Top Travel Eats: Taiwan’s Culinary Local and Global Treasures
Taiwan is a beautiful destination with incredible sights, delicious food, and historical spots. The array of experiences we were able to enjoy really surprised me as it wasn’t a place I ever thought I would visit. Taiwan is always my first answer whenever someone asks which country I was my favorite to visit while living overseas. It provided not only great photo moments but also great discoveries with some of my favorite people.
The best part of traveling to Taiwan with Jana, my best friend, and her husband was they were also foodies. Since I was new to the wonders of Asian food, I let them take the lead on planning where and when we ate, and I wasn’t disappointed. We took most of the time to indulge in the delicious food available during the trip. You can find more details on what we’ve done in Taiwan in a previous blog, but I wanted to dedicate one to the delectable cuisine of Taiwan it deserves. Here are some of the fantastic dishes we enjoyed:
Beef Noodle Soup
Finding beef noodle soup changed my life. No matter where we went, from night markets to restaurants in Juifen Old Street, I ordered beef noodle soup. I am a noodle addict, but the melt-in-your-mouth brisket, delicious bok choy, and well-flavored broth are something that I crave to this day. Enjoying it for the first time in Taiwan opened my eyes (and taste buds); I would fly to Taiwan to eat this soup. Luckily, we also found the best restaurant in Las Vegas to fulfill the craving when missing Taiwan.
Nutella and Strawberry French Toast
This isn’t a Taiwanese dish, but I had it for breakfast at a restaurant called the Diner for the first time. As someone with a huge sweet tooth, this was calling my name on the menu. When I cut into the French toast, Nutella oozed out, and the juicy strawberries brought a tart balance. The meal was delicious, but even for my sweet tooth, it was a lot of Nutella.
Pâtisserie ALEX
After exploring and taking photos at the cultural and creative park, my best friend and I decided to walk around to find coffee. We found a small cafe called Patisserie Alex, a cute café decorated with a modern touch. The café offered a variety of pastries and different drinks. I enjoyed a strawberry tart and hot chocolate. The strawberry tart was so cute that I didn’t want to eat it. The hot chocolate was silky and creamy. This cafe was a great find.
Gudetama Chef Restaurant
If you don’t know about Gudetama, it’s a lazy egg animation popular in Japan. My best friend is a huge fan and has dragged me to two restaurants since I’ve known her. The restaurant is decked out in Gudetama decor, including a statue that welcomes you at the entrance.
I enjoyed a plate of rice and salmon at this restaurant, but compared to the dish at the Gudetama Chef Restaurant in Osaka, I liked the Osaka dish I had more. My best friend felt the opposite. The best part of the restaurant is the art on top of the food. Gudetama is drawn or constructed from the food. Don’t get me wrong, the food was good… I mean, I finished the whole plate. Osaka was just a bit better.
*We learned that the Gudetama Chef Restaurants have been closed permanently everywhere. This is unfortunate since themed restaurants are hugely popular in Asian countries.
Din Tai Fung
I saved the best for last. Inside Taipei 101 is one of the best Dim Sum restaurants ever. As mentioned, I followed Jana’s lead through this trip, and I always tell her that she is a master at planning the itinerary.
Of course, we shared some beef noodle soup because we were all obsessed. But we also had many servings of Xiao Long Bao, the best soup dumplings ever. The staff showed us the best rations of soy and ginger for the dipping sauce. It was perfect. I burned my tongue a couple times because my uncultured self didn’t realize what I was doing.
We’ve been so obsessed with Din Tai Fung that we visited one of their California restaurants for Jana’s birthday and tried the new Las Vegas location.
Have you been to Taiwan? Share your favorite dish in the comments below!
