‘Oh Taipei is the best, it really is the best’. Hearing this countless times and with a 4-day weekend to play with, I grab a ticket and before I know it I am in the ROC. Within a few hours I was transported into a realm of relaxation.
Breakfast is found in many forms, from coffee and pastries to more traditional cuisine. The chocolate pancakes are little packets of yumminess, so small that we have one as we stroll to breakfast; like a canapé right? Feeling truly authentic, we find a small alfresco joint and are served danbing, doujiang and youtiao. The pancakes are syrupy; the fried dough is light and the soya milk, salty. And for $1 it tastes even better.
Then there are the night markets. Pineapples, sizzling oysters, tailors, dressmakers and a beautician’s stall. No I am not at a carnival, but rolling through one of Taipei’s infamous night markets, languishing in the burning warmth and delicious food. Everything tastes great and comes at a low rate. The Taiwanese egg pancake for instance, East Asia’s answer to French toast, knocks socks off any jidan dish I have tried elsewhere. The egg is fried onto the pancake… not after, not before, but ON, and it melts in your mouth like a gift from God. The guy selling ladles full of chicken feet is smiling brightly, and the lady serving a rainbow of different melons is soft with her butcher’s knife. Colours reminiscent of an autumn bonfire gleam in the moonlight. Even by our 4th market trip, the buzzing celebratory does not flag.
One night, we wander back from Linjiang Market after enjoying the legendary peanut brittle ice cream pancakes. Lo and behold we spy a lovely café, dimly lit, dark wood and high ceilings- we must go in! That funny holiday feeling; feast until full and then just a few minutes later something new is exciting enough to reignite your appetite. We sample the house red, gin and tonic and a homemade brownie. Yes a bit more expensive, but Taipei offers both cheap and cheerful, and luxury.
Besides the food, let us not forget that Taiwan hosts a history to be reckoned with. The Chiang Kai Shek memorial is an outstanding and oddly thrilling structure, great for dramatic selfies in the rain. We were also lucky enough to visit Longshan Temple during Lantern Festival. The temples in Taipei are fascinating, tucked in between new developments and hidden in little streets. Our time at the temple, laden with flowers, offerings and candles, was a very special experience.
If sightseeing isn’t your thing, there is something for literature lovers too. The Eslite Bookstore, the first 24-hour bookshop, is super. From businessmen sat on the floor reading novels, to teenagers sampling all kinds of literature, it is a social space for everyone.
‘This tea is really important, back in the day everybody used to make it, everybody used to sell it!’ a Taiwanese lady exclaims. It’s hard to imagine that more places could sell the famous beverage as on every street corner a bubble tea is waiting for us to try. Especially refreshing was our Matcha naicha after the overwhelming yet relaxing experience in the Beitou Hot Springs. Just north of the city, the hot springs are easy to get to via a picturesque journey on the subway. Ignoring the initial stares, and wearing t-shirts (bikinis are not a thing at these pools, we definitely missed that memo) we melt into the hot pools of Beitou and chat with the other Taiwanese people. Authentic yah?
Heading into Zhongshan area in Taipei, the best beef noodle soup can be found at Lao Wang Ji. Photography is forbidden. The soup is so important in Taiwan that it has its own festival so the expectations were high. Simple and effective; noodles, beef, with spicy or mild broth and as much herby garnish as you want and full to brim with locals chowing down on the freshest beef I have had in Asia, Lao Wang Ji is a treat. ‘It’s very delicious but be careful of the spice,’ my table companions warn. I assure them of my spice tolerance and they smile gently. Slurping the goodness next to a Taiwanese Christopher Walken is a treasured memory.
Taipei 101 is like the axis of the city, and before our final night market venture we took the short ‘hike’ up to Elephant Mountain and indulged in the landscape. City followed by mountains to the sea – the combination of jungle, urban, beach life results in a relaxed and warm people. As the sun sank into the hills, we sank into our seats in a Vietnamese restaurant packed with people chattering and chewing away at summer rolls and papaya salad. The real banquet was made on the road at Raohe Market. The squid. The squid!
Did I mention the food in Taipei is really good?
I stayed at Sofunn Inn, Taipei- highly recommended!
FIRST PUBLISHED IN PRINT FOR THAT’s BEIJING, MARCH 2014 EDITION.
Marina Garvey Birch 