Welcome to Taiwan! Think of it as a capitalist, democratic China with Japanese and Southeast Asian influence, and a dash of island vibes. We are here for a few days en route to Saigon (blog post for that on its way as well). Okay, that’s enough of an introduction. Let’s get into what actually matters – what I ate…
Our first night, we arrive in Taipei from Vancouver, B.C. and are too tired to venture very far away from our dungeon-esque Airbnb. Luckily, there is a small night market along with hundreds of little restaurants and food carts within the block that will more than suffice.
The next day is Christmas, and the presents are on the streets of Taipei. We start the day at Din Tai Fung – the original location, mind you. By the time we arrive at 10 am, there is already a 30 minute wait – natives and tourists alike queuing up to sample Michelin-starred dim sum. When our number is called, we escape the hectic crowd outside for the quiet sanctuary of the restaurant.
Shrimp and pork go together like peanut butter and jelly, especially in wontons with chili sauce.
Stumbling out of Din Tai Fung, I need a beverage to counter all the salty food I just consumed.
Though we stuffed ourselves silly, several hours of Birkenstock-hooven urban trekking is enough to ramp up anyone’s appetite. It’s time to move on to our next spot.
That’s right, Japanese influence is heavy in Taiwan as a result of 50 years of occupation as well as physical proximity. This means that there is some seriously good sushi to be had.
This sushi bar is stand only (and we walked 10 miles already today) so this is just an appetizer (for which our wallet thanks us), and we move on to yet another night market.
Quick side note – it was rather difficult to ignore the incredibly heated Tetris tournament occurring off to the side of the food stalls. These guys have mad skills.
After I was able to drag myself away from the epic Tetris battle, I join a long line (the golden rule: if you see a long line, get in it ASAP) for one of Taiwan’s most iconic dishes – the scallion pancake – so delicious yet so simple.
And that wraps up our Taiwanese Christmas – but there is still a Boxing Day to be had (whatever the hell that is).
It turns out to basically be a scallion pancake, except there are no scallions and it is deep fried with an egg.
However, when I enlist Doug to hold my bomb pancake for just a brief moment, an unfortunate incident occurs…
The less I say about that, the better. It’s something I’ll work out in therapy later.
Another interesting thing about Taiwan – it seems that the NBA is making a big marketing push here. In our neighborhood alone, there is a poster of LeBron and a billboard of Kyrie’s new shoe.
(Editor’s Note: Note my food baby in photo on right after a long day of enjoying Taiwan.)
Anyway, we have one final night market to visit before we embark onwards to Saigon.
Right in front of the gates, there’s a massive line that is definitely impossible to miss. Following the golden rule of eating abroad (if there’s a ginormous line, get in it), we join the crowd inching their way forward towards some pepper pork buns (that I ate last time but Doug had yet to experience).
These bad boys are quickly assembled on the spot, and stuck to the sides of flaming hot ovens to ensure maximum crispiness.
These buns are one of those foods that are so hot that eventually you just have to grit your teeth, take a bite and burn your mouth a bit. They are delicious though, almost like a Taiwanese burger if you will.
We also grab some soup dumplings and a bucket of fried calamari dusted with chili powder – some spread (whaaap)!
To cap the entire trip off, I decide to sample the inspiration for David Chang’s most iconic dish – his pork buns. Here, they’re called gua bao, and the dough is as soft and fluffy as a pillow.
Alright, that’s a wrap from Taipei. I’ll see you all in Saigon.
Eat It 
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