2012Vol. 42No.01

SP E CI A L I SSUE January 2012 / Volume 42 Number 1 www.am c ha m . c o m . t w

WINE& DINE IN TAIWAN 2012

NT$150 COVER SPONSOR

1_2012_CoverA.indd 1

2012/1/19 12:10:09 AM

AdvertoriAl

Shin Yeh 101 Ambiance Authentic Taiwanese Cuisine in an Elegant Milieu

L

ooking for the perfect restaurant for introducing Ta i w a n e s e f o o d t o a f o r e i g n g u e s t ? L o o k n o further than Shin Yeh 101.

The restaurant refers to itself as a “unique utopia amid the clouds,” as it is perched high up (85th floor) on the world’s tallest green building, Taipei 101 – an iconic structure that is to Taipei what the Statue of Liberty is to New York and the Eiffel Tower is to Paris. The restaurant’s huge windows offer spectacular panoramic views of Taipei along with the Keelung River that are a tourist attraction in themselves.

But it’s really the food that’s the draw. “We try to use the freshest, most seasonal ingredients,” says Kenneth Yao, a project manager with Shin Yeh’s Taiwanese cuisine department. Long-term foreign residents of Taiwan consider the Shin Yeh restaurant chain synonymous with traditional Taiwanese cuisine.

Shin Yeh 101 has delighted international gourmets and celebrities alike and has become a major stop for tourists from Japan and China. Here, guests will find the most popular authentic Taiwanese dishes served at other Shin Yeh restaurants, along with specially-designed set menus, worldclass Western-style service, and Japanese decorative styling to help customers feel more at home.

The Taiwanese dishes are rich in tradition and often have fascinating folk stories behind them. For example, there’s “Buddha Jumping over a Wall,” a southern Taiwanese stew with plenty of fresh ingredients, including sea cucumber, scallops, and pork ribs, slowly cooked to a rich concentrated broth. As the story goes, Buddha smelled the dish when passing through a town and couldn’t resist it. Despite being a vegetarian, he even climbed over a wall to eat it, proving how delicious the dish is.

Or there’s pan-fried fragrant turnip cake. For many Taiwanese, it evokes childhood memories of their hometowns.

In the old days in rural areas, Taiwanese would cut turnips into small pieces, sprinkle them with salt, and sun-dry them on a board. Shin Yeh chefs pay careful attention to detail when they make the dish, removing some of the salt from the dried turnip to preserve the fragrance and cutting it to just the right size to ensure that it’s chewy and retains the flavor.

Although Shin Yeh 101 – with its elegant modern chandeliers, dark plum carpet, and velvet brown chairs – exudes sophistication, the restaurant chain itself had very homey beginnings. Around 35 years ago, Shin Yeh’s chairwoman, Lee Xiu-Ying, set up a small restaurant with only 11 tables in a Taipei back alley to serve simple traditional Taiwanese dishes. Mrs. Lee sought to innovate to develop

traditional Taiwanese cooking to a new level, and the popularity of the food spread by word of mouth. Shin Yeh has since become so popular that the company now operates 16 restaurants, including two in Beijing and one in Singapore, and employs over 850 people.

Taiwanese cuisine can be distinguished by its southern Chinese characteristics together with a Japanese influence. It is also characterized by its use of in-season ingredients. The restaurant always selects the finest and freshest ingredients, including fruit, vegetables, and seafood, from the most suitable sources all over the island. For example, the best baby abalone is found in the waters off northeast Taiwan. Shin Yeh cooks stir-fry it with ginger and scallion or braise it with soya sauce, and serve it hot or cold.

Shin Yeh also devotes itself to the intricacy of cuisine preparation, focusing on minute details with specifications extending to even the thickness to which the green onions should be cut. Despite the common origin from China’s Fujian Province, Shin Yeh’s recipes differ from Hokkien food in Southeast Asian countries such as Singapore, as the latter is spicier and heavier in taste. With all dishes, if a guest has a special taste preference, the chef can alter the ingredients.

Shin Yeh 101, the most upscale restaurant in the chain, serves everything from traditional delicacies and night-marketstyle snacks to banquet dishes. While the other Shin Yeh restaurants are more like family dining, with more traditionalstyle food and an old-fashioned service style, the chefs at Shin Yeh 101 try to invent new dishes and new sauces while still keeping to the traditional Taiwanese cooking methods.

More so than the other restaurants in the chain, Shih Yeh 101 also maintains an extensive wine list aimed at global visitors. But as in the other Shin Yeh restaurants, after the meal guests are always presented with a pot of hot tea and freshly cooked peanut millet candy. The restaurant exudes warm Taiwan hospitality in keeping with Taiwan culture.

The restaurant also has five private rooms, each named after a Taiwanese folk song – such as Diu Diu Dang, a song about trains in the old days, or Bang Chhunhong (“Longing for the Spring Breeze”), about unrequited love.

These rooms are suitable for business functions.

The maximum number the restaurant can accommodate for a business function is around 300.

Shin Yeh 101’s business hours are 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and 5:30 to 10 p.m.

For reservations, telephone (02) 8101-0185 or go to www.shinyeh.com.tw january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_2012AdvertorialShinYeh.indd 3

3

2012/1/20 11:17:49 AM

CONTENTS Photo : mark caltonhill

Photo : elyse glickman

j ANuARy 2012

vOLuME 42, NuMbER 1

一○一年一月號

Publisher

Andrea Wu

發行人

吳王小珍

Editor-in-Chief

總編輯

Don Shapiro Art Director/ Production Coordinator

沙蕩 美術主任 / 後製統籌

Katia Chen Staff Writer

Jane Rickards

陳國梅 採訪編輯

李可珍

Manager, Publications Sales & Marketing 廣告行銷經理

Irene Tsao

曹玉佳

Translation

Zep Hu

翻譯

胡立宗

6 Enjoying Taiwan-style Food in L.A.

There’s no taste like home…and there’s no place like Southern California for Taiwanese food culture to make itself at home with hungry Taiwanese and American alike.

By Elyse Glickman

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 TOPICS is a publication of the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei, ROC. Contents are independent of and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Officers, Board of Governors, Supervisors

What it’s like to run a seafood establishment in the coastal tourist area of Yeliu.

By Mark Caltonhill

22 Tuna Slice Factory Inspires a Museum/Restaurant

11 Destined to be Restaurateurs American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei

18 A Day in the Life of a Taiwan Restaurant Owner

They came to Taiwan – from the United States, Canada, South Africa, and Europe – for many different reasons. They stayed, to teach English or do business (and in many cases to get married), but eventually they saw and decided to take advantage of the opportunity to run their own restaurant.

The Cihsingtan Katsuo Museum is worth a stop the next time you’re in Hualien.

By Mark Caltonhill

By Rick Monday

or members. © Copyright 2012 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,

Photo : mark caltonhill

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105敦化北路222巷19之1號1樓 發行日期：中華民國一○一年一月

Photos: courtesy of shangri-la

Photo : courtesy of shangri-la

中華郵政北台字第5000號執照登記為雜誌交寄 ISSN 1818-1961

OFFICERS: Chairman/ Bill Wiseman Vice Chairmen/ William E. Bryson / David Pacey Treasurer: Carl Wegner Secretary/ William J. Farrell 2011-2012 Governors: William E. Bryson, Christopher Fay, William Farrell, Steven Lee, Neal Stovicek, Carl Wegner, Bill Wiseman.

2012-2013 Governors: Richard Chang, Sean Chao, Michael Chu, Alexander Duncan, David Pacey, Ashvin Subramanyam, Lee Wood, Ken Wu. 2012 Supervisors: Douglas Klein, Richard Lin, Catherine Teng, Fupei Wang, Jon Wang.

COMMITTEES: Agro-Chemical/ Melody Wang; Asset Management/ Christine Jih, Winnie Yu; Banking/ Victor Kuan; Capital Markets/ William Bryson, Jane Hwang, Jimin Kao; Chemical Manufacturers/ David Price; CSR/ Lume Liao, Fupei Wang; Education & Training/ Robert Lin, William Zyzo; Greater China Business/ Helen Chou, Stephen Tan; Human Resources/ Richard Lin, Seraphim Mar, Ashvin Subramanyam; Infrastructure/ L.C. Chen, Paul Lee; Insurance/ Mark OÆDell, Dan Ting, Lee Wood; Intellectual Property & Licensing/ Jason Chen, Peter Dernbach, Jeffrey Harris, Scott Meikle; Manufacturing/ Albert Li; Marketing & Distribution/ Christopher Fay, Wei Hsiang, Gordon Stewart; Medical Devices/ Nelson Hsu, Daniel Yu; Pharmaceutical/ David Lin, Edgard Olaizola, Jun Hong Park; Real Estate/ Peter Crowhurst, Kristy Hwang; Retail/ Prudence Jang, Douglas Klein; Sustainable Development/ Eng Leong Goh, Kenny Jeng; Tax/ Cheli Liaw, Jenny Lin, Josephine Peng; Technology/ Revital Golan, R.C. Liang, John Ryan, Jeanne Wang; Telecommunications & Media/ Thomas Ee, Joanne Tsai, Ken Wu; Transportation/ Michael Chu; Travel & Tourism/ Pauline Leung, David Pacey.

Photo : wikiP edia

28 Straight from the Kitchen

Two of Asia’s top chefs – Choi Io Man and Beat Enderli of Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza in Taipei – compare notes on recipes for success in their demanding profession.

By Trista di Genova

32 Shark Fin – in the Soup

Momentum is gaining to restrict shark fin consumption, which environmental groups say is having an adverse impact on the world’s marine ecology

By Alan Patterson cover Photo : courtesy of yen chinese r estau r a n t

4

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_contents.indd 4

2012/1/19 12:03:57 AM

ja nuary 2012 • Volume 42 n umbe r 1

35 Bargain Dining with Online Group Coupons

There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but you can easily score a meal for half-off at a number of daily groupbuying websites.

By Aimee Wong

photo : l'idiot

38 Restaurant Update 2012

Foodies in Taipei had a very busy year in 2011, as lots of new and interesting restaurants opened within the past 12 months, offering a wide variety of delicious fare. Taipei’s vibrant dining scene is becoming more and more diverse.

By Anita Chen

43 It’s a Great Time to be a Wine Lover in Taiwan

Where to shop and what you may find.

By Mark Peterson

photo : courtesy of ttl

cov er sponsor

Fubon Financial 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$116.86 billion in assets as of the end of September 2011, the second most among Taiwan’s publicly listed financial holding companies and the most profitable financial holding company in Taiwan.

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 following its merger with ING Antai Life, Fubon Life ranks second in both total premiums and first year premiums.

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, was launched in July 2011.

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

46 Chinese Wine, a History

The who, what, when, and how (we know the why)

By Mark Caltonhill

51 Discovering America

Getting to Know the Idaho Wine Country

By Kim Peterson

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_contents.indd 5

5

2012/1/19 12:04:00 AM

There’s No Taste Like Home… …and there’s no place like Southern California for Taiwanese food culture to make itself at home with hungry Taiwanese and American alike.

BY ELYSE GLICKMAN

O

Good things from Liang's Kitchen: Some of the best-selling items are onion pancake beef wraps, spicy tofu, and stuffed peppers.

6

n the weekend of September 17, 2011, Hollywood was a b l a z e w i t h E m m y Aw a r d s fever, but showbiz A-listers were not the only ones enjoying food and fun. In fact, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau had its own party going to commemorate 100 years of Republic of China nationhood, and it was open to the general public with the help of several local Taiwanese businesses and restaurants. If you were a TaiwaneseAmerican longing for a taste from your past, or an adventurous foodie looking for new flavor experiences, you would have been delighted with the fleet of food trucks serving up popcorn chicken, Taiwanese sausage, bubble milk tea, and other delectables.

The purpose of the “Taste of Taiwan” event was to whet people’s appetite for travel to Taiwan, especially as street markets and culinary tourism are among the country’s top draws. Based on attendance statistics, the mission was accomplished.

People either learned or were reminded of the fact that Taiwan’s iconic range of foods are effectively a tapestry of influences from the island’s native aborigines and regions throughout mainland China, as well as Japan, Europe, and the United States.

“We were especially excited to use Tai-

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_TW in LA.indd 6

2012/1/18 2:52:46 PM

Lo s A n g e l e s

wan’s centennial as a great opportunity to showcase popular Taiwanese snack foods in Los Angeles,” said Trust Lin, the Taiwan Tourism Bureau director in Los Angeles. “From street foods to gourmet specialties, we designed this event to introduce visitors to the island’s spectacular culinary and colorful food cultures, which reflects the island’s natural beauty and plentiful resources.”

Beyond the festival, Taiwanese-owned restaurants have been making their mark in this part of the world (albeit somewhat quietly) over the last couple of decades. This development is thanks to a steady demand from residents of Taiwanese-American communities east (in the San Gabriel Valley) and south (Orange County) of Los Angeles. While even the most avid American foodie may not be able to get to Taiwan, given the state of the U.S. economy and the demands of most nine-to-five jobs, they may be thrilled to learn that the flavors of Taiwan are perhaps only 45 minutes to an hour away from their home and available year round.

The “food truck” trend that originated in Los Angeles to bring lunchtime delicacies close to the workplace may also have contributed to the growing popularity of Taiwanese fare. These entrepreneurs have transformed fast food into something a bit more upscale, while introducing customers to unfamiliar street foods from around the world, as well as “fusion” dishes such as Koreanstyle tacos.

But Taipei-born Powell Yang, a sommelier and wine buyer for Spectrum Wine Auctions in Irvine, which primarily caters to upscale restaurants and affluent private collectors, insists that the food trucks are a very small part of the equation. To present his case properly, he brings me to lunch at the Irvine branch of Liang’s Kitchen (梁媽媽家), which promotes itself as offering hearty “military village cuisine” as was found in Taiwan a generation ago.

While the diners are primarily Taiwanese-Americans, I spot a couple of non-Asian college kids, possibly from the University of California, Irvine, enjoying a variety of Taiwanese “tapas” with their friends. Certain details strike me about

Liang’s, including its smiling grandmother logo and tag-lined reference to its “home-style” offerings. There is also a well-worn sign-up sheet posted outside the front door – a sure sign the year-old branch of the restaurant chain does an excellent business.

Yang explains that his family settled in Anaheim in 1987 when he was about 12 years old. He acclimated quickly to Southern California, acquiring a taste for the many ethnic cuisines available, and later for fine-dining during the years he established himself in the beverage and restaurant industries through positions at Anheuser-Busch, Diageo Chateau & Estate Wines, Neal Family Vineyards, and WineBid.com. He also mentions that although it took him a while to stumble into a full-fledged Taiwaneseowned restaurant in California, he had earlier pinpointed specific dishes served in various Chinese restaurants that hinted Taiwanese food could be successful on American soil.

“Hot pot dishes, which are a mainstay in many Chinese restaurants, are actually popular home-cooked staples in Taiwan,” Yang says. “The first Taiwanese restaurant I encountered in California was Coriya, a fairly old Taiwanese brand focused on hot pot dishes and barbequed meats. While I am not sure if (the San Francisco-area restaurant) was related to those bearing the same brand in Taiwan, its menu features many of the same things found on a Taiwanese family’s dinner table.”

Liang’s fragrant and visually appealing dishes bring me back to my culinary “press trip” to Taiwan, which I documented in the pages of TOPIC’s Wine & Dine issue a year ago. The homemade beef noodle soup with hand-pulled noodles started the meal in a most inviting way, with steam and beef aromas wafting into the air. Minutes later, spicy red oil wantons and stewed tofu with cilantro arrived, immediately followed by a deepfried pork cutlet, and beef wrapped in an onion pancake. There are a few hybrids, such as Mexican jalepeños stuffed with minced pork. However, Yang affirms that despite the use of local produce and the integration of their flavors and seasonings, the dish is still authentically Taiwanese.

The shelves of 85˚C's Irvine store are stocked with fresh-baked savories and sweets that draw fans – Taiwanese and American – from far and wide.

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_TW in LA.indd 7

7

2012/1/18 2:52:48 PM

Lo s A n g e l e s

Upon the conclusion of our meal, our waitress informs us that the two-year old Arcadia location, in the heavily Asian San Gabriel Valley, is doing well, and that another is poised to open in San Diego.

“American (non-Asian) customers tend to be introduced to this place through their being married into Taiwanese families or through co-workers in the area from the corporate corridor,” Yang informs me.

“Din Tai Fong got established quickly in Southern California because it is such a big household name in Taiwan. While there are still many good independents and mom-and-pop stores, they face a

bigger challenge getting word of mouth out to bring customers in. Doing the food well, and doing the recipes right, are what ultimately decides which restaurants will survive.”

We get dessert at Irvine’s Diamond Jamboree Mall, which is remarkably busy for a Tuesday afternoon. As we park, Yang points out the newly minted branch of Chef Hong’s, noted for its “awardwinning” noodle soups back in Taiwan.

While he expresses the opinion that the American offspring’s offerings are not as high in quality as those at Liang’s, its reputation in Taiwan has no doubt attracted customers. Yang likens the presence to the phenomenon of American and European celebrity chefs opening branches under their brand names, with varying levels of success depending on how well the staff can replicate the chef’s formula.

Clearly, 85°C’s first U.S. location gets it right, and the bakery is still teaming with people buying desserts and savory baked goods, even two hours after lunch.

Yang seems momentarily struck by the significant number of non-Asians in line to pay for their pastries, which range

Din Tai Fung Arcadia's busy manager David Trang.

from Portuguese-style egg tarts and French-inspired cream-filled pastries to distinctly Taiwanese/Asian concoctions such as pork-flake coated rolls and tarofilled sponge cakes.

Given the mixed crowd at 85°C, Yang feels word of mouth has had a far greater influence on the restaurants’ popularity than with the Asian-inspired food trucks.

Additionally, he appreciates that Taiwanese-owned restaurants in Southern California keep him connected to his culinary roots. But a recent trip back to Taiwan arranged by the well-connected politician father of a friend not only reintroduced him to childhood favorites but

Sommelier and wine buyer Powell Yang

8

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_TW in LA.indd 8

2012/1/18 2:52:53 PM

Lo s A n g e l e s

also reminded him of what he missed most about Taiwanese cuisine.

“I miss the night markets the most, because everything – from stinky tofu to oyster omelets, from rice cakes on a stick to fresh-baked beef buns – is uniquely Taiwanese,” he says. “While many places in Los Angeles try to duplicate it, it’s not quite the same. Just as terroirs will affect the flavor of similar wines from different countries, where ingredients are sourced will make even the simplest dish differ in flavor from place to place. For example, I had a dish with green onions and pork in Taiwan last March. It cannot be duplicated here because the soils in Taiwan impart their own flavor to the onions and other vegetables grown there, as it does on the livestock that feed on grains grown there.”

In Yang’s opinion, restaurants such as Taipei’s popular Aoba (青葉) are upscale but not quite fine dining. Even so, their popularity indicates that Taiwanese-style fine dining has the potential to be successful in Taipei. In the United States, meanwhile, and especially in ethnically diverse metropolises like Los Angeles,

there is a similar potential for success for all sorts of Taiwanese foods. As they gain popularity on this side of the Pacific, Yang expresses his ambition to open a luxurydriven Taiwanese restaurant that presents artisanal versions of his favorite dishes, but in a European prix-fixe menu format that changes by the day and the season.

While the family of San Gabriel Valley born-and-bred Jenny Wu hails from Shanghai, she represents the younger generation of savvy diners who have fond memories of growing up amid Arcadia’s broad assortment of Asian restaurants, and who relish the opportunity to introduce both Asian and non-Asian friends to regional cuisines not readily available on L.A.’s trendy “West Side.”

We’ve agreed to meet at one of the two back-to-back operations launched in this area by Taiwan’s Din Tai Fung. One location opened up back in 2000 and was so successful that a second outlet was added to accommodate the long lines of enthusiastic diners.

Wu, an attorney who is also an established lifestyle blogger and fashion journalist, is not surprised Din Tai Fong has

caught on with a diverse group of customers. Indeed, there seems to be about a 60/40 split between Asian and nonAsian clientele on a very busy Wednesday night. The Arcadia restaurant’s ambiance is closer to a familiar, slightly dark Chinese-American restaurant setting than it is to bustling, brightly-lit Taipei restaurants, and the menu is designed to make its dumpling, shaomai, and noodle concept more accessible to Americans. Nevertheless, the preparation and flavors are certainly close enough to the original to satisfy one’s cravings.

Just as in Taipei, everything at Din Tai Fung is made to order, which explains

Jenny Wu at Din Tai Fung, Arcadia

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_TW in LA.indd 9

9

2012/1/18 2:52:56 PM

Lo s A n g e l e s

Taiwanese-owned restaurants recommended by Powell Yang, Jenny Wu and the staff of the Taiwan Tourism Bureau’s Los Angeles office:

85°C Bakery Café Diamond Jamboree Shopping Center 2700 Alton Pkwy, Suite 123 Irvine, CA 92606 (949) 553-8585 www.85cafe.us Liang’s Kitchen 5408 Walnut Avenue Irvine, CA 92604-2500 (949) 262-1404 1027 S. Baldwin Avenue Arcadia, CA 91007 (626) 462-0815 227 W. Valley Blvd.

