Stopover at Tokyo Narita International (NRT)

My extra stop at Tokyo Narita was much more of an adventure than it was a hassle for me. I was psyched at the prospect of getting some sushi on the ground, which despite being "airport sushi," is authentic Japanese sushi nonetheless. As it turned out, there is a sushi bar in the international transfer area, and it is quite good. They offer dine in service as well as take out. Seeing that I had access to the ANA lounge, courtesy of my business class ticket, as well as its complimentary Sake bar, I thought that take out would be the wise choice. Besides, there was a sumo match on TV, and come on, who can resist the sight of large, round Japanese men push each other around the floor? Not me.

Sushi at Tokyo/Narita - This may be airport sushi, but the quality level was first rate. From left to right: Horse mackerel (aji-saba), kanpachi, chu toro, red snapper (tai), otoro. Above the sushi is a fine cup of junmai-shu sake, courtesy of ANA. The prices were quite reasonable for how good this plate was. I look forward to diverting myself through Narita again soon.

Engrish Hello Kitty Toy - It's funny enough that a toy would declare itself "Boring," but it didn't click with me until a month later that this was actually supposed to be a "Bowling" toy (the Japanese reads "bo-ri-n-gu" and "su-to-ra-i-ku"). I just about busted open when it finally hit me. This item was for sale at one of the gift shops in the international terminal.

Japanease Seafood Chips - Made with real fish, shrimp, crab, squid, etc., these crisps are outstanding. Basically, the seafood is ground up and mixed with rice flour, then formed into a crisp and fried. The best way to describe the flavor is to imagine eating fried fish, but in potato chip form. Some chips have whole dried creatures pressed into them (a couple of shrimp and a squid can be seen in the chips in this photo). The black one is flavored with squid ink. The crab ones and the wasabi ones are really good, too. I picked these up at a gift shop at Narita.

The ANA Experience - Narita/Taipei (NRT/TPE) Route

My tickets were booked a bit late for my trip to Taiwan, so I ended up with an extra stopover at Tokyo Narita, then continuing on ANA (All Nippon Airways) to and from Taipei. It was my first experience with a Japanese airline, and I was generally impressed with the courteous service and food selection.

ANA Japanese Dinner, NRT to TPE - Clockwise from top left: Firefly squid with crab, beef and vegetable galantine with grilled tofu, Japanese pickles (radish, etc.), kelp cured shrimp and flounder sashimi, fried rockfish and vegetables with rice. There is also miso soup in the black bowl, and a dessert in the paper in the middle of the plate. And notice the bottle of sake in the upper right corner. Nice touch.

Salt-Boiled Firefly Squid (Hotaru Ika) and Swimming Crabmeat with Tosa Vinegar - Firefly squid congregate en masse off the coast of Japan each spring to spawn, creating a spectacular light show due to their natural phosphorescence. They are a sign of spring, and were celebrated on the May business class menu on ANA. Here, they were lightly boiled and served with crabmeat, some kind of sea tasting jelly, and something that reminded me of jellyfish. The taste was light, if not a bit fishy. The crab and sea jelly were pretty tasty, and the jellyfish add texture mostly, not much taste there.

Airplane Sashimi - Pink Shrimp and Kelp Cured Flounder - These were lightly vinegared to help preserve them, as they obviously have to be kept in storage for some time before service. Although not like sitting at a sushi bar, these morsels still were enjoyable, and a nice luxury at 30,000 ft.

ANA Japanese Dinner, TPE to NRT - Clockwise from top left: Soba noodles, Japanese pickles, appatizer dish (tamago omlet, pistachio crusted shrimp, fruit jelly, tiny dried fish), green tea mochi cake, fruit plate, beef and vegetables with rice. Again, there was miso soup, and sake.

Mandarin Lesson... In Japanese - The on demand entertainment system was convenient, so I thought I would pull up a learn Mandarin lesson to stay sharp. Turned out that it was only available in Japanese, which made for interesting viewing. I probably picked up more Japanese than I did Mandarin. For example, did you know that the Japanese word for "credit card" is "ku-re-di-to ka-a-do?" Well, now you do.

Taipei's Night Markets- Shilin et al.

