of sweet and spicy sauce. Also, notice the SOY MILK TEA. Such an obvious combo yet this is my first encounter. Brilliant.

FRIED RICE unlike anything I've tasted before. According to my brother, "The beef melts in your mouth."

The highlight of the night. BBQed corn on the cob. Each cob was brushed with sauce and cooked til charred. Then all the charcoal was scraped off the corn ad more sauce was applied. This was repeated 20 times until perfection.

Each corn kernel popped off so easily with a spicy bbqed crunch on the outside and sweet syrupy inside.

Everyone was focused on their corn while I made sure I got some good photos first. That is my dedication to Taiwanyumyum. We also had some fresh watermelon juice. Very refreshing end to a night of fried and spicy goodness. Also an effective hangover cure, for anyone interested.

The next day, my brother left for the mountains to teach English to little kids. Best of luck to him on his trip. He will be missed on Taiwan Yum Yum for the 4 weeks he's gone.

Thai Buffet

2008-07-06T22:07:00.000-07:00

So I am really really behind on these Yum Yum posts, like 10-11 meals behind, 100 photos behind. I have no idea when I'll catch but we'll start with some pics from the best (only) Thai buffet I've ever encountered. It's at the top floor of a 24 hour bookstore that could make Borders its little pet. Anyway, as for the buffet, the quality, mood, and variety rank up there compared to all buffets in general. I think I drank 5 gallons or so of Thai iced tea.

On the left we have freshly made thai wraps, assorted curries, tender steaks, and a variety of mixable spices and herbs.

Ahead we have the seafood buffet, featuring snow crap, giant shrimp, various mollusks, and a bunch of shiny sashimi that I could not identify.

Your first buffet plate is always the best.

Surprisingly, the highlight of the night was a fried bun. Crispy outside, soft inside, pure awesome.

There were also giant oysters that I dare not test for fear of certain bodily consequences. But they were really giant. Here is a lifesize comparison to Justin's head.

Dessert was bleh. Looks nice but tastes like bleh. WEAK.

They also had these snail things. I got one but couldnt sack up enough to try it. Didn't want to waste it so I listened to the ocean for a good minute. Don't worry Mr. Snail you did not go to waste.

Lunch Shots Take Uno

2008-07-06T07:36:00.000-07:00

First week of work with a bowl of delicious noodles for lunch. I forgot the name of the place but the icon is a happy daikon root. If I remember I'll update the name later (I probably won't).

Kevin Durant likes these noodles too!

TAIWANESE SANDWICH

2008-07-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

Some sandwiches from MEI ER MEI. Very different from anything in the States. This is just one of the many memorable foods I ate here as a kid. And it tastes the same today as it did back then. And according to my Grandma still run by the same family who's been making mad bank.

The Claw

2008-07-03T09:27:00.001-07:00

Went to Shimending a couple days ago. Out of all the attractions there who would've thought the stuffed animal claw machines would be the death of me. I spent way too much much money and time, but the feeling you get from watching the prize successfully fall through the hole is magnificent. Here's a look at the booty:

I'M SO HAPPPPPY!!!

Modern Toilet (Restaurant)

2008-06-30T02:39:00.000-07:00

My lunch at Modern Toilet does not need too much of an introduction. Enjoy!

Store front.

My uncle Peter explaining the situation to my brother, who is very frightened at this point.

The seats?

The sink..?

Our table? No, wait that's an actual toilet. Close one..

My chicken combo, with diarrhea splattered toilet. Sweet.

Coconut curry combo...i think

Beef? Or poop?

"LOL. Poop is funny!!!"

Milk Tea Urinal. I later found boba balls at the bottom. Um, maybe give me a bigger straw? Minus 1 star..

Wait, what?

Ah, now it makes sense...

This one is kinda gross..

My natural senses are very confused.

Okay now this is just kinda ridiculous.

One boy and one cup?

The food itself was whatever, but everyone should eat here at least once. BRB, bathroom.

TIT

2008-06-30T02:10:00.000-07:00

hahaha...

