January 2014 Taiwan Business TOPICS - Special Wine and Dine edition.

www.amcham.com.tw THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN TAIPEI

Taiwan Business

Topics SP E CI A L I SSU E

WINE & DINE IN TAIWAN 2014

TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS

Penghu Seafood (p.19) Kinmen Kaoliang (p.28) January 2014 | Vol. 44 | Issue 1

New Restaurants (p.39)

中華郵政北台字第 號執照登記為雜誌交寄 5000 1_2014_Cover.indd 1

January 2014 | Vol. 44 | Issue 1

NT$150

ISSUE SPONSOR

Published by the American Chamber Of Commerce In Taipei

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CONTENTS 6 ja Nua ry 2 0 1 4 vOlumE 44, NumbE r 1 一○三年一 月號

Publisher

吳王小珍

Editor-in-Chief

10 Yongkang Street, One of Taipei’s Tastiest Neighborhoods

總編輯

Don Shapiro

沙蕩 美術主任 /

Art Director/ Production Coordinator

The international profile of dumpling chain Din Tai Fung has helped turn the Yongkang Street area into a destination for tourists, but the neighborhood is filled with even more culinary delights.

後製統籌

Katia Chen Manager, Publications Sales & Marketing

By Mark Caltonhill

發行人

Andrea Wu

陳國梅 廣告行銷經理

Caroline Lee

Cooking up a Revolution

Interest in the culinary arts is growing in Taiwan – both among home cooks and would-be professionals – and there are more schools to train them.

李佳紋

By Catherine Shu American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei 129 MinSheng East Road, Section 3, 7F, Suite 706, Taipei 10596, Taiwan P.O. Box 17-277, Taipei, 10419 Taiwan Tel: 2718-8226 Fax: 2718-8182 e-mail: amcham@amcham.com.tw website: http://www.amcham.com.tw 名稱：台北市美國商會工商雜誌 發行所：台北市美國商會 臺北市10596民生東路三段129號七樓706室 電話：2718-8226 傳真：2718-8182 Taiwan Business TOPICS is a publication of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei, ROC. Contents are independent of and do not

14 Exploring Taichung’s “Little Europe”

An expat family goes looking for familiar dining experiences in their new habitat on the other side of the Pacific.

By Karen E. Bender

necessarily reflect the views of the Officers, Board of Governors, Supervisors or members. © Copyright 2014 by the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei, ROC. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint original material must be requested in writing from AmCham. Production done in-house, Printing by Farn Mei Printing Co., Ltd. 登記字號：台誌第一零九六九號 印刷所：帆美印刷股份有限公司 經銷商：台灣英文雜誌社 台北市108台北市萬華區長沙街二段66號 發行日期：中華民國一○三年一月 中華郵政北台字第5000號執照登記為雜誌交寄 ISSN 1818-1961

OFFICERS: Chairman/ Thomas Fann Vice Chairmen/ Scott Meikle / William J. Farrell Treasurer: Cosmas Lu Secretary: Fupei Wang

19 Penghu Offers a Treasure Trove of Seafood Delicacies

Wild lobster, prawns, and crab are just some of the great variety of seafood originating from the “Islands of the Fishermen.”

By Erick Kish

2013-2014 Governors: Thomas Fann, William Farrell, Ajit Nayak, Neal Stovicek, Stephen Tan, Fupei Wang, Bill Wiseman.

2014-2015 Governors: William E. Bryson Jr., Sean Chao, Rodney Van Dooren, Douglas Klein, Cosmas Lu, Scott Meikle, Dan Silver, Ken Wu.

photo : alaska trade office

22 Alaska Wild Seafood in Taipei

2014 Supervisors: Anita Chen, Midee Chen, Joseph Lin, Louis Ruggiere, Vincent Shih.

COMMITTEES: Agro-Chemical/ Melody Wang; Asset Management/ Christine Jih, Derek Yung; Banking/ Victor Kuan; Capital Markets/ Miranda Liaw, C.P. Liu, Shirley Tsai; Chemical Manufacturers/ John Tsai, Michael Wong; CSR/ Lume Liao, Fupei Wang; Customs & International Trade/ Stephen Tan; Education & Training/ Robert Lin, William Zyzo; Greater China Business/ Helen Chou, Cosmas Lu; Human Resources/ Richard Lin, Seraphim Mar; Infrastructure/ L.C. Chen, Paul Lee; Insurance/ Joseph Day, Dan Ting, Lee Wood; Intellectual Property & Licensing/ Jason Chen, Peter Dernbach, Jeffrey Harris, Vincent Shih; Manufacturing/ Thomas Fan, Hans Huang; Marketing & Distribution/ Wei Hsiang, Gordon Stewart; Medical Devices/ Susan Chang, Tse-Mau Ng, Dan Silver; Pharmaceutical/ Margaret E. Driscoll, David Lin, Jun Hong Park; Private Equity/ William Bryson; Public Health/ Jeffrey Chen, Dennis Lin; Real Estate/ Tony Chao; Retail/ Prudence Jang, Douglas Klein, Ajit Nayak; Sustainable Development/ Kenny Jeng, Kernel Wang; Tax/ Cheli Liaw, Jenny Lin, Josephine Peng; Technology/ Revital Golan, Scott Meikle, Jeanne Wang; Telecommunications & Media/ Thomas Ee, Joanne Tsai, Ken Wu; Transportation/ Michael Chu; Travel & Tourism/ Anita Chen, Pauline Leung, Achim v. Hake.

Wild, Natural, and Sustainable

By Erick Kish

23 Where to Buy, and Eat, Fish in Taipei

The Wanhua Central Fish Market and the oddly named Addiction Aquatic Development are places that every seafood lover should be acquainted with.

photo : w hotel

By Mark Caltonhill

c ov e r ph o to : c o u rtes y o f g rand h yatt

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iSSuE SPONSOr

j an uary 2014 • Volume 44 n umbe r 1

28 Kinmen Lives on Kaoliang

The distillery on the offshore island group is a vital source of employment, government revenue, and social welfare benefits.

By Joe Seydewitz

31 Bread in Taiwan Isn’t What it Used to Be

Bakers’ skills and consumers’ tastes have both come a long way since Western-style baked goods were first introduced in the 1960s.

Fubon Financial Overview

By Catherine Shu

Committed to becoming one of Asia’s first-class financial institutions, Fubon Financial has built a strong lineup of financial service companies. Its major subsidiaries include Taipei Fubon Bank, Fubon Bank (Hong Kong), Fubon Insurance, Fubon Life and Fubon Securities. Fubon Financial had around US$148.9 billion in assets as of the end of Sept. 2013, the second highest amount of assets among Taiwan’s publicly listed financial holding companies and the most profitable financial holding company in Taiwan.

photo : grand hyatt

Fubon Financial’s subsidiaries rank among the top performers in their respective sectors. Fubon Insurance has consistently led all P&C insurers with an over 20% market share. Taipei Fubon Bank is one of Taiwan’s biggest privately owned banks; Fubon Securities ranks among Taiwan’s top three securities houses; and Fubon Life ranks second in first year premium and total premium.

34 Food and Table Manners in Old Formosa

Fubon Financial has also moved aggressively to extend its reach throughout Greater China. Fubon Financial acquired a stake in Xiamen Bank through Fubon Bank (Hong Kong) in 2008. Fubon Property & Casualty Insurance began operations in 2010. Founder Fubon Fund Management, a fund management joint venture between Fubon Asset Management and Founder Securities, unveiled in July 2011.

Many foreign visitors to Taiwan between the 17th and 19th centuries wrote accounts of what the Han Chinese and Aborigines were eating and drinking.

By Mark Caltonhill

In December 2012, the boards of Fubon Financial and Taipei Fubon Bank approved the acquisition of a controlling 80% stake in Shanghai-based First Sino Bank. Once the deal is completed, Fubon will become the first Taiwanese bank to have one stake and one controlling interest in Chinese banks and stand out as the only Taiwanese financial institution with a complete financial services platform throughout Greater China.

39 What’s New on the Restaurant Scene?

Newly opened or relaunched dining places you should know about.

By Anita Chen

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Looking ahead, Fubon Financial will continue to strengthen their presence in Taiwan and pursue stable growth. At the same time, Fubon Financial will continue to search for suitable M&A opportunities in Greater China in order to develop a foothold in the regional market and move closer to the goal of becoming a first-class business group in Asia.

2014/1/3 2:10:09 AM

Cooking up a Revolution Interest in the culinary arts is growing in Taiwan – both among home cooks and would-be professionals – and there are more schools to train them.

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MARK CALTONHILL

W

ith increasing numbers of p e o p l e b e c o m i n g i n t e rested in learning to cook, a noticeable change is taking place in Taiwan’s culinary environment. In fact, two overlapping transformations seem to be taking place in culinary education – one aimed at home cooks and the other at professional chefs.

It should be noted that these new trends probably represent only a slight blip on the overall decline in interest in cooking among the nation’s urban youth throughout the later decades of the 20th century. And whether it is merely a temporary fashion or might

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develop into something more significant remains to be seen.

“As for why is it occurring, it is best to start by considering the causes of that earlier decline, and then to ask what might be changing in those conditions,” suggests Paul Hsieh, Associate Professor of Western Culinary Arts at the National Kaohsiung University of Hospitality and Tourism (NKUHT).

He cites such factors as “increased academic pressures on young people, increased career opportunities for women as well as men, increases in disposable incomes, migration away from home that separates young people from

family members who might traditionally have taught them domestic skills, and pressure at work to do overtime on top of a six-day working week.”

All of that helps explain the legions of city dwellers who often end up eating take-away meals three times a day, only see the inside of a restaurant on weekends, and rarely or never cook for themselves.

Given the earlier influence of these social conditions and working practices – which no doubt contributed t o Ta i w a n ’s h i g h p e r f o r m a n c e i n terms of industrial output – a major factor behind the current resurgence of interest in cooking may have been the changes in labor legislation introduced in the late 90s and early 00s.

These revisions brought a reduction in working days (though not necessarily in working hours) for most white-collar workers from six days a week to fiveand-a-half and then to five.

The result has been an explosion of pastimes, hobbies, leisure activities, and domestic tourism, and may be a reason why people now have time to cook for themselves, to shop for ingredients, and

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even to take courses in simple cooking techniques.

Being internet-savvy, many Taiwanese utilize online cooking websites and blogs, which often carry video footage that makes learning easier. For others who prefer a face-to-face relationship with a teacher, a plethora of small private kitchen-classrooms has sprung up.

One of these is 4F Cooking Home ( 4 F, 1 0 - 3 Yo n g K a n g S t . , Ta i p e i ; www.4fcookinghome.com.tw). Located in a tastefully decorated apartment overlooking the back alleys of YongKang Street – itself something of a foodies’ Mecca – its library and sitting areas are as conducive to introspection as the bright kitchen is to action.

4F was founded in 2008 by Eta Lin after she returned from studying at the Cordon Bleu in London. Although she has subsequently opened an iced-fruit outlet nearby, by first opening the school she bucked the trend set by most of her classmates of returning to their respective countries to open restaurants. Five years later, Lin now takes a backseat role – though she still runs an occasional class herself – recruiting young professional chefs to teach the courses. “ M o s t o f t h e t e a c h e r s a r e f o reigners,” says assistant Kelly Wang.

“Our students seem to prefer that. We

provide translators, but most of the teachers are fluent in Chinese. Many of our teachers run restaurants or work in catering in Taipei. Most of the students are women, mostly aged 25 to 40, and many are regulars at our courses. This is their hobby but also a social leisure activity.”

The teachers are also regulars, teaching one ore two classes per month, but the course offerings change often.

A typical course consists of instruction on making three or four dishes on a common theme. Classes take around two-and-a-half hours, can accommodate up to 11 students, and typically cost NT$2,500 per person. Students get to take their classwork home with them, as well as recipe cards for the dishes prepared, and there are also a small number of downloadable recipes on the school’s website.

Courses being offered this month included classical Korean cuisine, comfort food, wine pairing, winter Swiss fondue, and a winter gathering meal, which teaches the foods served at the school’s pre-Christmas party. There is also a new food-for-kids program.

Most of these private cooking schools are small, but if many are like 4F, which runs classes five days a week and therefore teaches around 200 pupil-classes per month, the collective

efforts of just a few dozen workshops could add up to a major force for social change.

Training chefs Perhaps some of these hobby chefs have secret career intentions, since there has also been a revolution in attitudes towards working in the catering industry, according to Howard Hsia, director of culinary art at the Kaiping Culinary School (No.24, Lane 148, FuXing S. Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei). “Traditionally, being a chef wasn’t seen in Taiwan as a particularly respectable job, but that’s changed lately, partly due to TV and internet coverage of celebrity chefs. Opportunities have also increased as Taiwanese people eat out a lot, partly because they do lots of overtime work, and so they want a lot of choice. Some of our students have even opened their own outlets when they graduate at 18 years old.”

Those are a distinct minority, but about 60% of the graduates do get jobs within the hospitality industry, while most of the rest go on to further study, either in Taiwan or at prestigious

Opposite page: An instructor at Kaiping evaluates students' classwork. Above, salad under preparation for Kaiping restaurant customers, many of whom are fellow students and their parents. Left, students on wait staff duty learn how to fold napkins properly.

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schools like Cordon Bleu or the Culinary Institute of America. Kaiping has a high graduation rate of about 95% of students enrolled, Hsia says. “ Ta i w a n h a s 1 5 5 v o c a t i o n a l schools with culinary departments, but ours is the only one solely focused on catering,” he notes. That specialization was a gradual but intentional evolution, started in 1990 when the school installed the first two kitchenclassrooms. “Kitchens were extremely expensive to provide for the entire school of over 1,500 students, so the change could not be achieved overnight.

A culinary college was always the plan of our founder and principal, Dr. Hsia Hui-wen.”

Kaiping’s evolution was finally completed in 2000 with conversion of the first floor of the adjunct building opposite the school into the KP Chef Factory, which has double kitchens in order to teach both Chinese and Western cuisine. “Before, when we were a normal vocational school, these restaurant spaces were motor mechanic and repair shops,” says Howard Hsia, who is the son of the founder.

At NT$69,000 (about US$2,300) per semester, Kaiping’s tuition fees are also relatively high – about double those of other vocational schools. For the entire three-year course, the cost comes to almost NT$420,000 (US$14,000). Government financial aid is available to poorer students, and industry-supported merit scholarships are awarded to those with the best performance.

There is no shortage of students applying. Hsia says that around 1,600 applications are received for the 450 available spots each year. “Entrance is not based solely on test results and student interviews,” he notes. “We even interview the parents, because home support is crucial to enabling the pupils to complete this rigorous curriculum.”

What makes the program so rigorous is that the students are essentially double-majors, earning a regular highschool diploma with classes in the old school on the north side of Lane 148, and then spending half the day and – if they wish – half the evening in the kitchen-classrooms on the south side.

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“In the first year they’ll learn about 300 recipes,” Hsia says. “120 Chinese, 120 Western, and about 60 bakingand-pastry. By the end of the year, they should be able to mix and match and put together their own menus.”

In their Food & Beverage courses, the students also learn about waiting and customer service, as well as the ins and outs of coffee, cocktails and wine. “Unfortunately due to their age, they are forbidden by law from tasting alcohol, so wine pairing is learned by smell alone at vocational schools,” says Hsia. But he adds that the school is asking the government to allow underage pupils to drink 5cc per class for educational purposes.

The first semester is spent in the kitchen-classroom, and the second in the KP Chef Factory restaurant.

