Post 72.2: Taipei - Wrapping Up Two Weeks in Taiwan, Part Two

Wrapping up two weeks of eating in Taiwan is not an easy thing to do.  It seems like every time I have finished deciding on the highlights of the trip, I find more that simply can't be left out.  Here are some more places I frequented while in Taipei.

Big, fat, fluffy pork belly buns:

藍家割包 (Lan Family Guabao)

台北市 中正區 / Taipei City, Jhong Jheng District

羅斯福路 三段 / Roosevelt Road, Section 3

316巷 8弄 3號 / Lane 316, 8th Alley, No. 3

全家便利店隔壁 / Next door to Family Mart

Potstickers grilled to order:

永和佳佳香鍋貼/ Jia Jia Xiang

新北市 永和區  / New Taipei City, Yonghe District

 永和路 一段 114號 / Yonghe Road, Section 1, No. 114

臺灣銀行對面 / Across the street from Bank of Taiwan

AYCE spicy hot pot with unlimited Taiwan Beer:

馬辣頂級麻辣鴛鴦火鍋 (Mala Hot Pot)

台北市 中正區 / Taipei City, Jhong Jheng District

汀州路 三段 86號 / Tingzhou Road, Section 3, No. 86

捷運公館站 4號出口 / MRT: Gongguan Station, exit no. 4

Organic pineapple cakes:

幾分甜烘焙工坊/ How Sweet Bakery

台北市 松山區 / Taipei City, Songshan District

南京東路 五段 80號 / Nanjing East Road, Section 5, No. 80 

Buttery soft cranberry pineapple cakes:

佳德糕餅 / ChiaTe

台北市 松山區 / Taipei City, Songshan District

南京東路 五段 88號 / Nanjing East Road, Section 5, No. 88

Thanks to Christine, Diana, and Duke for suggesting and bringing me to these hot spots.  Thanks also to Anna, Anne, Christine, Diana, Jimmy, Kevin, Nicolas, Rina, Sophia, Tiffany, Yvonne and everyone else for romping around Taipei with me... fun times, indeed.  And extra big thank you to my aunt and my relatives... hope to see you all again soon! Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

ML - 201109XX

Post 42.1: Thanksgiving Means Turkey... Not Hot Pot

A tour guest recently asked me what a Taiwanese Thanksgiving feast is like.  Hmmm... I had never really thought about it... but I can't speak for other Taiwanese or Taiwanese-Americans.  

For me I guess I always took Thanksgiving to mean turkey, and anything Taiwanese would be saved for the remaining 364 days of the year.  Anytime any family member proposed to have hot pot for Thanksgiving, I put up strong opposition, and that usually led to our having a turkey at Thanksgiving.  

The one year that hot pot was elected over turkey, my cousins and I boycotted dinner with an I Love Lucy style hunger strike.  There was much yelling, but there was even more silence.  Not that my family ever ate hot pot on a regular basis, but hot pot was too typical of a meal for me... it wasn't special enough for this once-in-a-year holiday.  I mean... I don't particularly like turkey, but Thanksgiving without turkey is like Old Glory without the stars and stripes.  Thanksgiving meant turkey, and my cousins and I would find a way to get our roasted bird no matter what it took.... even if it was compromised with sticky rice stuffing.

This was the spread at Aunt Christy's house this year. 

Cream of mushroom soup with a swirl of sour cream and Pillsbury croissants.

Ham from Honey Baked Ham Company.

Condiments are champagne honey mustard and pineapple marmalade.

Originally prepared as asparagus in garlic and olive oil.

But later tossed into a salad of mixed greens and crispy bacon.

The golden turkey.  No stuffing... but surrounded by mini potatoes.

My aunt made the Cranberry sauce with fresh cranberries and added orange zest to it.

The seafood dishes are must haves in our family.

Shrimp cocktail with cocktail sauce on ice.  Linguine and clams with a forest of parsley.

Sweet potato casserole with brown sugar and pecan crust from Ruth's Chris.

No mashed potatoes this year? No problem.  Bye bye flat stomach.

If Aunt Jessica were stateside this year, there be two or three Marie Callender's pies on the table too, which probably makes our feast probably indistinguishable from from any other typical family's Thanksgiving feast... so I'm not sure if that answers the question, "What is a Taiwanese Thanksgiving feast like?"

But to throw in a little variation... how about another Taiwanese-American Thanksgiving feast from across town? Aunt Li doesn't eat turkey, chicken... or anything that walks on two feet, and her Thanksgiving dinner guests don't eat beef.  The compromise? Pork ribs from Tony Roma's. 

What was your Thanksgiving feast like?

ML - 20101202/20101125