Snack Time

2008-06-30T02:04:00.000-07:00

While waiting for our lunch reservation, we got hungry and stopped by a nearby 711 for a snack.

My favorite brand of milk tea. It's from Japan. And a salmon rice and seaweed wrap.

MUNCH MUNCH MUNCH..happy happy happy..

Chicken Oil Infusion

2008-06-29T19:05:00.000-07:00

I'll admit I was slightly skeptical of this restaurant at first. All my relatives were raving about it but the menu looked slightly boring and the restaurant name, something about chicken oil, wasn't that appetizing. OH BOY was I wrong..here are a couple highlights from the dinner.

Do not be deceived. This is no ordinary bowl of rice. It has been carefully infused with chicken oil to create the most pleasurable rice experience I've ever encountered. I had three bowls.

Sweet and sour chicken. Pretty different than panda express.

Pan-fried shrimp. #1 dish of the night.

Oysters in black bean sauce.

There were much more but we were halfway through the dishes before I remembered to take pictures. It was also a struggle to get pictures before the chopsticks attacked the dishes. Thank you everyone for patiently waiting while I snapped some pictures.

50Lan Sighting #1

2008-06-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

The best boba in existence comes from 50Lan. The boba is pleasantly durable, not soggy like most places in the states, and the sweetness and texture of the tea is prime. This one is milk tea with small bobas and grass jelly. As with Lulu, you'll see 50Lan regularly on Taiwan Yum Yum.

"The Tea of Cool. Craving. Content..." Hell yea.

HI-CHEW!!!

2008-06-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

For some reason, white people really like HI-CHEWs. You know who you are....

I found this treasure waiting for me in my room.

Different pose.

Home Cooked Lunch

2008-06-29T16:55:00.000-07:00

Here we have another wonderful meal courtesy of my Grandma. Unfortunately, when it was served I was still too full from the Chinese Tamales, so I could only watch with envy. I eventually downed a steak just for kicks.

Better than Outback.

I'll have to ask my Grandma what this dish is called.

Wet squash.

Beggar Lulu. And you can see a fried fish that looks like a piranha between the ricebowl and my uncle's right hand.

Chinese Tamales

2008-06-28T21:35:00.001-07:00

Not too similar to bacon and eggs, this morning I had one of my favorite Chinese foods since I was a kid: Zhong Zi (someone correct my spelling), sticky rice and proteins wrapped with bamboo leaves. These are from the market, but I have some great memories from when my aunts or grandma spent hours cooking and wrapping these little tamales for special occasions.

Fresh from the steamer, still clothed.

Exposed and bathed in sweet and sour sauce. As I am writing this, I have ate two of these. It's been about 3 hours and I am still stuffed and digesting while everyone is outside eating lunch.

Awkward Introductions

2008-06-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

Every time I visit Taiwan, I have the time of my life. With caring relatives and eager friends, I always taste the best foods and find good fun. This summer, I hope to document my stay in Taiwan so I can better remember and share the excitement, most notably the food. Hopefully with this blog, everyone can learn a little bit about Taiwan, myself, and why I disappear from the states every couple of summers. Keep checking back. I will update often.

In order to maintain our muscular physiques during a summer of constant grubbing, my brother Justin and I constructed a makeshift gym on the upstairs porch.

These weights have been sitting in rust for 20 years. We wrapped the bar with towels, rope, and tape. And yes, those weights are 25 P each. P is the Taiwanese weight measurement system. 1 P is equal to about 80.9 pounds. I might be a little off.

Every visit to Taiwan begins with a magical home cooked meal at my Grandma's.

My grandma about to cut up the pork dish. Yes, that top layer is all fat. And yes I ate like half of that.

Justin dismantles some clams at record speed. I really wish I could be more exact with the names and ingredients for each dish, but it's slightly hard to translate everything from Chinese. I'll be making edits as I gradually figure everything out.

This is Lulu. Lulu sits next to you when you eat for extended periods of time until you finally break and give her a piece. You will be seeing Lulu a lot at Taiwan Yum Yum so get to know her.

*Pictures from dinner (Thai food) will be posted when my Dad sends me the pictures.