San Gabriel, CA 91776 (626) 281-1898 Din Tai Fung 1088 S. Baldwin Avenue Arcadia, CA 91007 (626) 446-8588 1108 S. Baldwin Avenue Arcadia, CA 91007-7508 (626) 574-7068 SinBala Restaurant 651 W. Duarte Road Arcadia, CA 91007 (626) 446-0886 Class 302 18090 Culver Drive Irvine, CA 92612 (949) 552-0555

10

1015 Nogales Street, #125 Rowland Heights, CA 91748-1311 (626) 965-5809 Tea Station 154 W. Valley Blvd.

San Gabriel, CA 91776 (626) 288-1663 Uncle Yu's Indian Theme Restaurant 633 S. San Gabriel Blvd., #105 San Gabriel, CA 91776 (626) 287-0688 Pa Pa Walk 227 W. Valley Blvd., #148B San Gabriel, CA 91776-3794 (626) 281-3889 Country Bistro Restaurant 1380 Fullerton Road Rowland Heights, CA (626) 839-9889 QQ Kitchen 9441 1/2 Las Tunas Drive Temple City, CA 91780 (626) 292-1128 Won Won's Kitchen 9461 Las Tunas Drive Temple City, CA 91780 (626) 287-5500

why Jenny’s favorite (sticky rice and pork shaomai) does not arrive until the end of the meal. A very generous, beautifully prepared meal for the two of runs us about US$40, including Tai Fung House Chicken soup, Din Tai Fung’s signature “Juicy Pork” dumplings, Shanghai rice cakes with shrimp, and sauteed string beans with garlic.

Wu’s passion for Taiwanese food dates back to her high school years, and it’s something she still enjoys with her entrepreneur husband, who arrived in the United States from Taiwan with his family at age six. Not surprisingly, her first visit to Taiwan this summer, with her husband, intensified her enthusiasm for Taiwanese cuisine. Experiencing Taipei’s local flavors, sights, culture, and night-market aromas first-hand gave her an even greater appreciation for what distinguishes Taiwanese food culture from that of mainland China, she says – especially the inclusion of so many different influences from different parts of China, Asia, and the world.

Upon her return from vacation, Wu says, she’s enjoyed eating at SinBala, which offers such streetfood items as oyster pancakes and 20 different kinds of sausages. It is also known for its shaved ice desserts, which often sell out on summer weekends. While Wu acknowledges it can’t quite replicate all of the sensory elements of the Taiwan night-market experience, she nevertheless recommends it highly as a reasonable substitute. Like Yang, she believes the food-truck phenomenon has had little to do with the growing popularity of Taiwanese food. Instead, she believes the quality and variety of what you can find in towns like Arcadia speak for themselves – even if it can’t quite match the sheer volume of offerings found in Taiwan.

“Though people are generally embracing all kinds of street food because it is trendy right now, I believe that when the trend dies down a bit, people will be driven toward brick-and-mortar restaurants like Din Tai Fung because they’ve acquired a taste for the flavors and textures, and from there, will want to go deeper into exploring those cuisines,” she notes. “The flavor profile is something that people from all backgrounds can enjoy, because there are dishes that range from mild to spicy.”

The evolution of Taiwanese-owned restaurants on a global scale is full of interesting paradoxes. Fine (highend) dining is just catching on with locals living in Taipei, Kaohsiung, and other major Taiwanese cities thanks to the influence of expat Westerners. Over here, meanwhile, Taiwanese-Americans have introduced traditional foods to family and friends via casual restaurants that have put down roots in California towns like Arcadia and Irvine. While many younger TaiwaneseAmericans experienced American-style fine dining at some point growing up, they are proudly exposing their American friends to the hearty, comforting, and flavorful dishes of Taiwanese cooking.

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_TW in LA.indd 10

2012/1/18 2:52:56 PM

Destined to be Restaurateurs They came to Taiwan – from the United States, Canada, South Africa, and Europe – for many different reasons. They stayed, to teach English or do business (and in many cases to get married), but eventually they saw and decided to take advantage of the opportunity to run their own restaurant.

BY RICK MONDAY

Andrew Lunman, Bongos and Coda

L

unman is the most experienced restaurateur covered in this report, having worked as a chef in Canada and Australia before deciding to get away from the food industry by coming to Taiwan to teach English. But before long, he had a change of heart. “I guess sometimes you just follow your skill set,” he says. “I was frustrated by the lack of reasonably priced authentic Western food and I decided to do something about it. You can take the chef out of the kitchen, but you can‘t take the kitchen out of the chef.”

He opened his first establishment in Taipei – Bongos – in 2004, located near National Taiwan and National Taiwan Normal Universities. It mainly serves American and

Mexican-style fare (“My favorite is the crunchy fish tacos and the great soups we make,” says Lunman).

A second restaurant, Coda, followed in 2005 around the corner from Bongos, and is known for its thin-crust pizzas. The signature dish, however, is the braised beef short ribs (served with garlic mashed potatoes), which Lunman describes as “super tender, super tasty.”

Vegetarians will also find a wide selection of choices.

Like the other restaurant owners spotlighted in this report, Lunman says that Taiwan‘s strong food culture – and the curiosity and adventurousness of younger people when dining out – means there will always be a place in this market for good food. Still, anyone going into the business must be prepared to face numerous challenges: competition is stiff among Western restaurants (whose num-

bers in Taipei have has grown exponentially over the last three years), while consumer spending is down, food costs are rising dramatically higher, staffing is more expensive, and it is difficult to find and keep quality employees.

But if it is your dream to open a restaurant, he advises you to focus on food, have patience, develop realistic goals, and acquire or hone your Mandarin communication skills.

Coda features specials every day and began doing a weekend brunch menu at the beginning of 2012. Reservations are recommended, but not required.

No. 23, Lane 284, Roosevelt Road, Section 3, Taipei 台北市羅斯福路三段284巷23號 Tel: 2365-2769 www.coda.tw

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_expat.indd 11

11

2012/1/18 11:54:47 PM

e X pa t s

Kevin Woolf, Baba Kevin’s American Barbecue

W

oolf came to Taiwan in 2004 as part of a study-abroad program at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was an Asian studies and business major. He stayed on to work on his

Chinese and explore business opportunities in greater China. His dream was to build his own company, but finding a niche was difficult.

T h e i d e a o f g o i n g i n t o t h e b a rbecue business came about when Woolf threw some ribs on the grill for family and friends back home in San Francisco around the time of his wedding. His Taiwanese bride was amazed at how delicious they were. After a long period of trial and error to further perfect the technique, Baba Kevin’s American Barbecue was launched to distribute frozen foods, cater fine barbecue for corporate and individual events, and provide home delivery for pre-orders. (There is no dining-in service).

Woolf particularly recommends his Mighty Mesquite Short Ribs (beef) and Hickory Smoked Baby Back Ribs (pork).

He credits his custom-built brick barbecue pit – plus the use of flavored woods like hickory, mesquite, apple, oak, and walnut imported from the United States – with creating soft and tender meat with a rich smoky flavor. The final touch is Baba Kevin‘s homemade barbecue sauce.

Baba Kevin‘s American Barbecue supplies spare ribs, baby back loin ribs, short ribs, brisket, pulled pork, chicken, hot links, and side dishes like mashed potatoes, macaroni salad, and honey-sweet cornbread. Woolf provides tastings before large catering events, and also accepts online orders for side dishes and desserts, such as his “I Love Grandma!” brownies.

Tel: 2511-7427 (2511-RIBS) or 0988-575-319 Fax: 2562-4353 www.88k.com.tw

Erik Siddons, Mayan Grill

S

iddons first arrived in Taiwan in 1995 to study Mandarin while applying to law schools. In 2003, he was working as a lawyer here when, after months of serving tacos at home to enthusiastic friends and co-workers, the entrepreneurial bug bit. A couple of years of planning later, the Mayan Grill, a Mexican restaurant and bar, opened in a lane near the Ambassador Hotel.

His passion for Mexican food goes back to his childhood. “I grew up in L.A., and the ‘hole-in-the-wall’ I used to frequent as a teen and twenty-something was voted best Mexican restaurant by Los Angeles magazine a couple of years back,” he says. “When I was a very young boy, we frequently took family trips to Mexico – I’ve been there 50 or so times in my life – and I just couldn’t get enough of the various favors. I even ate a whole fresh Serrano pepper on a dare from my dad at age five. Oh, that memory is seared in my brain!”

If you are new to Mexican food, Siddons recommends you start with his Tour of Mexico platter, which offers several appetizers – namely beef taquitos, chicken flautas, and cheese quesadillas

12

– with a variety of different salsas. “It‘s meant to be shared, which adds to the fun,” he says.

To ensure that the cuisine is authentic, the Mayan Grill imports the bulk of the ingredients from the United States and Mexico. While Siddons says “it’s all about the food,” the Mayan Grill also serves five different brands of Mexican beer, and its signature Margaritas are made from freshly squeezed limes and 100% blue agave tequila. “We use the highest quality ingredients but price our menu items in the mid-market so our customers know they can get great food without breaking the bank,” Siddons says.

The spacious restaurant, which extends over two floors, is also proud of the impressive ambience created by its interior décor. There is also a large terrace that seats 25 people, semi-private VIP rooms, and a cantina, enabling the Mayan Grill to handle special events of all kinds.

The Mayan Grill offers special Mexican tapas and rare and premium tequilas on “Tapas & Tequilas Thursdays.” For customers, it’s a chance to try lots of different flavors on smaller plates, and at

a lower price point. “I think the tapas are some of our best food – empañadas, papas y chorizo, spicy diablo Buffalo wings, queso fundido – they’re all amazing flavors and all so different,” notes Siddons.

No. 6, Lane 65, Zhongshan North Road, Section 2, Taipei. 台北市中山區中山北路2段65巷6號 Tel: 2511-6292 www.mayangrill.com

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_expat.indd 12

2012/1/18 11:54:50 PM

e X pa t s

Frank Thiart, Frankie’s Pie Bar

F

rank Thiart studied hotel management in his native South Africa, leading to jobs as a chef in Germany and London. Then, after a 10-year break in careers to teach English in Taiwan, by 2008 he was looking for a new gig. Meat pies, then unavailable here, seemed like an opportunity. He resigned from his teaching job and opened a take-away pie bakery. The space was later converted into the current Frankie’s Pie Bar and restaurant located in Yonghe.

Customers hang out at Frankie’s Pies because of the funky atmosphere as well as the large selection of meat pies. The color scheme derives from the South African flag, and the establishment hosts art shows from time to time.

“For about NT$210, you can get

a meal that includes a meat pie, salad, fries, and coffee, tea, or soup,” says Thiart. Taiwanese customers tend to prefer Frank‘s chicken cheese pies, while foreigners go for the pepper steak and Italian steak pies.

Thiart believes the secret of success for a restaurant is to be creative and make the customers’ dining experience a personal one. “You have such a diverse group of people here that it is no easy feat to try and satisfy them all. At a small eatery like ours, customers like to meet the owner and have chat about the food or your country.”

Frankie’s Pies has a regular “Tsingtao Tuesday” special, with Tsingtao beer available for NT$95 a pint or NT$330 a pitcher. Business hours are 5 p.m.-1 a.m.

Edgar Gonzalez, Eddie’s Cantina

E

Canadian of proud Mexican heritage, Gonzalez arrived in Taiwan in 2003 and immediately began coaching soccer, teaching English and Spanish, and studying Mandarin. Four years later, he married his wife Jo, who shared his dream of running a small Mexican eatery or coffee shop. After going to Canada to brush up on their culinary skills with tutelage from Edgar’s mom, they returned to Taiwan and opened a small burrito stand in the Old Street night market in Danshui. Mamma Gonzalez’s family recipes have proved so popular that the stand was replaced with a larger Eddy’s Cantina in Danshui, as well as a second shop in Tienmu.

Customers begin most meals with nachos or the potato version, Papa’s Fritas, and Gonzalez particularly recommends his enchiladas, a family specialty. “Everything is made from scratch and cooked the right way,” he says. “It’s rare to have a customer disappointed.”

The Tienmu location has a beautiful outdoor wrap-around patio to allow the choice of either an indoor or outdoor dining experience, and there is an open kitchen to allow customers to view the food being prepared.

As busy as he is, Gonzalez has also continued with his passion for soccer. He coaches at his Gonzalez Soccer Academy as well as at TYPA. Gonzalez has developed a few rules for success in business: Be humble, be consistent in terms of food and service quality, and be friendly. No doubt Momma Gonzalez would agree.

nglishman Ed Sweeney knew he wanted to open an eatery somewhere in Asia. Like many of us, after visiting other countries in the region he chose Taiwan as a residence because it’s open to foreigners and easy to set up a business here.

Though Sweeney lacks a food background, he came from an industry that demanded a high quality, consistent products made from the finest ingredients, delivered at a great price. When opening Ed’s Diner in July 2011 in Dazhi near the Miramar Entertainment Park, he used that same business model. “I kept in mind three things,” he says. “Cut no corners, accept no compromise, and the Taiwanese customer is very sophisticated and has lots of dining options, which drives me to always try to improve the dining experience.”

Sweeney’s story is a classic entrepreneurship tale. His favorite food was barbecue, but it was difficult to find in Taiwan. Instead of moaning about the situation, Sweeney decided to make his own. He underwent an 18-month apprenticeship in Texas with the World Grand Champion BBQ Pit-master, who taught Ed his recipes and tricks of the trade. “The food I cook at Ed’s Diner is exactly the same standard and methods as the BBQ that won my tutor his awards and championships,” says Ed.

No. 1, Alley 3, Lane 450, ZhongShan North Road, Section 6, Taipei 台北市中山北路6段450巷3弄1號 Tel: 2873-7612 www.eddyscantina.com

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_expat.indd 13

15 Wenhua Road, Yonghe District, New Taipei City 新北市永和區文化路15號 Tel: 2926-3535

Ed Sweeney, Ed’s Diner

A

151-1 Zhong Shan Road, Danshui District, New Taipei City 新北市淡水區中山路151-1號 Tel: 2628-2638

Mondays through Thursdays, and 12 noon to 1 a.m., Fridays through Sundays.

13

2012/1/18 11:54:53 PM

e X pa t s

The best sellers are the beef brisket and pork ribs. Sweeney imported imported a custom-made wood-smoker oven from the United States so he can smoke his food “low and slow” in the traditional barbecue way. Everything at Ed’s Diner is homemade, from the bread and soup right through to the rubs and sauces. Ed’s Diner set meals come with home-made soup, salad, choice of side dish, and beverage.

Despite the economic slowdown, Ed’s Diner has been doing very well. “If you have unique and great quality products and at a very reasonable price, I think customers will always support your business,” says Sweeney.

216 LeQun 2nd Road, Taipei 104 台北市中山區樂群2路216號 Tel: 8502-6969 www.facebook.com/EdsDinerTaipei

Gary O’Connor, Donovan’s

O

’Connor, a Londoner of Irish extraction, came to Taiwan in 1992 as a tourist – for 10 days, he thought – and decided to stay. He says he still doesn’t really know what caused him to settle down here. Three years ago, now with a wife and two teen-aged sons, he was teaching and managing the Excell Language School in downtown Taipei, plus moonlighting as co-host of the UK Beat radio program on ICRT (where he is known on the air as Prof. G), when he invested in Donovan’s, a cozy restaurant on Danshui’s boardwalk. It was a return to a line of business in which he had previous experience in Europe.

Donovan’s offers a fantastic view of the Danshui River and the mountains behind it. “It was the view that originally stirred my interest in returning to the culinary business,” says O’Connor.

Donovan’s homey atmosphere appeals a wide range of customers. Students come in with their books or PCs, aspiring artists perform music or poetry readings, and Westerners escape the crowds on the boardwalk for a relaxing drink at the bar.

Taiwanese customers are fond of Donovan’s Irish Farmer’s Meal and Irish Cottage Pie, while Western guests often order the hearty Ciapatta sandwich or chicken leg California-style. The generous portions of American coffee – and the sound of Irish music – also attract people off the boardwalk. All meals at Donovan’s come with tea or coffee, and salad or bread.

Canadian with prior culinary experience in Montreal and Toronto, Dearman had been in Taiwan for six years when he saw that Sindian needed a Western-style restaurant that offered home-style cooking at an affordable price. At his wife’s suggestion, they checked out a family property that had previously been a food establishment – and that resulted in their opening the Green Hornet Café in May last year.

He recommends his two-layer, twice-broiled vegetarian nachos plate for under NT$200, which is the Green Hornet Café’s signature dish. The beef burritos are also popular. Besides a variety of Tex-Mex dishes, the restaurant offers salads, seafood, steaks, and pasta.

Dearman aims to provide a dining experience that is cozy and informal, while creating a sense of community for local residents. “I’d say we’re one of the most eclectic restaurants around,” he notes. “We play a huge variety of music formats from 70’s easy listening through to the latest indie rock, hip hop, and world music. For décor, you‘re looking at Bruce Lee

14

avolta is the drummer for the popular band Wu Bai & China Blue. It was the music business that brought him to Taiwan 22 years ago. But having grown up in an Italian-American household, where he had mastered some of his mother’s and grandmother’s classic recipes, he began inviting friends over for his homemade eggplant parmigiana every Chinese New Year – and soon the word spread about his skills as a cook.

2F, No. 10-1, Lane 56, Gong Ming Street, Danshui. 淡水鎮公明街56巷10之1號2樓 Tel: 2625-6234 www.donovans.com.tw

Peter Dearman, Green Hornet Café

A

Z

108 Sindian Rd., Sindian District, New Taipei City 23147 新北市23147新店區新店路108號 Tel: 2911-1237 Greenhornetcafe.com and Green Hornet images everywhere, with a cartoonish color scheme toned down by natural wood-grain browns.”

The Green Hornet Café’s marketing plan makes heavy use of social media. “Facebook and food blogs are crucial in determining whether a new restaurant survives,” he says. “Social media can make or break you. These days, people frequently research and write about their food experiences online. To encourage our customers to ‘check in’ through Facebook while dining here, we provide a free Coke or Sprite to customers who show us they’ve done that.”

Dearman and his staff also pride themselves on consistently putting out good food. “Maintaining a high-quality product isn’t hard to do if you maintain standards,” he says. “I’m proud to say we have very little uneaten food going into the compost.”

The Green Hornet Cafe offers a Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. and is open nightly except Mondays from 5 p.m.

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_expat.indd 14

2012/1/18 11:54:55 PM

e X pa t s

Dino Zavolta,Walilei Besides music, surfing has kept Zavolta anchored to Taiwan. A decade before the sport became popular here, he could be seen riding the Taiwan waves on weekends in what he called “shaking hands with God.” Zavolta introduced many of his friends to surfing, and then invited them over for a meal because there were no good beach restaurants at the time. “The more people that sampled my cooking, the more pressure I had to open a small pasta, pizza, and coffee shop on the beach,” says the Los Angeles native.

Zavolta describes the food at Walilei as simple fare, and emphasizes that being on the beach – at Qianshuiwan along Taiwan’s northern coast – Walilei is not a full-blown Italian restaurant.

“It’s clean and cozy with an Italian vibe.

When you walk in the door, you smell

pasta and pizza cooking.”

He recommends Walilei’s chicken liver pasta with wide noodles, as well as the linguine with garlic and chili. “Of course, we sell lots of pizzas,” he adds.

“Our 11’-inch Margherita pizza (with plum tomatoes and fresh basil), is very popular with Taiwanese and Western customers, as is the bacon, mushroom, and fresh rosemary pizza,” says Zavolta.

Walilei’s calzones won an award in 2010 at the Taipei County Dumpling Competition. “I’m always working on new dishes that will intrigue my customers,” says Zavolta. “I’m the originator of the infamous small white fish pizza.”

12-1 Beishizi, Danjin Highway, Sanzhi, New Taipei City 新北市三芝區北勢子12-1 Tel: 2636-0851

Tony Carano, Maple House Diner

E

ight years ago, a documentary on Taiwan broadcast in Canada drew Carano to Taiwan for a visit. Seven years later, after running an Englishlanguage school on the northern coast, he opened the Maple House Diner on Qianshuiwan Beach, having perceived demand for a Western restaurant and breakfast shop to serve surfers and weekend vacationers to the area.

Carano’s background was in business management, with his culinary experience limited to part-time jobs in various kitchens while a student. “I’m grateful for the advice from my foreign friends in Taiwan who are also in the business,” says Carano. “They helped me immensely when getting The Maple House Diner going.”

The restaurant has an atmosphere that is cozy, friendly – and utterly Canadian. It is decorated end-to-end with Canadian flags, both national and provincial, as well as maple leafs.

Carano stresses that The Maple House Diner offers great value. “We‘ve tried really hard to offer bigger-sized meals at a price that is very competitive to other similar establishments around the country, while still using quality products to prepare the meals,” he says.

The Maple House Diner stocks a full bar,

and its omelets and hamburgers have won it a loyal clientele. It also offers chicken wings on Fridays for NT$10 apiece, and every day with the order of an appetizer, you get your first two pints of beer for NT$60. There are also Canadian specialties like extra-large pancakes served with Canadian maple syrup, as well as poutine, which is French fries covered in beef gravy and cheese.

The one-year veteran of the Taiwan culinary world passes on this advice to would-be restaurant owners: “Running a restaurant in Taiwan is not something you can do part-time. You have to be prepared to give your life to it and work long hours every day to get people in the door and keep them happy.” But the British Columbia native says the stress of the job is worth it. “I enjoy my work, meet new people every day, and have a lot of fun.”

He also advises restaurateurs to make sure to provide ample parking. “You are only going to get as many people as you have parking for, and if it’s not convenient for them to park and walk a short distance, potential customers will probably go somewhere else.”

Greg Walsh, Sababa

G

reg Walsh arrived in Taiwan in 2000 from Canada with exactly one summer of restaurant work experience.

After working in Taiwan in other pursuits for a couple of years, Walsh recognized the opportunity in Taipei for a venture providing quality, affordable nonAsian food and drink in a comfortable environment. His first business, opened in 2002, was a bar-restaurant called Citizen Cain, which also offered live entertainment twice a week. That experience led to another concept, Sababa Pita Bar, which introduced authentic Middle Eastern food to Taiwan for the first time. Walsh suggests you try a falafel and share a Cyprus Salad along with the Moroccan hummus.