Taiwan is well known for its street markets, and rightfully so. The many outsiders who have inhabited Taiwan over the course of its history may be gone, but their contributions to the culinary landscape are undoubtedly left behind. Taiwan's street food is considered by many to be the most interesting and vibrant of all in the Chinese world.

As any self respecting food-obsessed traveler would do, I hit the streets to explore these local food traditions myself. All the research I did before arriving pointed me to the most well known of Taipei's markets - Shilin Night Market.

Approaching Shilin Night Market - Every street around here was packed full of people. I'm guessing Friday night probably wasn't the best time to check this place out.

Bubble Tea - From the looks of the crowd, I was going to need to keep my game face on if I wanted to keep pace. I decided to pick up a drink to keep myself cool and alert. An amazing variety of exotic fresh fruits were waiting to be blitzed into refreshing beverages. But here in the home of the bubble tea, my choice was clear. Sweet, marble-sized pearls of tapioca collect at the bottom of a glass of sweetened milk tea, waiting to be sucked up by the gargantuan straw.

Shilin Market Food Hall - The only indoor part of the market houses a cornucopia of dining establishments. This is where you can pick up well known classics like oyster omlets and stinky tofu. You know, if that kind of thing floats your boat.

I had my wallet in a stranglehold in hopes of keeping it from hitching a ride with some nice stranger who might happen to bump into me in the street.

Claustrophobes beware! If you want to get a good deal, you're gonna have to brave the sea of people. On second thought, is this stuff really worth the hassle? Among the flotsam and jetsam lie a few great deals, no doubt, but it can take some time to separate the wheat from the chaff.

These glazed strawberries and tomatoes certainly look appealing. It always surprises me when tomatoes are included on a dessert fruit plate after a meal, which is fairly often. You would think I'd be used to that by now.

Sugar Roasted Corn - After a coating of sugar is applied, these pieces of corn are grilled over a charcoal fire to carmelize the sugar into a candy-like skin. Sweet! How come I've never thought to do that?

There are sausages, and then, there are SAUSAGES. This one qualifies as a SAUSAGE, for sure. I mean, look, these beauties are bigger than that girl's arm. I love the Chinese title - "Big Sausages" is the translation, but the literal text says "big fragrant intestine." If that doesn't whet your appetite, I don't know what will.

Besides Shilin, countless smaller street markets dot the landscape of Taipei, making this type of shopping a part of everyday life for the locals. These next photos come from a different street market, close to the office I was working at. I did ask the name of this place, but I neglected to write it down so I'm afraid it will have to remain nameless for the time being.

Organ and Innards Assortment - I can always tell when a shop is geared towards local customers, rather than western tourists like myself. But with this cart, loaded with liver, testicles, and other such tasties waiting to be soupified, I just can't tell for certain...

Really, Really Fresh Chicken - Um excuse me sir, I think you forgot your chicken head. There was just something disturbingly humerous to me about the severed chicken head sitting there on the table, with the cage full of chickens staring back as they await their fate thinking, "Oh, crap."

Griddle Cake - These pancake-like treats are cooked up in small circular molds. I didn't eat one, but they sure looked good. Pretty sure these were organ free.

Bell Fruit or Wax Apple - These tropical tree fruits are limited to Taiwan and a few other (mostly southeast Asian) locales. They are crisp and crunchy, mildly sweet, juicy, and very light and airy in texture. They were a nice, refreshing snack to help beat back the heat of the day.

Silks House - A Cantonese Gem in Taipei

I was fortunate enough to be treated to a most excellent Cantonese dinner on my last night in Taipei. The elegant Regent Grand Formosa is home to Silks House (晶華軒 for those who need to know).

This was a rather formal gathering, and the sophisticated decor and surroundings made me think about how tacky it would be to whip out the camera for an impromptu photo shoot during dinner. So I passed up snapping the first couple of courses, until my host, who understands my passion for all things edible, encouraged me to be free to disturb the ambiance and take pictures. I'm glad I did, as this meal was truly outstanding.

The dinner started out, as most Chinese dinners do, with a handful of apetizers circling the table on a giant lazy susan. Two standouts were whole water chestnuts, unpeeled, with a black skin around the edible white bulb part. I have only had the canned variety before, and let me tell you, these were nothing like those insipid excuses for food. Super sweet, crunchy, and crisp, every bite was an absolute delight. The second was dried scallop and turnip cakes - fried cubes of this pureed combo packed with explosive flavor. Their crispy exterior gave way to a soft interior that melted in the mouth, leaving a taste of fried goodness enhanced by the wonderful sweetness of the scallops. I would go back to this place just for these two things.

