Made in Taiwan
BBC Radio 1 DJ and major foodie Alice Levine jetted to Taiwanese capital Taipei – aka the street food Mecca of the world. There, she found a city of amazing markets and happening nightlife. Here’s her traveller’s tale…
USUALLY, WHEN I PACK my bag for an exotic trip, my approach is simple: pretty cotton dresses to wear when holding a sundowner, large vintage cat- eye shades for days on the beach, espadrilles that won’t get a debut in British summer weather. But on this trip, my priorities were not sartorial; instead, loose waistbands, comfortable footwear and stretchy fabrics were the order of the day. (I imagine it’s similar to the emergency bag that pregnant women pack for when labour pains kick in.)
That’s because I was going on a pilgrimage to Taiwan – a gua bao pilgrimage to be precise – in search of those plump, smooth, cloud-like steamed buns filled with a rich, braised, meaty filling that’s finished with coriander and peanut dust. Originally a street food sensation, Bao’s bricks and mortar restaurant ( baolondon.com) opened in London’s Soho recently, and the all-day queue for these Taiwanese delicacies snakes down the road. I’ve joined the line many times, but always quit early for fear of running late for work. So when I was invited to Taipei, where I would be able to eat them to my heart’s content while discovering the city’s people and culture, I was on the plane pronto.