The Baklava is a popular desert item.

Walsh attributes Sababa’s success to its maintenance of quality standards and its uniqueness. “In this business, it’s important to differentiate yourself. Once you’ve done that, you shouldn’t fear competition, but rather welcome it. If you do something new, and you do it well, you’ll stand out.”

Being involved in various restaurants in Taipei for nearly a decade, Walsh says he is unconcerned about the possibility of an economic slowdown ahead. “People have to eat, and in Taipei people will always eat out,” he says. “As long as we stick to our mission and offer customers real quality and value, Sababa will be fine.”

No. 8, Lane 118, Alley 54, Heping East Road, Sec. 2, Taipei 台北市和平東路二段118巷54弄8號 Tel: 2738-7769 No. 17, Lane 283, Roosevelt Road, Sec. 3, Taipei 台北市羅斯福路三段283巷17號 Tel: 2363-8009

41-3 Beishizi, Sanzhi, New Taipei City 新北市三芝區北勢子41-3 Tel: 2636-0988 january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_expat.indd 15

15

2012/1/18 11:54:57 PM

A Day in the Life of a Taiwan Restaurant Owner Lin Tian is a Taiwanese fisherman in his 70s. After more than five decades spent trawling in the Taiwan Strait and Pacific Ocean, he is now “retired” but still puts in a 12-to-14-hour day at the seafood restaurant in Yeliu Village, New Taipei City, started as a quayside stall by his wife and now run by his daughters and daughters-in-law. He also sells fish and crabs caught by his sons and son-in-law. Taiwan Business Topics contributor Mark Caltonhill spent a day with him in late October.

Lin Tian meets boat 168 at the quayside

06:05

The slow rising of the metal scroll door at Sanye Huo Haixian (三葉活海 鮮; no English sign but literally “Three Leaves Live-Seafood”) seems almost synchronized to the raising of night’s curtain. Lin stoops beneath it, fills a bucket, and starts mopping down the restaurant entrance and sidewalk.

Lai Yue, his wife, appears as well and heads off to the local market to buy vegetables.

Sanye occupies the first floors of a block of three adjacent tenement buildings on Gangdong Road ( 港東路 ); Lin and his “leaves” live above. (Lin

18

means “wood” and is written as two trees (林); he refers to his children and children-in-law as his “leaves.”) The entrance of the first property contains the kitchen with gas-powered stoves and steamer, the second is arranged with glass tanks alive with sea creatures, and the third is where Lin and his staff will later scale and fillet fish, chop crabs, and divest squid of their cartilaginous endoskeletons and eyes.

Lin is momentarily interrupted from his mopping by a telephone call. The skipper of one of his boats is about to enter the harbor.

06:30 Lin Tian rides his motor scooter to the dockside. Although, as Sanye’s address – Harbor East Road – suggests, the quay is only a short distance away, making the round trip on foot to meet each of his five boats could easily take up an hour or more each day.

06:40

The first boat, propitiously numb e r e d 1 6 8 ( t o Ta i w a n e s e , 一六八 sounds like 一路發 or “prosper all the way”) and skippered by Lin’s youngest son, Lin Ming-huang, passes through t h e h a r b o r g a t e . Wi t h i n a c o u p l e

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_Day in Life.indd 18

2012/1/18 4:10:12 PM

Seafood of minutes it has tied up, and within another 10 minutes has been manually unloaded of 300 kilograms of bandfish (白帶魚), with the fish weighed and sold to a waiting wholesaler in exchange for a bundle of NT$1,000 bills. Lin only keeps a few bandfish for use at Sanye and a few for swapping with fellow fishermen/restaurateurs in the town. It is not very popular with Taiwanese customers, and most is shipped to China, he says.

Over the next hour, three more of Lin’s “Fishing Mountain” (漁山) fleet arrive, one skippered by another son, Lin Míng-feng, and two by his sons’ classmates. Lin goes to meet each boat, similarly loaded with 150 to 300 kilograms of bandfish, to oversee the wholesalers’ calculations, and to see what other species are among the additional catch. Fifty percent of the fish sold in his wife’s restaurant come from his boats, he explains; the other half is obtained by trades with his neighbors or is purchased.

07:50

Boxes of frozen saury (秋刀魚) are loaded onto the boats. Used as bait to catch the larger bandfish, they are prepared by the crewmen, who remove the heads, tails, and main bones. Most of these fishermen are foreign laborers, Lin says. On boat 166, for example, there are six Indonesians and Filipinos, in addition to the Taiwanese skipper, while on 168 there are eight Chinese. Mixing Chinese and Southeast Asians does not work well, he says, but does not go into details.

Maybe it’s just a language thing.

Their comings and goings are watched carefully by staff of the Coast Guard, to whom the ships report as they leave the harbor, and who inspect each craft on its return. According to the employment laws, Indonesian and Filipino sailors can go ashore, but the Chinese must live where they work, on the boat.

08:00 While some crewmen prepare the bait, others start to cook food, wash and hang clothing, and clean themselves. By 9 a.m. they will have eaten the meal together, washed the pots, made any other preparations for their next voyage, and disappeared below to sleep. The boats, and

to some extent the whole harbor, enter a period of quiet.

Back at the restaurant, Lai has returned from the market, and is giving instructions to a younger woman, the first staff member to report for work. Not one of the “three leaves,” this is indeed another leaf, however: daughter-in-law Huang Xiaoying, whose accent clearly indicates that she, like many wives in Yeliu today (just as in the 18th and 19th centuries) originally came from the other side of the Taiwan Strait. Huang immediately sets to work cleaning, peeling, and cutting vegetables, and will barely rest for the next 12 hours.

Lai opens bags of clams and other mollusks and puts them to soak. Clams and scallions wok-fried with rice wine and sweet soy sauce (海瓜子) are one of the house specialties.

08:30 Lai puts other bags of shellfish unopened into plastic tubs. Lai loads these, and similar ones containing live eels, onto a low-deck trolley, which she pushes off down the street to sell. These were caught the day before by the fifth boat in Lin’s fleet – the one captained by a son-inlaw and which today is delayed at sea as the crab harvest is better than expected – and are surplus to Sanye’s needs.

They are not headed for the cooking pots of a neighbor’s restaurant, however. Indeed, this is their lucky day, as a 30-strong group of Buddhists is in town from Taipei, intent on holding a “release of life” (放生 ) ceremony in order to improve their own karmic standing.

After purchasing Lai’s clams and eels, as well as various fish and other sea beasts from restaurants around Yeliu, the group engages in an hour of prayer and sutra recital led by a black-robed lay preacher, wanders around town sprinkling water on other animals they have not been able to save, then heads down to the quayside.

Some eager members start opening bags and throwing fish and octopi into the water, until reminded that the animals’ chances of survival will be better if released into the open ocean. A small craft has been hired and is loaded up, but the congregants are warned by the Coast

Top to bottom: Workers sort crabs at the quayside, Lin Tian prepares crabs for customers as his wife looks on, and the crabs cooked and dressed for the table.

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_Day in Life.indd 19

19

2012/1/18 4:10:14 PM

Huang Xiaoyang arranges fish on a plate for serving

Seafood

Guard not to board the boat, as they will face stiff fines if they make an unauthorized trip outside the harbor gates. Eventually they are persuaded that the boat owner is trustworthy and will not simply hand his cargo over to a friend or relative once out of sight.

Lin and Lai, incidentally, are not Buddhists. Like most people in coastal communities, they worship the seafarers’ deity Mazu.

Dressing fish and seafood before customers arrive

Visitor Center, which is little more than a staging area and souvenir shop for the geopark, provides an English-language map showing numerous places of interest around town, including museums of fishing and traditional life.

Surprisingly, despite the poor weather, the best time to visit Yeliu for culture is in midwinter, on Yuanxiaojie (元宵節, “Lantern Festival”), which this year falls on February 6. On this occasion each year, the whole town – as well as much of northern Taiwan – turns out to watch teams of Mazu devotees carry the deity’s statue on palanquins to the quayside, then jump in, swimming and carrying her safely to the opposite shore in the belief this will bring them 12 months’ immunity from the dangers of their ocean-going occupations as well as bumper harvests.

09:20

08:45 Spotting Lai, Huang, and two weekend student workers who have shown up and started preparing vegetables and tofu, the day’s first potential customers stop to make inquiries. While Sanye is happy to take reservations, the vast majority of its customers just wander in off the street.

Most first walk up and down Gangdong Road, comparing menus and asking prices at the dozen or so seafood restaurants facing the picturesque harbor.

That Yeliu has a large number of visitors is only partly due to its culinary reputation. Far more important is the weirdness and beauty of the local rocks.

Shaped by sea and wind over millennia, Yeliu Geopark (野柳地質公園; NT$50 entrance fee; www.ylgeopark.org.tw) lies on a 1.7-kilometer-long strip of land sticking into the Pacific and has long been one of Taiwan’s top attractions for local tourists, being less than an hour’s drive from Taipei. It is now also on the list of must-sees for visiting Chinese.

Opposite the geopark and far more ostentatious is Ocean World (野柳海洋 世界; NT$350; www.oceanworld.com. tw), with its performing dolphins and seals. Nearby, the government-operated

20

More passersby make inquiries, and Lin’s eldest daughter Lin Hui-hsueh starts to fry a couple of long bandfish. Served with salt and lemon, these are not for the potential customers, however, but breakfast for the staff. Lin and Lai, who have already been working for three hours, eat a piece each, followed by an orange and a guava respectively.

The fish and fruit are eaten on the hoof; there is still plenty to prepare.

Lin Hui-hsueh prepares a whole fish

but they are more interested in looking inside the tanks and asking questions.

Fish and crabs are priced by weight, so after being chosen, they are scooped out by Lai and weighed. Once the customers learn the price, they head indoors, while Lin scales and fillets the fish, and smashes and cuts up the crab.

Daughter Lin has now been joined by “leaf” Yang Hui-hua, wife of the elder seafaring son. (The third leaf is currently off work, having recently given birth.)

Lin and Yang run the kitchen, effortlessly avoiding each other as they dance between fridges and stoves in the small space.

10:45 Within five minutes, the first dish is served; the customers have barely finished washing their hands.

A young couple soon arrives and takes a table by the wall. Sanye has a mix of large and small tables suited to parties of different sizes. In addition to the two rooms on the first floor, there is an additional dining area upstairs, but it is rarely used, Lai says, except for special functions and exceptionally busy weekends such as the Lantern Festival.

11:00

10:40 A group of four middle-aged tourists who have already passed Sanye a couple of times decide to eat here. Typically for a seafood restaurant, they order while standing in the street rather than sitting at a table inside. Huang proffers menus,

Six tables are now occupied, and customers are still arriving. Despite the increasing numbers, every table gets served with a first dish within a few minutes, and a steady supply of food thereafter. A clear division of labor is evident among the staff: Lai and Huang flagging down potential customers, Huang taking their orders, Lai weighing, Old Lin filleting, Yang and daughter Lin cooking, and the students and another wife from the village (Vietnamese from her accent) arranging the food on plates and serving. Yang’s daughter, “Baby,” handles the cash.

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_Day in Life.indd 20

2012/1/18 4:10:17 PM

Seafood

Each rarely leaves his or her allotted position lest the system grind to a halt. If there is a spare moment, Lai or one of the cooks will suggest something that needs preparing.

12:30 Around two dozen tables are, or have been, occupied – mostly by couples or small groups, but about one in five is an extended family or large group. These can be troublesome, Yang says, because whereas small groups predictably tend to order much the same thing – so that most of the preparation can be done in advance – larger groups will order additional dishes beyond these standard items. Fussy people, or anyone not happy with the way something is cooked, can slow the system down too.

Typically, nearly every table will order crab, which is what Yeliu is most famous for, and with its own crabbing vessel, Sanye claims to keep the best for its own customers, only selling smaller creatures to the quayside agents. A fish is almost certainly required too, and usually someone fancies prawns. Then don’t forget those clams, better get some vegetables to go with them, and a soup to wash it down. So even a pair of diners tends to order at least four or five dishes, plus bowls of rice or a plate of noodles, and will end up with a bill of NT$400 or more per person, while bigger groups might manage NT$250 per person if they only want a taste of each dish.

A few sample dishes are as follows (prices shown are for “small” portions; “medium” and “large” are also available): Sautéd leafy greens (炒青菜; NT$100), teppanyaki oysters (鐵板蚵仔; NT$200), fried clams (海瓜子; NT$200), squid in “three cups” sauce (三杯透抽; NT$250), plain rice (白飯; NT$10); fried noodles (炒麵; NT$70), soups (NT$100-200).

The “live” section, for which prices depend on weight and season (customers are advised to confirm all prices in advance of eating), includes: Fish (活魚; served in three styles: steamed, fried, and sashimi); crab (螃蟹; steamed, cooked with sesame oil, or with egg and scallions), prawns (活蝦; original

flavor), sashimi (生魚片), and a house specialty “fish fin head” (魚翅頭; actually chewy cartilage connecting the fin to the body).

13:20 Almost 40 tables have been served, but things are noticeably slower. Yang and Lin Hui-hsueh cook some extra-large dishes, and a table is laid for the staff members, who take turns to go and pick at bits of food.

No one rests for long, as there are vegetables to clean and cut and other preparations to make for the evening diners.

Nor does the restaurant close entirely: customers may wander in throughout the afternoon.

the boat has tied up. The fifth size, the largest, Lin keeps back for sale in Sanye.

The others are sorted, weighed into 40-kilogram portions, and carted away.

There are more than 50 basketfuls. It is Wang, as ship’s captain, who signs off on the cargo and collects the cash, although it is clearly Lin who is ultimately the boss.

15:35

Boat 166 heads out to sea, its crew throwing ghost money over the stern.

One-by-one the others follow in their own time. Lin Ming-huang’s 168 is last; before setting off, he burns ghost money on the quayside. Why not throw it in the sea like the others? He’ll do that as well, Lin Tian says, as every boat does, every time they leave the harbor.

But today is the 15th of the lunar month, and so an extra twicemonthly offering is made to Lord of the Land (土地公).

16:15

14:50 Old Lin’s phone rings again, and he stops what he is doing, fires up his scooter, and heads down to the quay.

The four boats in his fleet that returned this morning are showing signs of life, but he is here to meet his sonin-law Wang Jing-hsien, captain of the crabber, which is due back in a few minutes, loaded to bursting with more than 2,000 kilograms of crabs and other seafood. But mostly crabs. Traveling out as far as the Taiwan-China boundary, Lin says Wang could return at any time of the day or night depending on the catch. This time he is later than usual, as it is high season and the harvest is unusually good.

15:10 Lin and Wang exchange few words as both pay close attention to the agent’s staff, who sort the crabs into four sizes on a makeshift table right next to where

The “evening” rush has started at Sanye, but Lai predicts it will be a quiet night. She has a good sense of how much food to prepare from observing the number of people walking along Gangdong Road, but more so by strolling 50 meters up to the corner and counting the number of tour buses parked on the square outside Geopark and Ocean World.

17:50 Lai was right. Fewer than a dozen tables have ordered meals, and she sends the student workers home. In fact, the last couple enters the restaurant a little after 7 p.m., but there is no way to know that, and the staff sits around chatting till almost 8. Sanye usually closes around that time, but it depends entirely on the customers. Yeliu is not noted for its nightlife, however, and 10 p.m. would be about the latest to stay open.

20:15 Having kept on top of cleaning tables and washing dishes throughout the day, the staff has few chores left to do, and well before 8:30 p.m. the shutters come rolling down.

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_Day in Life.indd 21

21

2012/1/18 4:10:23 PM

Tuna Slice Factory Inspires a Museum/Restaurant

BY MARK CALTONHILL

E

Above, the interior of the Cihsingtan Katsuo Museum and its logo, and below, fishermen launch a small boat from the beach to check the fixed nets offshore. photos: courtesy of cIhsINGtAN KAtsuo MuseuM

22

ver wondered what those thin brown flakes are served atop miso soup, zhangyushao (octopus-filled) balls, and pidan dofu (soft tofu with green “thousand-year” eggs)?

Given the way the Chinese language works, even once you know they’re called chai-yu pian (柴魚片; “firewood fish slices”), it’s still not clear whether they’re slices of fish that taste like firewood or slices of wood that taste like fish. And looking in a Chinese-English dictionary, or even a straight Chinese one, won’t help – it cannot be found.

Well, now there’s an entire museum at Qixingtan (七星潭; “seven stars lake”), an ocean bay just north of Hualien City, dedicated to explaining just what it is: flakes of fish that look like wood after being smoked using wood.

The Cihsingtan Katsuo Museum (七星柴 魚博物館) also introduces the history of pro-

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_fish museum.indd 22

2012/1/18 3:46:48 PM

MUSEUM

duction during the period of Japanese rule in Taiwan (1895-1945), postwar growth into an annual 400,000-kilogram local industry supporting more than 40 smoking and packing factories, the community’s associated culture, and the industry’s decline to the point that by the end of the 20th century only one-quarter as many fish were swimming in the Kuroshio Current past Taiwan’s east coast – and just one business was left catching and smoking them.

Of course, for readers more interested in the taste than history of fish, there is also a 150-seat restaurant selling miso soup (味噌湯; NT$30) octopus balls (深 海章魚燒; NT$60 for 6), Kuroshio noodles (黑潮拌麵; NT$50), ocean sunfishball soup (曼波魚丸湯; NT$50), crispyskinned bonito roll (脆皮鰹魚捲; NT$25) flying-fish jerky (飛魚干 ; NT$100), flying-fish-roe-flavored sausage (飛魚卵香 腸; NT$50), and so forth.

Both the restaurant and museum are housed in that last smoking factory, abandoned when its owner, a Mr. Lin, moved his business to Vietnam and the Philippines in pursuit of better harvests and cheaper laborers. A few retired fishermen and factory hands still occupy some of the dozen fishermen’s cottages behind the museum; others are used as offices. An unobtrusive stroll among them is recommended to stimulate one’s imagination of life here just a decade or two ago, perhaps best on a winter day with the rain lashing down in a slanting wind. The beach, just a few hundred meters to the east, is a pleasant place to rent and ride a bicycle on balmy summer days (one can then return in the off season and imagine launching a fishing boat into the swell).

A bike path follows the coast and cliffs all the way to Hualien City. (But don’t bother with the “museum” at the Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp.’s Hualien outlet other than to quench your thirst; it is nothing more than a sales showroom.)

The Kuroshio Current (黑潮; literally “Black Tide”), running not far offshore here and heading up to Japan, is the key to the area’s economic past. About 100 kilometers wide and rushing northward at around 11 kilometers per hour, it carries with it water from the tropics, rather like the Gulf Stream in the Atlantic,

explains Chiou Kuan-hua, a member of Katsuo Museum’s sales department staff, who enjoys guiding visitors around the museum.

The current is easy to spot, he says, being a darker blue than the sea on either side, from which it gets its Japanese name, pronounced in Chinese as heichao.

It is also some 5℃ warmer than the adjacent waters, and therefore attracts a wide variety of fish species, he continues. The warmth also enables coral reefs to grow around Japan’s coast, their northernmost colonies in the world.

Important commercial fish species in Taiwan’s stretch of the current include mackerel, flying fish, ocean sunfish, sardines (which really just means any small or immature fish, though particularly of the herring family), and various species of tuna but especially skipjack, also known as bonito or katsuo in Japanese (from which the museum takes its “English” name) and jian (鰹魚) in Chinese.

photo : courtesy of CIHSINGTAN KATSUO MUSEUM

Smoked bonito Bonito has been an important source of food to Taiwanese inhabitants since long before the arrival of Han Chinese a few hundred years ago. It was only under Japanese rule (1895-1945) that the process of smoking bonito was introduced, however. Indeed, according to details on one of the information boards that cover almost every square foot of the museum – with very good translations into English in many cases – it was only in 1674 that Japanese started smoking bonito, though for about 1,000 years before that they had been sun-drying the fish.

A tour of the museum begins with an introduction to the architecture and construction of the building housing it, with an explanation of the various rooms’ roles during the factory’s operation. Interestingly, trucks bringing fish from the harbor unloaded them at the same point as today’s coaches disgorge tourists. Most of the exhibits are housed in low-ceilinged smoking sheds, with grills in the floor offering views down to the ovens below.

Before being smoked, the fish’s head and internal organs were removed by hand, and their bodies then steamed for

photo : Mark Ca ltonhill

Above, museum founder Yu Tsung-bo shows off a fish, and below, Chef Jiang Yu-ru sears some chaiyu.

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_fish museum.indd 23

23

2012/1/18 3:46:50 PM

MUSEUM

Left, seared fish, octopus balls, and chaiyu-miso soup; center, the author enjoying his meal; and right, the restaurant dining room. phot os: mark caltonhill

1 to 1½ hours. This allowed the skin to be peeled off and the tail removed easily.

The fish was then divided into two fillets, which were placed on a rack and covered by their skins. Smoking for 8-10 hours at 90℃ reduced the moisture content to around 70% and fixed the skin to the meat, which was still malleable.

The smaller bones were next removed and the fillets manipulated into shape.

They were then smoked again at 80-90℃ for 1-3 days, allowed to cool, smoked at 70-80℃ for 3-7 days, allowed to cool, and smoked at 60-70℃ for 15-20 days.

The whole process therefore took around one month, but needed to begin within minutes of the fish dying to prevent them from starting to deteriorate in taste. For Japanese, this is a high-end product, and anything less than the best quality reduces the value markedly.