Appetizer Assortment - Clockwise from top left: Stuffed bean curd with dried candied tomato, lettuce salad, rolled chicken, smoked salmon. After the first two apps (you can see the black skins of the water chestnuts in the top of this photo), this dish was just okay for me. The candied tomato was a nice, unexpected twist, but other than that these items were rather straightforward.

Double Boiled Shark Fin Soup with Coconut - This, on the other hand, was spectacular. The perfectly executed broth was beautifully complex, yet clear and refined. Soft coconut added a pleasant sweetness, a perfect compliment, not overpowering in the least. And last, the shark fin, presented whole in its original shape. I've had shark fin previously, but this was the first time it didn't remind me of undercooked, flavorless noodles. Instead, each bite was soft and gelatinous (sounds gross, but it wasn't - promise), like eating the fat or cartilage off of a confit piece of duck. Its own flavor was subtle, having absorbed the flavors of the broth. I am aware of the controversy surrounding this delicacy, and encourage each person to make up their own mind on whether or not to eat it.

At this point in the meal, we were treated to roasted duck, Grand Formosa Style. This version was unique from other roasted duck dishes I have eaten before in that the pancake wrappers were made with whole grain oats, and the veggie accompaniments included thinly sliced ginger. Oh, and the duck itself was excellent - with beautiful crispy skin that simply shattered when eaten.

Sweet and Sour Short Rib - It's rare to find such a perfectly balanced sweet and sour dish as this one was, maybe impossible where I live, anyways. The beef rib was cooked nicely, still pink in the middle, with a semi-crisp outside. The soft cooked onions added a nice lift to each tender bite.

Steamed Grouper with Shiitake and Bacon - If there was one Chinese cooking technique I wish I could stuff in my suitcase and bring home with me, it would be how to create such amazingly perfect steamed fish. It renders the flesh a lovely soft texture, just one tick past "raw" and into "cooked" territory on the doneness scale. The fattiness of the fish adds an incredible, rich flavor when cooked this way. A soy based sauce accompanied this version, as is typical. But the harsh saltiness of raw soy sauce is somehow tamed to create a light, yet flavorful broth. So all this and then you go and add bacon? Genius. Obligation requires that I point out that the tofu, as is often the case, was utterly tasteless.

Braised Spare Rib with Rice - I have to admit to a certain disdain for plain white rice. But there are exceptions to every rule (sushi rice being the prime example), and this may be the biggest of all time for me. This rice was absolutely, without qualification superb. Not starchy, nor gummy. Not so sticky that it clumps together, yet with enough bind to give the illusion of creaminess. And al dente bite and subtle sweetness were the final elements needed to create the perfect white rice. Notice the fatty juiciness of the spare rib permeating the rice. Oh yeah. The braised meat was fall-off-the-bone tender, with the fat cooked long enough to become soft and flavorful. I now, for the first time ever in life, understand the rationale for putting some cooked item on top of a bed of rice. I'm utterly ruined.

Black Rice and Almond Dessert - This is not your average rice pudding, that's for sure. This nicely sweet (sweetened condensed milk?) porridge-like dessert featured the nuttiness of "forbidden" black rice enhanced with almond paste. It was rather rich, and provided a filling end to this fantastic meal. The deep purple color is derived naturally from the black rice, which turns this color when cooked.

Over the past 3 years, I've eaten a lot of Cantonese food. I'm happy to report that this was one of the best of such meals that I have had the pleasure of adding to my waistline. It ranks up in my top 5 list of Cantonese restaurants in Southeast Asia that I have visited. When I find myself back in Taipei, this place will most definitely find its way onto my itinerary once again.

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Have you been to Silks House? Please comment and let me know what you thought!

Food I Ate in Taipei

Simple title, simple post. No elegant wordsmithing here. Just a bunch of photos of stuff I ate while I was in Taipei. This covers most typical meals I ate, but I'm saving a couple of special things for future posts - one about a fantastic dinner at the Silk House, and another about foods of the night markets. Enjoy!