Teachers are barred from the restaurant kitchens, where cooking is overseen by third-year students. The teachers stand beside the kitchen doors, however, to quality-check all the food heading to customers’ tables.

Although 60% of students’ time is devoted to regular high-school courses across the road, these are taught entirely without textbooks and in a manner uniquely tailored to the catering profession. Chinese language courses, for example, involve proposal-writing projects, mathematics focuses on problems of costing recipes or hotel management, and geography introduces speciality foods and produce from around the world.

The first semester of the second year is spent in the classroom, after which the students leave for two semesters of internship at companies approved by Kaiping and the Ministry of Education.

The last semester is spent on management techniques.

Hsia is emphatic that, despite appearances, these “hard skills” are not the school’s true mission. “Far more important are the soft skills that are built on top of these technical skills – things like interpersonal relationships, communication, leadership, self-management, administration, and conflict resolution,” he says. “There are always conflicts and crises in kitchens. We’re

trying to teach the students to think creatively and critically.”

He calls this approach a “revolution in pedagogy,” and says that while it is not restricted to culinary education, it is perfectly suited to Kaiping.

The school’s founder and former principal, Hsia Hui-wen, has a background in psychology, and before that in architecture. He has written extensively on psychology and education, using his Kaiping experiment as first-hand data.

Even now, eight years after stepping down from the day-to-day running of the school, the elder Hsia holds a two-day class for parents in which he explains the school’s philosophy, teaches them how to listen to their children’s voices, and allays their general panic regarding the lack of textbooks.

H owar d H s ia s ays m any of t he school’s educational principles can also be traced back to the man widely known as the “Godfather of Taiwan’s Hotel Industry,” Stanley Yen, former chairman of the Landis Taipei and now the head of several cultural foundations.

A vegetarian option Those without three years to spare might consider taking the four-month course run by the Foguangshan (Buddha's Light Mountain) Buddhist Order.

Not only is it much shorter, it is also cheaper. In fact, tuition and board are free, and students receive a stipend of NT$5,000 per month for the two months in class at the headquarters in Kaohsiung, and NT$10,000 per month while interning for a further two months at one of Foguangshan’s network of 66 branches of vegetarian Water Drop Teahouses (滴水坊) or the kitchens of its 200 temples and monasteries.

“Although the course was set up to help provide qualified staff to work at our own restaurants, they are by no means required to do so on completion of the course,” says Dharma Master Ru Chen, its coordinator. “Nor do students need to be disciples of our order. Indeed the course is advertised on the 104 recruitment website.” Students are also expected to take courses in Buddhism, however.

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A class in session at the 4F Cooking Home, one of a number of small private kitchen-classrooms that have sprung up in recent years. Most of the teachers are foreigners with experience in the restaurant business.

Prior knowledge of cooking is also not required, as courses start from absolute basics: ingredients, hygiene, and regulations. Higher-level courses are provided by teachers from the nearby NKUHT, and though these are both female and male, only female students may enroll for the Foguangshan courses, which have been run since 2009. Taught in Mandarin, the courses take 15-20 students each in two sessions per year, one beginning in March and the other in September. Foguangshan is working with some celebrity chefs to put together books of vegetarian recipes, which should include English translations

Changing attitudes Traditionally in China, the best culinary education was gained as a trainee chef under a successful master. But in today’s era of academic qualifications, probably the most professional courses are found at universities, such as Paul Hsieh’s International Culinary Program

at NKUHT. Hsieh agrees with Hsia that respect for chefs in Taiwan society has increased in recent years, and says that university courses were established to offer a fast track to a career in this industry. When he was a student at NKUHT, he and some of his classmates were sent abroad for advanced study, not just to learn their trade, but also to bring back best practices for an academic culinary program to help NKUHT develop its own world-class courses. Hsieh himself went first to the Culinary Institute of America, and then did his Ph.D. in Melbourne, Australia, while his colleagues studied at Cordon Bleu institutes and other schools.

The program at NKUHT now consists of a three-year course plus a oneyear internship, with many students looking to work in international hotels and restaurants either in Taiwan or overseas. Hsieh says such academic programs have contributed to what he sees as a second significant revolution in Taiwan’s culinary environment. “Think of

most Taiwanese restaurants,” he says, “and you will probably think of a small mom-and-pop outfit serving a local clientele in the first floor of a residential building. Sometimes the food is adequate, often less so, and occasionally better.”

“Most of these people learned to cook from their parents, who learned from their parents before them. But now they want something different for their children. They want them to be properly trained, and to have a horizon beyond their immediate local community. Typically our students come from a background in family restaurants, or have studied food and beverage at a vocational school, but a few are members of the ‘strawberry generation’ who have little or no life experience, never mind experience in food.”

If Hsieh, Hsia, Lin, and others can make chefs of this latter demographic group, known for being so soft they “blemish like a strawberry,” then there really will be a revolutionary new trend in Taiwan.

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Yongkang Street, One Of Taipei’s Tastiest Neighborhoods

BY CATHRINE SHU photos: catherine shu

T

he international profile of dumpl i n g c h a i n D i n Ta i F u n g h a s helped turn the Yongkang Street area into a destination for tourists, but the neighborhood is filled with even more culinary delights. Its restaurants serve food ranging from classic Taiwanese cuisine to French delicacies, and its cafes offer a quiet place to relax while savoring gourmet coffee or tea. Read on for a sampling of Yongkang Street’s most noteworthy eateries.

Yongkang Street Landmarks

Din Tai Fung 鼎泰豐 194 Xinyi Road, Section 2, Taipei 台北市信義路二段393號 Tel: 02-2321-8928 Famous for its xiaolongbao (小籠包), or dumplings made with thin skin and filled with savory broth and meat, Din Tai Fung now has locations in 10 countries, including five in Taipei. The restaurant’s flagship location near the corner of Xinyi Road and Yongkang Street remains the most popular among tourists, however, and long lines are common even on weekdays. Fortunately, Din Tai Fung’s staff keeps things moving briskly and the wait is usually short. Once inside, make sure to order the restaurant’s signature crab and pork xiaolongbao , as well as the more delicate steamed angled-gourd and shrimp dumplings. Other popular dishes include the decadent truffle xiaolongbao and steamed buns filled with chili crab and pork.

Yongkang 15 永康15 9 Yongkang Street, Taipei photo : DIN tAI FUNG

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台北市永康街9號

Tel: (02) 2395-8770 www.smoothie.com.tw.

After a meal at Din Tai Fung, diners often walk around the corner for a dessert of mango ice. The outdoor stand occupied by Yongkang 15 was once owned by Ice Monster, the shop that originally made Yongkang Street a famous tourist destination for massive desserts made with shaved ice topped with copious amounts of sweetened condensed milk and mango and other fruit.

Though Ice Monster has moved to a larger location on Zhongxiao East Road near the Sun Yat-sen Memorial, Yongkang 15 continues to keep tourists happy with the same menu of icy sweets. Mango toppings are highlighted in the summer, while strawberries drizzled in syrup get the spotlight during the colder months.

Onion pancake stand No. 1, Lane 6, Yongkang Street 台北市永康街6巷1號 Another popular spot among visitors and local alike, this non-descript stand on Yongkang Street has earned a reputation for selling some of the most deli-

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cious onion pancakes (蔥油餅) in Taipei.

Made with scallions and layers of pastry that alternate between flaky and chewy, its onion pancakes are available wrapped around bacon and other fillings, but are best enjoyed plain.

Yong Kang Beef Noodle 永康牛肉麵 No.17, Lane 31, Jinshan Road, Section

Another Yongkang Street classic is Dongmen Dumplings, which began as a street cart in 1961. The eatery is best known for steamed dumplings (蒸餃) and potstickers (鍋貼) stuffed with juicy pork or beef filling, but its other specialties include hot pot (火鍋) made with broth flavored with pickled cabbage and noodles drizzled with a fragrant sesame oil.

2, Taipei

Cafes and Teahouses

台北市金山南路2段31巷17號 Tel: (02) 2351-1051 www.beefnoodle-master.com

Bunny Listens to the Music

Founded in 1963, the most famous beef noodle (牛肉麵) joint in the neighborhood holds a special place in the hearts of many locals who have enjoyed its hearty dishes for generations. The restaurant’s signature dish is loaded with tender braised beef and tendons served on noodles in piping hot broth with a hint of spice. For extra piquancy, add hot sauce or heaps of pickled cabbage from the condiment tray on each table. Make sure also to order a serving of steamed spareribs (粉蒸排骨) heaped with sweet potatoes, another of the restaurant’s classic dishes.

Dongmen Dumplings 東門餃子館 No. 37, Lane 32, Jinshan South Road, Section 2, Taipei 台北市金山南路2段31巷37號 Tel: (02) 2341-1685 www.dongmen.com.tw

兔子聽音樂餐坊 No. 15, Lane 6, Qingtian Street, Taipei 台北市青田路6巷15號 Tel: (02) 2395-9388 www.bunnymusic.com.tw Bunny Listens to The Music offers lunch and dinner, but the best part of its menu is afternoon tea. Sandwiches, cakes, and cookies for two people are served on a tiered tray, along with your choice of tea, coffee, or juice. Though less artfully presented, tea for a single person is also available and gives you a good excuse to relax in the café’s spacious, window-lined interior.

Boute de Bijou No. 19-1, Lane 33, Lishui Street, Taipei 台北市麗水街33巷19之1 Tel: (02) 3322-2461 www.boitedebijou.com.tw

Just around the corner from Bunny Listens to The Music, Boute de Bijou recently expanded its French-style bakery to include a café next door. Classic savory French breads made with fresh ingredients are baked on site, while sweets include macarons and madeleines in a rainbow of flavors.

Roaster Family Coffee 烘焙者咖啡 No. 7, Lane 243, Jinhua Street, Taipei 台北市金華街243巷7號 Tel: (02) 2322-3830 www.taipei-coffee.com This tiny corner café (additional seating is available downstairs) has earned a reputation for brewing some of the best coffee in Taipei. Roaster Family Coffee makes each cup using siphons and its selection of beans from around the world includes kopi luwak . Made with beans that have been eaten and excreted by civets (hence its nickname “civet coffee”), the pricey kopi luwak isn’t for everyone, but many coffee lovers adore its pungent, nutty aroma.

Ecole Café 學校咖啡館 No. 6, Lane 1, Qingtian Street, Taipei 台北市青田街1巷6號 Tel: (02) 2322-2725 ecole-cafe.blogspot.tw Tucked away on a quiet lane, Ecole Café was co-founded by a vintage furniture seller and is filled with chairs and tables scavenged from Europe. Shelves are stocked with books and magazines about art and design, making the cafe a pleasant place to spend an evening. Its basement gallery occasionally hosts live performances and gallery shows.

Formosa Vintage Museum Café 秋惠文庫 3F, 178 Xinyi Road, Section 2, Taipei 台北市信義路二段178號3樓 Tel: (02) 2351-5723 www.facebook.com/FormosaMuseum photo : catherine shu

Lin Yu-fang, a retired dentist who now collects and studies items related to taiwan business topics • january 2014

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Yongkang Street Red Dragonfly 紅蜻蜓食事處 35-1 Yongkang Street, Taipei

Taiwanese history, opened this extraordinary café. Pieces from Lin’s collection have been displayed at institutions like the National Museum of Taiwan History and the Taiwan Folk Arts Museum, but the Formosa Vintage Museum Café, which is housed in the former apartment of Lin’s parents, gives visitors a unique chance to get up-close with things like advertising posters from the Japanese colonial era, aboriginal carvings, and a large mural by famed artist Liao Chichun. Flip through books about artifacts and Taiwanese culture while enjoying a pot of hot tea.

Local Favorites Kao Chi 高記 5 Yongkang Street, Taipei 台北市永康街5號 Tel: (02) 2341-9984 www.kao-chi.com Located on Yongkang Street around the corner from Din Tai Fung, Kao Chi is the less famous of the two, but is still well known among local diners for its xiaolongbao and other Shanghai-style classics. The restaurant’s other bestselling items include steamed dumplings filled with giant shrimp (高記蝦餃皇) and desserts like egg yolk and cream buns (極 品流沙包), which is soft mantou bread wrapped around golden custard.

Chia Chia Hakka Restaurant 家家海鮮客家餐廳 No. 10, Lane 2, Yongkang Street, Taipei 台北市永康街2巷10號 Tel: 02-2393-3130 Chia Chia’s dishes show off the complex mix of flavors that are a signature of Hakka cuisine, which is known for its liberal use of ingredients like garlic, ginger, scallions, and chili peppers. Make sure to ask your server for recommendations because Chia Chia frequently offers new dishes based on seasonal produce and fish. Its year-round hits include its own take on stinky tofu (臭豆腐), which is fried with century eggs, diced garlic, scallions and red chili peppers, as well as fried cuttlefish (醋溜中卷) served with a 12

台北市大安區永康街35號之一1 Tel: (02) 2394-7517

photo : catherine shu

sweet-and-sour vinegar sauce. As a counterpoint to all the fried dishes, order a whole steamed fish (蒸魚) prepared with garlic and scallions.

Lusang Restaurant 呂桑食堂 12-5 Yongkang Street, Taipei 台北市永康街12-5號 Tel: (02) 2351-3323 Lusang is an excellent restaurant across from the Yongkang Street Park that has earned a devoted following of regulars for its delicious take on cuisine from Yilan County in northeastern Taiwan. Some of its best dishes include pork marinated in fermented red yeast wine (紅糟肉), plump oysters covered in a paste made from fried beans (豆酥鮮蚵), and steamed squid (現撈透抽). Instead of white rice, order a bowl of noodles topped with ground fatty pork and scallions (切仔麵) to go with your meal.

R e d D r a g o n f l y i s o n e o f Yo n gkang Street’s most popular eateries and crowded even on weekday nights. The open-front dining room houses a Japanese-style yakitori , or barbecue grill.

Roast beef, chicken, pork, and fish are served on skewers and brushed with a variety of sauces. Other delicious items include asparagus wrapped with bacon (培根蘆筍), mushrooms stuffed with ground daikon and scallions in sweet, tangy vinegar sauce (烤香菇) and curryflavored potato croquettes (炸咖哩可樂 餅).

Ma 麻醉坊 37-2 Yongkang Street, Taipei 台北市永康街37-2號 Tel: 0989-464-152 Like Red Dragonfly, Ma also serves roast meat on skewers, but it sets itself apart with a combination of spices uses in Sichuan cooking. Good choices include the tender and succulent beef shoulder (麻辣牛肩), beef short ribs (牛 小排), and king oyster mushrooms (杏 鮑菇), which are brushed with creamy butter and then lightly sprinkled with sesame seeds. There are also several bacon-wrapped vegetables, including green onions and golden needle mushrooms. As a palate cleanser, try the honey burdock (蜂蜜牛蒡), a root vegetable that is thinly sliced and then lightly fried to a crisp before being drizzled in honey and topped with sesame seeds.

James Kitchen 大隱酒食 65 Yongkang Street, Taipei 台北市永康街65號 Tel: (02) 2343-2275

photo : catherine shU

Located on a part of Yongkang Street known for its art galleries and antique stores, James Kitchen is a two-storey wooden building that looks as if it hasn’t changed since the Japanese colonial era.

James Kitchen’s menu pays tribute to that time in Taiwanese history with a mix of local classics and Japanese fare like sashimi made with fresh fish, all

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Yongkang Street Oma Ursel is a German bakery and restaurant housed in a specially designed building in a lane off Yongkang Street.

The front bakery offers multi-grain bread and sweets like chocolate cake and gingerbread cookies. The restaurant serves a wide selection of German dishes, including a plate with five different types of sausage alongside sauerkraut and gerkins.

