As a self-proclaimed lover of donuts (or doughnuts) (甜甜圈 tian tian quan), I enjoy trying them wherever I go. When I heard that Mister Donut had a particularly delicious mochi doughnut, I knew I had to give it a try. Luckily in Taiwan, Mister Donuts are almost as ubiquitous as 7-Elevens. When I went to my first Mister Donut, the…
If there’s one thing that impresses me about Taiwan, it’s the ingenuity (創造力 / chuang zao li) that so many shop keepers exhibit. No matter where you go, if you look for it, there are signs everywhere of people making the most of what they have. Here are a few examples I found around the island: Can’t speak to the…
Many say breakfast is the most important meal of the day. People in Taiwan, definitely don’t ignore this fact with many eateries catering specifically to the breakfast crowd. Unlike the United States, breakfast (早餐 / zao can) does not consist of heavy, meat-loaded meals. Instead, the focus is on meals that provide just the right amount of energy to get…
Located less than an hour drive outside of Taipei is the enchanting town called Jiufen (九份 / jiu fen). The history of Jiufen is as vibrant as the location is today with tales of trade, gold, and Japanese-influence. Though the area started as a rural village requesting “nine portions” to support the nine families that lived there, Jiufen eventually found…
After experiencing Fengchia Night Market, then subsequently smaller ones, I thought I was prepared for what would await at Shilin Night Market (士林夜市 / shi lin ye shi). Not only was I wrong, but even with a few hours spent wandering around, I still feel like I didn’t fully get my head around how big the night market is. After…
One of the ways which I keep track of where I’ve been is using services like Swarm and Yelp. Occasionally, I come across places that don’t have a listing and, in a rush, I’m not able to get the name of the place. Here’s a random assemblage of food shots from Taichung with some commentary. If I’m able to get…
One of the big things I wanted to do in Taiwan was better understand just how my boba drink came to be. After learning about the origins of bubble tea by taking a pilgrimage to the original Chun Shui Tang, I wanted to learn more about the tea that goes into the drinks. To do this, we went to the…
I had the chance to spend Christmas time in Taiwan. Christmas (聖誕 / sheng dan) in Taiwan is interesting as it’s hardly celebrated (the Christian population is only 3.9%). On the flip side, Christmas is oddly everywhere, as it is an opportunity for many businesses to market their products through the lens of, a mostly Western/cool holiday. Around Taiwan, many…
I have posts about more of the prominent eateries around Taipei, including the original Din Tai Fung, Ice Monster, and Addiction Aquatic Development. Here’s a smorgasbord of various foods I tried around the city that didn’t necessarily warrant their own post: Shaved snow with lychee, pineapple, and some kind of jelly on top This was surprisingly one of the more…
Coming from a city where the car reins supreme, Los Angeles, my first experience with public transit was eye-opening. In The San Francisco Bay Area, I was surprised just how many people used the bus, trains, ferries, light rail, and trolleys to get around. Having traveled to New York and Taiwan, I can’t help feel a little envious about what…