The resulting smoked meat has only about 17% of the weight of the original fish, so to produce two 300-gram pieces requires a reasonably large tuna of around 3-4 kilograms. Smaller fish are also caught, of course, but will be sent for canning or other uses. Fish are also rejected if too fatty, as this would make soup – one of the main uses of katsuo in Japan – sour and turbid.

The nutritional value of chaiyu is also given priority, with an emphasis on its high protein content (71%) and low fat (2.9%). The museum says chaiyu contains 22 different amino acids, nine of which are not produced by humans. It is

24

also a good source of vitamin D, as well of the essential fatty acids EPA and DHA. Visitors may also have a chance at DIY shaving of chaiyu fillets to make the thin strips familiar on tofu and soups.

On the museum’s second floor is an introduction to the ocean sunfish (曼波 魚), a benign-looking creature that lives at great depth and can grow as large as two tons and live for 100 years. A video shows fishing boats operating off the Hualien coast (mostly catching bonito, but also a couple of sunfish, which are so large they have to be hoisted aboard), and another display – Chiou’s favorite – introduces the fixed net fishing still practiced in the area. This technique involves a long series of nets arranged parallel to the Kuroshio Current, with perpendicular arms sticking out to the sides to channel fish into the main nets. Holes are large enough to let young fish escape, while the adults are gradually funneled closer to the surface where they may be hauled aboard waiting boats that go out twice each day to inspect the catch. The nets stay in place year-round, only being brought ashore for repairs during the summer typhoon season.

The third floor houses a children’s education/entertainment area, but at the far end is a room with small television monitors showing film of the above-mentioned manufacturing process. Although narrated in Chinese without subtitles, it has good photography and helps fill in gaps in imagination.

The museum also has a number of aquaria displaying live fish. “One of our main hopes in the future is to have tanks with live bonito in them,” says Niko Feng, project director and CEO of the foundation behind the museum. “We would love visitors, children especially, to be able to see these wonderful animals swimming about.” The museum has been researching this possibility for four years without success. Nevertheless, a large area beyond the fishermen’s huts has been earmarked for open-air tanks, and meanwhile staff members practice their fishraising skills on smaller species.

After the aquaria, the final exit for visitors takes them through the shop.

Browsers can enjoy free tastings, but for most tour groups this is the chance to stock up on presents for family and colleagues back home. It is also the raison d’être of the museum: the displays, even the restaurant, are all a front for the shop, as this is all part of the Jota Food Enterprise Co. empire, started by Yu Tsung-bo in 1969.

At the age of 38, Yu left his native Yilan and headed south through the hills to Hualien to try his hand at selling sweet potato cakes from a cart. As Feng explains it, “Just a cart and NT$2,000 in his pocket.” But perhaps NT$2,000 wasn’t such small change back in those more austere times.

In any case, Yu soon had a motorbike, and was traveling around Taiwan transporting various local snacks from

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_fish museum.indd 24

2012/1/18 3:46:53 PM

MUSEUM

to eat or shop. The tour groups mostly come on weekends, as do families with small children. Weekdays are quieter, with visitors consisting mainly of students, retirees, and office workers.

In fact, Taiwan has a plethora of this kind of factory salesroom displaying cultural artifacts, historic photos, and background information, though many do little to justify the word “museum.” A

one region for sale in another. Hualien’s muaji (米麻糬) sweet millet- or glutinous rice-flour cakes were one big earner, but Yu’s fortunes really took off when he contracted to export mountain mushrooms and coastal chaiyu to Japan. His friendship with Mr. Lin, former owner of this last smoking factory, dates from that period.

His first venture into museum-style showrooms started with the Hometown of Millet Muaji in Ji-an south of Hualien City, which was followed by three more dedicated to custard apples, chaiyu, and the delicacies of regional dishes around Hualien. Only the Cihsingtan Katsuo Museum is worth visiting; the others barely raise themselves above the status of shops (despite being planned and built by the same foundation, the English translations do not approach the standard at Qixingtan), though they are certainly big draws to tour groups visiting Hualien.

Feng says that about half of the museum’s 300,000 annual visitors take a look around the displays; the rest simply come

few worth checking out include the Chishang railway lunchbox restaurant in Taitung (where visitors can even eat in a train carriage parked out front); the TTL visitor centers (Yilan and Puli wineries are the best); the tea museum in Pinglin, New Taipei City; Morinaga milk candy museum in Taipei’s Beitou District (for children); and the Brands chicken essence outlet in Lugang, Changhua County.

Cihsingtan Katsuo Museum is at 148 Qixing Street, Dahan Village, Xincheng Township, Hualien County (花蓮縣新城鄉大漢村七星街148號) Tel. 03-8236100; Open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., seven days a week.

photo : courtesy of CIHSINGTAN KATSUO MUSEUM

TOPICS can be found in the Eslite, Kingstone, Caves and Hess bookstores in Taipei, Taichung and Kaohsiung.

But why wait until we’re on the stands? Make sure of getting a copy by filling in the subscription form below.

Subscriptions

Fill out this form and post or fax to 886-2-2718-8182 with your payment or receipt. AmCham will begin your subscription upon receipt of payment.

Taiwan HK/PRC

q1 year = NT$1,500 q1 year = US$68

q2 years = NT$2,700 q2 years = US$130

Elsewhere in Asia USA/Europe

Name: _________________________________________________________________

q1 year = US$75 q1 year = US$90

q2 years = US$140 q2 years = US$170

Membership ID#: (if applicable)_______________________

Company: ___________________________________________________________________________ Telephone: ____________________________ Mailing address:______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Email Address: _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________ qBill to Account (members only)

qAMEX

qMaster

qVISA

qCheck

qTelegraphic Transfer

Credit card number: _________________________________________________ Cardholder’s name: ______________________________________ Expiration date: ________________________________________________ Total amount (NT$/US$): ______________________________________ Signature: ______________________________________________________________________ Date: ______________________________________

• Acct. #: 141-53-80050-0-9-0

• Please make checks payable to: American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei • Please direct telegraphic transfers to: American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei Chinatrust Commercial Bank Chungshan Branch (Please fax your transfer receipt to AmCham.)

American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei

Tel : 886-2-2718-8226

E-mail: amcham@amcham.com.tw january 2011 • taiwan business topics

1_12_fish museum.indd 25

25

2012/1/18 3:46:55 PM

Advertorial

For Memorable Cuisine, Entertainment, and Nightlife, Take Your Next Holiday in Macau

W

hether for a family reunion or just to indulge yourself, make Macau your next vacation destination for a memorable holiday that combines outstanding cuisine, nightlife, and other entertainment.

When it comes to dining out, a good idea is to follow the latest Michelin Guide Hong Kong Macau 2012, which reflects the sustained improvement in the quality of restaurants in Macau and highlights the increasing richness and diversity of the delicacies to be found there. According to the latest edition, Macau now has a total of seven restaurants recognized as worthy of Michelin stars, so when you visit this sophisticated city, consider spoiling yourself with a Michelinstarred feast.

Among the seven restaurants, Robuchon au Dôme, offering contemporary French haute cuisine, is the recipient of the supreme honor of three stars, while the three two-star restaurants are Zi Yat Heen, The Eight, and Wing Lei. Three establishments have been awarded one star: Lei Garden, Tim’s Kitchen, and Golden Flower. For those wishing to try highend eateries at an affordable price, Michelin also assigns “Bib Gourmand” ratings to great restaurants. This year, five restaurants in Macau were deemed worthy of that rating: Lou Kei, Luk Kei Noodle and Congee, Noodle & Congee Corner, Oja Sopa De Fita Cheong Kei, and Square Eight.

At three-star Robuchon au Dôme, you can savor the latest culinary creations from Joël Robuchon, acclaimed “Chef of the Century” by French restaurant guide Gault-Millau, and the most Michelin-starred chef in the world. As the first establishment in China to receive Wine Spectator’s “Grand Award” for having one of the best wine lists in the world (its extensive wine cellar contains over 8,000 labels), Robuchon au Dôme offers the perfect dining experience.

26

Besides Michelin-starred restaurants, Macau is also famous for its typical Macanese dishes, including Bacalhau, Baked Duck Rice, African Chicken, Crab Congee, and Fried Fish Balls. For desserts, custard tarts and pork-chop buns are popular choices, especially among the children.

While waiting to enjoy your next gourmet meal, there is also plenty of fabulous entertainment in Macau to keep you occupied. Some of the choices include: • “The House of Dancing Water” at City of Dreams This breathtaking water-based show draws its creative inspiration from roots in Chinese culture, particularly the “seven emotions” derived from classical Confucian beliefs. The most extravagant live production ever staged in Asia, it is performed by a cast of some 80 international performance artists and about 130 top production and technical members from more than 25 countries. The production incorporates dazzling costuming and amazing audio and visual special effects.

It is staged at the Dancing Water Theater designed by the world-renowned Pei Partnership. This purpose-built theater contains one of the most impressive commercial pools in the world, holding approximately 3.7 million gallons of water.

• Cirque du Soleil’s “ZAiA” at the Venetian-MacaoResort-Hotel ZAiA relates the dream of a young girl who journeys into space on a strange yet familiar voyage of selfdiscovery. As she travels, she encounters the beauty of humanity and eventually brings it back with her to share with the inhabitants of earth. ZAiA is a show that highlights dance, movement, and aerial acrobatics. This brand-new, 90-minute mega-production brings together

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_20120AdvertorialMGTO.indd 26

2012/1/19 6:49:47 AM

•

•

•

•

•

75 high-caliber artists from all around the world, and is presented in one of the most impressive theatres ever created by Cirque du Soleil.

“Dragon's Treasure” at City of Dreams Immerse yourself in The Bubble, an iconic multi-media attraction at City of Dreams. With explosive visuals and sounds, as well as exciting sensory effects, the Dragon's Treasure tells the story of the Dragon Pearl and its mysterious powers as experienced by each of the four Dragon Kings, who lead you on an amazing sensory adventure across their magical kingdoms.

“Performance Lake” at Wynn Macau At Performance Lake, located at the open area just in front of Wynn Macau, lofty plumes of water and fire shimmer and dance through the air to classical and popular music, as well as Broadway show tunes.

To present this delightful illumination of water, light, color, and fire, the Lake houses over 200 water nozzles and shooters, and holds 800,000 gallons of water.

This vibrant performance expressing a complexity of moods, rhythms, and emotions provides a joyous and fascinating entertainment. Show hours: Daily at 15minute intervals from 11 a.m. to 12 midnight.

“Tree of Prosperity” at Wynn Macau The iconic golden Tree of Prosperity with over 2,000 branches and 98,000 leaves composed of 24-karat gold leaf and brass leaf is a symbol of auspiciousness.

Designed to thrill guests as they enter Wynn Macau, the Tree of Prosperity performance is a choreographic masterpiece of shimmering, sculptural patterns, music, video, and light. This centerpiece, which fills the atrium, depicts Chinese and Western astrological symbols, rising from below at the finale of the performance and transforming into the vibrant colors of the four seasons.

Show hours: Lasts for 7 minutes, daily at 30-minute intervals from 10 a.m. - 2 a.m.

“Fortune Diamond” at Galaxy Macau Located in the main lobby of the Galaxy Macau, the Fortune Diamond is a mammoth three-meter gem that rises before your very eyes from behind a waterfall.

The Diamond was created by veteran entertainment designer Jeremy Railton and symbolizes what everyone strives for: wealth, luck, and love.

“Mast Climb & Sky Jump” at Macau Tower Conquer Macau's highest summit at the 338-meter-tall

Macau Tower, and stand at the top by climbing 100 meters up the mast's vertical ladders. The Sky Jump, a new attraction at the Macau Tower that takes guests on a 20-second flight over the breathtaking cityscape of Macau, will be the highest adventure of its kind around the world. Taking off from the outer rim of Macau Tower 233 meters above ground, it is an astounding 41 meters higher than the only other Sky Jump in the world (at the Sky Tower Auckland).

In the evenings, take advantage of Macau's nightlife, which is famous for its variety, frantic pace, and constant change. This is a city that never sleeps, with plenty of bars, shops, and restaurants – as well as casinos – open all night long. Night owls will have no problem if they wish to get a delicious meal or go dancing in the middle of the night. If you are looking for bars and pubs, you will find a great number of them in Macau’s hotels and the Cultural Centre. Some other possibilities: • Macau Soul Steeped in the feeling of Old Macau, this chic wine lounge in a refurbished colonial house near the landmark St. Paul’s Ruins is an elegant place to appreciate local color while enjoying fine wine or coffee, live music, and good company.

• Club Cubic at City of Dreams Lavish Club Cubic’s design is based on the concept of surrealism. In addition to a lively dance floor, the club offers private and VIP areas. Cubic is a favorite with local clubbers who love its global music, exclusive signature cocktails, and roster of internationally renowned DJs who keep the dance floor rocking.

• Macallan Whisky Bar at Galaxy Macau Offering a selection of over 360 whiskeys, this high-end bar exudes old-world charm with its heavy oak wood paneling, furniture from Scotland and England, and a flickering fireplace.

• MGM Lion’s Bar Famous DJs and hot live music make for crowdpleasing entertainment in the popular Lion’s Bar – the place to see and be seen right in the center of Macau.

Only 90 minutes away from Taiwan by air, Macau is a holiday paradise that is sure to delight you and your family.

For more details, please visit the Macau Government Tourist Office (MGTO) website at: www.macautourism.gov.mo

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_20120AdvertorialMGTO.indd 27

27

2012/1/19 6:49:50 AM

Straight from the Kitchen Two of Asia’s top chefs – Choi Io Man and Beat Enderli of Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza in Taipei – compare notes on recipes for success in their demanding profession.

BY TRISTA DI GENOVA phot os : cou rt es y of SH A NGRI- LA 'S far eas t ern plaza hot el

28

C

hoi Io Man grew up in Kowloon, Hong Kong. After being in the business for three decades, he’s now made it to the top of his profession as Executive Chinese Chef at Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel.

Although immensely charming, his English is notoriously shaky at best, and colleagues at the hotel tease him for his thick Cantonese accent when he speaks Mandarin. But like all chefs in his position, he’s worked hard to get to where he is.

Today, and almost every day, he can be seen “wokking” his magic.

“How did you start cheffing?” I ask him through a translator, the hotel’s assis-

tant communication manager, Tricia Chen. “When I started, it wasn’t like today – there were no professional culinary schools back then,” he says. “You just had to go into the industry and start working.”

Choi learned to cook “solely to feed myself,” before thinking of making it a vocation, he says. Traditionally, being a chef is “not at all a prestigious job in Asia,” he notes. Most of those entering the profession did so because their parents couldn’t afford to continue their education, or because they didn’t do well in school. Parents used to forbid their daughters from dating chefs, hoping to

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_shangrilas.indd 28

2012/1/18 11:35:53 PM

CHEFS

save them from a life of poverty.

His first employment was with a seafood restaurant in Guangzhou that specialized in shark fin soup and abalone dishes. Then he worked at Fulingmen, a famous Cantonese seafood restaurant in Hong Kong, before moving on to the Ritz Carlton Hong Kong and Hong Kong Regent hotels. Before coming to Taiwan to work at the Far Eastern Plaza, he was with the Shangri-La in Beijing.

Comparing the Cantonese cuisine served in locations throughout Asia, Choi says he sees only a small difference between what is available in Hong Kong and at the best establishments in Taiwan. But in Beijing, diners find Hong Kong-style flavor too subtle and insist on heavier seasoning. To Choi’s palate, it becomes too salty, but the customers consider it tastier that way. “People there often are coming from other parts of China, usually colder areas where they’re eating spicy food to keep warm,” he explains.

Wealth – or the desire to be ostentatious about one’s wealth – is another factor, he adds. In Beijing, diners at the hotel tend to request the priciest dishes, such as shark fin soup and abalone. “In China, that means you’re really, really well off,” he says. “They like to show they can spend a lot,” and as a result of “face issues” they also usually wind up over-ordering. Choi regrets that a lot of food gets wasted in Beijing and elsewhere in China. He laments once having to throw away a garoupa [also known as grouper] fish that had been pre-ordered and delivered from Japan, specially prepared for guests who then barely touched the dish. When he anxiously asked if something was amiss, they replied that “it was terrific” but they were already stuffed from the previous dishes.

This waste is probably a cultural habit too, he observes. Chinese think leftovers on the table are a good thing, a sign of plentitude and prosperity. He says that people from less-developed places do this most often, as he noticed with visitors in Beijing from Mongolia. In Taiwan, people tend to be a little more environmentally conscious, he says, and also realize that eating shark fin soup doesn’t really say anything significant about you

or your guests.

In Hong Kong and Taiwan, he continues, people often order seafood dishes and “seem to know the right amount they need to order.” In addition, Taiwanese are fond of hongshao (紅燒; “redcooked”) meat dishes – chicken or pork marinated in soy sauce for a long time.

What would Choi prepare at home for himself? Steamed fish, he replies without hesitation, particularly garoupa (石斑魚, shibanyu) – just pure steamed fish “you can really taste,” prepared with nothing but a bit of soy sauce. In Taiwan, where seafood is wonderfully abundant in many of the traditional morning markets, he buys his at “the best place to buy fresh fish” – Taipei’s Central Market. But you need to get there really early to get the best quality fish, he suggests.

Alternatively, Choi would treat himself to a nice, Hong Kong-style seafood hotpot featuring lobster, fish, mussels, and clams. “It’s a lazy way to cook good food,” he remarks. What’s the difference between a Taiwan and a Hong Kong hotpot? Taiwanese put all sorts of other things in their hotpot, he notes, including meat slices, sausages, meatballs, and so on. For his ideal seafood-only hotpot, the only other ingredients they might be tofu, the dalu mei, 大陸妹, “Mainland lass”) cabbage variety, or leafy-green tong ho (茼蒿, edible or garland chrysanthemum), which is common in Hong Kong, Macau,

and Taiwan.

Choi reckons that the best Cantonese food in Asia is found in Hong Kong (virtually anywhere there), with Guangzhou second among the markets where he has had personal experience, followed

by Taiwan, then Beijing. Hong Kong is where Cantonese cuisine “bloomed,” he says, because the fish is always fresh and it’s easy to order other necessary ingredients any time of the day or night.

Besides, it’s said that food is such an important part of the culture in Hong Kong that among a child’s first words are such classic dim sum dishes as xiajiao (蝦 餃, shrimp dumpling), shaomai (燒賣, a meat-filled dumpling), and luobo gao (蘿 蔔糕, turnip cake). Another important feature of Cantonese cuisine is its vegetable or meat broths, Choi says – and there are even restaurants in Hong Kong that only offer different types of soups.

High quality is a must, he says, and the market is very competitive. Customers won’t be satisfied with a fish that isn’t steamed well. In addition, “in Hong Kong a lot of people go to restaurants that specialize in particular dishes, such as the most classic pork or fish dishes,” he notes. “So already knowing exactly what they want, they don’t even look at the menu to order.”

Asked about the best street-vendor food in Asia, Choi says Macau and Hong Kong “do a lot of creative things with

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_shangrilas.indd 29

29

2012/1/18 11:35:54 PM

CHEFS

Counter-clockwise from above: roasted suckling pig, the Shang Palace entrance, and South African abalone stewed in oyster sauce.

Understanding the background

beef intestines or other organs mixed up in a soup.” He enjoys one version of this called niu jia (牛雜, beef messy mix), which costs only HK$2 a bowl. People might not want “second cuts” like these when dining in a restaurant, but on the street it makes a satisfying snack. Also one of his favorites is curry fishball (咖 哩魚丸, gali yuwan) stewed in a big pot with so much curry that it seeps inside the fishballs. It’s usually very spicy, he says, made with a Cantonese curry that’s lighter and sweeter than Indian curry (though not as sweet as Japanese curry).

30

Choi relates how Cantonese dishes often have a story behind them. As an example he cites the origins of classic dim sum, which when eaten in a restaurant is called yam cha (飲茶) – “drink tea.”

People long ago would want to drink tea after waking up in the morning, but not on an empty stomach. So the night before they’d take leftovers and heat them in bamboo steamers to keep the food from spoiling, leaving it ready to eat in the morning. Bamboo was the preferred material, he says, because metal containers would affect the taste and smell of the food.

Another famous dish in Cantonese (and Fujian/Taiwan) cuisine that has a long history is Buddha Jumping over the Wall (佛跳牆, fo tiao qiang), which involves “putting all the most expensive ingredients in a pot and steaming them together.” As the story goes, the aroma after you open the pot is so enticing that even Buddha would jump over the wall for it – and he was a vegetarian!

There’s even a history behind the way Hong Kongers use the whole chicken in soups. Because chickens used to be a luxury, some people would steal chickens from farms and then hide the evidence by putting the whole thing in a pot. “Using the whole chicken for us is not the same

as the whole chicken for them,” jokes Beat Enderli, the hotel’s executive chef, as he joins our conversation to discuss contrasts between Western and Chinese cooking.

“The big difference in Asia is that chefs here make an effort to use every part of the animal – because they found a way to make it so tasty,” he says. “In Western cuisine we also used to use all these parts because it was a necessity, but then we became too rich and spoiled and started to discard.” Although some traditional cooking methods are “starting to come back,” he notes, modern Western cuisine usually uses only such cuts of meat as beef cheeks, tenderloin, sirloin – the “good stuff.”

Enderli says it’s been “an eye-opening experience” working in Asia, “learning all the funky things you can do with the feet and gizzards, even the coxcomb.”

He goes on to mention chicken feet (feng zhua, 鳳爪) –“phoenix claws – they gave it a nice name!” Even goose webs, just on their own, marinated in oyster sauce, or served with abalone.