Bistro Le Pont 樂朋小館 176 Chaozhou Street, Taipei

photo : catherine shu

served with bottles of Taiwan Beer. To order, look at the blackboard – the catch of the day is listed there – and then ask your server for the best way to prepare it (steamed, roasted, stir-fried, etc.). Other dishes include beef with rock salt and rice topped with savory, fatty minced pork (滷肉飯), a classic Taiwanese comfort food.

Western L’Air Café Neo Bistro 風流小館 No. 5, Lane 164, Jinhua Street, Taipei City 台北市大安區金華街164巷5號 Tel: (02) 3343-3937 L’Air was opened in 2012 by head c h e f D a n a Yu, w h o s p e n t 10 y e a r s working at top restaurants including Justin’s Signature and L’Atelier Joel Rubuchon and serves nouvelle cuisine prepared with seasonal Taiwanese ingredients. L’Air uses ingredients such as fresh fish or squid purchased daily in Keelung, produce from nearby markets and meat and poultry like “cherry” ducks, a breed raised in Yilan County. Fresh hot crepes with sweet or savory toppings are served for afternoon tea between 2 and 5 p.m.

台北市潮州街176號 Tel: (02) 2396-5677 www.bistrolepont.com.tw Bistro Le Pont is a restaurant with an interesting concept. Its menu (and line of condiments) revolves around geese raised in Taiwan and then prepared using methods that fuse flavors from French, Taiwanese, and Chinese cuisine. One good example of Bistro Le Pont’s culinary philosophy is the riz au sang d’oie avec echalottes , or goose blood rice cakes topped with a heap of shallots marinated in goose fat and strips of ginger. Other signature dishes include viande d’oie au sel maison and viande d’oie fume maison , or plates of sliced goose meat prepared in different ways, and the confit d’oie maison , made from a goose leg.

Sweets La Douceur Patisserie 223 Jinhua Street, Taipei 台北市金華街223號 Tel: (02) 3322-2833 www.ladouceur.com.tw Douceur means “sweet” in French, and the interior of this cafe is as girly and

Oma Ursel 歐媽烏蘇拉德國餐 No. 9, Lane 6, Yongkang St, Taipei 台北市永康街6巷9號 Tel: (02) 2392-2447 oma.ecdiy.com.tw

photo : catherine shu

photo : catherine shu

whimsical as its French pastries, cakes, and macarons. The latter come in an assortment of unusual flavors, including balsamic vinegar, wasabi , and ginger, and are sold by weight. Beautifully packaged gift sets are also available if you want an alternative to the usual box of chocolates.

Les Bebes Cupcakery 貝貝西點 149-4 Chaozhou Street, Taipei 台北市潮州街149-4號 Tel: 02-2358-2226 This café serves full-size cupcakes along with miniature, doll-sized versions, which are an ideal size for sampling.

All cupcakes are topped with rich buttercream frosting, and standout flavors include red velvet, peanut butter chocolate, Earl Grey, and sea salt caramel darjeeling (for a list of when each flavor is available, check out Les Bebes’ website at www.lbb.com.tw).

Truffe One 45-1 Yongkang Street, Taipei 台北市永康街45號之1 Tel: (02) 2391-5012 www.truffeone.com.tw Opened by a group of six friends who fell in love with artisanal chocolate while on vacation in Europe, Truffe One serves truffles with flavorings such as fresh Sunkist oranges and oolong leaves grown in Alishan and Lishan. Another popular and unusual treat is an entire green olive enrobed in dark chocolate. taiwan business topics • january 2014

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Exploring Taichung’s “Little Europe” An expat family goes looking for familiar dining experiences in their new habitat on the other side of the Pacific.

BY KAREN E. BENDER phot os : jona h s i egel

W

e were in search of a gyro.

Or a good slice of pizza. Or maybe an éclair. Our family had been living in Taichung for two months and were having cravings for some of the foods that we enjoyed back home in North Carolina. We had heard about the neighborhood known as “Little Europe,” near the intersection of Jingcheng Road and Taiwan Boulevard in Taichung City. We love the dumplings and beef noodle soup that we eat all the time here, but we were interested in learning what else could appear on a plate in Taichung.

M y 1 4 - y e a r- o l d s o n J o n a h , 10-year-old daughter Maia, and I begin along Daye North Road, half a block in from Jingcheng Road. It’s a leafy pedestrian mall called Soho Street, about one

14

block long and shaded by a 14-story apartment building. Tables are set out on the walkway.

The first encounter we have is not with Western food, but with another American. “What are you looking for?”

P.J. McKenna asks us. It turns out he’s the owner of PJ McKenna’s Meat and Mash, at 23 Daye North Road, and BB’s MicroBrewery, both at the edge of this block. He’s sitting in the sun, reading a newspaper before he opens his restaurant for the day. McKenna came here 20 years ago from New Jersey, and opened his restaurant three years later.

It’s since become a gathering place for foreigners and Taiwanese alike.

T h e m e n u , c o m p o s e d o f A m e rican and Irish specialties, is plastered in large type on a column outside the

wood-paneled bar. The establishment is especially known for its Philly cheesesteaks, burgers, and meat and mash.

Today McKenna is offering a special: a 9-ounce steak with baked potato and Caesar salad for NT$499. He also serves tacos, lasagna, and lobster.

McKenna explains that foreigners used to congregate in Taiwan’s nearby Canal district near Huamei Road, but restaurants migrated over to this location around 2002, when he moved his PJ’s Café to the area. (In 2006, he opened McKenna’s Meat & Mash and Soho Street Wine & Jazz Café.) Other restaurants, like Salut and La Bodega, followed him. He says that the unusual alleys that wind around the houses here, giving the area the feel of an old European city, probably attracted the foreign restaurants. The tables the restaurants set out on the sidewalks then added to the European atmosphere, and Compass magazine dubbed the neighborhood “Little Europe.”

As there will be live music later, we decide to explore the area and then come back.

Walking half a block to the right,

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little europe

facing away from Soho Street, we reach Jingcheng Road, and make a left. This neighborhood – one of my favorites in Taichung – consists of small alleys winding off the main road, and if you wander down them you can find an array of culinary treasures. On this corner, at the intersection of Jingcheng Road and Jingcheng 4th Street, is Fatty’s Italian food. Down the block there is a trio of restaurants called Smooth, Bystro, and Amici. Smooth is closed for renovations. I’ve heard the food is very good at Bystro Restaurant Grill (No. 27, Lane 50, Jingcheng Road; Tel: 04-2327-1563), whose menu includes steak, schnitzel, burgers, pastas, and a variety of pizzas. Amici Restaurant & Bar, right beside it (33 Jingming 2nd St.; Tel: 04-2327-2488), is a small Italian restaurant with tables outside, a cozy wood interior, and a reputation for great food and very reasonable prices.

My kids are hungry and want to try Fatty’s (No. 1, Lane 50, Jingcheng Road; Tel: 04-2319-4898), which has been serving Italian food in Taichung for 12 years, and makes its presence known with a big red, white, and green sign, the colors of the Italian flag. It’s just 11:30 a.m., but already customers are sitting down for lunch. Tables with bright green-checked tablecloths and green or red umbrellas line the sidewalk, and we go inside into a cool room and sit at a bright red booth to peruse the large menu.

T h e a p p eti ze r s i n cl u d e s a u t ée d button mushrooms, fried calamari, and snails cooked with tomato and cheese.

There are also many pizzas to choose from: Pizza Margherita, Pepperoni, Hawaiian, Sicilian, and curiously, a Pizza Kentucky with smoked chicken and corn. You can choose from a wide variety of pasta, including fettucini, spaghetti, fusilli, penne, gnocci, pappardelle, and ink spaghetti, with such sauces as marinara, aglio e olio, and carbonara. Among the other dishes are lemon chicken in cream sauce, ravioli, baked pastas, osso buco, and fried fish.

Except for the fact that most of the customers here are Taiwanese, it basically feels like we could be in an airy diner in an Italian neighborhood in Queens.

The atmosphere is busy, cheerful, a n d c h a t t e r y. Wa i t e r s f l y b y c a rrying large bowls of pasta, pizzas on wooden boards, and bottles of Coke.

I decide on a Caprese salad, while my son orders a pepperoni pizza and my daughter a smoked-chicken pasta.

First we are served salads, which are rather uninspiring dishes of iceberg lettuce with tomato and cucumber, with ranch dressing on the side. But matters improve when the bread arrives – two rolls on a wooden board, with a rosette of green butter (it’s been mixed with parsley and cream) beside it. As we spread the butter on the soft, hot whole-wheat rolls, we savor the simple joy of melted butter on freshly baked bread. Then the other dishes come out – the Caprese salad of three mozzarella circles on deep red tomatoes with basil, the bowl of smoked-chicken pasta that is nearly a foot wide, and the pizza on its wooden board.

I try the Caprese salad with cautious hope, as I haven’t yet found much decent mozzarella in Taiwan. But happily this cheese has the rich, almost ice-creamy milkiness of well-made mozzarella, and the tomato is delicate and sweet. The salad sits in a luscious pool of olive oil and vinegar, and we all sop it up. The pizza has a surprisingly light crust, as well as the somewhat glassy look of good pizza; the cheese falls off in strings when we bite into it. The smoked-chicken pasta is a huge nest of spaghetti with a lemon cream sauce.

It has a spicy bite to it, from some red chilis inside, and my daughter eats as much of the orange sauce as she can, which isn’t that much.

Fatty’s lives up to the promise of its name. The portions are huge and can easily be split between two people.

Toting our take-home container of spaghetti, we head out to explore the other possibilities of Little Europe.

Heading left on Jingcheng Road toward Taiwan Boulevard, we pass a variety of shoe stores and nail salons.

But the pleasure of this neighborhood comes from the alleys; you don’t know what you might find when you walk down one of them. We turn down a quiet lane that starts across the street

from the Birkenstock store, and pass by boxy apartment houses and plants overflowing over concrete walls. There we come across a small treasure: Chez Philou (31 Jingcheng 3rd St.; Tel: 04-2310-8326). The restaurant is open every day, 11:30 to 2:30 and then 5:30 to 10 p.m. We ogle the menu. There is quiche, goat cheese salad, pasta, risotto, extensive main courses, and desserts we can’t wait to try: profiterole, chocolate fondant, and éclairs. It’s the sort of place that’s a little hard to find but looks to be worth a visit.

Returning to Jingcheng Road and then turning onto Jingcheng 8th Street, we spot an adorable Spanish restaurant called Tapas Tapas (12 Dalong Road; Tel: 04-2323-6254). On a patio by the sidewalk are a few tables with brightly colored tablecloths and comfortable red seats. Colorful birds are singing in their cages, perched beside a raised pond with goldfish. It’s an odd oasis among the cars and scooters whizzing by, and inside, where Spanish music is playing, it seems that we have stepped out of Taiwan into Iberia. The menu includes such delicacies as smoked cheese with Spanish olives, a variety of bread soups and seafood soups, quesadillas, paella, pasta with seafood, clams, cheese, and thankfully, sangria.

Heading back up Jingcheng toward Taiwan Boulevard, we make a left onto Jingming Road, and see a sign with colors of the French flag: It is Gulu’s House. (48 Jingming Road; Tel: 04-2327-1393). We walk by the restaurant, and inside it looks like a perfect French bistro – tables are set against a bright red banquette, black-andwhite photographs hang on the walls.

The menu includes Provence quiche, paté, salmon terrine, onion soup, steak, chicken, and pasta carbonara. (A note: since we wrote the article, our family has been back to Gulu’s House and can say the quiche is light and almost like a dessert, the onion soup perfectly oniony, and the s te ak s o perf ect our chi l dren almost went into a trance. It has become our daughter’s favorite restaurant in Taichung.)

Now we’re tired, and head home for a rest before coming back to the

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Fatty's offers a wide variety of pizzas, and its hot whole-wheat rolls are delectable.

neighborhood for dinner. This time my husband Robert joins us, and we try to agree on where we should eat. Italian again? French? Greek? The choice seems dizzying. But we find ourselves moving as a pack toward Ouzo, a Mediterranean restaurant (22 Jingcheng 5th Street, off Jingcheng Road; Tel: 04-2327-3518). Now it is early evening, the sky is a deep blue, and the alleys feel hushed and magical. The lights glow softly into the dim blue night, and Ouzo rises up, a two-story blue- and-white concrete building.

We sit at a table outside, a scooter occasionally zipping by. The place has the atmosphere, we decide, of a back alley, with the faint smell of incense and also of cooking meat. There are many appetizers: babaganoush and hummus with lavash bread, grape leaves, and bruschetta. Also available are Greek salads, couscous and falafel salad, chicken gyros, falafel sandwiches, various pastas, and many types of burgers.

On the drink menu are intriguing sodas – mango, peach, and passionfruit flavors – and of course, shots of ouzo.

Maia and I can’t pass up the sodas – I try mango and she goes for peach – and we order hummus, babaganoush, grape leaves, and bruschetta. Jonah orders a gyro, which he has been craving. Robert and I share the hummus and babaghanoush dishes. The drinks 16

arrive, and they aren’t ordinary sodas, but alive with fresh fruit flavor. The hummus and babaghanoush are smooth and lemony, and the lavash bread is hot and fresh. The bruschetta is perfect: c r us ty br e ad with r uby-r e d, dr ipping tomatoes spread across it. And the grape leaves are like fragile pillows holding the spicy rice and lentils.

The gyro is enormous, arriving with a thicket of French fries around it. I keep eyeing it, hoping for a taste, but Jonah is guarding it carefully, which makes me think it must be extremely good. He is reluctant to let me have a bite. “I have to do research,” I tell him.

“One bite. Or describe it.”

He thinks. “It’s saucy,” he says, and finally lets me try it. It is a chaos of chicken and tzatziki and tomatoes – tangy and, yes, saucy.

We could linger at Ouzo, but there is more exploring to do. We head down the alley and pass Patisserie Belle Journee (34 Jingcheng 5th St.; Tel: 04-2320-8927). It is a brightly lit dessert and coffee café. Maia is determined to go in there, while Jonah, walking through the alley, spots an entire dead pig mounted on a stick; a man and woman are skinning it. A large pit with sticks has been set up. It appears to be an impromptu roasting station right here in the street.

While Robert and Jonah join a group

watching as the pig is roasted, I check out the pastry display with Maia. Patisserie Belle Journee has a display case with about eight exquisite French pastries. The chef, Louise Yeh, who studied French cooking in Japan, tells us about her creations. The white gleaming ball is a passionfruit mousse, the yellow and brown circle is a banana tart with chocolate. We each buy a meringue cookie – one lemon and one raspberry – and walk upstairs to the second floor, which houses a quiet café that Maia says is like a “spacious apartment.” It does have that feel, with big glass windows and orange booths, and paintings of pastries on the walls. Since the cookies were perfect, we buy two more.

When we head outside, the pig has been roasted. Some people in the crowd are now holding paper plates and hand money to the cooks, who slice off pieces of pork for the hungry customers.

We decide to return to where we had started – PJ McKenna’s. A group of expatriates is sitting at a table in the courtyard, and we pull up seats. It feels like a wonderful, inclusive gathering of friends, and one of the customers gets out a guitar and starts playing. As we sit in the warm evening, we are glad to have discovered Little Europe of Taichung. We have the wonderful feeling of being both very far away and also completely at home.

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2014/1/3 2:03:38 AM

SEAFOOD

Penghu Offers a Treasure Trove of Seafood Delicacies Wild lobster, prawns, and crab are just some of the great variety of seafood originating from the “Islands of the Fishermen.”