Taiwanese Chicken Rolls - Chicken spiced with cinnamon(?) stuffed with some vegetable matter (water chestnuts, etc.) into a thin dough skin, then rolled up and fried. My hosts told me that this is a Taiwanese specialty. They were quite good, with a thin crispy skin that was very light and flakey. The English on the menu read "Chicken Rools." Nice.

Black Chicken (Silkie) - Not only is the skin black, but the bones are too (the Chinese name translates to "black boned chicken"). Even the meat is tinged with blackness and appears a vibrant, bright (if there is such a thing) grey. The feathers, on the other hand, are typically pure white. I had a simply prepared steamed black chicken that was juicy and delicious. It was much more flavorful than a typical chicken. Afterthought - as I'm proofreading this, I realize that I didn't even comment on the presence of the chicken heads. I've been to Asia way too many times now.

Yakitori Bar - Japanese influence, and therefore, food, is common in Taiwan. One evening we headed out for yakitori to this place, called Japan, Taiwan. I was glad to see the grill pit full of real wood coals, with lots of skewered items sizzling away.

Grilled Intestines, Shrimp, Beef, and Fish - The excitement of the charcoal grill was equal and opposite to my anti-excitement upon seeing the lovely skewer of pig intestines on my plate. A colleague assured me that they were crispy and delicious when prepared this way. So against my better judgement, I grabbed the stick and tore into a hunk of pig colon. The first sensation was of a crispy exterior and a nice charred fatty taste - not bad at all! As I kept chewing, the pleasant taste melted away leaving a chewy bundle of fatty tissue in my mouth. More chewing... Wow... that sure does taste a little funky... Chew, chew, chew... Hmmmm... This sort of fecal aroma wafted across my palate. Yup, I could definitely tell what I was eating. Yeah, just too fecal for me. Those fish, by the way, have bellies full of roe. Very fishy. I was instructed to eat them with a bite into the belly first. Also not one of my favorites. The shrimp and beef were great, though.

Shrimp and Crab Hand Rolls - I had these tasty bundles for lunch one day along with a fantastic Japanese noodle bowl. Soup broth on this side of the world is amazingly flavorfull and complex. I have to figure out how to make that at home. No imitation crab in these rolls, by the way. The real thing makes all the difference.

We went to a Yunnan restaurant for lunch one afternoon. There were old women sitting in the restaurant shelling baby peas for this delicious soup (simply chicken broth and fresh, baby peas). Many of the dishes used ingredients that I was familiar with, but in ways I had not ever thought of before. I was impressed enough with this place to bust out the camera for a few of the dishes.

Steamed Bamboo - I had no idea that you could just eat hunks of bamboo. It is almost always served shredded into fine slices, and I realized that I've always just eaten it without giving it much thought. It was good, but not great. Less starchy than a potato, a little sweeter, but with a strong vegetal taste. These were served with mayo for dipping, which was a little weird.

Hearts of Palm with Chicken and Hot Peppers - An outstanding dish, full of flavor. Shredding the hearts of palm was a great way to use them. The small bits of chicken and peppers gave a nice lift to the flavor profile.

Fried Mushroom Sticks - Another brilliant idea. Thin strips of mushroom fried to a chip-like crispiness. Simply seasoned with salt and dried hot pepper, I envisioned myself popping open a bag of these while watching the game, and wolfing the whole thing down. Great snack concept.

Coconut Soup Dessert - This coconut broth was served cold (you can see an ice cube in the photo) and contained soft cooked lotus seeds. It was sweet, light, and refreshing - the perfect way to end a meal on a hot day.

Taipei Dunkin Donuts - A nod to my New England home, it appears that Taipei runs on Dunkin, too. Although that looks like a bagel sandwich in the picture, it is actually a donut. Think about that - donut, ham, mayo... Hmmmm... They had the regular donuts we get at home, but they also had...

Strange Dunkin Donuts in Taiwan - How could we pass on the chance to pick up some of these space alien inspired donuts? They were made out of a different type of dough than typical donuts, and were much more spongey in texture. From front to back: chocolate glazed, soybean, corn, soybean.

Taipei 101 - Wanna Get High?