“One very big difference is the ‘14 cooking methods’ of Western cuisine we all learn about. Our cooking teacher hammered this into us: Blanch, Poach, Boil, Steam, Fry, Sauté, Grill, Gratinate, Bake, Roast, Braise, Glaze, Stew, and last but not least, Simmer. That is our universe. Then we come to Asia, walk into a

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_shangrilas.indd 30

2012/1/18 11:35:56 PM

CHEFS

Chinese kitchen and realize there’s more beyond all the methods we learned in school, including double boiling, wok frying, shallow oil frying in a wok – three main ones that we don’t know in Europe.”

Oriental techniques seem to pay off when wooing our taste buds. Even in international cooking competitions, Cantonese chefs habitually dominate the field of winners. Why is this? What makes Cantonese cuisine so competitive, maybe even the world’s best? Choi thinks it’s because the wok-frying technique that is such a hallmark of Cantonese-style cuisine is now widely accepted as having the tastiest results. “Wok-frying preserves all the flavors,” he says. “Sichuan food is just spicy, but in Cantonese cuisine you can taste a lot more flavors in one dish.”

Enderli believes the key to this success is that the Chinese already had a food culture in the early dynasties “when in Europe we were still eating raw food and didn’t know how to cook yet.” He notes that in the Forbidden City, “out of 4,000 people working only for the emperor, more than half worked on food and beverage.”

“As an outsider,” Enderli continues, “I think Cantonese cuisine evolved the fastest. Beijing food is tasty; it has flavor but no presentation. If you ask me, Sichuan is rougher, bolder cooking, whereas Cantonese is the fine dining of Chinese food. Fine dining’s associated with three things: skill, flavor, and presentation – and Cantonese cuisine has all three.”

Enderli certainly seems qualified to make such masterful, sweeping generalizations. He supervises the hotel’s 150 chefs and several kitchens, and has been in the profession ever since high school, when he took advantage of a Swiss work-shadowing tradition and decided the dynamic and creative atmosphere of the kitchen was where he felt most comfortable.

Thirty years ago, Enderli remembers, “my dad hit me, physically slapped me,” because “it was shameful if an only son became a chef.” He expresses gratitude to celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver and Gordon Ramsay for popularizing the profession. “Now people have picked up that it’s cool to be a chef, and smart people can make a career of being one.”

A top chef’s formation is a long road, well-traveled. Because chefs customarily work under six-month contracts, Enderli’s first 15 years in the trade were spent in numerous hotels and restaurants in different cities around Switzerland. Then he ventured abroad as a chef in what he describes as his “gypsy years”: 15 years in Indonesia, then Beijing, Singapore, Borneo (Malaysia), Muscat (Oman), and finally Taipei.

Despite the “gruesome hours, sometimes crazy work conditions, and uneven stress levels,” Enderli says, “it still provides the same excitement for me as it did 30 years ago. Every day is different, and the creative atmosphere in the kitchen makes it an adventure.”

Good News for Food Lovers: Cooking Classes Last year the Far Eastern Plaza started a series of cooking classes. Four cuisine themes are normally offered over a two-month period. Each one-day course, which costs NT$1,500, consists of a cooking demonstration followed by lunch. The classes are purposely kept small, so that participants can watch closely and ask questions.

You just missed European Christmas dishes with Executive Chef Beat Enderli from Switzerland, Italian cuisine with Chef Antonio Tardi, and Japanese cuisine with Chef Toshiaki Obigane, but coming up after Chinese New Year will be Cantonese cooking with Chef Choi Io-Man from Hong Kong. Chef Tai Chung-lin from Taiwan will present a litany of scintillating Shanghai dishes in May/June.

Reserve a spot on the course by contacting the Shang Palace Restaurant: Tel: 23788888 x5888. january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_shangrilas.indd 31

31

2012/1/18 11:35:59 PM

Shark Fin – in the Soup Momentum is gaining to restrict shark fin consumption, which environmental groups say is having an adverse impact on the world’s marine ecology

BY ALAN PATTERSON

photo : wikipedia

A

Chinese proverb says that when you drink water, you should consider the source. The addage might just as well apply to shark fin soup.

Enjoyment of this prized delicacy has had a severe impact on marine ecologies, according to environmental groups.

Opposition to the consumption of shark fin, most commonly used in soup at formal banquets and wedding ceremonies in Asia, is slowly gaining momentum, environmental groups say. So-called “finning,” a practice whereby fishermen cut away the fin from a live shark and throw the shark back into the sea, has put about a quarter of the world’s shark species on the endangered list, some of the groups say.

When the parent company of one of Asia’s most prestigious hotel chains announced last year it would stop serving shark fin at all of its establishments, it became the latest of a few to do so.

On November 21, The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH), parent company of the luxurious Peninsula Hotels, said that it would take shark fin dishes off the menu effective January 1, 2012, the same day as California enforced a prohibi-

32

tion on the shark fin trade. “By removing shark fin from our menus, we hope that our decision can contribute to preserving the marine ecosystem for the world’s future generations,” HSH Chief Executive Officer Clement K.M. Kwok said in a statement. “As Asia’s oldest hotel company, we also hope that our decision will inspire other hospitality companies to do the same and that our industry will play a role in helping to preserve the bio-diversity of our oceans.”

The HSH group operates Peninsula Hotels in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, New York, Chicago, Beverly Hills, Tokyo, Bangkok, and Manila.

In Taiwan, some hotels approached

by Taiwan Business TOPICS quietly voiced support for the move by HSH, but so far few have followed up by taking a public position. The Landis, for example, responded that it no longer includes shark fin on its restaurant menu, but will serve it at as part of a wedding feast or other banquet if the host asks for it. Public Relations Manager Amy Wu said by email that such requests are not received very often.

The Regent has a similar policy.

“When people request it, we try to satisfy them,” says Ellen Chang, group public relations director for Taiwanbased Regent Hotels & Resorts, run by the Formosa International Hotel Corp.

The Regent has 11 existing and planned hotels in Europe, Asia, the Americas, and the Middle East, including the Regent Taipei. The trend among younger consumers in Taiwan, who are more environmentally conscious, is to forgo shark fin, Chang says, though “not many people say no exactly.”

The FIHC-operated Silks Palace restaurant on the grounds of Taiwan’s world-famous National Palace Museum stopped serving shark fin in mid-2009

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_sharkfins.indd 32

2012/1/18 11:04:30 PM

S H AR K F IN

A finning operation in Pingtung in southern Taiwan. photo : courtesy of EAST

in recognition of growing international opposition to the shark fin trade, according to Chang. The restaurant offers its Imperial Treasures Feast, which features Chinese delicacies such as Yuan Dynasty Yun Lin Goose and an edible version of the museum’s well-known carving, Jadeite Cabbage with Insects.

Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza hotel was among the first in Taiwan to take shark fin dishes off its menu, says Maria Kuhn, Hong Kong-based director of corporate communications for Shangri-La International Hotel Management Ltd. “It has been the general policy of all hoteloperated restaurants not to have shark’s fin on the menu since December 2010,” Kuhn said in an email to TOPICS. Shangri-La has hotels around the world.

More than 90% percent of the hotels and restaurants in Taiwan that have served shark fin still have the traditional delicacy on their menus, according to a source in the local food and beverage industry who requested anonymity.

A dish to die for Shark fin soup is one of the most coveted dishes in Chinese cuisine. The texture of shark fin is highly prized, yet the gelatinous ingredient is mostly flavorless.

The taste of the soup comes from other flavorings.

While shark fin is said to have some medicinal properties, gourmet diners trea-

sure the ingredient mainly for its delicate texture and the cachet that is attached to its expensive price tag. One bowl of shark fin soup at a Taiwan restaurant can cost about NT$2,000.

Detractors say that in addition to its environmental impact, shark fins’ health benefits are highly overrated. Shark meat and byproducts such as shark fin have high concentrations of lead and other heavy metals, because sharks – the predators at the top of the marine food chain – accumulate such hazardous substances from the smaller fish they eat.

Environmentalists argue that the wasteful practice of finning, which kills sharks only for their treasured fins, upsets the delicate ecology of the ocean.

But defenders of the practice say that shark populations are continuing to rise despite finning. The Convention on International Trade In Endangered Species (CITES) lists only three out of more than 400 shark species as needing protection.

As the number of fish in the world’s oceans declines due to excessive fishing, sharks has even been defended as a way of maintaining balance in fishery populations. As a result, some people have attacked the anti-shark fin movement as ill-informed and even racist.

Still, nearly a quarter of the world’s more than 400 shark and ray species are vulnerable or nearly extinct, according to Lin Wu-Hung, a representative of the Environment & Animal Society of Taiwan (EAST), a local organization that has worked to stop finning practices. EAST says some progress has been made to cut shark fin consumption in Taiwan. “Due to a media campaign we launched in early 2011, four convenience store chains removed shark fin soup from their Chinese New Year feast menus,” says EAST’s Lin. “Although mock shark fin and vegetarian shark fin have appeared on the menus, we believe they are not genuine shark products as prices are low – between NT$400 to NT$500 per course.”

Shark fin soup is popular at wedding banquets because it is an expensive ingredient that impresses guests and

gives a sense of prestige, according to the Regent’s Ellen Chang. “It’s a sign of sincerity by the hosts of the event.” Nevertheless, an increasing number of younger people attending such events are declining to be served shark fin soup, she said. Substitutes include soups made from abalone or Chinese herbs. The price per bowl of shark fin soup ranges from NT$800 to NT$1,800 and the price of substitute soups falls in the same range, Chang said.

In the meantime, worldwide consumption of shark fin soup is expected to soar with the rise of China’s affluent class.

Global fishing fleets caught an estimated 70 million sharks in 2010.

The momentum to remove shark fin from menus built up last October around the same time that California Governor Jerry Brown signed legislation banning the import, possession, and sale of shark fins in the state of California as of January 1, 2012. The U.S. state joined Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, and Guam in a ban that environmental and animalrights activists hailed for closing off Pacific ports in the United States to the shark fin trade.

Since California is one of the largest markets for shark fins outside of Asia, the signing of the prohibition into law represents “a significant step toward increasing global protection of sharks and sustaining the health of our oceans,” international environmental group WildAid said in a statement.

“The burgeoning economies of Asia have led to a drastic increase in demand for shark fin soup, which had historically

photo : courtesy of east

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_sharkfins.indd 33

33

2012/1/18 11:04:33 PM

S H AR K F IN

fish aggregation devices (FADs) and been reserved for a small segment longline vessels.” of the population who could afford The modern fishing techniques it,” the WildAid statement said. “At Chou mentions have become more a recent WildAid event in Shanghai, prevalent as catching fish has our ambassador (basketball star) become more difficult. A purse Yao Ming called for a shark fin ban seine captures fish in a net that is in China, accompanied by British similar to a purse with a drawentrepreneur Sir Richard Branson string. The technique works parand Chinese entrepreneur Zhang ticularly well with fish that school, Yue, who both called upon the busis u c h a s t u n a . A n FA D , w h i c h ness community to support shark is used to attract fish, is typiconservation.” cally made of buoys or floats tethRegent PR executive Chang says ered to the ocean floor with conthat two types of groups have been crete blocks. A longline is a deepinvolved in lobbying opposite sides sea fishing line from which are susof the shark fin question in Taiwan. pended many short lines with baited On the one hand, she has received hooks. calls from environmental organizaAbout 35% of the catch from a tions calling on restaurants to suplongline vessel consists of non-tarport a ban, but on the other side, geted species, the so-called by-catch, fishery organizations based in Taiwhich includes endangered sharks, wan’s east coast city of Suao are sea turtles, and sea birds, Chou asking that the business be consays. “A ban on destructive fishing tinued to maintain the livelihood of methods and the establishment of local fishermen. marine reserves can be a remedy to The Council of Agriculture’s all marine creatures, including but Taiwan Fisheries Agency (FA), not limited to sharks,” she adds. the government agency responThe extremely “media-sexy” sible for regulating fishing activity, shark issue has helped Greenhas announced a ban starting this U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminispeace to communicate the hazyear on shark finning – instead tration agent counting confiscated shark fins. ards of overfishing and destructive requiring that caught sharks be photo : WIKIPEDIA fishing methods to the public and taken to shore with their fins still to the media, according to Chou. attached. But environmentalists “Recently, we found a Taiwanese longline argue that the policy may have few teeth. that have been declared shark sanctuvessel allegedly engaged in shark finning “The FA promised that they will promote aries, an area more than two times the in Palau's shark sanctuary,” Chou said. the ‘fin-attached’ regulation and policy,” size of Greenland, Pew said. Jurisdictions The vessel is under investigation by the said EAST’s Lin. “However, difficulty around the world – from California to Palauan government, and results are with enforcement is foreseeable as most the remote Northern Mariana Islands in expected soon, she adds. shark finning practices are related to tuna the Pacific – have enacted trade bans on For some, the shark has become fishing on the high seas. The fishermen sharks and shark products. a somewhat dubious poster child for unload their by-catches of shark fins Although it works to protect sharks, broader environmental protection issues. abroad, where Taiwan may have little or environmental group Greenpeace places Yet until clear evidence proves that the no authority to carry out inspections.” a higher priority on campaigning to end finning practice is harming shark popoverfishing and other destructive praculations and that the ecological balance tices in the oceans, according to Renee Banner year of the oceans has been upset by excesChou, a Greenpeace representative in sive predation of sharks, the transluTaiwan. “Shark has been one of the speAccording to the Washington D.C.cent, squishy cartilage from shark’s fin cies that we are advocating for more probased Pew Environment Group, 2011 will almost certainly continue to appear tection, but we don't focus on just one was a banner year for shark conservain soups in Asian dining facilities. In the single species because we are focusing on tion. In the past year, leaders from varmeantime, it may also behoove the more establishing marine reserves to protect all ious nations have made protection of discriminating gourmets among us to marine life,” she said. “However, shark sharks a priority, Pew said in a December consider the source and salubriousness has been known to be very vulnerable to 2011 statement. Commercial fishing of of what is going on the table at the next current fishing methods used to capture sharks is now prohibited in more than Chinese banquet. tuna, including purse seine vessels using 4.7 million square kilometers of ocean

34

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_sharkfins.indd 34

2012/1/18 11:04:34 PM

Bargain Dining with Online Group Coupons There may be no such thing as a free lunch, but you can easily score a meal for half-off at a number of daily group-buying websites.

BY AIMEE WONG

M

any consumers in Taiwan, like those in other markets, are making use of coupons from group-buying websites to save money on their purchases – including dining out.

Basically, the websites offer discounts of half-off or more on products and services, including restaurants, salon and spa services, travel and hotel packages, local delicacies, and even electronics. But the catch is that the offers are only active for about 24 to 36 hours, and they only become valid if enough customers agree to the purchase. If the number of purchasers has not reached the minimum, the deal is off.

The concept started very much as a type of “social commerce,” meaning e-commerce that harnesses the power of social networks. Eager customers would ask their friends to join them in making a purchase to increase the chance of getting a discount, and the deal would spread via word-of-mouth. But the popularity of these websites has increased to the point that the “social” part is unnecessary – enough customers visit the websites on their own to trigger the offers.

Theoretically, the concept offers a winwin situation for all parties involved. Customers can choose from a large variety of deals on goods and services, merchants get brand exposure, and the websites take a cut of the purchase price for each deal

sold. “It’s like the online version of the television shopping network,” says Jerry Kuo, CEO of Groupon Taiwan.

The recent popularity of these dailydeal websites means that shoppers in Taiwan have several platforms from which to choose. The main players:

Groupon Taiwan www.groupon.com.tw The largest company in the field, Groupon Taiwan, underwent an initial public offering (IPO) in late 2011 and holds the leading market position both in Taiwan and worldwide, with operations in more than 500 markets in 45 nations. Launched in November 2008 in Chicago, the company quickly flour-

ished, expanding its properties to the point of attracting a 2010 buyout proposal from Google. Groupon quickly rejected the offer and countered by expanding on its own. It entered the Asian market in December 2010 with three website acquisitions, including Taiwanese social networking website Atlas Post (地圖日記), at that point the largest contender in the market.

“Groupon’s customers seem to be willing to spend more money than customers from other websites, who seem to favor lower-priced deals in the NT$100200 range,” says Peter Hsu, General Manager of Red Onion Steak (紅洋蔥牛 排), which has partnered with Groupon on numerous occasions. “They were very efficient. If we discuss a deal today, it could go live maybe next week.”

GOMAJI http://www.gomaji.com

Jerry Guo photo : Groupon

The second most popular website, and continually increasing its market share, is GOMAJI, which was founded in June 2010 and focuses on innovation and technology. Not only was it the first group-buying website in the Taiwan market to release iPhone and Android apps, but GOMAJI also offers partnering merchants a MyPad tablet for real-time coupon-code entry. While other opera-

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_coupons.indd 35

35

2012/1/18 11:08:18 PM

coupons Ta i w a n m a r k e t a r e 1 7 L I F E ( 1 7 P 好 康 , www.17life.com); Lashou ( 拉手 網 , t w. l a s h o u . c o m ) ; N u o m i ( 糯米 網 , tw.nuomi.com); Jigocity (集購城, www.jigocity.com.tw); 123 (123團購 網 , www.123.com.tw); 17shopping (http://17shopping.tw); and yam (揪便宜, josho.yam.com).

Who are the users?

Gomaji - Victor Chang photo : Aimee WonG

tions require merchants to collect printedout e-mail verifications or keep a written record and send the information in at the end of the redemption period, delaying payment by as much as three months, GOMAJI’s MyPad entry method means that merchants can simply read the code from the customer’s mobile phone, enter it into their MyPad, and receive payment within three days. For small businesses with limited operating capital, that speed is a big boon.

Another tech advance is GOMAJI’s mobile app 我餓了 (translation: “I’m Hungry”), a feature that uses smart phones’ GPS capabilities to locate shops with smaller (20% off or so) instant discounts in close proximity to the user.

Users can purchase the deal on their smart phones and immediately show the code in the restaurant to redeem the offer. If the voucher code is not redeemed within eight hours, it is automatically refunded. The system is perfect for times at the office when faced with the inevitable question: “Where do we go to eat today?” For merchants, 我餓了 offers an opportunity to give smaller discounts that still generate a profit.

Yet another unique feature of GOMAJI’s service is its colorful photo-filled magazine, featuring the more successful restaurant, hotel, and entertainment deals from the previous month. The magazines are sold at retail outlets including 7-Eleven and the Eslite and Kinokuniya bookstores. It’s an additional endorsement opportunity for successful merchants at no additional cost.

“We ran parallel promotions at both Groupon and GOMAJI, but GOMAJI

36

was much more effective for us,” says Steven Wu, CEO of Toscana Bakery, a European-style bakery specializing in artisanal breads and pastries. “Not only did GOMAJI sell more vouchers, but its customers spanned a broader demographic and the company itself didn’t take such a large cut of the sale price as commission.”

Yahoo! Discount http://tw.discount.yahoo.net/groupbuy.php But if you think group-buying offers are only for new or small businesses, think again. At Yahoo Discount (Yahoo 折扣), past successful offers includes hotel rooms at The Regent Taipei and Silks Place Yilan, and food vouchers for Ding Xian 101, Domino’s Pizza, and Silks Palace at the National Palace Museum.

Although the company entered the groupbuying market late, with its first offer coming in May 2011, Yahoo arrives with abundant e-commerce experience and consumer behavior know-how. In addition, it can promote the business through its existing marketing channels such as its lifestyle platform, Yahoo! Lifestyle+ (Yahoo!奇摩生活+), which makes restaurant recommendations, and its blogging platform, Wretch.cc.

“After observing the existing groupbuying websites on the market, we discovered that there was still a portion of customers whose needs have yet to be met,” says Eddie Tsai, Director of Yahoo!

Kimo Discount+. “We plan to release products that as of yet have been inaccessible to consumers, namely, brand-name products.”

Some other players in the

As with most e-commerce websites in Taiwan, female users make up the majority of customers. As a result, deals are generally catered to this audience, with most falling into the categories of restaurants, spa and salon services, and travel. Anita Chen, Managing Director of Park Strategies Taiwan, a U.S.-based lobbying firm, has used Groupon Taiwan to purchase restaurant meal vouchers.

“Usually the prices are a substantial discount from the usual prices,” she says.

“It’s a good way to try new restaurants for less money. I haven’t used other group-buying websites so I can’t make any specific recommendations, but I think Groupon has a much wider range of deals than its competitors.”

For merchants – especially small to medium-sized service-based businesses – the benefits can also be substantial. The daily-deal websites enable them to utilize idle resources and gain marketing opportunities with no upfront cost. Companies with the greatest amount of idle resources – restaurants, hotels, spas – have nothing to lose by offering those empty seats or rooms at half price, which would otherwise be costing the business money.

“We don’t think of merchants as our clients – we’re a partnership,” says Victor Chang, head of New Business Development at GOMAJI. “We handle the marketing part, putting it on our website and making the upfront investments in time and technology. But once we get those 1,000 people into the restaurant, we hand it over to the merchants. We remind them that these are your customers – they’re not our customers. If you give them excellent product and service, next time they’ll come back and pay full price.”

But offering a daily deal on a groupbuying site has its challenges for merchants as well. Stories abound of small

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_coupons.indd 36

2012/1/18 11:08:19 PM

coupons

companies that were actually put out of business by the success of their groupbuying deal. They received such an influx of new customers that they were unable to keep up. Others have been forced to make adjustments. Red Onion Steak, for example, began splitting its lunch and dinner service into two seatings on weekends in order to serve more customers, and the restaurant now requires advance reservations to make sure they have enough ingredients on hand to meet the demand.