BY ERICK KISH

P

enghu – the archipelago in the Taiwan Strait that forms one of Taiwan’s smallest counties – is home to a variety of delicious seafood that is available in Taipei and for visitors to this tropical island paradise.

On a recent trip to Penghu, my friends and I enjoyed the beautiful white sand beaches, basalt geological formations, and a LOT of tasty seafood.

The W Taipei hotel features Penghu wild lobster and wild giant prawns on the menu at the Yen Chinese Restaurant. Dining at Yen Taipei merits a “wow” – from the stunning nighttime view from the 31st floor to the chic

décor, very friendly serving team, and incredible cuisine. Executive Chef Ken Yu introduced his culinary creations, and discussed how using top-quality live and fresh Penghu lobster and prawns is part of the W Taipei’s philosophy of infusing their cuisine with the best Taiwan foods and ingredients.

Creamy Carbonara Lobster Steak (卡邦尼龍蝦排) is Chef Yu’s delicious lobster pièce de résistance . This is the best lobster dish I have ever enjoyed, bar none. Live Pengu lobster meat is lightly seasoned, floured, deep fried, and served with creamy carbonara sauce. The presentation is dramatic

– a pile of golden treasure like a dragon’s hoard. The lobster is tender and moist, delightfully contrasting with the crunchy outer texture. The lobster flavor stands out, complemented by the mild Italian-inspired creamy carbonara sauce. Each bite is a golden nugget to be savored.

Fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk, Karibevu, and Lime Juice (黃金青檸明 蝦球) is just one of Chef Yu’s many recipes for Penghu giant prawns. These w i l d p r a w n s a r e a h u g e h a n d f u l, weighing in at up to 200 grams each.

The prawns are coated with a thin layer of cornstarch, deep fried, and then coated in Chef Yu’s secret golden egg yolk sauce and stir fried. These huge prawns make an impressive presentation. They are a beautiful orange-gold color, which hints at the unique citrus flavor of these prawns. The snow-white prawn meat is a tender treat encased in the crunchy coating. A dash of red pepper in the sauce provides a mildly spicy kick.

Other Penghu giant prawn dishes that Chef Yu has created for the W Taipei include Sautéed Crystal King taiwan business topics • january 2014

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SEAFOOD Below, W Taipei Chinese Executive Chef Ken Yu. Right, the W Taipei's Creamy Carbonara Lobster Steak, and below, the hotel's Fried Prawns with Salted Egg Yolk, Karibevu, and Lime Juice.

P r a w n s (水晶大蝦球), K u n g P a o Prawns (宮保明蝦球), and Wok Fried Prawns Bi Fon Tang Style (避風塘醬 爆明蝦球). Guests can advance order live Penghu lobster and giant prawns cooked to order from a variety of recommended cooking methods and seasoning styles.

Chef Yu explained how Penghu wild lobster and prawns came to be featured on the menu. These top-quality products were chosen after a rigorous months-long process to select the best Taiwan foods and ingredients for his kitchen. The producers and distributors were vetted to ensure they could reliably supply the products on a long-term basis. Getting on the menu at the W Taipei was actually the culmination of decades of fishing industry development and tradition.

The seafood industry is at the heart of Penghu’s history and is central to the way of life among the many fishing villages and towns on its nearly 100 islands and islets. From time immemorial, the natural bounty of the sea attracted settlers to Penghu. By the 1500s, the fishing industry made such an impression on Portuguese explorers that they named the islands the Pesca20

dores – the “Islands of the Fishermen.”

Today, tourists can enjoy visiting many of the 588 ancient stone fishtraps, or weirs, that dot the coastline of Penghu – such as the famous “TwinHearts Stone Weir.” Taiwan’s modern development has spurred the growth of Penghu’s wild-catch fishing industry and seen the emergence of Penghu as a center for aquaculture, the “farming” of seafood.

Wild-catch species caught around Penghu include lobster, giant prawns, shrimp, crab, mackerel, anchovy, cuttlefish, and squid. On our trip to Penghu, we had a chance to try many kinds of locally caught seafood. Dinners and lunches were seafood feasts – a delicious smorgasbord of fish, crab, and other seafood!

Lobster is wild-caught locally in Penghu waters. This Tropical Rock Lobster is a type of spiny lobster with a nice sized tail. The meat is succulent and delicious. The shell has such beautiful speckles and stripes that it is often called the Ornate Spiny Lobster.

The lobster is a real delicacy because of its excellent flavor and tender meat texture, and because the wild catch quantity is small.

We enjoyed wild lobster at a top seafood restaurant in Penghu – the A-Don Seafood Restaurant (阿東餐廳; Tel: 06-926-0203) in Magong City near the harbor. Their special lobster cakes

are small triangle-shaped flatbread sandwiches filled with tasty lobster meat, thin cucumber slices, tomato, and a mayonnaise sauce. The presentation – which includes the red lobster head and tail shell – is eye-catching and impressive.

Clean environment Abalone is cultivated at aquaculture sites that take advantage of the clean water and environment of the Penghu islands. The A-Don Seafood Restaurant served us some juicy tender abalone right in its beautiful shimmering iridescent mother-of-pearl shell.

The wild giant prawns are a local

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SEAFOOD

specialty not to be missed – tender, tasty, and huge. The succulent meat of these prawns has a nice medium-strong flavor. We enjoyed a heaping plate of steamed giant prawns at the Ching Shin Seafood Restaurant (www.ching-shinseafood.com.tw), a popular restaurant for visitors on Xiyu Island.

Crab is another Penghu specialty.

We f e a s t e d o n s o m e f r e s h-c a u g h t sand crab for lunch during an ecotour boat excursion. These crab had slightly sweet, mild-flavored meat in the shoulder, claws, and some in the legs. We learned how to crack open the claws the traditional way with two small rocks. Their shells were a beautiful speckled red after cooking.

Penghu also has squid – plenty of it. We were amazed by the seemingly endless supplies – fried squid, squid sashimi, dried squid, and squid added to traditional dishes. The fried squid was especially delicious. In Penghu they add squid to many Taiwan-style omelet recipes to make tasty local dishes.

Besides the cuisine, Penghu is famous for its beautiful white sand beaches.

Aimen Beach on the main island of Magong has plenty of luxurious white sand. At 3 kilometers, it is the longest beach in Penghu. At the southern end is a tourist area near a breakwater that protects a swimming and water-activity basin. The swimming area has beautiful clear water with a shallow area extending far out from the beach, perfect for families with kids. There is an outdoor BBQ restaurant, picnic tables, parking, and most important on a hot summer day – a beer shack!

The middle part of Aimen Beach near Lintou Park is an excellent spot with less of a crowd. Lintou Park is a peaceful area shaded by a sighing forest of Whistling Pine trees. Nestled in this woodland sanctuary next to the beach is a nice café, a comfortable refuge from the sun where we enjoyed a tasty lunch of wild shrimp soup with dumplings (www.facebook.com/JilinchunCafe).

To learn more about Penghu seafood, I had lunch with Steven Shyu, the chairman of Upwelling Seafood (www. seafood.com.tw) at his restaurant near Dadaocheng Wharf in Taipei. Steven

is an old hand in the Taiwan seafood business, known for his commitment to quality and his work to promote responsible fishing and aquaculture.

He said that Penghu is special because of the amazing variety of species wildcaught and cultivated in aquaculture.

Steven highlighted the importance of the pristine environment and clean natural habitat around Penghu.

At our lunch of Penghu seafood, the steamed Spanner Crab was a special treat. Red-Frog Crab is the local name of the Spanner Crab because it has a frog-like shape. This species of crab, which has a very mild flavor and snowwhite color, is also unusual in that it is vegetarian. The claws are very tiny, and the meat is mainly in the shoulder.

The anchovies, breaded and fried, were a scrumptious crunchy dish. Their flavor is mild and tasty, with a nice nat-

ural salty seafood flavor – going down even better with some Taiwan Beer. The strong flavor many people associate with anchovies comes from the curing or brining process often used to preserve or can the fish.

A new initiative that Steven is helping with is called Tracing (www. tracing.asia). This program helps consumers track food products of all kinds “from farm to table.” A mobile app lets consumers scan a QR code on retail food or lunchbox packaging and see detailed information about the food, including the production and distribution chain and even informative videos.

The Tracing system currently lists Pompano fish farm-raised in Penghu.

Penghu is a remarkable island paradise. You may not find any buried treasure, but you will surely find many delicious treasures of the sea.

A fishing boat comes into port with the latest catch. Penghu is known for its wide variety of fresh and tasty seafood, including lobster, crabs, prawns, squid, and much more.

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SEAFOOD

Alaska Wild Seafood in Taipei Wild, Natural, and Sustainable

BY ERICK KISH

A

laska wild seafood is prized for its flavor, nutrition, and quality, a n d t h e s t a t e ’s s u c c e s s f u l seafood management practices are considered a model of sustainability. Alaska Cod, Sockeye Salmon, Halibut, Sole, and Snow Crab are some of the Alaskan seafood species available in Taiwan at fine restaurants, supermarkets, and for home delivery.

Alaska Cod is on the menu at the Taipei World Trade Center Club (www. twtcclub.com.tw), where Chef Addy Wang has created several delicious Alaska Cod recipes. He says he enjoys using Alaska Cod because of its great flavor, and because the firm fillets allow him to make wonderful presentations.

The response from guests has been extremely positive, he says.

Alaska Cod Breaded Fillet with Tomato Sauce is an excellent dish on the menu at the Western restaurant at the TWTC Club. The Alaska Cod fillet is marinated for half an hour in lemon juice and fine white wine. Marinating is an important trick of the trade, and Chef Wang uses it to best effect. The fillet is breaded on one side, pan-fried to brown, and then baked. It is served with a smooth mild tomato sauce. The final product is a symphony of textures and flavors. Each flake of Alaska Cod makes a snow-white tender morsel contrasted 22

by the crunchy breading. The marinade highlights the naturally sweet Alaska Cod, and the tomato sauce provides a flavorful complement. Bon Appétit!

Alaska Cod Meunière is Chef Wang’s adaptation of a classic French recipe.

The Alaska Cod fillet is lightly floured and sautéed in butter, lemon juice, and fine white wine. The presentation is mouth-watering, with the snow-white cod fillet lightly browned, bathed in tempting golden sauce. The result is simply delicious, with the butter and lemon sauce perfectly complementing the natural flavor of the Alaska Cod. Alaska Wild Salmon are a natural treasure, beginning their journey in Alaska’s pristine rivers and lakes before heading out to sea to live for a few years before returning to their home river to spawn and die. Alaska has five species of wild salmon – King Salmon, Sockeye Salmon, Coho Salmon, Chum Salmon, and Pink Salmon.

Sockeye Salmon is prized for its distinctive rich flavor and red-orange color, firm texture, and high oil content. It is great for grilling, pan-frying, and all other cooking methods. Sockeye salmon meat is naturally red in color when raw, and maintains a strong orange-red color after cooking. Alaska Sockeye Salmon is available from Taiwan Fresh Supermarkets (www.supermarket.com.tw),

which will hold an Alaska Seafood and Travel promotion in January 2014, with a lucky draw featuring tickets from Hawaiian Airlines and Alaska Airlines.

King Salmon truly deserves its royal title. The largest salmon, it has a very succulent flavor and high oil content.

King Salmon is available from Upwelling Seafood (www.seafood.com.tw).

Alaska Halibut, available from Mama Fisch Seafood (www.MamaFisch.com. tw), is a prized whitefish with a sweet and delicate flavor, firm and flaky texture, and snow-white color.

Alaska Sole is a nice small flatfish, with meat that has a delicate mild flavor and tender texture.

Giant Snow Crab are only caught in Alaska waters. Alaska’s “deadliest catch” crab fishermen catch two kinds of snow crab. The Opilio species is most common. “Opies” have two clusters, each with four legs and one claw, that weigh up to about 226 grams apiece.

The rare Bairdi species is twice as large, with clusters that weigh up to a whopping 450 grams or more.

The Alaska snow crab fishing season is January to March in the dark heart of the arctic winter. It is called the “deadliest catch” as brave crews must battle arctic ice, winter storms, and raging seas with giant waves 10 meters high.

Alaskan fishermen are the heart and soul of Alaska’s wild seafood industry, working hard to catch the bounty of the sea and send it on its way to tables around the world.

— Erick Kish is the Alaska Trade Representative in Taiwan.

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fish market

Where to Buy, and Eat, Fish in Taipei The Wanhua Central Fish Market and the oddly named Addiction Aquatic Development are places that every seafood lover should be acquainted with.

TEXT AND PHOTOS BY MARK CALTONHILL

I

f someone invites you to visit Taipei’s fish market, they might have one of two places in mind. Each, in its very different way, offers an intense, interesting and tasty experience.

The Wanhua Central Fish Market (萬華中央魚市場; 533 Wanda Road) is tucked tight against the Xindian River toward the southern end of the city’s Wanhua District. Were it not for the high dike protecting the area from seasonal flooding, a visit here would be like a trip back more than a century to when rivers not roads were the highways, and when fishing boats landed their catch directly onto the adjacent wharfs.

Indeed, the name Wanhua, although n o w w r i t t e n a s 萬華 (“M y r i a d Flowers”), is a direct descent of the local Aboriginal name for “canoe,” vangka , which was transliterated into Fujianese as mangka (with characters that appropriately also meant “boats”; 艋舺). T h i s n a m e b e c a m e M a n g a in Japanese and finally Mandarin’s Wanhua, albeit with characters of vastly differing meaning.

The original Vangka is said to derive from Aborigines coming down the river to trade produce such as charcoal, sweet potatoes, and presumably fish with the growing population of Han Chinese

Sashimi at the Wanhua market.

immigrants who were spreading down from Danshui and east from Hsinchu, Zhongli and Banqiao. There are still thriving vegetable, fruit, and meat markets in this corner of Taipei, where the Dahan and Xindian rivers join to form the Danshui River. They are testament to the continued importance of waterborne transportation well into the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Were it not for the high dike and the fact that fish no longer are delivered directly from boats, visitors would be transported back to those times.

With the silting up of the rivers and the development of networks of roads, the fish now arrive somewhat less romantically by freezer truck. Though there are plenty of small fishing harbors all around Taiwan’s coastline where customers can buy freshly landed fish, Taipei is no longer among them.

The trucks start arriving a t the western wholesale section of the market from around 1 a.m., bringing produce from all over Taiwan, and increasingly from further afield. The fish are dragged forward; auctioned to noisily competing distributors, restaurateurs, and taiwan business topics • january 2014

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fish market Designer Ren Cheng introduces crab at the Addiction Aquatic oyster bar. Below: Indoor customers stand to eat their snacks at the Addiction Aquatic fresh market.

are fairly limited in produce, being primarily aimed at providing workers and shoppers with snacks rather than diners with full meals. Sadly, they also do not practice the tradition of allowing customers to buy fish in the retail section and have it cooked for them in that wonderful Taiwanese custom.

Another option

shop owners; tagged; repacked; paid for; and then disappears as quickly as it appeared.

The whole place is a photographer’s paradise, and visitors are tolerated but should take care to keep out of vendors’ paths as well as their faces. Most of the interesting activity takes place before dawn, but constantly flashing cameras would not be appreciated.

Fish range from cute stripy multicolored species that would look more at home in an aquarium, to huge shark and tuna that need small hydraulic lifting gear to move them around. These latter are sometimes sold whole, but more often are hacked into pieces on the market floor and sold by the catty (斤), which is equal to 600 grams.

