One island, many flavors
Taiwan climbs to the top of foodie destinations
Take a seat (at the dinner table) because this is probably going to shock you: A recent survey by the popular “Culinary Journeys” TV series determined that the world’s No. 1 food destination is Taiwan. That comes as no surprise to those who’ve already experienced the restaurant scene in Taipei and beyond. But it can take a little explaining for those unfamiliar with Taiwanese cuisine. About the same size as Maryland, Taiwan makes up what it lacks in area with a long and rich heritage of homegrown foods and culinary traditions borrowed from Asian neighbors. An influx of Chinese mainlanders and their wideranging regional foods and a booming economy sparking global travel added to the gastronomic melting pot.
Name your favorite Asian regional food and chances are you’ll find multiple Taiwanese restaurants serving those delicacies. But the best bets are homegrown dishes you rarely find off the island. Like many Asian cuisines, Taiwan food revolves heavily around seafood, pork, chicken, rice and super-fresh vegetables, but it’s what local chefs do with those ingredients that exemplifies Taiwanese cuisine.
Among the island’s iconic dishes are gua bao (steamed pork dumplings with shaved peanuts), lu rou fan (minced pork with rice), oyster omelets and noodles, various types of pancakes made with meat, seafood or vegetables, and cho dofu (stinky tofu) — a malodorous dish that actually tastes quite good.
Yongkang Street near the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial is Taipei’s restaurant row, dozens of eateries within a short walk of one another, including the original Din Tai Fung, an L.A. favorite. Try beef noodle soup, the unofficial national dish. The beef is often slow-cooked for 24 hours before adding it to a broth rich in soy and spices. Meat free? As a traditional Buddhist nation, Taiwan is also ripe with vegetarian restaurants, with an estimated 6,000.
A featured cornerstone of Taiwanese cooking is xiaochi (literally, “small eats”). Comparable to Spanish tapas, these little dishes are most often found at spots like Shilin or Huaxi Street Night Markets, some of the most celebrated food markets around Taipei. The retinue of xiaochi dishes runs into the thousands. The chefs are always experimenting — mixing local flavors with international ingredients.
A little over two hours south of the capital by bullet train, Tainan is the island’s other gastronomic hub. The city is renowned for regional dishes like ta-a noodles and “oily” rice with shredded pork and shrimp and pork meatballs.
Visitors who want to learn more about Taiwanese food — while they’re munching it — can sign up for local culinary tours with outfits like Taipei Eats (taipeieats.com) or cooking classes at Hoja Kitchen (www.hoja-hoja.com).