Sometimes the restaurants’ available staff and materials simply aren’t sufficient. “Because of the demand from the vouchers, I had to hire bakers to work overtime making additional breads and pastries,” says Toscana’s Steven Wu. “Our bread isn’t like that from other bakeries, which is made in a factory by machine. It’s all artisan bread, handmade, so selling more means that many additional hours of work.”

Another risk for the merchants when using group-buying websites is that customers may come in only to redeem the voucher, with no intention to peruse other products or return at a later date.

Peter Hsu at Red Onion Steak tries to head off this problem by giving customers a VIP card, good for 2-for-1 pricing on entrees, when they pay their bills.

Hsu’s successful partnership with Groupon goes back to the Atlas Post days, and includes about 10 offers over a span of two years, each time selling two to three thousand vouchers. He especially prides himself on the U.S.-imported aged beef used in the restaurant’s Westerntype menu, which includes several cuts of steak, as well as German-style pork knuckle, grilled chicken, and fish. “I have about a NT$250-280 base cost per customer, including the cost of rent, electricity, employee salaries, etc. But I pay that cost regardless of whether or not there are people at that table. Even with the group-buying deals and the VIP card offers, we’re still able to turn a profit just due to the sheer number of customers.

New customers come because of the voucher, but then they want to come back again. That’s how you make money. But in order to do this, your restaurant must have good food and good service so they

will want to keep coming back.”

Toscana Bakery was started by Steven Wu, who was born and raised in Taiwan and then went to Nigeria as a young man to seek business opportunities, eventually building a prosperous bakery chain of over 60 stores. After 25 years and a successful business in Nigeria, last year he decided to return to Taiwan and try his hand in his own homeland. Steering away from traditional “Taiwanese-style” bread, he instead offers hand-baked Europeanstyle artisan bread and pastries, such as Toscana’s signature sweet basil bread and custards. He imports ingredients and equipment from Europe and the United States, including an expensive German oven proudly displayed behind a glass window, allowing customers to view the entire baking and packaging process.

“Before the offer, on an average day our store sold 30-40 custards, but after that we’ve been selling 3,000 sixcount boxes, so about 18,000 custards per day. The difference between 40 and 18,000 is so huge – no matter how low your margin is, you still turn a profit. On top of that, within 24 hours 3,000 more people know about your shop.”

“I think of it as a marketing cost,” says Hsu. “Advertising can easily cost

more effective depending on a business’ goals, group-buying websites offer companies large-scale exposure with quick return. Moreover, the results are measurable, replicable, and can be easily evaluated for effectiveness.

“When using the Groupon model, it’s very easy to evaluate the performance of a deal. Merchants can see exactly how many people have purchased a voucher and will go to their store,” says Jerry Kuo. “But for traditional advertisements in magazines and newspapers, it’s difficult to say what kind of impact they’ll have. You spend money to purchase the ad upfront, but you don’t know what the return is; you don’t know how many people will come to your store as a result of that one advertisement.”

Finally, group-buying websites offer companies an opportunity to try out fresh products or test the waters of a new market. Even large international companies with their own marketing departments may struggle to understand how a product may sell differently in Taiwan as compared with their home country.

“Taiwan is not a big country, but it’s a very unique place to do business,” says Kuo. “Some companies come to Taiwan thinking it’s very similar to China or Hong Kong, but Taiwan is different.

Customer behavior and the industries themselves are all very different. So international companies can work with us to test products on the market and receive feedback very quickly.”

Left, a Red Onion steak, and below, a selection of breads at Toscana.

photo : Aimee WonG

NT$50,000, but here I only need to spend NT$10,000 and 2,000 people will come try my food.

Who wouldn’t take that tradeoff? If you think of it in terms of trying to turn a profit from the offer itself, that’s a problem.

Then you start thinking about trying to lower the quality of your product.”

Though other forms of advertising could be equally or even

photo : t oscAnA

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_coupons.indd 37

37

2012/1/18 11:08:21 PM

Restaurant Update 2012 Foodies in Taipei had a very busy year in 2011, as lots of new and interesting restaurants opened within the past 12 months, offering a wide variety of delicious fare. Taipei’s vibrant dining scene is becoming more and more diverse.

BY ANITA CHEN

photo : Yen Chinese Restaruant

Yen Chinese Restaurant 紫豔中餐廳 31F, W Taipei / 10 ZhongXiao East Road Section 5, Taipei W 飯店 31樓/台北市忠孝東路五段10號 Tel: 7703-8888 Average price per person: NT$1,200-1,500

S

ituated in the heart of the lively Xinyi District, the W Taipei is one of Taipei’s newest icons. The trendy hotel houses several destination restaurants and bars, including the first W-branded Chinese restaurant – Yen. Seldom do Chinese restaurants feature cocktail bars, but Yen’s plush bar area is an integral part of this luxurious establishment. At the marbletopped bar, which sits under a decoration of lanterns set against a purple wall, patrons can enjoy a few special cocktails before dining. Equally chic is the a la carte dining area surrounded by floorto-ceiling windows and complemented by unparalleled views of Taipei 101.

Yen offers an extensive menu of new

38

Chinese cuisine, reflecting the flavors of all regions of China.

Executive Chef Khai Meng Kong aims to integrate local Taiwanese ingredients into the creations of his signature Cantonese dishes and sensational desserts.

We first sampled a few excellent appetizers. The most delightful surprise was the maltose glazed goose-liver mousse with chilled sour plum jelly. The velvety mousse was nicely paired with the refreshing Taiwanese plum jelly, which perfectly balanced out the grease of the liver. The pan-fried mullet roe with green apple in crisp rolls was an equally out-

photo : anita chen

photo : Yen Chinese Restaruant

standing interpretation of “East meeting West.”

Also not to be missed are the roast kurobuta pork belly (a crispy Cantonese barbeque dish using local dark pork); golden broth with seafood, simmered for eight hours; and fish maw and tiger prawns with almonds and fish cartilage.

Top this all off by indulging in famous Cantonese desserts such as creamy egg tart and cream of mango with sago pearls, pomelo, and lime sorbet. Both were true delights to the palate.

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_New Restaurants.indd 38

2012/1/18 10:48:51 PM

Restaruant

N e w R e s tau r a n t s

photo : my humble house

My Humble House 寒舍食譜 2F, Le Meridien Taipei / 38 SongRen Road, Taipei 台北寒舍艾美酒店2樓/台北市松仁路38號 Tel: 6622-8000 Average price per person: NT$1,200-1,500

photo : anita chen

A

nother new arrival to the city in 2011, the five-star Le Méridien Taipei, ushers in a new dimension of timeless chic, with an emphasis on the arts, an inspiring atmosphere, and innovative cuisine. Among its dining options, the most acclaimed is the creative Cantonese restaurant, My Humble House.

The restaurant is elegantly decorated in a warm combination of red and black tones accentuated by Chinese antiques and artworks, which complements its modern take on Cantonese cuisine. Traditional Cantonese delicacies such as abalone, crispy pigeon, and barbeque goose are featured on the menu, but presented

in a stylish way as a new perspective on Cantonese food.

After we comfortably settled into a private dining room, Chef Matt Chen and his assistant presented our first dish, a roasted baby duck, served from a trolley at tableside. Using 28-day-old ducklings from Ilan, the dish had gone through a long preparation process including marinade, sun-drying, and roasting. The result was super-crispy skin with juicy tender meat, served with plum juice and Sichuan chili sauce.

My Humble House incorporates numerous fusion ideas in creating its dishes, and the wok-fried prawns with truffle and green asparagus is one of the best examples. Prawns and colorful bell peppers sautéed in a mixture of black truffle sauce and Shaoxing wine presented a nice alternative to this common stir-fry dish.

No respectable Cantonese restaurant can go without a full offering of dim sum. My Humble House offers a list of these delicacies to satisfy gourmet eaters, and has even put a few traditional dishes through makeovers to enhance the presentation.

For example, the chefs use cuttlefish juice to color half of a steamed vermicelli roll (腸粉) to create a black-and-white version of this signature dish, echoing the theme colors of the hotel. The black and white dumplings stuffed with herbs and mushrooms are another bold variation of a common dish.

For dessert, we ordered sweetened almond soup with dough fritter, a traditional Taiwanese sweet that is hard to find these days. The creamy almond soup nicely warmed us up on a cold January day and marked a wonderful end to our tasting adventure at My Humble House.

Brasserie Liz 麗緻巴賽廳 3F, Sogo Department Store Fuxing Branch /300 ZhongXiao East Road, Section 3, Taipei Sogo 百貨復興館3樓/台北市忠孝東路四段300號 Tel: 8772-1615 Average price per person: NT$600-1,000

D

esserts, desserts, desserts. That’s what to remember when one comes to this elegant small brasserie. Through the glass exterior walls, patrons can view one of the busiest parts of Taipei while enjoying refined French cuisine in a modern ambience with plush interior design.

photo : anita chen

Owned and operated by the Landis Hotel group, Brasserie Liz is the group’s first restaurant in a retail outlet. Due to the high proportion of female customers, dishes here tend be on the light side in terms of portion size and flavors, which makes it a perfect place for shoppers who want to catch a break and try a few French delicacies in a relaxed atmosphere.

The menu features such French regional dishes as duck leg confit on fried potatoes, salmon fillet with Provençale vegetables, and braised beef rib and shank in red wine sauce. For those looking for a quick lunch, opt for the panini combo.

The panini is freshly made on-site (you can even glimpse the process in the open kitchen) and presented with a choice of three fillings: Mozzarella and tomato,

photo : anita chen

ham and cheese, and Chinese BBQ. Did I mention dessert? The musttry soufflé was served in a rustic green coffee cup and paired with chocolate or Grand Marnier sauce. Buttery vanilla fragrance steamed out as soon as my spoon dove into the fluffy pastry, and the nutty creamy flavors instantly worked to satisfy my sweet tooth. The Paris brest, another popular choice, is a donut-shaped pastry stuffed with hazelnut cream. It had just the right level of sweetness, and on my second bite, I was surprised to find tiny cream puffs hidden inside the pastry, which added a nice crunchiness to the overall taste.

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_New Restaurants.indd 39

39

2012/1/18 10:48:55 PM

N e w R e s tau r a n t s

Kouma 鮨小馬 B1, The Sherwood Taipei / 111 MinSheng East Road, Section 3, Taipei 台北西華飯店B1/台北市民生東路三段111號 Tel: 2718-1188 Average price per person: NT$1,500-2,800

W

hile not a new restaurant, Kouma adopted a new menu after Chef Wachi Isao arrived last year. Wachi spent several years working in the trendy Japanese restaurant BondSt in New York’s Noho area, where he served celebrities such as Beyoncé and Leonardo DiCaprio.

He then returned to Tokyo to join Kanda, the Michelin three-star restaurant, before coming to the Sherwood Taipei.

photo : anita chen

On the day of our visit, we were lucky enough to be seated in front of Chef Wachi, who asked everyone about dietary restrictions and then took us on a culinary journey of traditional Japanese cuisine. Using the freshest seasonal ingredients and meticulously balancing the natural flavors of sea treasures with light seasoning, he presented some of the most amazing Japanese dishes I have ever tasted, such as abalone and fiddleheads topped with bonito broth jelly; steamed tilefish with grated turnip; grilled sablefish marinated in miso and sake lees, and cod milt.

Winter is the season to taste blowfish, and Chef Wachi prepared two variations for us: pan-fried and served with bamboo salt and sliced kumquat, and

photo : anita chen

blowfish sashimi. The pan-fried version was expertly prepared, leaving no trace of greasiness, and the sashimi had a most delicate texture. We also sampled an assortment of nigiri, including scallop, kibinago, saba (mackerel), seared sharp mullet, and sea bass. The natural flavors of the fish were tweaked only slightly with seasoning or sauces that exemplified the true Japanese culinary philosophy of accentuating but not overpowering.

The service was also impeccable. The staff was attentive but not intrusive, and perhaps that was why the three of us did not realize we had spent four hours enjoying this 15-dish feast!

Au Petit Cochon 哈古小館 469 FuJin Street, Taipei 台北市富錦街469號 Tel: 2767-8483 Average price per person without alcohol: NT$400-600

L

ocated one block south of the Songshan Airport, tree-lined FuJin Street has become home to a cluster of small artistic restaurants in the past few years.

One of the latest is Au Petit Cochon, a French country-style bistro. After seeing the rave reviews from local bloggers after its official opening in June, I decided it was not to be missed.

Owner-chef Kai Kao and his wife once worked for Starbucks. He then enrolled in Le Cordon Bleu Australia in pursuit of his dream of becoming a chef.

He says he named the restaurant Au Petit Cochon, which means “a little pig” in French, because like the Taiwanese, the French use a lot of pork and pork products in their cuisine. The homey place features a list of les entrees (side dishes), les plats (main dishes), and les desserts.

The portion and prices are just right,

40

enabling patrons to enjoy multiple dishes at one sitting.

What immediately caught my eye on the side dish menu was ratatouille, since I had been searching for the best recipes since last summer. We also ordered seared eggplants and pork terrine to share. For the main courses, my dining companion opted for stewed pork with port, while I had my heart set on the confit of duck leg.

Au Petit Cochon’s version of ratatouille did a wonderful job of satisfying my palate and concluding my long quest for the best rendition of this dish.

The flavorful multi-vegetable stew was cooked to perfection. The seared eggplants topped with ricotta were also very fulfilling, and the chewy pork terrine was a great complement to the richness

photos: anita chen

of the eggplant.

The pièce de résistance here is the stewed pork with port. Pan-seared pork belly, along with caramelized vegetables, was stewed for three hours in port and red wine. The final product was meltingin-your-mouth pork nicely accentuated by port reduction. The confit of duck leg was a bit spongy and not as crispy as the traditional version, though I did not mind that it was less greasy.

Au Petit Cochon offers a brunch menu of five options on the weekend. The attractive prices and the delicious food make it a popular weekend destination among residents in the neighborhood, so reservations are highly recommended.

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_New Restaurants.indd 40

2012/1/18 10:48:57 PM

N e w R e s tau r a n t s

L’IDIOT Restaurant 驢子餐廳 156 MinSheng East Road, Section 3, Taipei 台北市民生東路三段156號 Tel: 2545-6966 Average price per person: NT$500-800

O

riginally featuring creative fine dining, L’IDIOT transformed into an all-day brunch place last September after customers were so enthusiastic about its weekend brunch that they began to ask for it during weekdays. Unlike most brunch joints that have been sprouting up in Taipei, L’IDIOT aims to provide brunch lovers with a refined dining experience.

The standout brunch dish at L’IDIOT is eggs Benedict, with three variations to choose from: classic eggs Benedict, homemade gravlax Benedict, and roasted beef Benedict. Using organic eggs, the classic eggs Benedict boasted such a creamy golden egg yolk and fluffy biscuit

photo : l'idiot

that my dining companion and I decided to abandon our cholesterol-watching, calorie-counting dining principles. The homemade gravlax (cured salmon) had a fresh and delicate flavor that delivered a “wow” effect of saltiness. The roasted beef Benedict, a must-order for meat lovers, is made with USDA prime beef.

Other mouth-watering brunch choices include spinach, pork sausage, ricotta cheese quiche, breakfast beef burrito, salmon and spinach omelets, and caramel

photo : l'idiot

banana with ricotta cheese pancake.

L’IDIOT still keeps some of its popular main dishes and appetizers from the old menu, including pan-roasted duck breast, seafood paella, and my favorite, the arugula fig salad. Using fresh arugula leaves grown on Yangmingshan and homemade candied lemon, this refreshing dish provides a sweet and tangy stimulus to the palate. Recommended to dessert lovers like myself are creme brulee and tiramisu, both made-to-order fresh on site.

Tajin Moroccan Restaurant 塔吉摩洛哥料理 No. 3, Lane 144, Keelung Road, Section 2, Taipei 台北市基隆路二段144巷3號 Tel: 2732-7296 Average price per person: NT$250-400

photo : anita chen

E

xotic cuisine has never been the strong suit of Taipei dining. Over the past decade, the city has seen the opening and subsequent closure of restaurants featuring cuisines from the Middle East, the Mediterranean, and Africa. When I learned about this new Moroccan restaurant, I therefore couldn’t wait to give it a try.

Located in a quiet alley just a few blocks south of the sizzling Tonghua night market, Tajin boasts a simple Mediterranean theme of blue and white colors, accentuated with colorful lanterns and Moroccan ceramics to enhance the ambience. The Moroccan owner is originally from Casablanca.

After living and working in Taipei for more than a decade, he and his partner decided to open their own restaurant to introduce food from his hometown to Taipei diners.

Tajins are slow-cooked meat and vegetable stews braised at low temperatures in the tajin pot and spiced with a traditional Moroccan spice blend, which usually includes cumin, ginger, saffron, turmeric, and cloves. The design of the tajin pot works well to seal the moisture of the foods during the cooking process, resulting in super tender meats and aromatic vegetables and sauces.

Tajin’s menu is simple. Meat, seafood, or vegetarian tajins can be ordered either a la carte or as part of a set, which includes a hearty Harira (lentil) soup or a fresh Moroccan salad, fresh warm pita bread, Moroccan rice pudding, and mint tea.

Three of us who ordered the beef with plum tajins were all surprised at the rich flavors of the hearty stew, especially the sweet and tangy plums that nicely balance the meat flavors. A fourth diner who went for the olive chicken tajin was impressed with how the chicken meat fell off the bone with a fork. The colorful tajin pots used to serve our meals were all

hand-painted by the owners.

An interesting but not-so-Moroccan dessert option on the menu is S’mores – roasted marshmallow and a layer of chocolate sandwiched between two pieces of graham cracker. This traditional American campfire treat immediately caught the eyes of my American friends. The owner was kind enough to prepare the S’more system for us to roast our own marshmallows and assemble our own desserts – a fun way to wrap up this exotic dining experience.

photo : anita chen

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_New Restaurants.indd 41

41

2012/1/18 10:49:01 PM

N e w R e s tau r a n t s 2011 Teppanyaki & Wine 2011精緻鐵板燒料理 285 LeQun Third Road, Taipei 台北市樂群三路285號 Tel: 8502-9900 Average price per person: NT$ 1,000-1,500

W

hen teppanyaki meets red wine, what’s going to happen? 2011 Teppanyaki & Wine may offer the answer.

Situated in the shopping district near the Miramar Department Store in Dazhi, this restaurant features top-quality ingredients, such as USDA prime grade beef, Wagu beef, Hokkaido sea scallops, wild

Other new restaurants Mayan Grill

No. 6, Lane 65, Zhongshan North Road, Section 2, Taipei 台北市中山北路二段65巷6號 Tel: 2511-6292 Contemporary Mexican restaurant owned by lawyer-turned restaurateur Erik Siddons. An interesting list of authentic Mexican cuisine (not Tex-Mex!) is offered here, as are some rarely seen Mexican beers. Margaritas are one of Siddons’ specialties and come highly recommended by many patrons (including this writer.) For more details, see page 12 of this issue.

king prawns, fois gras, black truffles, pacific lobster, and even more exclusive items like live mitten crab and live abalone. The extensive wine list, managed

by Taipei wine connoisseur Sam Liu, is also impressive. The executive chef here used to work at several famous teppanyaki restaurants in Taipei, and he brings with him not only the finest skills to utilize the fresh ingredients, but also exclusive recipes for some of the best teppanyaki sauces to perfectly complement the

quality ingredients in the dishes.

2011 Teppanyaki & Wine boasts a trendy ambience that feels more like a lounge bar than a restaurant. The eyecatcher is a 6.3-meter gigantic wine cellar right by the entrance, radiating dim blue lights to make a relaxing “chill atmosphere.” The first floor is an a la carte dining area, while the second and third floors have several private dining rooms decorated in a modern tone of red and black.

Yu Sushi II

tapioca milk tea dessert pizza, braised pork rice pizza, and oyster omelet pizza.

遊壽司二店 No. 7, Lane 7, LiShui Street, Taipei 台北市麗水街7巷7號 Tel: 2391-9298 This branch of the famous 11-seat sushi bar on LiShui Street seats about 20 people, making getting a reservation a bit easier. It offers the same fresh sushi at very affordable prices as the original location.

photo : anita chen

ATT 4F Shopping Center 12 SongShou Road, Taipei 台北市松壽路12號 This new shopping center in the Xinyi district houses several interesting new restaurants, including: Vapiano – The German pasta restaurant chain’s first store in Taiwan (10F).

Rama Thai – Royal Thai cuisine in a night club setting (10F).

South Beauty – The first Taipei outlet of the Beijing-based chain of Sichuan restaurants (6F).

The Diner – The popular American diner’s new flagship store (1F).

Aburi Izakaya

Woolloomooloo Xinyi Branch

Ed’s Diner

炙居食創作料理 No. 66, Lane 290, Kuangfu South Road, Taipei 台北市光復南路290巷66號 Tel: 2772-8959 A quiet yet stylish izakaya (Japanesestyle dining bar) that provides a wide variety of Japanese dishes.

379 XinYi Road, Section 4, Taipei 台北市信義路4段379號 Tel: 8789-0128 The popular Australian/Europeanstyle café Woolloomooloo on FuJin Street recently opened a branch on XinYi Road.

The décor here follows the same modern and simple theme as its sister restaurant – exposed cement ceilings and floors, whitewashed walls, and long wooden tables and chairs. The menu features a variety of pizza, pasta, and stews. It also stocks an extensive list of Australian wines and beers.

216 LeQun Third Road, Dazhi, Taipei 台北市樂群二路216號1樓 Tel: 8502-6969 American style slow-smoked BBQ and home cooking (for more details, see page 13).

