Nothing Really Poignant - James in Taiwan

Two or three weeks ago I was going out with a few co-workers to lunch and I really wanted to go someplace new. We walked down An-He Road past a cafe called Swing (which will have another review later) and found a new place called Bedroom where a cafe named Postop used to be.

We went in and all ordered our sets. Now the menu was a bit eclectic, with some classic Italian dishes and a few East-Asian curries and I opted for the Tomato Basil Chicken pasta set (around ~5.57 USD).

The first dish was a salad, which I offered to one of my co-workers. Next came out a miso-soup, a very un-Italian soup, but it was still good for a miso soup. Last came the pasta, which was really good - surprisingly so. My co-worker who ordered the Salmon in Cream Sauce gave a thumbs up, as did the other co-worker who ordered the Shrimp pasta (although the shrimp were high-maintainence because they were not un-shelled. All-in-all this was a great find that I have already gone back to another two times.

Dominos Pizza Delivery Scooter

Steven and I tend to order pizzas allot when it is rainy and we don’t go out. When we order them, I don’t really think about how they get here, but it turns out that some poor guy needs to ride a scooter to deliver pizzas. At least there is a plastic compartment to keep the pizzas dry.

These gel drinks are sold as healthy and refreshing, but seem like a bag of watered down sandwich jelly to me. These were originally popular in Japan, but they finally made it to 7-11 in Taiwan.

I haven’t tried one here, but I did try one when I was in Tokyo. They taste like room-temperature Jello made with too much water.If you are a vegan, I wouldn’t recommend you drink (or is it eat) these, since they are probably made with animal gelatin.

Last Friday a couple co-workers shared a cab and headed over to Sababa Pita Bar for some pitas. While in line to order I told Sandra that I am not really a fan of hummus and she told me how much she likes it and that she has been to this restaurant three times already.   I told her “You can eat my hummus anytime you like.” When Laverne overheard that he said it sounded really dirty, although I can’t say why.

Anyway, I had a chicken pita sans yogurt (88 NTD/ea) and two “Moroccan Cigars” (58 NTD/ea). All together as a combo with fries and a Coke my lunch came out to be 200 NTD - not bad.

This tip originally posted on Craigslist is important and every potato-chip loving person should read this. It provides you (the reader) with many reasons why you do not want to try Pringles Fat Free Chips.

DO NOT EAT PRINGLES FAT FREE POTATO CHIPS. THEY WILL GREASE YOUR ASS.

Strangossi al ragu
Originally uploaded by James in Taiwan.

A few weeks back Steven and I stumbled upon a small cafe that specialised in pizza and pastas. We decided to try both, and the pasta was so good, we had to order another plate (even though we were full).

If you are looking for a great place for a plate of pasta and a pizza, go to Pizzeria Rialto on No 116, Sec. 7, Chung Shan N. Rd. or their sister resturant Osteria Rialto found at No. 5, Lane 260, Kuang-Fu S. Rd.

Tutti Frutti Ice Cream
Originally uploaded by James in Taiwan.

Tutti Frutti is a great place to get a few scoops of Italian Gelato. Currently it is hidden behind TienMu’s Wellcome supermarket, but they will be moving to a more visible location in the front of the same building before the beginning of the summer.

Many local reviews of this store highlight that they use special low-sugar and low-fat recipes, but authentic Italian gelato is always made from milk, not cream and is never too sweet. Overall you will get a good scoop of ice cream with the same ingredients and texture that you would find in Italy.

Popcorn Balls
Originally uploaded by James in Taiwan.

I really wanted to have a sweet treat from the US, Rice Crispy Treats, but unfortunately I can’t find Rice Crispies in Taiwan.

I was thinking back to my childhood and I remember Fritz’s mom made Marshmallow Popcorn Balls. I looked online and found the following recipe:

Marshmallow Popcorn Balls

• 1 cup popcorn (un-popped)
• 35 large marshmallows
• 1 stick butter

1. Pop the popcorn (1/2 cup at a time) and remove all un-popped kernels.
2. Melt the butter in a large sauce pan.
3. Tear each marshmallow in half and add to the butter.
4. Stir until melted into a giant goo.
5. Slowly add the sauce to the popcorn and mix with your hands.
6. Form 2 inch popcorn balls and place in plastic wrap.

Cleanup is easy, just use soapy hot water.

Enjoy them, they are yummy!

Chicken Head in the Soup
Originally uploaded by Danburg Murmur.

From Shanghai Village - “The best of Shanghai food”. This is just one of the reasons I don’t like Taiwanese / Chinese food that much. Sure, sweet and sour pork is great, but it has bones in it in Taiwan.

My father and step mother are visiting Taiwan this weekend, I think I am bringing them to my favorite Chinese vegetarian restaurant….

Flying fish
Originally uploaded by James in Taiwan.

The first nioght in Kenting we went arround the main strip, we saw a vendor selling some “mountain meat” and Chinese sausage. They also had smoked flying fish and some baby chickens that you can have heated over the coal bar-b-que. We went for the mountain meat and sausage only, it looked the safest.

After this, we went to a local resturant for dinner and went walking arround a bit more.