173. Taiwan Day 6: Fast Food from Formosa Chang / 快吃鬍鬚張快餐 (New Taipei: Yonghe District / 新北市: 永和區)

If you need a quick bite during lunch, Formosa Chang (鬍鬚張) is the place to go.  When I was a study abroad student in Taiwan, I frequently dropped into one of the many locations in Taipei for a speedy and affordable meal before heading to class.  A bowl of stewed pork rice, a side of vegetables, and an order of soup set me back about 145 NTD (less than 5 USD).  And I was always able to sit, order, eat, and pay in under half an hour... with time left to grab an ice cream bar from the 7-Eleven down the street.  On the sixth day of my trip to Taiwan, Diana and I dropped by Formosa Chang for some a fast lunch.  We were on the way to teach her class how to play some American party games (think Uno and Big Booty), and Diana planned to bring them ice cream from 7-Eleven for being hard working students.  It looks like we have a recurring theme here...

Our meal centered around the stewed pork rice (滷肉飯), a sweet and savory saucy mess of fatty minced pork poured over steamed white rice and served with pickled ginger.  Two small bowls, petite enough to hold in the palm of your hand... one for me, one for Diana.  The bowls also come to medium and large sizes for the famished.

Eating with Diana means that ordering a plate of vegetables is inevitable.  Luckily for me, I have no problem with veggies.  Today we ordered both the bamboo and a local Taiwanese vegetable known as A-tsai, which has a texture that is a hybrid of spinach and lettuce.  Although it has been blanched, it still retains a crunchiness and an inherent greenness that makes it seem like sort of a salad rather than a completely cooked dish... aside from the savory minced meat sauce that accompanies it, of course.

We also ordered soup too, but oh, would you look at that! Time flies when you're eating good food.  We needed to run, almost literally, to buy ice cream bars for two dozen already overly energetic Taiwanese elementary school children.  Gotta run! Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Formosa Chang (鬍鬚張)
新北市永和區永和路一段108之1號
No. 108-1, Yonghe Rd., Section 1, Yonghe District, New Taipei City
multiple locations in Greater Taipei and northern Taiwan

ML - 20130705

171. Taiwan Day 5: Nostalgic for Oyster Vermicelli / 懷念麻辣蚵仔麵線 (Taipei: Zhongshan District / 台北市: 中山區)

Oyster vermicelli (蚵仔麵線 / Taiwanese: ô-ah mi sua) is one of those quintessentially local Taiwanese dishes that no part of China, other region of Asia, or nation in the world can claim as theirs.  In fact, this is one of those rare dishes that is still ordered by its traditional name in Taiwanese rather than Mandarin.  Mr. Liou took us to a corner shop aptly named Nostalgic (懷念麻辣蚵仔麵線) that serves the traditional oyster vermicelli of Taiwan's olden days as well as the modern spin on it with a mala numbing spiciness.

We all went with the original version, the most authentic variation of this dish.  Thin rice noodles swirl around in the thick chowder like soup.  Bits of soft, stewed intestine swim around amongst the weaves of noodle, and fresh, mini oysters are slid into the piping hot bowl at the final minute right before the forest of cilantro garnishes the top.  Additional condiments such as minced garlic in soy sauce and red chili paste are added as desired.  This bowl, by the way, is served with just a plastic soup spoon... no chopsticks included.  Needless to say, a lot of slurping ensued.

Slurp away, y'all.  Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Nostalgic Oyster Vermicelli (懷念麻辣蚵仔麵線)
台北市中山區中原街117號
No. 117, Zhongyuan St., Zhongshan District, Taipei City

ML - 20130704

168. Taiwan Day 3: Traditional British Food at Amy's Brit Shake / Amy姐的英國奶奶 (New Taipei: Tamsui / 新北市: 淡水區)

My family and I watch a television program called WTO Sisterhoods (WTO 姐妹會), a very entertaining talk show that features expats and spouses of Taiwanese nationals that share, very candidly at time, their experiences living in Taiwan as recent immigrants.  The guests range from a wide range of backgrounds and cultures, from nearby Asian neighbors to a surprising number of Latin American and African countries.  One of the guests on the show is Amy Rattigan, a British national who fell in love with a Taiwanese man while on a backpacking trip in China and eventually moved to Taiwan after their marriage.  Because she missed the food from home, Amy opened Brit Shake (英國奶奶) with her husband where she happily serves traditional British fare and milkshakes.

We ordered the obligatory fish 'n chips made with a Boddingtons beer batter and served with mushy green peas and tartar sauce.  The batter on the fish was so crisp, and the fish itself was ridiculously tender.  After squeezing the wedge of lime over the golden brown exterior actually made my mouth water.  The chips were served golden brown as well, but importantly, they were seasoned well and served piping hot.  Steam escaped out of the soft, fluffy potato when I broke it in two.  The portion sizes are made for the local Taiwanese, which is a bit disappointing for my American born appetite.  I wished there was more.