Just in Bistro & Wine Bar Xinyi 1F, Neo 19 / 30, SongShou Road, Taipei 台北市信義區松壽路30號 (Neo 19, 1樓) Tel: 8786-2000 Internationally-renowned Singapore chef Justin Quek’s new establishment in Taipei. As with his other two Taipei restaurants, the Xinyi branch features French-style cuisine with an Asian touch, as well as some classic Singaporean dishes to reflect his roots. There is also an oyster and seafood bar featuring the freshest daily catches, which can be custom-prepared.

42

California Pizza Kitchen 20 SongShou Road, Taipei 台北市松壽路20號 Tel: 2722-8383 The Californian chain restaurant’s first store in Taiwan is located on the first floor of the Vieshow Cinema in the Xinyi District. In addition to its famous fusion cuisine and “designer pizza,” CPK Taipei is offering a few Taiwan-only specialties:

Wendel’s German Bakery & Bistro, Neihu Branch

B1, No. 1, Alley 22, Lane 513, RuiGuang Road, Taipei 台北市瑞光路513巷22弄11號 Tel: 8751-3708 The fourth branch of the highly successful German bistro, offering a variety of excellent German breads, pastries, goodies, pastas, and classic German delicacies.

Osteria by Angie, Dazhi branch 61 Lequn Third Road, Dazhi, Taipei 台北市樂群三路61號 Tel: 8502-7733 T h e I t a l i a n r e s t a u r a n t ’s s e c o n d branch. It features regional Italian specialties and an extensive wine list.

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_New Restaurants.indd 42

2012/1/18 10:49:02 PM

It’s a Great Time to be a Wine Lover in Taiwan

BY MARK PETERSON

W

hat does a US$29,000 glass of wine taste like? An Asian buyer is about to find out – at least, if he decides to pop the cork.

Three bottles of Château Lafite-Rothschild vintage 1869 were recently sold at a Hong Kong auction by Sotheby’s. The hammer price of US$232,692 a bottle set a record for the most expensive wine ever sold at auction.

Indeed, it’s a great time to be living in Asia, and for that matter Taiwan, if you're a wine lover. When someone is willing to pay more than US$2,000 for a sip of wine, you know you are sitting dead center in the middle of a wine tsunami. With Asia’s overall wine consumption set to grow by 25% through 2015, in stark contrast to a predicted fall in European wine drinking, and Taiwan wine consumption forecast to grow by a robust 10-20%, the balance of winebuying power is already shifting to the Far East. Hong Kong, which recently lifted all duties on wine, is now poised to rival London and New York as the hub of the global wine trade, having captured 25% of the global auction market to date.

But don’t let my opening comments about price discourage you serious wine

drinkers out there. In fact, the good news is that more and more people are getting into the wine business these days, and that is great for the consumer. Although most of us won’t be vying for those trophy wines, the door has also opened up for daily consumption of wines priced for value and quality.

Today, Taiwan is brimming with a plethora of exciting wines from all over the world – from the plains and foothills that stride the Andes Mountains in Argentina and Chile to the Golan Heights in Israel (if you haven’t tasted the Yarden label of wines, what are you waiting for?) to the shaley slopes of the northernmost wine-growing appellations of Germany.

Taiwan has come a long way since the bleak and sparsely stocked wine shelves of the early 90’s when I first arrived from San Francisco. I remember the off-vintages, labels that seemed inventions of someone’s imagination, and – from my Western viewpoint – exorbitant pricing that was sticker shock from the quality, value, and abundance of wines I had become familiar with back home in California.

Although the specter of a population of one billion Chinese consumers becoming an economic colossus, buying up all the available inventories, and

photos: katia chen

driving up the price of wine is certainly on some consumers’ minds, a shortage of wine is most unlikely anytime soon.

China has quietly become the world’s sixth largest producer of wine and could eventually slake its own growing thirst for cabernets and merlots. Could there soon be a truly fine wine bearing the “Made in China” label? Count on it. I personally know of several high-end wineries in California that are negotiating to build facilities in China.

But for the moment output is one thing and quality is another. Just for the fun of it, you true oenophiles, check out these two wineries: Granmonte in the Asoke Valley and Siam Winery. Yes, that’s right, wines being produced in Thailand. And don’t forget India, Croatia, Brazil, Russia, and Canada, to name just a few of the unsung, up-and-coming wine regions of the world that are certainly attuning themselves to the Asian wine vibe. Rest assured, the world is not about to run out of wine anytime soon, and it looks like the offerings are going to get a lot more intriguing. I recently tasted what was purportedly Joseph Stalin’s favorite wine: Kindzmarauli, a Georgian semisweet red wine that would delight most Taiwanese palates. january 2012 • taiwan business topics

43

When You Drink, Don't Drive 1_12_wine.indd 43

2012/1/19 12:19:25 AM

w i n e i n ta i w n Gregoire de Boisse of the Sommelier Wine Expert wine shop photo : katia chen

Numerous channels And if you want more good news, I’ll re-mention that everybody seems to want to get into the wine business – from the big box stores such as Carrefour, Costco, and R/T Mart to supermarket chains such as Jason’s Market Place, along with the myriad Taiwanese, Japanese, and other international purveyors in the market.

Even convenience stores, like 7-Eleven and OK Mart, are getting into the act, and despite their necessarily more limited offerings, are becoming competitive with the mainstream wine trade.

Of course, Taiwan now also boasts specialty wine shops such as Drinks as well as Sommelier Wine Expert operated

by Gregoire de Boisse, who has been providing Taipei with exceptional wine selections for a decade or more (http://www. sommelier.com.tw/).

And then there are the numerous Mom-and-Pop operations that are inconspicuous unless you happen upon one during a walk through the neighborhood or catch one out of the corner of your eye as you drive by. You would never guess what diamonds in the rough lie inside some of these shops. Take for instance the Emperor Wine & Spirit Import Co., which specializes in value and high-quality wines sourced from importers located in southern Taiwan and whose wines we seldom see elsewhere in the Taipei market (emperor_wine13@yahoo.com. tw). Hunter Shih, the proprietor, has been in the wine trade for more than 30 years, speaks fluent English, and is one of the

tator (http://www.winespectator.com/), most forthright retailers in Taipei. and eRobertParker (http://www.erobertAnd last but not least, I must parker.com/members/home.aspx), to mention Hsin Tung Yang (http:// name just a few. www.hty.com.tw), a Taiwanese I especially enjoy Wine Spectator’s specialty-foods chain that stocks Learn Wine section, where you can play a small but distinct selection of “What Am I Tasting?” and the “Wine wines, in particular from ArgenChallenge.” These interactive activities tina and Chile, that are well worth are a rewarding source of wine knowlseeking out for a taste. And while edge and great fun. The Wine Spectator you’re at it, don’t forget to pick up certainly offers a wealth of value for the some of their Taiwanese delicacies yearly subscription. like spicy duck tongue to compleThrough social interaction such as virment your drinking enjoyment. tual wine tastings that unite a community The big box stores are all stocking of wine drinkers to taste a particular type inventories of value-priced wines from of wine, consumers are getting smarter around the world, with Carrefour and R/ and more confident about choosing wines.

T Mart especially focusing on wines from Picking a wine based on a number (Robert France (including some in the luxury segParker’s 100 point system comes to mind) ment), with substantial and wide-ranging oversimplifies the wine selection process. inventories to select from.

Wine critics’ ratings are popular partly The growing Taiwanese consumption because consumers just are not confident of wine can certainly be traced to sevabout their wine IQ, but that is changing eral trends that are opening new doors as wine lovers connect via social media to savvy longtime wine drinkers and coland get recommendations from friends, lectors, as well as introducing a host of acquaintances, and trusted retailers. young, hip, and affluent wine newbies to the joys of wine consumption.

Foremost in fueling this recent Good retailers can help upturn in wine consumption is the social and informational nature of the web.

Wine lovers are also giving more Enjoying a glass, or a bottle, of wine has thought to how much to spend on a always been more fun with family and bottle of wine, hoping to get more for friends. And now many wine enthusiless. Wineries already are catering to this asts are discovering that the only thing trend by launching more second labels, better than a few close friends is huncrafting brands to captivate consumers dreds of like-palated buddies on Facebuying in the lower-priced market segbook, Twitter, and social sites like Letment while appearing to be upscale. This spour, Gang of Pour, Cellar Tracker, etc. is where professional retailers can create Wine drinkers are reveling in this a trusting relationship with the consumer, social aspect of wine discovery, connecting online with enthusiasts they might not otherwise meet, allowing them to broaden their horizons and explore new wines in a way never before possible. The web also has opened up information on wine ratings, descriptions, and other specifics by wine critics and journalists through sites such as Jancis Robinson (http://www.janHunter Shih, proprietor of the Emperor Wine & Spirit cisrobinson.com), WineSpecImport Co.

photo : katia chen

44

酒

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_wine.indd 44

後

不

開

車 2012/1/19 12:19:27 AM

w i n e i n ta i w a n Pierre Tarrene of Pierre La Maison du Vin photos: katia chen

proving they have your palate and best interest in mind by taking the time to share their knowledge and expertise with you instead of trying to offload an inferior wine taking up shelf space.

A copious quantity of offbeat and under-appreciated varietals from every corner of the globe is arriving in Taiwan and enjoying increased popularity.

Carmenere from Chile, Chenin Blanc from South Africa, Malbec from Argentina, my favorite Zinfandel from the United States, and the terrifically diverse wines of the Languedoc region in the South of France are giving wine drinkers the opportunity to explore wines that have had little or no presence on the local retail shelves in the past.

You just need be to be open-minded and adventurous. Check out Pierre La Maison du Vin, located at 436 ZhongShan North Road, Section 6, where Pierre Tarrene is offering some great new wines and a fresh take on some traditional varietals. Try his Friulano or ask him about his Fitou. Pierre is creating a refreshing new venue for wine lovers in Taipei.

There is an exciting world of wines out there to be discovered, and indeed some wines need re-discovering. The notion, for instance, that Rieslings are syrupy and too sweet is a hangover from the Ice Wine fad that inundated Taiwan in the recent past.

Those days are over, as proven by the Kabinett classification of German Riesling wines. Their crispness – with a lovely acid balance and an aromatic fruit- and mineral-driven dryness – couldn’t be a better complement to fiery chili-infused Asian cuisine. Similarly, an Argentine Friulano and a top-notch bottling of Argentinian Torrontes are examples of grape varietals that many shoppers avoid because of the unfamiliarity with their taste profiles. But do they ever complement a spicy Thai or Szechuan meal!

For the less adventurous, not to worry, as blends – fruity, smooth, and easy-to-drink wines composed of two or three different varietals – are becoming increasingly available and very popular.

Wine can now be classified as a fastmoving consumer good – something for

安 1_12_wine.indd 45

全

immediate consumption – and changed drinking patterns have altered wine styles. Blends are a blessing for entrylevel wine buyers and for consumers who just want an agreeable glass of wine that doesn’t talk back with a tannic, highalcohol, or bitter taste and mouth feel.

Australia has been the main source of Cabernet Sauvignon-Shiraz blends, while Argentina has blessed our shores with Malbec-Shiraz combinations and Chile has chimed in with Cabernet-Merlot mélanges. In addition, Grenache-based blends from the South of France (think Rhone Valley plus Languedoc) have been with us for quite some time now, and Chateauneuf du Pape, a wine blended with as many as 13 different grape varieties (both white and red) from the southern Rhone Valley has been my go-to wine for three decades.

Interestingly, two segments of society – women and younger consumers – are becoming progressively more instrumental in driving the wine market and wine trade. More women are buying wine, and within the trade there are more female sommeliers and wine-business executives emerging in Taiwan. And the “Millennials,” better known as Generation Y – individuals born since 1980 – are also fueling the sales of wine. Leah Hennessy (http://millennier.com/) and Seattle Wine Gal (http://seattlewinegal.com/) are leading voices for this growing group of wine enthusiasts.

Add to the mix a growing cadre of Asian wine critics and journalists such as Hong Kong’s Jennie Cho Lee (http:// www.asianpalate.com/) and Singaporean writer Edwin Soon (Pairing Wine with Asian Food), who are getting wine pro-

有

保

ducers to take note of the Asian palate. A continual morphing of Western and Asian cooking styles and ingredients has been ramping up since the 1970s in the guise of Fusion cuisine, and as Asian critics find a voice, they are approaching Fusion from an East-to-West point of view rather than the original West-to-East mindset.

With the presence of so many diverse wines here in Taiwan, it has never been so much fun to wine and dine – and more and more people are also turning to wine for health reasons. There is a long precedent for that in Chinese history. The use of medicated wine – a distinctive therapy in traditional Chinese medical science – can be traced back to oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty and the “52 Prescriptions” unearthed from the Mawangdui Han Tombs that record more than 30 medicated wine formulation for oral or external use to treat illnesses.

Over the thousands of years of Chinese civilization, wine has permeated almost every aspect of social life. Because of its lower alcoholic strength compared with traditional Chinese alcoholic beverages and the revelation by medical studies of the health benefits of resveratrol, a nutritional compound and anti-oxidant found in red wine (touted in the French Paradox on the “60 Minutes” news program), Taiwanese have embraced drinking a glass or two of wine per day for its anti-aging, restorative, and anti-inflammatory properties. In two words, the trend that is currently sweeping Asia is RED WINE! — Mark L. Peterson is a Taipei-based wine consultant who welcomes comments and inquiries at mark.vinvinowine@gmail.com

障

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

45

2012/1/19 12:19:30 AM

Chinese Wine:

The Who, What, When, and How (we know the why)

BY MARK CALTONHILL

A temple frieze shows an inebriated Li Bai. photo : mark caltonhill

I

n Drinking Alone under the Moon (月下獨酌), one of the most famous poems in the Chinese language, Li Bai (李白; 701-762) begins “Among the flowers with a jar of wine, I drink alone, companionless” (花間一壺酒，獨酌無相 親). Li – because it is safe to assume this poem is autobiographical – then goes on to invite the moon and his own shadow to get drunk with him, though of course only he succeeds.

But what was this “wine” he was drinking? And was this the same as the wine drunk by Confucius (孔夫子; circa 551-479 BC) a millennium earlier, who

46

added this when defining acceptable rules for food: “Only wine may be unlimited, but do not become confused [by it]” (唯 酒無量，不及亂。)?

And what was consumed a millennium later by Jia Bao-yu (賈寶玉) in the Qing-dynasty novel Dream of the Red Chamber (紅樓夢), when in one of a great many drinking passages, Daiyu (黛 玉) has Xiangyun (湘雲) say to him: “It is very cold outside, you should drink a cup of warm wine and then go,” (外頭冷得很， 你且吃杯熱酒再去). Indeed, what was the beverage of choice of the novel’s author, Cao Xue-qin (曹雪芹, 1719-64), himself a

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_Alcohol.indd 46

2012/1/18 3:33:09 PM

chinese wine

Statues of Li Bai, Du Fu, and Zhong Kui at the Taichung Winery.

In Wulai, the Atayal Museum manager joins Jian Xin-yi to demonstrate use of the "linked cups."

photo : courtesy of ttl

notorious tippler?

In short, what drink or drinks did the ubiquitous character 酒 (jiu), so often translated simply as “wine,” really refer to? And are there any products available in Taiwan today that are similar to those consumed by Confucius, Li, and Cao? For starters, those ancient libations probably were not wine, at least not in the strict dictionary definition of “an alcoholic beverage produced by fermentation of grape juice.” Most likely not in the case of Confucius, since – as all Taiwanese children learn at school – wine-making grapes were introduced into China from Persia via Central Asia during the Han dynasty (漢; 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD). Indeed, the Chinese word for grape (葡萄; putao) is said to derive from the ancient Farsi language.

Nevertheless, many small wild grapes were native to China, and like other fruits could have been used to make alcoholic beverages as early as prehistoric times.

And although grape wine was produced in the eras of Li and Cao, it was probably not the intoxicant they were referring to, since it would not have been consumed outside court and elite circles.

Chinese histories of alcohol (see, for example, displays in the museum at the Yilan Winery) start with apes or monkeys bingeing on rotten fruit soaked in water. The human consumption of alcohol is attributed by Chinese to a variety of myths: • J i u X i n g ( 酒星 ; “ W i n e S t a r ” ) descended from the firmament to teach people how to ferment alcohol. Thus, in another poem of

Early scenes of liquor production in Taiwan: delivery of sorghum to the distillery, left, and the bottling process, right.

photo : mark caltonhill

the same title as the one cited above, Li Bai – who was also known as one of the “Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup” (飲中八仙) for his passion for drinking – wrote: “If Heaven did not like wine, there would be no Wine Star in the sky” (天若不愛酒, 酒星不在天).

• Yi Di (儀狄 ) – who is sometimes referred to as a daughter of Xia dynasty Emperor Yu (禹; ca. 2200 BC), sometimes as his wife, and sometimes as no relation – was taught to make alcohol by celestial beings. The emperor liked it and felt cheerful. Some sources say, however, that he knew wine would lead to trouble in the future and so ordered her to stop brewing it.

• D u K a n g ( 杜康 ) – s o m e t i m e s

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

47

photos: courtesy of ttl

1_12_Alcohol.indd 47

2012/1/18 3:33:14 PM

chinese wine

described as a minister under the legendary Yellow Emperor (黃帝; 27th century BC), sometimes as living in the Xia dynasty (夏; 23rd-18th centuries BC), and sometimes as late as the Eastern Zhou dynasty (770-256 BC) – is most commonly credited with the human invention of alcohol. This perhaps involved placing leftover rice into a hollow mulberry tree, which after the passage of time became moldy yet somehow delicious.

For this act, he is venerated as the “God of Liquor” (酒神), the patron saint of brewers (or drinkers, depending on one’s role vis-à-vis alcohol). The village of Dukang in China’s Henan Province claims to be the site of the invention of alcohol, and China has a Du Kang brand of liquor.

“Du Kang” is also used as a euphemism for wine and drunkenness, as for example by the statesman, general, and poet Cao Cao (曹操; 155~220), who wrote: “How [can one] dispel anxiety?

There is only Du Kang” (何以解憂，唯有杜 康).

So much for the main myths, but what about the science, history, and archaeology?

Seeking the origins Given that alcohol production dates back to prehistoric times, there are almost as many hypotheses concerning its origins – some of them almost as wildly speculative – as there are myths and legends.

Experts agree, however, that human-

kind’s first interactions with alcohol would have been accidental. Fruit that had gone off or leftover cooked grain put aside in a dark, warm, humid place could, after inoculation with microorganisms naturally in the air, occasionally create some pleasant-smelling foods and drinks, some of which would have produced enjoyable mind games.

How long it was before people tried to reproduce these processes artificially, and how long before they succeeded, are a matter of guesswork. As is what the first ingredients would have been. Some scholars favor fruit, as fermentation of fruit sugars occurs readily in nature.

Others argue for milk, since this too contains sugar (lactose), which would also naturally ferment, and would have been relative easy for pastoral communities to imitate.

Although there are also suggestions that cereal grains might have been first used in alcohol-making experiments, this possibility is generally considered less likely since they store energy as complex carbohydrates, not the simpler sugars, and these cannot be easily broken down by yeast. Nevertheless, once it had been discovered how to use grain in making alcohol, the most common were millet and sorghum in northern China (which in the earliest times would have been the whole territory occupied by the Han people) and rice in the south.

There is also lively debate between the agriculture-followed-by-alcohol versus agriculture-for-alcohol schools.

The former argue that wild (pre-agricul-

tural selection) cereals would have been almost useless for brewing purposes, and so alcohol manufacture from grain could only follow human beings’ transition from hunter-gatherers to farmers.

The second theory, first proposed

by Chinese archaeologist Wu Qi-chang (吳其昌) in 1937 – and recently taken up by Patrick McGovern, a biomolecular archaeologist at the University of Pennsylvania Museum – contends that brewing began before farming. Indeed, it asserts, humans only settled down to cultivate crops in order to assure a regular supply of brewing-quality grains. Wu countered previous theories that agriculture was engaged in due to population pressure and lack of resources by arguing that the areas first settled by farmers were not over-populated, did not endure long arid seasons, and that animals, fruit and other foods were plentiful.

If Wu is correct, then the whole of civilization can be said to derive from ancient humans’ addiction to alcohol. This line of conjecture, perhaps not surprisingly, is far from mainstream, however.

Archaeological discoveries have lent tentative support to various hypotheses.

But until recently, little had been found in China to shed light on the earliest uses of alcohol, though significantly some examples of Neolithic pottery were unearthed in the same shapes and styles as those of the later Bronze Age (Shang 商 ca. 19th century BC~12th century BC; and Zhou 周 12th century BC~3rd century BC) that bear inscriptions indicating their use in the manufacture, storage, and consump-

Left, after fermentation the sorghum is mixed with rice bran in preparation for distilling; right, racks of qu waiting for use. photos: courtesy of ttl

48

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_Alcohol.indd 48

2012/1/18 3:33:17 PM

chinese wine

tion of alcohol.

Anthropologists had also drawn speculative conclusions based on alcohol manufacture in societies practicing “prehistoric” lifestyles in modern times.

Then came discovery of an ancient Neolithic settlement – at Jiahu (賈湖) in today’s Henan Province – that includes evidence of what is probably the earliest known manufacture of alcoholic products.

Found in 1962, the site was not properly excavated until the past decade, and although research is not yet finished, the site seems to have been occupied for about a millennium starting around 7,000 BC. The inhabitants were early agriculturalists, cultivating foxtail millet and – unusually for a location so far north in that early era – rice. Particularly interesting discoveries also include the earliest known playable musical instrument and – of great excitement to linguists – possible indications of pictographic writing thousands of years before the famous Oracle Bone inscriptions of the late Shang dynasty, also in Henan.

Of relevance to wine production, the earth at Jiuhu also yielded up some of Neolithic China’s oldest known pottery.

