Taiwan’s Top
12 Taste Treats
From the Sublime
to the Ridiculous
By Janice Nieder
Wenwu Temple
T
aiwan still remains largely
undiscovered, particularly
by Western travelers, but
this seriously underrated,
economically successful
(it has become one or the world’s
richest countries in less than fifty
years) democratic little island is
poised to nab the title of “Best
Hidden Travel Gem of 2015.”
Visitors will be blown away by the
country’s eight pristine national
parks, majestic Buddhist temples,
line-up of spectacular festivals,
which range from the traditional
Dragon Boat Festival to the Fat
Pig Festival, plethora of modern
designer shopping malls, the 150
natural hot springs (and many
luxurious spa resorts) and the
overwhelming friendliness of
the people.
But I was there first and foremost
for the food, since truly
knowledgeable foodies consider
Taiwan the ultimate food destination
for Asian cuisine. The island is
a fabulous culinary mash-up due
in part to the fact that the
Portuguese, Dutch, Spanish and
34
Japanese have all settled here at
one time, layered with a fusion of
distinctive regional Chinese styles
of cooking from the Fujian,
Cantonese, Szechwan and Hakka
communities.
Here are a dozen of foodie favorites
From the sublime:
countryside, Zen version
of The French Laundry
If you’re in a hurry you might
want to bypass Shi-Yang Culture
Restaurant, which requires a
minimum of two to three hours
to fully appreciate the innovative
prix-fixe 10-course meal. After
a 45-minute drive from bustling
Taipei you’ll arrive at the lush
Yangmingshan National Park where
Mr. Lin Bin-hui, previously an
acclaimed architect/designer,
realized his vision of creating a
culinary mountainside retreat.
The organic Zen-like restaurant was
inspired by his appreciation of the
Song Dynasty, 10th century China.
His creative cuisine focuses on
reinterpreting traditional foods with
an eye to refined beauty and a nod to
a more health-conscious diet by
focusing on the highest quality
seasonal ingredients.
A seafood still life of sashimi, sea
urchin, shrimp, squid, and rice
Shi-Yang Culture
Restaurant
paper-wrapped rolls topped with
salmon roe was so beautifully
presented that we hesitated (for
at least a full ten seconds) before
digging in. However, the pièce de
résistance appeared to be just a