It's not every day that you get to visit the tallest building in the world, but that's exactly what I did during my trip to Taiwan last month. Taipei 101 (that's "One-Oh-One", not "One-hundred-one") is, at least for now, the tallest building in the world. Measuring in at 101 stories (ironic, isn't it...) and a cool 1670.6ft (509.2 meters) tall, it's a smidge taller than the previous record holders - the Sears Tower and Petronas Towers. Like these that came before, holding the title will be short lived for 101. The Burj Dubai (which technically already is taller) is going to blow it away when completed in late 2009. Despite the inevitibility, nobody can take away the glory of this magnificent night and my visit to the top of the man-made-world.

I have to apologize in advance for my hideous photography, but it was dark, I was experimenting with long exposure times with my tabletop tripod (not so good when you don't have a table), and, well... Just enjoy them for what they are.

Taipei 101 at night. Too bad I botched the framing and got that dumb streetlight in the photo.

The tiered pagoda-like design of 101 is interesting, as it makes use of traditional Chinese architectural elements and cultural ideas, but still looks and feels quite modern. The main body of the building consists of 8 tiered segments, each comprised of 8 floors (8, of course, is a very lucky number in Chinese culture, and is said to bring prosperity). The floors of each tier are progressively tapered to create the appearance of a pagoda. The incorporation of traditional architectural elements is one of my favorite things about this building.

The odd thing to me about Taipei 101 is that there are no other tall buildings around it. I mean, there are no comparable buildings in the general vicinity. None! It just kind of sticks up out of the city sprawl like a giant monolithic anomaly. The tallest building in Taipei before 101 was built was the Shin Kong Life Tower and its mere 801 feet of inferiority.

The entrance to Taipei 101 uses 3 traditional Chinese coins to represent the '101' in the name.

As you might expect, there are a few other interesting elements to Taipei 101 besides its sheer height that make it unique. One of these is the elevators, which are claimed to be the fastest in the world. Featuring an aerodynamic spoiler system and a pressurized cabin (to prevent your ears from going *-pop-* aaaaarrrrrghhhhhh!!!), the elevator makes the trip up to the 89th floor observation deck in just over 30 seconds, reaching a top speed of about 38mph (that's around 55 ft/s, or 1010m/min as the signage indicates).

A scale model of the elevator system is on display in the observatory.

Up on the 91st floor is the outdoor observatory. The view reminds me of sitting in an airplane and looking down out of the window. I'm sure the view would be even more impressive in the daytime, or if I knew what I was looking at.

A night view from the outdoor observation deck of Taipei 101.

Now heading back down a few flights of stairs we come to the mass damper element, viewable on the 87th and 88th floors. Mass dampers (you can think of them like giant pendulums) are frequently used on very tall structures to reduce the amount of sway caused by wind and other natural forces (Taiwan has exposure to typhoons and earthquakes). They are tuned to dampen, or absorb, energy that builds up when a structure vibrates at its natural frequency (resonance). Of course, this is the largest mass damper ever constructed, weighing 728 tons.

The giant mass damper of Taipei 101. I'm kind of surprised that this is viewable by the public.

A closeup of the hydraulic cylinders.

Thick cables suspend the mass from the roof. What's with all that gold paint, anyways?

So what is this building actually used for, you ask? Well, besides a load of corporate offices, there is a super secret club - Summit 101 (on the 101st floor, no less), a handful of restaurants, and of course, a gigantic shopping mall. I guess no matter where you are in the world, it's all about bringing home the loot.

The cieling inside the lower level shopping mall is architecturally interesting. At least to me, anyways.

If Taipei wanted to put themselves on the world map, then building Taipei 101 sure got people's attention. Not only is it well known throughout the world, but easy tourist access virtually guarantees that a lot of visitors are going to pass through those doors and buy a ticket to ride the elevator.

So now I'm back to earth, livin' life at sea level once again. But I'll always remember the day I stood on top of the world, and had all of Taipei at my feet.

Taipei 101 and a scooter - two symbols of Taipei.

One last photo of Taipei 101. Careful, this photo could burn your retina if you stare too long.

Hello, Taipei - An Intro to Taiwan's Capital City

Last month, I had the pleasure of my first visit to the other China - that is to say, the Republic of China (ROC) (not to be confused with the People's Republic of China (PRC) - completely different). Yes, of course, I'm talking about Taiwan. I was in Taipei for a quick 3-day visit. But true to form, despite the whirlwind tour, I did manage to feel out the city and fit in a little fun.