The bulk of the auctioning takes place around from 3 to 5 a.m., and by 6-7 a.m., as the winter sun rises, there is little left to sell, and most of the workers are eating breakfast, smoking cigarettes, and chewing betel nut. Vendors of frozen shrimp, scallops, crabs, and suchlike, who charge a fixed price, continue to do business with smallerscale shoppers who will then sell their fish at the retail market.

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This retail market, as well as the cooked-food section, is located through a door to the east. Merchants carry their purchases the few meters from the wholesale section to their stalls, where they sell smaller amounts to the general public. They also scale, gut, cut, and dress fish ready to go directly into customers’ pots.

Although not strictly demarcated, the market is more-or-less subdivided into areas selling sashimi, whole small fish, fish steaks, crab, shrimp, and so forth. Business starts around 2 a.m. as soon as the first stallholders cart their fish from next door, but does not reach its peak till around 5-6 a.m., with sales being over by around midday.

To see the market at its peak frenzy of activity, a visit just before Chinese New Year is recommended. According to tradition, eating fish should be part of a family’s holiday repast to ensure prosperity for the coming 12 months, since “every year have fish” (年年有 魚) sounds identical to the good wish “every year have a surplus” (年年有餘).

Unlike many wharf-side fish restaurants island-wide, the few food stalls located along the hall’s northern wall

For a truly superb selection of seafood and an altogether interesting dining experience, you can head to Ta i p e i’s o t h e r “f i s h m a r k e t.” T h e Addiction Aquatic Development (上引 水產; meaning something like “Seafood Addicts’ Restaurant”), is located at No. 18, Alley 2, Lane 410, Minzu East Road, just behind the wholesale vegetable and fruit market near the Keelung River.

Visitors are steered to an entrance at the northeast corner, and once past an outdoor display of botanical produce, are then confronted by large tanks of fish and enormous crabs. With more fish laid out on ice and priced by the catty, and large glistening abalone attempting to make their escape, you would be forgiven for thinking this is

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fish market

simply north-central Taipei’s equivalent of the Wanhua market.

And indeed, about 30% of Addiction’s sales are of wet fish for home cooking. But the other 70% is either cooked food for take-away or for consumption on the premises, because this is primarily a restaurant, although in the shell of the old fish market.

“We came to look about a decade years ago,” says Ren Cheng, Addict’s artistic director. By “we,” he means the Mitsui Group, which runs a number of high-end Japanese restaurants in Taiwan.

“The old fish market was a ruin and was facing demolition. The city government was looking for partners with imaginative ideas for renovation or transformation – for a ‘new spirit’ to arise on these ‘old bones,’” he says.

“The problem was that the younger

generation had drifted away from using such places, and now buys food at Carrefour and supermarkets. They didn’t like the smell and the noise and chaos of traditional markets.”

“Our proposal was to be modeled on traditional fruit-and-vegetable and fish markets, where restaurateurs and small shopkeepers go to buy supplies, and maybe stop for a stand-up snack before heading home with their purchases.”

After passing through the wet fish section, visitors pass through a kind of deli area selling imported goods such as olive oils in designer bottles. Then they pass freezers stocked with shrimp, mussels, scallops, and the like.

Those intending to eat in the Japanese-themed area should probably push on to take a numbered ticket, as it is impossible to book in advance and

waiting times can be up to an hour at the busiest periods. Generally it will not be required to hang around more than 20 or 30 minutes, which gives you the opportunity to browse the rest of the establishment.

The first aisle is pink with slabs of sashimi, the orange of uni, and finally green as visitors enter the fresh vegetable section. “We source organic where we can,” Cheng says, “but more importantly we focus on providing clean and safe produce in comparison to many of the small shops and stalls in this area.”

No doubt Addiction is targeting the capital’s young white-collar workers.

“We average around 7,000 shoppers/ diners per month, mostly aged 25 to 40,” Cheng notes.

At the western end of the indoor market is an area that partially resembles a museum, yet also is reminiscent of an IKEA warehouse. This is the accessories section, filled with chairs, tables, bowls, plates, cooking equipment, and row after row of decorative fittings. At the back is a table covered with books about food – not cookbooks for the most part, just stylish books about eating.

Turning back down the second aisle takes you past refrigerators of reasonably priced wine, beer, and sake . These beverages are for take-out customers

At the Wanhua market, a fish seller (left) and the breakfast bar (right).

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fish market

only, however; prices are higher for drinks to accompany food in the dining areas. Cheng asks a staff member how many different types of wine are kept in stock. The answer is about 70, predominantly European.

When he lived in Paris for nine years, says Cheng, “I frequently got up early to visit food markets, and before going home I’d buy a breakfast snack, standing at a chest-high bar. It’s one of my fondest memories.”

After Mitsui won the contract from the Taipei City government, Cheng traveled the world searching for design inspiration, visiting the renowned Tsukiji (築地) Fish Market in Tokyo, as well as Vancouver pier, where he got the idea of combining a fish market with a choice of themed restaurants. “I wanted to bring all this to Taiwan, combining it with the best atmosphere of Taiwan’s own traditional markets but without the worst aspects, and to add to that my own accessories section – I am at heart a designer, after all. We also wanted to maintain Mitsui’s reputation for quality and freshness, but at a lower, affordable price.”

One way that goal has been achieved is the standing-only approach to dining, which does not encourage customers to linger over their food, or even a last glass of wine.

The Japanese sashimi and sushi ticketed area is the main restaurant (make sure you have someone in your group who reads Chinese characters, as menus are not translated and there are no photographs). But other choices include an oyster bar selling oysters on the half shell, as well as other shellfish; a hotpot restaurant upstairs, which is the only section to take bookings (Tel. 02-2508-1268); a large outdoor barbeque zone for those wanting grilled rather than raw fish; and the most recently renovated building, which houses Addiction’s version of Taiwan’s popular street-side “quick fry” (熱炒) restaurants.

F u t u r e d i v e r s i f i c a t i o n, C h e n g explains, will include evening performances and daytime classes, not just for cooking, but also decoration and wine appreciation.

26

Addiction’s food is sourced from all over. From Taiwan where possible, says Cheng, particularly Yilan and Hualien on the east coast, as well as tuna from Pingtung. But the oysters come from France, abalone from South Africa, king crab from Hokkaido, durian from Thailand, and accessories mostly from France, Italy, and Spain.

As for personal recommendations, C h e n g s a y s: “O u r c h a m p a g n e, o f course. And to go with it, probably the beef-and-pork hotpot. The pork is from Taiwan, the beef from the U.S. and Australia.

This writer cannot rave too highly about the deep-fried durian dessert

(NT$40). I would certainly order raw French oysters more often if I did not go home to Europe annually where I do not need to pay NT$890 for six. Usually I stick to some abalone (NT$400 for three), and a plate of mixed nigiri sushi (NT$600 for a dozen or so).

Most often, however, I take a bowl of miso fish soup (NT$30), a fouritem biandang (便當; lunch box) for NT$120, and a bottle of beer from the fridge, and head north the short distance to the banks of the Keelung River.

There I am transported back over the centuries to when rivers were highways busy with boats of different sizes, and soon I am lost in reverie.

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Kinmen Lives on Kaoliang The distillery on the offshore island group is a vital source of employment, government revenue, and social welfare benefits.

BY JOE SEYDEWITZ

W

hen writing about kaoliang l i q u o r, i t’s t e m p t i n g t o emphasize accounts of spirited drinking matches and ganbei (“bottoms up”) culture. Anyone who has been to a banquet in Taiwan, especially one attended by elderly military veterans, will understand what I am referring to.

But that sort of narrative, though both accurate and fun, pales in comparison to the fascinating story of how a plant – and the potent alcoholic beverage derived from it – has become intertwined with many aspects of an 28

entire community. On the Taiwan-controlled island group of Kinmen, just off the coast of the mainland Chinese city of Xiamen, the sorghum crop has helped write the area’s history, maintain its culture, and foster community spirit within the population – all from being the key ingredient in a liquor that has spawned a successful, still-expanding corporation.

Kinmen Kaoliang Liquor Inc. (KKL) was established in 1952, a few years after General Hu Lian, the first military commander posted on Kinmen by the Kuomintang government, recog-

nized that the islands were suitable for dry land sorghum cultivation. At the time, Kinmen (then known in the West mainly as Quemoy), had no significant agricultural production, and was dependant on Taiwan for all necessities, including rice. Meanwhile, hundreds of thousands of Nationalist army soldiers were living in cold, dark caves as they fortified the islands for defense against the Communists.

General Hu keenly realized that sorghum (gaoliang , 高粱, in Mandarin) could be used not only to trade for rice in order to feed his men and the civilian population of Kinmen, but also to keep his troops warm when fermented and then consumed as kaoliang liquor (gaoliang jiu , 高粱酒). Under Hu’s direction, the soldiers began growing sorghum, and the Nine Dragon River Distillery was founded to produce the drink, laying the groundwork for what is now KKL.

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Kinmen Kaoliang

Fast forward 60-plus years and KKL “produces approximately 200,000 bottles of kaoliang liquor daily, which are consumed widely in places like Taiwan, China and Korea,” says KKL representative Zhang Zhi-Chen. The company has also received international recognition for the quality and volume of its production. For example, KKL currently occupies the number 84 spot on the Drinks International overall 2013 Millionaires Club list compiled by the U.K. market research consultancy, Intellima.

The list highlights distilleries around the world selling at least one million 9-liter cases annually. With 2.8 million cases sold in 2012, KKL realized a 22% increase from 2011. KKL is also one of the fastest growing regional brands along with India’s United Spirits brandy, China’s Red Star baijiu , and the U.K.’s Diageo Ciroc vodka, to name a few.

Kaoliang liquor is perfectly transparent yet possesses a boldly distinctive aroma and taste reminiscent of its key ingredient – sorghum. Some liken its drinkability to tequila in its warming effects and spicy notes. The entire distillation and fermentation process takes 25 days, after which it is bottled and stored in the factory for at least six months before sale.

When consumed, the first sensation is that of a strong aroma or “nose,” followed by a smooth drink that warms and ultimately settles with a touch of spice in the throat. With an alcohol content of as much as 60%, it can pack a bit of a punch, and so is generally sipped – or ganbei -ed – from small shot glasses.

What’s particularly impressive about KKL and its powerful drink is how a relatively small company on an island of just 58 square miles has catapulted its signature product onto a Millionaires Club list along with mega brands like Smirnoff and Bacardi. It’s even more impressive to witness the influential role the company has played in Kinmen.

Sorghum cultivation and kaoliang liquor are integral parts, either directly

or indirectly, in the lives of almost all Kinmen residents. Out of a total Kinmen population of about 85,000, more than 1,200 people, nearly all of them natives of the island, are employed at the local KKL plants. In addition, many farmers grow sorghum for supply to the distillery.

Even motorists get involved in the production chain as they drive around the island. Although the larger, more established farms are generally equipped with modern harvesting and milling equipment, the smaller growers rely on the community to help mill their yield.

It is very common in Kinmen to find large patches of sorghum stalks blanketing a roadway for passing cars to roll over, crushing the stalks. The “milled” remains are then collected, separated into grain and chaff, and sold to KKL. After KKL extracts the sorghum syrup and processes it into kaoliang liquor, the company makes the left-over portions of the plant available to cattle farmers to be used as feed. “We donate all the used sorghum to the farmers’ alliance,” says KKL public relations manager Chen Hao-Fu. “The alliance then provides it to the farmers as needed.”

Like the sorghum fields peppered throughout the island, “yellow cows” feeding on sorghum from blue buckets are a familiar sight all around Kinmen.

Consequently, many local restaurants offer a variety of signature beef dishes.

Some say that one of those dishes, beef noodles, now a popular menu item all over Taiwan, was invented by Nationalist soldiers stationed on Kinmen.

Caring for the community Beyond the island’s well-known food and drink specialties, this unusual community-centric approach extends to the islands’ schools and overall social welfare. “The revenue from selling Kinmen Kaoliang has long been the primary economic source of the local government,” notes the Kinmen County government. “County-operated KKL started providing stipends to the elderly 10 years ago, making it the first and only county in the Republic of China (Taiwan) to initiate such a social welfare program.”

An article, “Kinmen Residents Enjoy Better Social Benefits,” published by the Taiwan government’s Taiwan Today

Toasting with kaoliang liquor can make for a festive occasion. taiwan business topics • january 2014

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news service, gives further details: “In 2009, they [the Kinmen government authorities] began to use the liquor company's profits to provide free milk for junior high school and elementary school students, offer each resident NT$3,600 in liquor company coupons at the three major holidays of the year, give local students as well as the underprivileged NT$4,000 transportation vouchers each year, and give each student between NT$5,000 and NT$10,000 in tuition stipends.”

Even while KKL and the Kinmen government continue to give back to the community, many residents enjoy the local drink not only because of the history and benefits associated with it, but rather for its simple excellence and taste. “Kinmen Kaoliang is pure and natural,” explains KKL’s Zhang. “The water we use is filtered through mineral-rich granite gneiss. Dry Kinmen land is great for growing sticky carbohydrate-rich sorghum, and the island’s maritime weather creates an environment free of industrial pollution.”

In case those factors are not sufficient in keeping a batch of kaoliang pure, a quality control team diligently monitors conveyor-transported bottles as they pass by rectangular lights positioned to illuminate impurities, allowing the product to be immediately removed for further inspection.

Maintaining purity is paramount at KKL in order to yield a consistently delicious flavor. The product’s unique taste can also be attributed to two other key factors – a proprietary yeast-making method and the specially designed pottery containers in which the output 30

The sorghum plant, left, and the production process under way at the Kinmen distillery. ph otos: joe seydewitz

ages. “Our special yeast mixture sets us apart from other kaoliang makers because of its unique combination of wheat and sorghum,” Zhang says. “We make it in-house using a precise process of grinding, blending, and cultivating, as opposed to buying from a supplier like other kaoliang producers.”

The finished product is stored for at least six months in the specially designed pottery jars in underground tunnels at constant temperature and humidity. “It is there,” says Zhang, “that our kaoliang liquor develops its distinctive flavor through a natural maturing process.”

In the end, how does KKL recommend drinking its kaoliang? “Don’t add anything – drink it straight for optimal flavor,” advises Zhang. “At room temperature,” he continues, “it tastes a bit spicier. Drinking it chilled will make it slightly smoother, if one prefers.” Half seriously, Professor Frank Lin, who teaches a class about kaoliang and other liquors at Kinmen’s National Quemoy University, recommends that one should “hold the cup gently with forefinger and thumb, consume the entire amount, then place the cup firmly on the table saying ‘Great!’” KKL also notes that kaoliang has been finding its way into more and more cocktail recipes.

Lin and KKL’s Zhang both suggest that peanuts make a nice accompaniment to imbibing kaoliang. The mild, nutty flavor complements kaoliang’s robust taste quite well. Not surprisingly, peanuts are commonly grown in

Kinmen, and are provided along with a kaoliang sampling during the KKL factory tour.

As for the company’s future, in order to take advantage of the large mainland China market, KKL set up outlet stores in the Xianmen, Chuanzhou, and Fuzhou cities of Fujian Province back in September 2004. Notes the Intellima Millionaires Club discussion: “Exports are minimal at this time, but with estimates of 70 million Chinese people – or of Chinese descent – living outside of China, the potential for international sales is vast.” KKL is therefore looking to expand into several other markets around the world “by actively increasing brand awareness in China and developing” the U.S, Canadian, Japanese, and Korean markets,” says the company introduction.