Fortunately, my aunt and I also ordered the cottage pie.  It also arrives in a portion size that I am not quite used to, but what the cottage pie lacks in quantity it makes up for in flavor.  I loved the strong cheddar cheese flavor and smell... it isn't something that the locals usually opt for, but that just affirms the authenticity of the ingredients at Brit Shake.  I noticed that the shelled peas really do taste different from the typical frozen green vegetable.  These peas are actually good.  As with the fish 'n chips, I only wished there was more to chow down on.

My aunt and I did not try any of the milkshakes on this occasion, but we saw many high school and college students walking out of the shop with the icy dairy beverage.  Perhaps on my next trip here.  It was so great to meet Amy (she is actually cooking in the back), and I wish her and Brit Shake all the best.  Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Brit Shake (英國奶奶)
新北市淡水區英專路65-1號
No. 65-1, Yinzhuang Rd., Tamsui District, New Taipei City

ML - 20130702

167. Taiwan Day 2: Pleasantly Palatable Chen's Beef Noodle Soup / 陳記牛肉麵不錯食 (Taipei: Da An District / 台北市: 大安區)

A trip to Taiwan without eating at least one bowl of beef noodle soup (牛肉麵 / Mandarin: niú roù miàn) is like not having visited Taiwan at all.  There are so many restaurants, corner shops, and roadside stalls that serve the supposed national dish in various forms and flavors.  Whether it is the red roasted version (紅燒 / Mandarin: hóng shao) that is darkened with soy sauce, the version with clear, unadulterated beef broth (清燉 / Mandarin: qin dùn), the version that is stewed from tomatoes (茄汁 / Mandarin: qié zhi), or the increasingly popular spicy Szechwan flavored (川味 / Mandarin: chuan weì) version, there is a flavor for everyone.  Everyone's tastes are different.  What one may think as the best beef noodle soup, another may think of it as nothing special.  Despite the annual search for the top purveyor of noodles at the Taipei International Beef Noodle Soup Festival (臺北國際牛肉麵節), it really is quite difficult to say which restaurant makes the best noodle soup.  I tried Chen's Beef Noodle Soup (陳記牛肉麵), and it was pleasantly palatable. 

This is pure and indulgent beef noodle soup porn.  Tender beef shank... yesssss.  Umami broth completely indulgent in beef essence... ohhhhh, yesssss.  Slurpable, slurpable, slurpable hand cut noodle strands... oh, oh, oh, oh, oh, yessssssssss.  Hot and bothered yet? Sweating a little bit? That's what I thought.  Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Chen's Beef Noodle Soup (陳記牛肉麵)
台北市大安區安東街56號
No. 56, Andong St., Da An District, Taipei City

ML - 20130701

159. A Burmese Spread at Daw Yee Myanmar Café (LA-SGV: Monterey Park)

After my first experience with Burmese food at Burma Superstar in San Francisco, I have been intrigued by the food from the country now known as Myanmar.  We visited Daw Yee Myanmar Café to eat more of this unique cuisine that blends Chinese, Indian, Thai, and Lao influences into its own native fare.

A must-order dish that provides a glimpse into traditional Burmese fare is the tea leaf salad.  Diced tomatoes, roasted peanuts, fried lentils, and toasted sesame accompany shredded cabbage, whole chilies, and fermented tea leaves imported directly from the mother country.  Our Burmese server-host-instructor extraordinaire tossed the hodgepodge of ingredients table side until it created a harmonious blend of rainbow colored, texturally titillating, fragrant salad.

One of our favorites was the kima platha, a sort of grilled flatbread in finger food sized pieces folded over ground chicken seasoned with Indian masala.  It is almost like a potsticker, but a more bready, heartier, fuller version of the usual fried dumpling.  The kima platha comes with a dipping sauce, but we used it to soak up all the leftover curry goodness on our plates.

Speaking of curry, the egg curry was a highlight of the night.  Get this... the eggs are hard boiled and deep fried, then added to the mix of tomato and onion sauce.  The colorful curry covers the eggs, making them gleam in the golden pool of glory.  Cut the eggs up and let them fall into that sauce... douse the eggs with more sauce, and you've got a spoonful of bliss.  Whoever thought of this (someone Burmese I presume) was a genius.

There are many more items on the menu that are great to share as well.  We also ordered the mutton curry, which was robust in meaty flavor with a tinge of lemongrass.  The mohinga, Myanmar's national dish, should not be missed.  Rice noodles submerged what is known as a catfish chowder piques an initial interest but results in a complete addiction to the comforting noodle soup.  We are definitely returning for more.

Happy birthday, Ron.  Until next time, let's all get S.O.F.A.T.

Daw Yee Myanmar Café
111 N. Rural Dr.
intersection of Garvey Ave.
Monterey Park, CA 91755
Closed Tuesdays

ML - 20130909