Residue found on some of these shards, when chemically analyzed, indicated the vessels had been used for alcohol production, storage, or consumption. Ingredients included fermented rice, honey, and fruit – probably hawthorn and/or grape, the small wild grapes indigenous to China mentioned above.

Not only did this confirm the earlier hypothesis that alcohol was produced by

Neolithic communities in China, but the appearance of fermented rice – in addition to the honey mead and fermented fruits – suggests that these forerunners of the Han inhabitants of China had already cracked the problem of how to break down cereal grains’ complex polysaccharides into readily fermentable sugars.

The importance of qu Discovery of the actions of these microorganisms known in Chinese as qu (麴) – the fungi themselves were not identified scientifically until the 19th century – perhaps only happened once in the whole of human history. It certainly never happened in the Middle East and Europe, where beer makers have to wait for seeds to start germinating, when they naturally produce enzymes to break down starch into sugars. Brewers then ferment this malt to make alcohol.

Chinese rice “wines” such as shaoxing jiu (紹興酒; “Shaoxing [a city in Zhejiang Province] wine”), honglu jiu (紅露; “red dew wine”) and huangjiu (黃酒; “yellow wine”); Aboriginal xiaomi jiu (小米酒; “millet wine”); Japanese sake (清酒 ; “clear wine”); and Korean makgeolli (農 酒; “farmer’s wine”), all make use of qu, which contains a mix of fungal species capable of transforming starch into sugar and sugar into alcohol. This process typically produces brews of between 4-6% concentration (e.g. xiaomi and makgeolli) and 15% or slightly higher (e.g. shaoxing and sake).

Since in doing this, East Asians are

essentially making a similar product to Western beers but by a different process, Joseph Needham in his seminal series Science and Civilization in China calls 酒 (jiu) “strong beer.”

The ancient Chinese seem to have had a number of names for the alcohols they produced. The Oracle Bone script (China’s earliest systematic writing) of the late 2nd millennium BC and inscriptions on bronze vessels of the early 1st millennium BC mention (with modern pronunciation but original meaning): • 酒 (jiu, our sake or “strong beer”), • 醨 (li, thin alcoholic beverage), • 醴 (li, “made-overnight alcoholic beverage”), and • 酪 (lao; fermented milk).

Other related characters from that period include: • 酉 (you; wine vessel), • 酋 (qiu; master brewer), • 酗 (xu; to get angry when drunk), • 醜 (chou; to be embarrassed [presumably through drink]), • 酸 (suan; acid), what brewers are left with if the fermentation process is not stopped after alcohol is produced, • 醯 (xi; vinegar used for pickling), • 醫 (yi; potion/physician), • and the interesting case of 配 (pei; to match).

This last word was long interpreted as a contraction of 酒色 (jiu-se, literally “wine color”), indicating the flush on the face caused by wine. But earlier forms of the character discovered on Oracle Bones show someone kneeling next to a wine

Brew it Yourself Making traditional jiu (rice beer/sake) is quite straightforward and inexpensive.

Ingredients: 600g sticky rice 1 pellet qu (麴, cost about NT$20 from grain stores) 3 liters water Method: Boil the water, allow to cool.

Steam the rice, allow to cool.

Place rice in bottom of glass jar (about 5 liters).

Crumble the qu, sprinkle on surface of rice.

Cover with muslin cloth, leave overnight, then add the water, do not stir.

Leave for one to two weeks, tasting occasionally.

Add sugar if higher alcohol level is desired.

Strain, then heat to 70-75℃ to inhibit enzyme action but not boil the alcohol.

Bottle and refrigerate.

Tips: Carefully wash and sterilize the container (any trace of oil is particularly damaging to alcohol production).

Stopping enzyme action at appropriate time is crucial to get a pleasant balance between sugar, alcohol, and acid tastes. january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_Alcohol.indd 49

49

2012/1/18 3:33:18 PM

chinese wine vessel, interpreted as depicting a marriage ceremony anointed by wine and thus taking on the meaning “to mate.” The practice of making short-fermentation, crude, sweet, weak-strength alcoholic beverages for weddings and other festivities is well documented in Chinese texts, and is still undertaken by Taiwan’s Aborigines.

But what about Jia Bao-yu and his creator Cao Xue-qin? “Ah!” says Pan. “They would have had more choice. It could well have been a better-filtered sake, but perhaps also a distilled baijiu (白 酒; “white alcohol”) with significantly more bang.”

That development was possible because Chinese alchemists’ failed attempts to discover an elixir of Although today’s Aborigines immortality did lead to a number use the same qu as their Han of important discoveries, including Chinese neighbors, their ancesgunpowder and distillation. By at tors made alcohol by chewing least the Northern Song dynasty cooked grain and spitting it out, (960~1127), Chinese were disallowing the amylase enzymes in tilling alcohol to greater concentheir saliva to start the fermentrations (toxicity) than brewing tation process. This primitive allowed. It is generally thought brewing method was discovered that distillation spread from there, by peoples the world over, but through Central Asia and the has been almost totally replaced Middle East to Europe.

Taiwan's supermarket shelves have a wide range by the more effective, higher In Taiwan, the most common of drinks that would not have been so strange alcoholicity methods introduced example of distilled alcohol is to the Tang poets. photo : mark caltonhill from outside. kaoliang jiu (高粱酒; “sorghum At the beginning of the 17th wine”). More famous internacentury, about 2% of Taiwan’s populaauthorities following their establishment tionally perhaps is the maotai jiu (茅台酒, tion was non-Aboriginal (mostly Chiof a monopoly bureau (though it wasn’t named for the town of Maotai in Guizhou nese fishermen and perhaps a few Japaenforced in some indigenous areas until Province), which came to international nese traders), but there was no systematic as late as 1936). In practice, of course, attention during U.S. President Nixon’s immigration. By a hundred years later, illegal production merely moved higher breakthrough visit to Beijing in 1972. not only had Dutch, Spanish, Japanese, into the hills and deeper into the forests.

References in Dream of the Red and Chinese had varying success at estabFor most tourists, a trip to the mounC h a m b e r t o s h a o j i u ( 燒酒 ; “ b u r n t lishing colonies, but they left a number tains is not complete without buying a wine”) are assumed to refer to distilled of written documents that shed light on bottle or two of Aboriginal millet wine liquor. These allusions are much fewer indigenous life then and perhaps as it had (though purchasers need to check the than those to “yellow wine” and other been earlier. ingredients and not the brand name to be forms of sake, however. (“Brandy,” Chinese sulfur miner Yu Yong-he (陏 sure it is made from millet and not rice, incidentally, derives from the Dutch as Taiwan’s regulations allow also rice brandewijn, literally “burnt wine”). One 永河), who visited Taiwan in 1696, and wine to be marketed as xiaomijiu). mention of grape wine also occurs in the Dutch missionary Candidius in the 1620s “ T h i s i s a b o u t a s c l o s e a s Ta i novel, but that is about an imported wine both record the chewing and spitting of wanese can get to drinking what Conowned by the Jia family but not actually rice to make alcohol. Other Chinese and fucius drank,” says Pan Chieh-chang, drunk in the course of the plot.

Western sources also claim that the bulk assistant manager at the state-owned So Jia and Cao probably drank mostly of Aboriginal rice and sugar crops were Taiwan Tobacco and Liquor Corp. who rice sake, some distilled rice- or sorghumused for the production of alcohol. If true, has researched the history of alcoholic based liquor, and perhaps the occasional it perhaps supports archaeologist Wu Qidrinks. “Either that or macgeolli, if they bottle of grape wine. Confucius drank chang’s agriculture-for-alcohol theory. vacation in Korea. These are both examthick, raw sake, and Li Bai’s opening Today’s Aborigines merely smile ples of roughly filtered, low-strength couplet might be more accurately (but when asked about saliva-started alcohol, sake, which produces a milk-like suspenless poetically) translated as: “Among saying that was a practice of long ago. sion of particles.” the flowers with a jar of low-strength, Indeed, in theory at least, Aborigines – Li Bai probably also drank somepoorly-filtered, milky-colored, natulike all Taiwanese – have had to relearn thing very similar, even though grapes rally fermented, millet beer, I drink alone, the home manufacture of alcohol, as it had been introduced from Central Asia. companionless.” was banned by the Japanese colonial

酒後不開車，安全有保障 50

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_Alcohol.indd 50

2012/1/18 3:33:21 PM

Getting to Know the Idaho Wine Country

BY KIM PETERSON Ph o t o s C o ur t esy o f i da h o to ur i sm o f f i Ce

A

sk what Idaho is known for and you will likely hear about beautiful scenery and the world-famous potato. But in addition to spectacular mountains, breathtaking whitewater, world-class skiing and a dynamic agricultural industry, Idaho is becoming known for its wine. In fact, Idaho’s history of gold-medal wine stretches back longer than anywhere else in the Pacific Northwest.

Idaho’s unique combination of geography, climate, and soils produces grapes of exceptional character. Welldrained soils, the result of ancient volcanic activity, provide the basis for production of vinifera grapes. And Idaho’s climate is characterized by cold winters and long summer days – perfect for optimal grape production. Winter’s freezing temperatures allow vines to go dormant to rest and conserve nutrients for the coming season. These cold temperatures also help rid the vines of pests and diseases. In addition, Idaho’s high latitude creates summer days that are long and warm, allowing time for sugars to form and grapes to reach their optimum sweetness. Summer temperatures in Idaho can vary from 10 to 20°C, ranging from over 38°C during the heat of the day to 18°C at night. This variation is critical as cooler night time temperatures allow the grapes to retain their acidity – important for the wine’s taste, fruity character, and balance.

In the Northwest, Idaho actually has some of the best growing conditions for wine grapes. Warmer climates lack the diurnal temperature variations needed to maintain acidity. More precipitation, especially during final ripening stages, can dilute the fruit’s natural sugar content.

Wetter climates are also susceptible to mold and rot. Idaho’s lack of rainfall is actually beneficial in the viticulture industry as water can be applied via drip irrigation at precise times to maximize each grape’s flavor profile.

Although Idaho is thought of as a newcomer to the wine industry, the state has had a long history of winemaking.

Vineyards in Idaho were planted in 1863, the first in the Northwest. In September 1865, an article in the Idaho Statesman reported that a vineyard had been planted the year prior, survived the winter, and was beginning to bear fruit. This began a very successful era of award-winning wine production in Idaho that ended only when prohibition forced its elimination in 1919. Although prohibition ended in 1933, it wasn’t until 1970 that wine grapes were again planted in Idaho.

Today wineries are opening in Idaho at a record-setting pace. In addition to expanding plantings of current varieties, vineyards are adding new varietals. Not only are traditional growers expanding, but many new boutique vineyards are appearing. New subdivisions are being created specifically designed to give homeowners “a taste of the vine.” Small acreage parcels will include grape plantings and a homesite. Grapes will be harvested and sold or made into wine as part of a grape-growing cooperative with most of the actual viticulture handled by professional growers and wine makers.

Idaho’s growing wine industry has not gone unnoticed.

In fact, in April 2007, the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau designated Idaho’s Snake River Valley

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_DiscoverUSA.indd 51

51

2012/1/18 3:52:28 PM

as an American Viticulture Area (AVA) – an important distinction that brands the southern portion of the state as America’s next great wine region. An AVA for American wine is a defined grape-growing region distinguishable by geographic features. The designation allows vintners and consumers alike to attribute a given quality, reputation, or other characteristic of a wine made from grapes grown in an area to its geographical location.

The Snake River Valley is now officially recognized as a unique grape-growing region capable of producing excellent wines and elevating the status of Idaho wines. The Snake River AVA covers over eight thousand square miles and extends along the Snake River from Twin Falls west into Oregon. The area’s geologic history, elevations and surrounding mountains, and cold continental climate are some of the unique viticulture characteristics that led to Idaho’s first AVA designation.

Within the Snake River AVA, several varietals of grapes are nurtured on hillside vineyards and made into exceptional wine in small cellars across the state. Award-winning Chardonnays and Cabernets are joined by Merlots, Rieslings, and Pinot Noirs gaining national attention from wine consumers.

In the fall of 2011, an application was submitted to the U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau for a second American Viticulture Area in Northern Idaho – the Clearwater Valley. This is where Idaho’s wine industry originally started back in the 1860s. The review process can take several years, but with any luck, Idaho will have another AVA in the near future.

Currently, throughout the state of Idaho, there are 47 wineries and 1,600 acres of vinifera grapes planted. A 2008 study revealed that Idaho’s wine industry has a US$73 million economic impact and has created 625 jobs. The industry will continue to grow as global wine consumption increases, as well as Idaho's grape-growing potential.

The Idaho wine industry is just in its infancy and is expected to see remarkable growth in the next 15 years. It is just coming into its own, receiving a great deal of recognition, and winemakers and growers are learning as they go while making great wine along the way.

— Kim Peterson is a trade specialist with the Idaho State Department of Agriculture’s Market Development Division

Popular Wineries in Idaho Williamson Orchards and Vineyards Williamson orchards and Vineyards is a family owned and operated business that aims to produce the highest quality product and provide honest and knowledge service to clients. they strive to use natural and organic growing methods whenever possible. in the early 1900s, the Williamsons planted their first trees. as the family grew, so did the business. four generations of Williamsons have worked the farm. today, Williamson orchards and Vineyards is operated by the brothers roger and John Williamson and their families. the original homestead of 80 acres has grown to over 700 acres of fruit and row crops. from the first planting of apples and cherries in 1910, they have added a wide variety of soft fruits and apples. the Williamsons planted their first grape vineyards for a contract with a local winery in 1999. since that time, they have taken the next step and now produce their own wine.

19692 Williamson Lane, Caldwell, ID 83607 www.willorch.com, (208) 459-7333 Bitner Vineyard this hillside winery was among the first in the valley when ron and mary Bitner opened it in 1980. most of the 1,000 annual cases are sold in their small tasting room. Besides pouring wine, they host friday-night readings and saturday-night live music on the deck, where tables overlook the vineyards and owyhee mountains. you can bring a picnic and purchase wine by the glass. there are even two bed-and-breakfast rooms if you get groggy. it’s open friday, saturday and sunday afternoons.

16645 Plum Road, Caldwell, ID 83607 www.bitnervineryards.com, (208) 454-0086 Koening Distillery & Winery the 200-year-old, two-story-high, hand-hammered copper distillery is the main attraction at this family distillery, but award-winning wines are showcased in addition to Koeng’s famous idaho Potato vodkas and premium fruit brandies. you can taste up to 11 wines, plus Koeing’s famed huckleberry vodka. it’s open weekend afternoons.

20928 Grape Lane, Caldwell, ID 83607 www.koenigwinery.com, (208) 55-8386

52

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_DiscoverUSA.indd 52

Ste. Chapelle Winery ste. Chapelle is idaho’s oldest and largest winery, producing 160,000 cases of 21 wines from dry to sweet, ice to sparkling. all, including the award-winning riesling, exude the fruit aromas for which idaho wines are known. the octagonal building is a visual treat. With cathedrallike windows meant to evoke the Gothic chapel in Paris of the same name. there’s a $5 tasting fee, but you keep the wine glass as a souvenir. it’s open daily.

19348 Lowell Road, Caldwell, ID 83607 www.stechapelle.com, (208) 455-8386

2012/1/18 3:52:30 PM

A Sky Full Of Lanterns p ho t o s : Co urt es y o f Chan ghua C o un t y govern m e n t

T

t o u r i s m B u r e a u , r e p. o f C h i n a

he Chinese people have been celebrating the Lantern Festival, which they call Yuanxiao Jie or Shangyuan Jie, for at least 1,500 years. When Chinese migrants began arriving in Taiwan more than 400 years ago, the custom of celebrating the Lantern Festival on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month (the first full moon of the new year) was one of the traditions they brought with them.

Like other aspects of classical Chinese culture, the festival has thrived in Taiwan’s free and diverse society, evolving as the 21st century progresses. It has become an annual highlight for local residents and visitors alike.

Featured on Discovery Channel’s Fantastic Festivals of the World show, the Taiwan Lantern Festival has grown into one of East Asia’s most popular annual events. In 2011, the national festival drew 8 million visitors over 12 days. Many of the ROC’s cities and counties organize local celebrations, so it is likely that around half of the country’s 23.2 million people take part in some way.

Just as the Feast of the Epiphany marks the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas, the Lantern Festival is the culmination of the Lunar New Year season in which ethnic Chinese

throughout the world feast, visit relatives, clean their houses, and present cash-filled envelopes to the younger and older generations. During Lantern Festivals of yore, major places of worship such as Taipei’s Longshan Temple and Guandu Temple would hang up dozens of lanterns made of paper and bamboo.

Many of them were red, an auspicious color in Chinese culture. Others featured hand-painted landscapes, scenes from legends, or enigmatic phrases. For many revelers, trying to figure out these riddles was a highlight of the festival.

However, just as the religious significance of Christmas has faded in the West, Taiwan’s booming economy and a proliferation of entertainment options meant that by the 1980s, the Lantern Festival was not as keenly anticipated as it used to be.

Taiwan’s Tourism Bureau can take much of the credit for the festival’s revival since 1990, when a national festival held at a single venue became the central focus of the observance.

Technology has also helped. In olden times, the lanterns were invariably barrel-shaped, and were illuminated by wicks burning inside. Nowadays most lanterns are LED – less romantic, perhaps, but surely safer. More intrigu-

january 2012 • taiwan business topics

1_12_SeeTW.indd 53

53

2012/1/18 4:08:32 PM

ingly, they may be of almost any shape, sometimes even bigger than houses, and showcase state-of-the-art visual trickery.

Over the past decade, the festival has been held at different locations around Taiwan. Each time, the main lantern and festival theme is inspired by the year’s animal sign on the Shengxiao, a 12-year cycle often called the Chinese Zodiac. Just as people in Western countries know their star sign, so everyone of Chinese descent knows which zodiac year he or she was born in.

The 2010 celebrations, held on a 14-hectare site in Chiayi City, featured two main imposing “creature lanterns”: a tiger leaping over a rainbow bridge (a symbol of approaching good fortune ushering in the Year of the Tiger), and a kirin (a hooved animal in Chinese myth, somewhat like a unicorn and often called a qilin).

The 2011 festival in Miaoli County’s Zhunan-Toufen Sports Park saw the debut of the Auspicious Jade Rabbit, a 20.5-meter-high, 30-ton emblem of the Year of the Rabbit. This design combined modern elements (such as wireless headphones) with an entirely traditional motif of prosperity: a boatshaped gold ingot held in the hands.

The 2012 Lantern Festival will be held from February 6 to February 19 at Lugang Sports Park, Changhua County.

Lugang is one of Taiwan’s most historic towns. It was a busy seaport in the 18th century, and much of that era’s character has been preserved.

2012 is the Year of the Dragon, and in addition to dragon-themed lanterns, visitors can expect to see illuminated depictions of Mazu, one of Taiwan’s most popular folk deities; a Formosan sika deer; a carp transforming into a dragon as it leaps; and a bixi, a mythological semi-tortoise revered for stoically bearing great loads.

Throughout the festival, special shuttle buses will link the festival venue with the Taichung High Speed Rail Station; the one-way fare for adults will be NT$76. The shuttle, which will run every half hour, will also stop at the Changhua TRA Railway Station.

There is more to Lantern Festival than lanterns. It also features spectacular fireworks displays and performances

54

by leading folk arts troupes, and as with other traditional festivals in Taiwan, the event is associated with a particular food. The preferred treat at this time of year is a bowl of dumplings called yuanxiao or tangyuan. Made of glutinous rice flour, they are often filled with walnuts, sweet syrup, or candied tangerine peel. Savory versions contain minced meat and the sweet style may have fillings of sesame or peanut paste. Served either hot or cold, they make for a delicious dessert or mid-afternoon snack.

Taiwan is not a huge island, but for most of its history travel from one part to another was difficult. As a result, and also because several ethnic groups make their homes here, there are different customs in different places. One of Taiwan’s best-known local expressions of the Lantern Festival happens in New Taipei City’s Pingxi District.

More than 100 years ago, Pingxi’s isolated mountain communities were plagued by banditry. Residents got into the habit of lighting a super-light paper lantern every day at dusk and sending it skyward, so nearby hamlets would know that all was well.

Nowadays, most visitors go to Pingxi to enjoy a scenic train journey, sample some local snacks, and buy a ready-to-fly lantern from a local vendor. Before launching the lantern, it is customary to write something on the side using a calligraphy brush – perhaps a general wish for health and happiness, or maybe a more specific request for success in business or love. Releasing a personalized lantern and watching it rise in the night sky until it has shrunk

to a minute yellow speck is a romantic moment countless couples have shared.

In another local variation, Tainan’s Yanshui District offers a unique experience on the 15th day of the first lunar month each year. The area’s Beehive Fireworks Festival is an extraordinary audience-participation fireworks parade that celebrates the defeat of a cholera epidemic in the 19th century.

Coinciding with the Lantern Festival, Foguangshan – one of Taiwan’s major Buddhist monasteries – will be holding its annual “New Year Festival of Light and Peace” from February 3 to March 4. In recent months, Foguangshan has attracted international attention with the opening of the Buddha Memorial Center beside the monastery’s main complex in Kaohsiung. The memorial preserves one of Buddhism’s most precious relics, a tooth the faithful believe was retrieved from the ashes after Buddha was cremated 2,500 years ago.

For more details about these events and other information useful to visitors, go to the Tourism Bureau’s Lantern Festival website (http://www. taiwan.net.tw/2012TaiwanLantern) or call the 24-hour tourist information hotline (0800-011-765, toll free within the ROC).

taiwan business topics • january 2012

1_12_SeeTW.indd 54

2012/1/18 4:08:34 PM