Kinmen kaoliang continues to be a celebration staple on banquet tables across Taiwan and now increasingly in China. It may be a while before Americans start exclaiming “ganbei” and downing a cup of kaoliang liquor, but as climate change sets in around the globe, perhaps KKL’s fiery sorghum-based drink will develop an international following to help people stay warm when temperatures drop.

In Taipei, KKL maintains a showr o o m a t 3 R o o s e v e l t R d., S e c t i o n 1 (Tel: 2356-3823) and sales counters at the Shin Shin Department Store (B1, 247 Linsen North Rd.; Tel: 2521-2211) and the Miramar Entertainment Park in Dazhi.

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bakeries

Bread in Taiwan Isn’t What it Used to Be Bakers’ skills and consumers’ tastes have both come a long way since Western-style baked goods were first introduced in the 1960s.

BY CATHERINE SHU

F

reshly baked French baguettes for dipping into hot bowls of onion soup. Soft buns filled with silky custard. A loaf made of wholewheat flour and studded with dried longan fruit and walnuts. Taiwan’s bakeries offer such a bounty of bread that it’s surprising to realize that only half a decade has passed since the country’s baking industry began to undergo a dramatic transformation.

Before then, most of Taiwan’s bakeries served Japanese-style baked goods.

Made primarily with fine white flour, the bread was often coated with butter, stuffed with shredded pork or sweet bean paste, and sold as an on-the-go breakfast or snack. But in 2007, restaurant operator Ting Hsin International Group founded Bread Societe (http:// www.thebread.com.tw) with the goal of introducing Taiwanese consumers to

European-style bread. The next year, Paul, a bakery chain headquartered in France (http://www.paul-international.com/tw), opened its first location in Taiwan. The international profile of Taiwan’s baking industry was further raised when Wu Pao-chun (http:// www.wupaochun.com) won the title of Master Baker in the prestigious Les Masters de la Boulangerie competition in Paris in 2010.

The roots of the baking industry were laid in 1967, when U.S. Wheat Associates, the NGO representing the American wheat industry, partnered with local flour millers to found the Baking School and Cereal Laboratory.

T h e s c h o o l w a s s t a f f e d w i t h Ta i wanese instructors who had been sent to the American Institute of Baking in Kansas for training, and then returned to teach baking techniques and formu-

lations to others.

“Before the Baking School, there were no standardized recipes” in Taiwan, says Ron Lu, the Taiwan director for U.S. Wheat Associates.

“Each person estimated the amount of ingredients to use. At the Baking School, however, the students were taught how to calculate how much salt, how much sugar, and how much flour to use.” In its heyday during the 1970s, Lu says, some 30 to 40 students were enrolled in each of the Baking School’s eight-week training courses.

Though no figures are available on the number of students who completed the Baking School course, the organization laid the foundation for Taiwan's baking industry, which now consists of an estimated 8,000 bakeries around the country. The school still exists today as the China Grain Products Research and Development Institute in New Taipei City’s Bali District.

When U.S. Wheat Associates first established a presence in Taiwan, “most of the bakeries were left over from the Japanese colonial era, and they mostly made toast bread,” says Lu, referring to slightly sweet, brick-shaped loaves of white bread. “Now many of them serve

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a wider variety, including French-style breads, but that’s how it started.”

The growth of Taiwan's baking industry also helped increase the amount of wheat imported from the United States from the 300,000 to 400,000 tons the year the Baking School was founded to about 1.1 million tons in 2012. The United States is the source for about 80% of the wheat imported into Taiwan, with the remainder coming from Canada and Australia.

As Taiwan's economy developed, so did its bakeries. Gus Hu, marketing director of Bread Societe, says bakeries widened their menus as people’s working days became longer. “Over the past few decades Taiwanese people have experienced significant lifestyle changes,” says Hu. “They used to eat rice porridge for breakfast, but as their schedules became busier, they began to look for more convenient food.”

Bread Societe was established to offer different types of products than could be found at popular Japanese-style chains like SunMerry and Yamazaki. At the beginning, however, Bread Societe had to tailor its offerings to appeal to Taiwanese consumers, who tended not to appreciate the harder crusts and firmer texture of French-style loaves.

Bread Societe’s menu now ranges from bolo (a sweet bun also popular in Hong Kong) and delicate toast-bread flavored with soymilk, to crusty French

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bread. “We made adjustments to the recipes as well as baking times. But our bread always had more texture than the usual Taiwanese recipes,” says Hu. “The standards of Taiwanese consumers are increasing, and now they pay more attention to the texture and fragrance of their bread.”

Local production Paul Taiwan was originally launched as a franchise, but it recently reached a new agreement with the parent company that is enabling it to expand the brand’s presence here. Under the agreement, a new bakery in Neihu is baking bread according to Paul’s recipes, with an expanded product line that features an additional 30 types of baked goods.

Although Paul Taiwan was originally marketed as a luxury brand, with some loaves costing as much as NT$600, it is now lowering its average price. “The higher prices turned off some people.

Even if they had come to our stores because the media coverage made them curious, they couldn’t turn shopping at Paul into a regular habit,” says Shawn Kuo, a representative for Paul Taiwan.

“Last year, we began making adjustments to our price range to make the brand more accessible.”

The chain’s bakeries now also carry items in the NT$25 to NT$100 range, including croissants and tarte sucres

(sweet buns brushed with butter and sprinkled with sugar crystals), which are especially popular among children.

The lower prices are possible because most of the bread sold by Paul Taiwan is now made in its Neihu bakery, which opened in September, instead of being imported from France as previously. Paul Taiwan plans to take advantage of its new facilities to create new products that fuse inspiration from traditional French recipes with Taiwanese ingredients.

“In France, bread is a staple, the way rice is here. French people dip bread in olive oil; they make it into sandwiches. But most people in Taiwan prefer to eat bread with ingredients baked in, like shredded pork or dried fruit. They want to see generous amounts of those ingredients and they want softer bread,” says Kuo. “But over the past few years, more authentic French recipes have become more popular. Customers now want to be able to taste the original aroma of the wheat in their bread,” he adds. “So if we add raisins to a bread, it’s to complement the grain’s original flavor, not disguise it.”

As interest in different kinds of bread grows among Taiwanese consumers, so does demand for quality food. Shoppers now pay more attention to the ingredients and manufacturing processes used by food makers, fueled in part by the recent series of food safety incidents, many of them involving mislabeled food products and the use of copper chlorophyllin, an illegal coloring additive.

The baking industry has not been e x e m p t f r o m t h e o u t c r y. To p P o t Bakery (http://www.tpbakery.com/), a high-end chain founded in 2010, was fined NT$180,000 by the Taipei City Department of Health in August for adding flavorings to its bread. Though the flavorings were not illegal, the Department of Health said that Top Pot Bakery had misled its customers by stating in its advertising that all of its products were made with natural and additive-free ingredients. In response, the chain offered refunds to its customers, sued its founder and

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former president Chuang Hung-ming for fraud, and issued a public apology through its celebrity spokeswoman, singer Dee Hsu, whose husband is an investor in the company.

From the time of its launch, Paul Taiwan has sought to win over customers by stressing the quality of its ingredients. The flour, for example, is made from wheat from French farms that have signed exclusive distribution deals with Paul. One of the chain’s specialties is pain aux six céréales, or bread made from flour ground from six vari-

eties of wheat.

Bread Societe, for its part, emphasizes the use of local ingredients. For instance, one of its seasonal offerings for the winter is cake made with roselle flowers grown in Taitung or black beans harvested in Tainan.

Ron Lu says U.S. Wheat Associates continues to monitor the quality of the wheat exported to Taiwan from the United States. About 60% of the impor ts c ons is t of dar k Nor the r n spring wheat, which is usually baked into bread. Another 30% is made up of

hard red winter wheat, generally made into noodles and steamed buns. The remaining 10% is white wheat, which is most suitable for cakes and other dessert recipes.

“The baking industry here evolved very quickly. They used to just make toast and other very simple loaves, but now there is a much wider variety of baked goods,” says Lu. “People also have higher expectations for the quality of their food. They want whole wheat, and they want additions like nuts and raisins. They want healthier bread.”

Pain, Baguettes and Croissant

Authentic German Brot Wendel’s and Oma Ursel each offer a wide range of fresh German-style baked goods, ranging from hearty multigrain breads to cookies and cake.

Wendel’s was first opened in 1999

by Michael Wendel. For something special, try its “devil's fart” bread (the humorous name is a literal translation of pumpernickel's meaning in German). Oma Ursel opened in 2004 and was named by founder Chiu Dai-yu in honor of her German mother-in-law.

Both establishments also serve a wide range of German fare.

Wendel's (flagship location) 5 Dexing West Rd., Taipei 台北市德行西路5 Tel: (02) 2831-4415 www.wendels-bakery.com Oma Ursel No. 9, Lane 6, Yongkang St., Taipei 台北市永康街6巷9號 Tel: (02) 2392-2447 www.oma.ecdiy.com.tw 33

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While Paul’s is one of the highestprofile French-style bakeries in Taipei, there are several other establishments known for their authentic recipes.

These include Boute De Bijou, which serves a wide range of baked goods including fougasse studded with olives, crusty baguettes and pain au chocolat; nearby La Petite Perle; and Lalos Bakery, which is part of an international chain founded by chef Frederic Lalos.

In addition to savory options, each of these bakeries also sells sweets including fresh macarons.

Boute De Bijou No. 19-1, Lane 33, Lishui St., Taipei 台北市麗水街33巷19之1 Tel: (02) 3322-2461 www.boitedebijou.com.tw La Petite Perle No. 25, Lane 243, Jinhua St., Taipei 台北市金華街243巷25號 Tel: (02) 2394-4222 Lalos Bakery (Taipei 101 mall) B1, No. 45, Shifu Rd., Taipei 台北市市府路45號B1 Tel: (02) 8101-8355 zh-tw.facebook.com/pages/LALOSBakery

Blending East and West Wu Pao-chun has played a key role in elevating the international profile of Taiwan's baking industry by winning competitions like France's prestigious Coupe Louis Lesaffre. Based in Kaoshiung, Wu recently opened his first bakery in Eslite Songshan. The shop constantly has a queue of people waiting to sample Wu’s specialties, which combine French-baking techniques with Taiwanese ingredients. Signature products include loaves studded with dried lychee, rose petals, and walnuts or preserved longan fruit.

Wu Pao-chun Bakery (Eslite Songshan) 88 Yanchang Rd., Taipei Tel: (02) 6636-5888 #1902 www.wupaochun.com

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The Rev. W. Campbell with local missionaries, above, and William A. Pickering, who visited Taiwan from Singapore, left.

Food and Table Manners in Old Formosa Many foreign visitors to taiwan between the 17th and 19th centuries wrote accounts of what the Han chinese and aborigines were eating and drinking.

BY MARK CALTONHILL

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riting in diaries and letters home or blogging about their trips to Taiwan, foreign visitors often mention their first encounters with chopsticks and woks; describe their initial impressions of stinky tofu, hundred-year eggs, and other exotic local delicacies; and take photos to illustrate their observations. This practice is true for students, teachers, and businesspeople in today’s social-media age, but it was no less true – albeit without blogs and photographs – for missionaries, traders, and government officials in earlier days of Western 34

contact, from the 1600s to the 1800s.

With regard to utensils, in Pioneering in Formosa (1898), William A. Pickering, whose title was “Protector of Chinese in the Straits Settlements [Singapore],” described a meal with Han Chinese at Bangkah [Wanhua, Taipei] during a visit prior to 1877: “Upon the conclusion of the meal, a long bamboo full of water was handed to me to drink from; but, being unaccustomed to this peculiar vessel, more water ran over me than I drank. These water buckets are about six feet long, and are

formed of the largest kind of bamboo.…It can, therefore, easily be imagined that it is no light task for the women to toil up the rugged mountain paths with these loads of water.”

Joseph Beal Steere, a professor of zoology from the University of Michigan who spent six months in Taiwan in 1873-74 collecting specimens, wrote in Formosa and Its Inhabitants that during a visit to Penghu: “Onga [presumably the name of his servant] had been so careless as to leave my knife and fork and spoon at Taiwanfu [Tainan] and for a week I ate with a sharp stick and my pen knife, for a knife and fork could not be found in all the islands….I had tried chop sticks, but found them still more unsatisfactory than the sharp stick and pen knife.”

And during a visit to Changhua, Steere records:

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“That night we stayed with a hospitable Chinaman, the owner of large sugar estates....Our host made us a genuine Chinese supper of a dozen or more little bowls of fish flesh and fowl all cut up into small bits ready to be eaten with chop sticks, and other dishes of vegetables of various kinds, with hot tea, and hot sansu or Chinese wine. He sat down with us, and was very polite, putting bits of whatever he thought especially nice upon our plates, with the chopsticks he had just been using to carry food to his own mouth, but good manners vary in different countries.”

Similarly, in A Ramble Through Southern Formosa (1887-88), Englishman George Taylor, keeper of the lighthouse at Taiwan’s southern tip, states: “One could also get over the kindly cramming of neighbours,

who, in the exuberance of good feeling, kept incessantly poking tit-bits of pork and venison into one’s mouth; but it was reserved for the female members of the household to introduce the nauseous.…The Head Chief possessed a widowed daughter who… withdrawing a half masticated chew [of betel nut], pressed it on my acceptance; at this, however, I drew the line, although such a favour would have been eagerly welcomed by any of my [local] companions.”

Most early foreign visitors’ accounts of foods eaten in Taiwan – then generally called Formosa – limited themselves to lists. The island’s Han Chinese “natives” – a tiny minority when Westerners first arrived in the early 17th century but the dominant population by the time China ceded Taiwan to Japan in 1895 – cultivated and imported a fairly wide range of products. Prior to contact with Chinese, the Aborig-

ines appeared to live on little more than millet and sweet potatoes, plus whatever they could catch on hunting expeditions.

According to Atlas Chinensis (1671), a translation by Scotsman John Ogilby of Arnoldus Montanus’ Dutch description of Taiwan based on reports by Scotsman David Wright: “Their usual Diet is dry’d Venison, Flesh of Wild Swine, and Fish; all which they eat raw, without Seething [boiling] or Roasting: Boyl’d Rice serves them for Bread, which they take with their four Fingers, and toss into their Mouthes. They seeth not their Rice in Water; but putting it into a Cullender, hang it over a Pot fill’d with boyling Water, from whose ascending Steam and Heat, the Rice grows moist and warm.”

Two centuries later, Taylor reports: “The Paiwans [Aboriginal group] generally prefer hunting and fishing to agricultural pursuits; but

A MacKay photograph of Taiwan Chinese winnowing rice in the 19th century.

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MacKay on a visit to an Aboriginal village.

at the same time the latter are not altogether neglected. Before the advent of the Chinese, and prior to the arrival of the Dutch settlers… the principal products of the soil were rice, millet, coarse millet, sweet potatoes, taro, yams, peas, sugar cane, bananas, and tobacco.”

A m o n g o t h e r t h i n g s , t h i s c o mment implies that tobacco had made its way to pre-Chinese and pre-European Taiwan within a century or so of Columbus’ arrival in the Americas.

Taylor makes the following observation on the central place of hunting: “The most glorious death of all is to be killed in the endeavour to capture by clasping a wounded boar. A ring of young hunters will form around the thicket in which one of these animals, perhaps badly wounded, has taken refuge, and narrowing the circle compel the boar to break cover.

The animal attempts to dash through, but none of the young men give way; they rather press closer on, and happy is the young warrior over whom the boar tries to rush; regardless of consequences he throws himself on the animal, clasping him where he can with hands and knees, while 36

the others rush in, and with their knives quickly dispatch the brute.