Although recognized by most countries as an independent nation, Taiwan remains at the center of political tension with mainland China, stemming from the Chinese Civil War. After suffering defeat to Mao Zedong and the China Communist Party, General Chiang Kai-shek and about 2 million of his Nationalist followers fled to Taiwan in 1949, moving the ROC capital from Nanjing (mainland) to Taipei. The ROC still formally holds claim over all of the mainland, although these claims are largely downplayed these days and are not pursued. China (PRC) on the other hand, maintains that Taiwan is one of it's provinces, even though Taiwan operates as a sovereign state without any mainland interference. Although no official end was negotiated to the Chinese Civil War, an unofficial truce pervades the relationship today, even if it is uneasy at times. In practice, the two governments have a healthy business trade, and relations are begining to show signs of improvement. The issue of reunification vs. independence remains one of the most important and highly charged political issues in Taiwanese politics. Okay - history lesson over.

Having already formed first-hand impressions of Hong Kong, Beijing, and industrial Southern China, I was curious to see how Taipei would compare, and where it would fall on the three pronged scale of modernity, historic value, and sophistication. It's political history has allowed it to "grow up" over the past 50 years without the restrictions imposed by the PRC's central government.

Right off the bat, I could tell that I was not on the mainland. A quick look at oncoming traffic, and a couple of things were obvious:
1. Although there are plenty of scooters on the road in China, there were even more in Taipei. But here everyone was wearing helmets.
2. People generally obeyed the traffic laws, stopping at red lights and staying in their lanes - meaning my underpants stayed squeaky clean on the drive to the hotel.

A swarm of scooters crosses a busy Taipei intersection.

Sidewalks everywhere were packed with neatly arranged rows of parked scooters, tightly packed together like sardines. I also noticed that the city was pretty clean, with construction debris kept to a minimum - also a key giveaway that I was not in China proper. The street signage reminded me of Hong Kong, but with noticeably less English.

In Taipei, much like Hong Kong, copius use of banner-like street signs dominates the cityscape. But playing detective to find English on them lets us know that we are somewhere else.

At night, the lights turn on and illuminate Taipei's streets.

It seems funny to say this, but in some ways Taipei seems more, well, more Chinese than other big cities I've been to on the mainland. Many temples and historical buildings are scattered throughout the city, interspersed periodically among the ordinary shops and office buildings. Such places seem to be a rarity in the places I frequent in southern China.

This temple was a block from my hotel. It seemed like there were temples like this all over Taipei.

This one looked particularly interesting, but I ended up with only this crappy shot that I took while driving by in a van. Not the way to get a decent photo, but this will have to do.

I noticed that there seem to be a large number of small food stalls, selling everything from... well, selling everything. Fried dough thingys for breakfast, stinky tofu (yup, stinky=rotted), exotic fruits, animal nasty bits... This really deserves its own post.

Not sure what this guy's selling, but it doesn't look too bad. Taipei has more than its share of street food.

Another small cart, this one with various kinds of fruit. And sticks. I'd tell you more if I could - it stinks to be illiterate.

A typical Taipei side street.

It's pretty easy to get around in Taipei. The subway has good coverage, and the system is not that difficult for a foreigner like me to figure out (ahem, are you listening, Kyoto?). It's also fairly new and clean, both superior to my hometown T. And who could forget that Taipei is home to (at least for now, anyways) the world's tallest building, Taipei 101? But I'll save that story for another post.

So this is the end of the post, where I'm supposed to make some sort of judgement or smart sounding summary. Something like, oh, I don't know... Let's try this.

As I was expecting, Taipei wasn't exactly like any of the cities I have visited before. It's kind of like a less westernized Hong Kong, only if it weren't ruled by the British, but by the Chinese all those years. Only, not those Chinese, but a different group of Chinese. Not to mention the influences of other nations who have visited/invaded the island at some point during its history (Portugal, Netherlands, Japan, China, etc.).

Got it?

Look, Taiwan is a beautiful place, with good food, modern accomodations, interesting attractions (hot springs, for one), oh, and stunning mountains and beaches too. Let me know what you think if you get the chance to visit some day.