Sometimes hunters receive fearful wounds; none ever escape altogether, and to at least one fourth the result is fatal; but they laugh to scorn any attempt to dissuade them, saying ‘Will not his name be remembered in the songs of the tribe?’”

Pickering describes Chinese investment in infrastructure to improve agriculture: “The Bangkah [Wanhua] people have executed one laborious engineering work, which is of great benefit to this district. The water supplied by the springs of their marshy district was found to be brackish and unwholesome. They therefore formed a scheme for bringing down a mountain stream to supply the populations of the plain. A suitable stream was discovered about eight miles in the interior from Bangkah, rushing down the mountain side in what was then, some sixty years ago, savage territory. The Chinese proceeded to destroy the savage hamlet in the neighbourhood, and drove the aborigines up into their fastnesses in the mountains.

They then cut a tunnel into the foot of the mountain … gradually diverting the course of the stream into their channel. This work was by no means easy, as the labourers were frequently attacked by the deposed savages, and about sixty of their number were killed before its completion.”

Western depictions of aborigines

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Traditional brews Montanus also describes traditional Aboriginal alcohol making: “The Inhabitants neither understand to brew Beer, as in Europe; nor press Wine, having no Grapes; but they use a certain Liquor call’d Musakkauw, or Machiko, make of Rice and Water, after this manner.

A Vessel about the bigness of a Hogshead, or a Barrel, they fill two third parts with chaw’d and boyl’d Rice, and then fill’d up with Water to the top. This being a Brimmer, luted up, is put seven Foot deep under Ground, where it stands a whole Year; then ‘tis again taken up, and the Moisture press’d out of the Rice (for most of the Water is soak’d into the Rice) with their Hands. After eight days the Juyce works it self into a very wholesom Liquor, which may compare with the strongest Wine, and will remain good twenty or thirty Years; for the older it grows, the stronger and pleasanter it tastes, being preserv’d in the same Pots it was made in, and cover’d with Earth.…At the Birth of a Child, the Father prepares two or three Pots of this Drink, and preserves it till the Childs Marriage.”

T he r e wa s m u c h d e b a te a m o n g Western observers as to the prevalence of alcoholism among Aborigines, from those saying they spent much of everyday partially drunk or worse, to others who claimed they only occasionally drank a low-percentage brew. For example, Taylor wrote: “As a rule, the child is suckled until it is two years of age; afterwards it gets the same food as its elders. Children, only three years old, may be seen chewing betel nut, smoking tobacco, and, worse still, drinking samshu to intoxication.…

A child allowed to drink this liquor seldom attains the age of 15.”

Whereas, T.L. Bullock (A Trip to the Interior of Formosa, 1877) considered: “The rice-wine, however, which they make is so weak that they very seldom become intoxicated.”

Canadian missionary George MacKay with his Taiwanese wife and their family.

I n N o t e s o f Tr a v e l i n F o r m o s a (1867-72), Charles W. Le Gendre, the U.S. Consul at Xiamen, described how Han Chinese used alcohol to trick Aborigines of their ancestral lands: “The aborigines are generally opposed to granting the demands of the Chinese.… The Chinese are well aware of this, and knowing the fondness of the aborigines for ardent spirits, they ply them with abundance of it, and when they are fully under its influence, bright colored cloth is presented to them, a pig is killed, and at the end of the feast the bargain is concluded amid innumerable toasts to eternal friendship. With the first rays of the morning sun, the unfortunate aborigines come to their senses and repent, offering to return the fatal presents by means of which they have been deprived of their beloved retreats. But the cunning Chinese obstinately refuse to part with their newly-acquired property. Hence long quarrels and severe conflicts in which the aborigines generally get worsted.…

At last, tired of a conflict in which their most valiant braves have fallen, and despairing of attaining their object, they abandon their pretensions and retire further to the Southward.”

Regarding Aboriginal religious ceremony performed before drinking, Robert Swinhoe, an English naturalist

and Consul of Formosa, recorded in Notes on the Ethnology of Formosa (1863): “They drink no other spirits than that supplied them by the Chinese, namely – the rice spirit, known to Europeans as Samshoo. They pour this into cups made of hollow bamboo, and before drinking dip the two first fingers of their right hand into the liquor and sprinkle it in three directions. After this ceremony they offer the cup to all present before they put it to their own lips.”

Both Chinese and Aborigines had other religious beliefs relating to food. In his paper Aborigines of Formosa (1885-86), Taylor wrote that the Paiwan Aborigines: “…are included to think that some souls are, as a mild punishment for minor misdeeds, condemned to pass into certain animals, where they remain for a time. Dogs and poultry are more especially supposed to be the temporary habitations of spirits, and although they have no scruple in rearing poultry for the market, yet they will never eat any kind of poultry themselves.”

Montanus also mentioned a number of food taboos among the innumerable

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shamans’ rules: “They are forbidden at that time to throw the bones of Salt Fish, or Peels of Onions, on the Ground; but must carry them in a Talangack, or Pot, into the Woods, to prevent the devouring of their Corn by Poysonous Serpents.”

“Sugar-Canes or Pomegranates they may eat onely in the Evening; but they may not during that Season taste any Roast-meat, for fear the Corn should be set on Fire by wild Swine…”

“They must also abstain from Kanging and a Hay, both Fishes, because they believe, if they should eat of them, that the Corn would have no Ears.”

In promoting his Mackay Mission Hospital, Canadian missionary George MacKay listed around three dozen “Ignorant and Superstitious Methods of Curing Disease in North Formosa” (in The Chinese Recorder 1892). Some of those involving foods, broths, and medicines taken internally were: “For Aphthae, with dribbling saliva. Cockroaches’s dung is used as a medicine.

[For] the Dyspeptic…feeding on dog’s flesh …

A child troubled with Enuresis must partake of rat’s flesh.…

To procure Longevity…intestines of the mountain goat, which are to be boiled and eaten as hot as possible.

For Lumbrici. Cockroaches are roasted and then infused as tea.

For Rheumatism is prescribed a kind of soup made of the feet (not the legs) of the monkey…mixed with pork and spirituous liquors.

Scabies is supposed to be counteracted by the fresh or dried flesh of the python.

In the case of Syphilis or Syphilitic Rheumatism, toad boiled with pork and made into soup.

Tonsillitis is attributed to the interference of a spirit supposed to have influence over the throat of a dog. To remedy the evil, take a bowlful of rice and spit out the first mouthful for the nearest dog to devour.”

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William A. Pickering in an 1869 photograph.

Just as visitors today may turn up their noses at some local foodstuffs, so were earlier travelers surprised or worse at the contents of their bowls.

In his Sketches from Formosa (1915), Scotsman Rev. W. Campbell tells a number of stories from his 44 years of missionary activities in Taiwan: “I came out to find everything for my breakfast already set. I complimented [Chinese servant, Po-tsai] on the nice juicy rabbit he had prepared; but he said it was not rabbit, and that he had another one for to-morrow morning.

‘Show it to me,’ said I; whereupon he went out and returned with the body of a great old thief of a rat on a plate.”

And later: “At last [our cook] appeared with a large unglazed earthenware jar containing meat and soup, and then with another having a heaped-up supply of nicely-cooked rice. After the two of us had plied our chopsticks in silence for a little, I suddenly called out to my colleague, ‘Hello! there’s something wrong’; and, on looking

down into the jar, we did indeed see what appeared to be the fivefingered palm of a little baby sticking out of the soup. I at once shouted for [Po-tsai]. He came back again carrying the spread-out hide and the gruesome head of an old monkey.”

And during missionary work to Couch Island in the Pescadores: “I said I would be delighted to share their meals of grated potatoes and salt fish. After two or three days of this experience, I was seized with severe stomach-ache, and discovered the cause on managing to crawl along to the coralbuilt shanty where the potatoes were cooked. I saw there a very large basket of bamboo splints, which could contain at least six months’ supply of potatoes; and, on looking inside, was surprised to see the contents moving in a curious sort of way. At that moment, too, the woman dipped in her ladle to get a supply for our mid-day meal. A closer inspection revealed the presence of whole masses of whitish worms among the potatoes. On excitedly calling attention to this, the old husband only stupidly stared at me.…‘Oh, it’s the worms you mean. Why, they contain any amount of fat, and nothing could make the potatoes go down more easily.’”

Pickering reports feeling obliged to eat raw, living bee larvae: “The custom was for each savage to entertain the visitor in turn .…

At one hut a honeycomb in which the larvae predominated was produced for my delectation!… I felt politeness demanded the sacrifice of my prejudices…and munched it down with a paste made of taro.”

These last are so reminiscent of today’s blog and tweets, that it may be worth remembering that they should sometimes be read with the same skepticism as regards their accuracy and trustworthiness. Perhaps 17th-, 18thand 19th-century travelers were also tempted to bend reality or repeat hearsay to shock their readers back home.

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What’s New on the Restaurant Scene?

Newly opened or relaunched dining places you should know about.

BY ANITA CHEN

photos: shangri-la's far eastern plaza

Ibuki by Takagi Kazuo

201 Dunhua S. Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei (Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei, 7F) 台北市敦化南路2段201號/香格里拉台北遠東國際大飯店7樓 Tel: (02) 2376-3241

G

ourmet diners in Taipei are already familiar with French or Italian Michelin restaurants. There is now another option to spoil their palates with Michelin-recognized culinary arts.

Partnering with Michelin-starred Japanese chef Takagi Kazuo, Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei is now offering authentic Kyoto cuisine at Ibuki

by Takagi Kazuo, touting Taiwan’s first and only Japanese restaurant to follow Michelin-starred culinary concepts.

Kyo-ryori (Kyoto Cuisine) is not only about eating. The spirit of Kyo-ryori lies in the perfect balance of sophistication, visual beauty, and subtlety of taste.

Trained and guided by Kyo-ryori culinary masters, Chef Takagi dedicates himself to serving creations using only the freshest ingredients, aiming to celebrate the season via his food. His cuisine is designed with “season, festivity,

and innovation” in mind, incorporating lots of Taiwanese vegetables and other domestic ingredients to bring it close to local diners.

Soup is symbolic of Chef Takagi’s cuisine because he believes the taste and aroma of a soup characterizes one’s culinary style and defines a restaurant’s personality. His “number one broth” is cooked with kelp from cold sea-water in northern Japan and bonito (dried tuna flakes) from Kyushu. This heavenly broth is the base of a lot of dishes, including the Homemade Sesame Tofu and the signature soup – the Floating Kiku Flower (chrysanthemum).

The Homemade Sesame Tofu is made of white sesame, blended with “the number one broth” and natural starch, served with fresh prawn, sea urchin, and a dash of caviar. To create the jelly-like texture, Chef Takagi uses two dif-

photo : shangri-la's far eastern plaza

ferent types of Japanese starch, kuzu and warabi, to achieve the perfect consistency. Seasonal green vegetables and colorful edible flowers sprinkled on top make this dish a total enjoyment to one’s palate and vision.

The Floating Kiku Flower is a soup dish reflecting the autumn. It features a chrysanthemum carefully assembled using julienne white radish. When unfolding the pedals, one will find fresh lobster fish-balls and autumn vegetables and mushrooms, complemented by the “number one broth” and sprinkled with zest of Japanese pomelo. Chef Takagi explains that this is a very traditional Kyoto-style soup that combines four elements in one dish: aroma (pomelo), filling (lobster), green (vegetables), and root (mushrooms). taiwan business topics • january 2014

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photo : shangri-la's far eastern plaza

Another meticulous dish is the hassun (the intermission platter), which Chef Takagi considers the second-most important dish next to the soup. Traditionally, Japanese chefs use a variety of inseason ingredients to create dishes with seasonal implications, such as the moon, persimmons, and chrysanthemum for the autumn. Chef Takagi’s hassun features salmon and squid sushi balls, deep-fried crabmeat roll, marinated radish mimicking the kiku flower, U.S. beef with vegetables in an egg-yolk mustard sauce, and

grilled eggplant topped with red miso.

Handmade leaf-shaped potato chips are placed on top to perfect the presentation.

Because his creations are all about the celebration of culinary arts, Chef Takagi requires that all service staff be trained to tell the stories behind each dish so as to bring the best culinary experience to the patrons. He has also sent his right-hand man, Chef Kudo Masakazu, to be stationed at Ibuki by Takagi Kazuo to lead the team, inculcating them with his culinary philosophies and spirits.

Ziga Zaga

2 Songshou Rd., Taipei (Grand Hyatt Taipei, 2F) 台北市松壽路2號/台北君悅酒店2樓 Tel: (02) 2720-1230

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ne of the longest-standing Italian restaurants and nightclubs in town, Ziga Zaga of Grand Hyatt Taipei has recently added a new twist by incorporating American and Mexican dishes into the menu. The elegant restaurant features contemporary interior décor, complemented by a trendy wine bar and a spacious dance floor. The casual but happening ambiance, the wide variety of menu options, and the impeccable service are transforming Ziga Zaga into a new destination for Taipei’s young and vibrant crowd.

The recommended starter is the Antipasto Plate. Inspired by the traditional Italian dish Fritto Misto (mixed deep-

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photo : grand hyatt

fried meats, seafood, and vegetables), Executive Sous Chef Kevin Chen prepares this colorful dish featuring his proud creation of deep-fried rice croquette, paired by a variety of Italian cheeses, cold meats, and marinated grilled vegetables. To create the rice croquette, creamy mushroom risotto is first mixed with Bolognese sauce, parmesan cheese, and peas; shaped into small balls; then coated with fresh breadcrumbs and deep fried to perfection. The richness of the cheese and rice is nicely complemented by the crunchy breadcrumb.

No Mexican menu is complete without tacos. Chef Chen’s crispy deep-fried taco is filled with refried black pinto beans and topped with tomato salsa, onion, and four different kinds of cheese: Quesadillas, Asadero, Monterey Jack, and Cheddar.

It is served with freshly made guacamole, : grand hyatt sour cream, and extra photo tomato salsa. In

addition to the original version, diners can also choose to add chicken or beef to provide extra flavors.

Another one of Chef Chen’s recommendations is the Osso Buco. Australian veal shank is slow-cooked for 1.5 hours and then oven-roasted to create a firm-outside but tender-inside texture.

It is served with fragrant saffron risotto cooked in white wine.

The latest addition to Ziga Zaga’s menu is the BBQ pork ribs. Premium quality ribs are blanched first before smoking, and then marinated with ketchup-based BBQ sauce. They are then slow-roasted in the oven until the meat becomes tender and juicy. To create a genuine American dining experience, the ribs are served with a generous amount of French fries and onion rings. This is a dish that will satisfy even the largest appetite.

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1Bite2Go Café & Deli/Food Truck

No. 5, Lane 21, Anhe Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei/ 115 Zhongzheng Rd., Taipei 台北市安和路1段21巷5號/台北市中正路115號 Tel: (02) 2751-6628/ 2882-5676

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wo of the key elements defining New York gastronomy are food trucks and delis, which can be found almost at every street corner in the Big Apple. The Ambassador Hotel Group’s latest effort is to combine these two elements by presenting the 1Bite2Go Food Truck, a new addition to the first 1Bite2Go Café and Deli in the Shilin District.

The food truck serves the same type of deli dishes that the Shilin store offers, with a special focus on cheese melt sand-

wiches. One of the favorites is the New York pastrami combo. The kitchen first wet-cures fine beef brisket for over a week and then dry-cures it with spices, followed by a slow-roasting process for hours. The meat is then finely sliced into a generous 7-ounce portion. It is served with special mustard, sauerkraut, Swiss Emmentaler cheese, and grilled rye bread. All the individual components may seem ordinary and the size of the sandwich may be intimating, yet the final result is simply irresistibly wonderful.

Another must-try is the Classic Reuben Corned Beef Sandwich. Finely sliced tender corned beef, Swiss Emmentaler cheese, sweet homemade Russian dressing, and German sauerkraut are

packed between two pieces of fresh rye bread from Ambassador Hotel Group’s own “Le Bouquet Bread & Bakery.” The corned beef is slow-cured in sea salt and spices for a minimum of seven days, a process that gives the meet an authentic taste and aroma.

The bright red food truck is stationed in a different location every day. For details of the locations, telephone 0975008686. Due to the popularity of the food truck and the first store, 1Bite2Go added another branch on Anhe Road in October 2013. As with the Shilin outlet, the Anhe branch is an all-day café offering a full menu, including deli classics, hearty sandwiches, healthy salads, and delicious desserts.

A Roy Dee by Sukhothai

39 Fuxing S. Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei (Breeze Center, GF) 台北市復興南路1段39號/微風廣場GF Tel: (02) 6606-5511

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ukhothai in the Sheraton Hotel has long been on the top of the list for Taipei fans of Thai food. The hotel group recently opened A Roy Dee by Sukhothai in the ground floor of Breeze Center, the first Sheraton ownedand-operated restaurant outside of the hotel, featuring authentic northeastern Thai cuisine.

Because of the weather, the high altitude, and the influence of Burmese culture, northeastern Thais tend to favor foods of strong flavors. A Roy Dee by Sukhothai offers many of these dishes with a traditional spicy kick. Of special recommendation is the North East Vegetables Platter with Minced Pork and Tamarind Dipping Sauce, a commonly seen family-style dish in the Northern Thai region.

The spicy and sour dipping sauce is used to balance the deep fried meat, eggs, and vegetables.

Curries are must-tries in any Thai restaurant, and we

specifically liked the Fresh Spotted Crab with Yellow Curry and Coconut Milk, as well as the Slow Cooked Beef with Masaman Curry in Pumpkin. Unlike many Thai restaurants that have been “localized” in Taiwan – with the result that most curries use the same base and taste almost identical – these two dishes are each prepared with its own spices and curry pastes to deliver a unique flavor and aroma.

Another favorite is the Tuna Roll with Sour and Spicy Sauce, with a variety of crunchy vegetables and fresh tuna to give this ordinary family dish a new twist. We also liked the Deep-fried Shrimp Cake. Although admittedly not an authentic Thai dish, it delivers thick and juicy shrimp cakes, paired with a spicy and tart sauce.

“A Roy Dee” means “very delicious” in Thai, and the Sheraton Hotel certainly has done justice to the name by presenting wonderful dishes true to their origin.

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New restauraNts

Bird Wo Wo Restaurant Café 鳥窩窩私房菜

116 Anhe Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei 台北市安和路1段116號 Tel: (02) 2325-5566

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new addition to the restaurant scene in the Xinyi-Anhe area, Bird Wo Wo Restaurant Café actually already has several branches around Taiwan. The restaurant’s founder and owner is a Taiwanese entrepreneur who built a successful restaurant business in mainland China before returning to Taiwan to open Bird Wo Wo (“Bird’s Nest”).

The white-themed restaurant incorporates a lot of feathers, laces, bird cages, and floral and tree-leave patterns into its interior décor. Bird Wo Wo has a very

extensive menu, with a special focus on recreating traditional royal Chinese dishes as well as introducing popular dishes in modern-day China. One of our particular favorites is the Boiled Sliced Pork and Cucumber with Garlic Sauce. The restaurant adds a modern twist to this ordinary family dish by hanging the meat and vegetable slices on a small wooden rack.

The Deep-fried Shrimp Balls comes in four pieces, all juicy inside and crunchy outside. The Sautéed Sliced Beef transforms another ordinary family dish into a

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modern one by adding cumin and breadcrumbs to liven up the flavor. For stinky tofu lovers, this restaurant offers various styles of dishes, such as stir-fried stinky tofu that is braised with pigskin, panfried with pig intestine, or deep-fried with shrimp.

Bird Wo Wo also has a very extensive menu of sweet drinks and desserts, making it an ideal location for a cozy afternoon hangout.

Botega Del Vin

No. 45, Lane 308, Guangfu S. Rd., Taipei 台北市光復南路308巷45號 Tel: (02) 2752-5330

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avern or bistro-style restaurants are nothing new to Taipei, as more and more foreign chefs are expanding their reaches into Asia, including Taiwan.

Botega Del Vin is one of the new stars in Taipei’s Italian culinary scene, and it is standing out by offering authentic northeastern Italian cuisine and some of the best pasta dishes in town.

Located in a small alley in the Zhongxiao-Dunhua MRT station area, Botega Del Vin is housed in a cute little white duplex with seats for only about 20 people. The front wall of the restaurant has been turned into a big window, with stools placed alongside it outdoors to create a bar area for patrons waiting to be seated. That is certainly a welcome design because this cozy bistro open only for dinner is almost always full with hungry diners, most of them coming for the famous home-style pasta dishes.

A particular favorite is the Spinach Ricotta Ravioli. The dumpling is filled

with a mixture of spinach paste and ricotta cheese, then cooked in a rich sauce made with blue cheese and heavy cream. The milky aroma of the cream nicely balances the strong blue cheese, making for a very smooth sauce and chewy pasta.

The owner recommended an infrequently seen dish in Taiwan: Bigoli Anitra. Bigoli, originating from the northern Italian province of Treviso, is a type of pasta that takes the form of a long and thick tube, similar to the shape of Japanese Udon. The pasta is cooked al dente and served with minced duck meat.

Despite the humble presentation, it is a very flavorful and satisfying dish.

We also tried the Gnocchi with Cheese Sauce. The potato dumplings are cooked to perfection in a lightly flavored gorgonzola sauce. With the first few bites, the gnocchi was chewy, but it then quickly melted in the mouth, delivering a wonderful surprise to the palate.

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New restauraNts

The Maji Maji Square at Taipei Expo Park 圓山花博公園Maji Maji 集食行樂廣場 1 Yumen St., Taipei 台北市玉門街1號

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fter the 2010 and 2011 Taipei International Flora Expo, the Taipei City Government turned the venue into the Expo Park dedicated to cultural and creative industries. One of the elements of the Park is the Maji Maji Square, a covered outdoor marketplace with lots of restaurants, food-stall style eateries, and gourmet grocery stores and delis. Some of the interesting options are: • Gaucho Wood Fire Grill 高卓阿根廷碳烤餐廳 Tel: (02) 2597-8508 An Argentine steakhouse serving traditional Argentine wood-fired steak, served with Chimichurri Sauce • Butcher’s Kitchen 肉鋪廚房 Tel: (02) 2597-1506 Mainly serving steak and all sorts of

other beef dishes, including beef tartar, beef burgers, beef sausages, beef liver, etc., this restaurant is certainly a beef lovers’ heaven.

• The Three Lions Inn 三隻獅子英國餐廳 Tel: (02) 2597-9716 A British-style pub owned by three Brits, serving authentic British pub food and lots of beers.

• Thai Lao Yeh 泰老爺小酒館 Tel: (02) 2597-8382 A Thai-style bistro offering a variety of Thai food from different regions of Thailand, as well as some lesser-known street-side Thai dishes, this charming place has a sister branch in the Cabochon Hotel in Bangkok.

• Restaurant Aoba 青葉新樂園

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Tel: (02) 2597-1530 The latest addition of the famous Taiwanese restaurant Aoba, this place incorporates the concept of Spanish tapas, offering some of the most traditional Taiwanese dishes in small plates.

• Tien Ming An 天命庵 Tel: (02) 2597-8382 A new branch of a famous Taipeibased Japanese Izakaya restaurant, this place offers aromatic and flavorful Japanese-style grilled meats.

Other New Restaurants Westin Taipei. He now owns and operates two Indian restaurants in Taipei, with a plan to open a branch in Hong Kong.

The Xinsheng branch has a very extensive menu, offering dishes from all 28 states of India.

Steak • Wine 阿根廷慢火牛排

170 Dunhua S. Rd., Sec. 2, Taipei 台北市敦化南路2段170號 Tel: (02) 2739-9917 An Argentine-style steakhouse, offering traditional wood fired Argentine steaks and other traditional cuisine. photo : aN ita cheN

Angelo Restaurant 安傑羅 No. 22, Alley 6, Lane 170, Zhongxiao E. Rd., Sec. 4, Taipei 台北市忠孝東路4段170巷6弄22號 Tel: (02) 2751-0790 Opened by former head chef Angelo Agliano of L’atelier de Joel Robuchon’s Taipei restaurant, this is the latest addition to the fine Italian dining scene in Taipei. The restaurant offers a full range of Italian dishes from pasta to seafood and steak.

Mayur Indian Kitchen 馬友友印度廚房 38 Xinsheng N. Rd., Sec. 1, Taipei 台北市新生北路1段38號 Tel: (02) 2543-1817 Founder and chef Mayur Srivastava used to work for the

Danny’s Steakhouse 教父牛排 58 Lequn 3rd Rd., Taipei 台北市樂群3路58號 Tel: (02) 8501-1838 Located in Neihu, this restaurant is the third premium steakhouse opened by Danny Deng, whose nickname is “the Godfather of Steak.”

VVG Action 好樣情事 88 Yanchang Rd, Taipei (Eslite Spectrum Songyen Store, B2F) 台北市菸廠路88號 (誠品松菸館B2F) Tel: (02) 6636-5888 ext.1901 The newest member of the local restaurant chain VVG, the restaurant is in a movie studio setting and offers fusion Western dishes. taiwan business topics • january 2014

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s e e i n g ta i w a n

Lighting up Central Taiwan: the 2014 Lantern Festival

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any of those who know Ta i w a n w e l l d e s c r i b e i t as a fascinating blend of East and West, a place where ancient traditions thrive alongside cuttingedge modernity. This is also true when it comes to the calendars Taiwanese people use to plan their lives. Like their counterparts in other countries, Taiwan’s workers, civil servants, and students refer to the Gregorian calendar when making appointments and meeting deadlines. However, what is called the lunar calendar or farmers’ calendar is used to calculate the timing of festivals, weddings, and funerals.

The lunar calendar, a highly complex system of reckoning dates according to both the phase of the moon and the solar year, has been in use for well over 2,000 years. Pious individuals refer to it often because their beliefs compel them to burn joss paper and follow a vegetarian diet on the first and 15th day of each lunar month.

The start of the lunar year always falls between January 22 and February 19 on the Gregorian calendar, and the Chinese Lunar New Year period is far more important to Taiwanese people than Christmas or December 31. Schools close for around three weeks. With the exception of hotels and some restaurants and shops, business grinds to a halt for several days.

Ethnic Chinese throughout the world have prepared for this time by giving their houses a thorough cleaning, and

they spend the holiday feasting, visiting relatives, setting off firecrackers, and presenting cash-filled hongbao (“red envelopes”) to youngsters and elders.

Another custom linked to the traditional calendar is the Shengxiao or Chinese Zodiac. Each year is associated with one of 12 animals, and just as people in Western countries know their star sign, so everyone of Chinese ancestry knows which zodiac year he or she was born in.

On January 31, 2014, people of Chinese descent the world over will celebrate the first day of the Year of the Horse. The other 11 animals in the cycle are: sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, pig, rat, ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, and snake. Just as many Westerners consider that one’s star sign influences one’s personality, people in Taiwan have long believed those born in certain years

tend to have similar character traits.

Those born in the Year of the Horse, it is said, enjoy the limelight and chafe at constraints. Tigers are valiant and eager to take on challenges but often are hasty and short-tempered. Roosters are honest, yet eccentric.

Lunar New Year festivities traditionally continue for 15 days until the night of the first full-moon of the new year (which in 2014 will be February 14).

Chinese people call the final celebration Yuanxiao Jie, but in English the event is known as Lantern Festival, because decorative lanterns of all shapes and sizes figure prominently.

Over the past two decades, the Lantern Festival has emerged as an event of national and international interest. Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau has promoted the festival’s growth, but technology has also helped. In olden

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times, lanterns were invariably barrelshaped and illuminated by burning wicks. Nowadays most lanterns are LED – less romantic, perhaps, but surely safer. More intriguingly, they may be of almost any shape, even bigger than houses, and showcase stateof-the-art visual trickery plus the latest low-energy sustainable technology.

Ta i w a n ’s L a n t e r n F e s t i v a l h a s become a roving affair. In addition to local celebrations, the principal event is held in a different part of Taiwan each year. The 2012 Lantern Festival was hosted in the Lugang Sports Park in Changhua County, and drew more than ten million visitors in its two-week run. The venue for the 2013 event was Zhubei, 60 kilometers south of Taipei and one of Taiwan’s fastest-growing urban areas.

The 2014 Lantern Festival, which will run from February 14 to February 23, will be held in Chunghsing New Village, Nantou County, in the very center of Taiwan. For those arriving by car, Freeway 3 provides easy access to the venue. Details of shuttle buses from the Taichung High-Speed Railway Station and other public transportation hubs will be announced ahead of the Lunar New Year. Those interested in doing additional sightseeing before or after attending the festival should

note that Chunghsing New Village is, as the crow flies, just 22 kilometers from Taichung’s dynamic downtown, 25 kilometers from Sun Moon Lake, and 28 kilometers from the picturesque historic town of Lugang.

As always, a major theme of the festival will be the year’s animal symbol on the Chinese Zodiac. Visitors to the festival can expect to see horse-shaped lanterns of every size and color, including stunning animatronic creations. The village’s Guanghua Road will be transformed into a “green tunnel of light,” and spectacular fireworks will light up the night sky.

When pronounced in Mandarin, the numbers 2-0-1-4 sound somewhat like “love you forever.” Also, February 14 is of course Valentine’s Day, a Western custom which young Taiwanese have adopted with relish. Love and romance will thus be another theme of the 2014 Lantern Festival.

There are no big cities in Nantou, and the landlocked county boasts tremendous rural and mountain scenery. Zhushan, a town near Chunghsing New Village, has been synonymous with bamboo crafts and industries since the Japanese occupation (1895-1945).

The local government is using the festival as an opportunity to showcase Nantou’s considerable rustic charm.

Being in more than one place simultaneously is impossible. This is unfortunate because two thrilling events

will be held in other parts of Taiwan on the same day as the Lantern Festival.

One is in Tainan City’s Yanshui District, a small town awash with pre-industrial character. Yanshui’s Beehive Fireworks Festival is an extraordinary audienceparticipation fireworks parade marking the defeat of a cholera epidemic in the 19th century.

Taitung’s Bombing of Han Dan ritual is equally unforgettable. Volunteers take turns representing Han Dan, a god of war and wealth, by standing on top of a bamboo platform which is carried through the streets. Once on board, they are pelted non-stop with firecrackers because the god is believed to hate the cold, and to bestow good fortune on those who keep him warm by showering him with fireworks. In accordance with tradition, these brave young men wear only red shorts, gloves, goggles to protect their eyes, and wet rags over their ears and mouth. Each also carries a leafy branch that he can use to protect himself from sparks and embers. Inevitably, volunteers emerge from the ordeal with minor burns and bruises, but also with great respect from the community.

For more details about all of these events and other information useful to visitors, go to the website of Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau (http://www.taiwan. net.tw) or call the 24-hour tourist information hotline (0800-011-765, toll free within Taiwan).

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