Tag: Asian food

[TN] A Food Guide of Tainan’s Yongle Market (台南永樂市場)

If Taiwan, in general, is a food paradise, then Tainan would be the capital where you can find the most authentic traditional Taiwanese food! Tainan, situated in the southern part of Taiwan and about 260km from Taipei, is often overlooked by tourists, but its laidback charm and gentle pace are what made the city appealing. Besides being known as Taiwan's cultural capital, Tainan is also known as the "city of snacks". The best part is that the vendors are all concentrated on one street, which is perfect to do a food crawl!

[HK] Private Club Dining – Jiang Su Club

This was probably the most memorable dinner I had in Hong Kong thus far! Jiangsu Club (江蘇薈), located at Alliance Building in Sheung Wan, is a private dining club operated by the Federation of Hong Kong Jiangsu community organization, which is for its members only. Thanks to my brother's mentor, I had the opportunity to get a taste of the most authentic Jiang su cuisine without visiting the province in China!

[Recipe] Taiwanese Take on a Northern Chinese Classic – Zha Jiang Mian (炸醬麵)

Growing up as a kid that only who only eats bland food, such as fish soup and noodles, I was never a fan of Zha jiang mian (炸醬麵) or "fried sauce noodles". It's a famous noodle dish across China, originated from the north, hence there are quite a few variations out there. What are the differences between each region's sauce? The ratio of the pastes, the ingredients, types of noodles, toppings...etc.

[Recipe] Get Creative – Build Your Own Ramen

Last week, I watched a Japanese TV show, どっちの料理ショー (Dotch Cooking Show), and it was a special episode of 3 ramen masters competing for the title of best ramen in Japan. The show took the audiences step by step through the entire ramen making process. Making a perfect bowl of ramen consists of a lot of elements. Each step has to be taken care of meticulously, from the broth, noodles to toppings.

[Recipe] Cooking with friends – Curry Laksa

When I was still in school, cooking was the best form of procrastination. After graduated, cooking becomes the best stress-reliever. Most of the time, I cook and bake by myself in my small studio. It is a great way to let go the worries and shift my focuses to something else. However, it is also fun to cook with friends too! It is hard to be in the kitchen alone and overlook many things all at once! That's why restaurant can't function with only one chef right? Team work is always the best! A while ago, my friend, Cher, invited me over to her place to make a classic Southeast Asian dish, laksa!

[TPE] “Taiwanese taco” – Lan Gua Bao (藍家刈包)

"Bao" has been one of the trendiest food for the past year. Just like bubble tea, not a lot of people know that it's originated from an island, Taiwan. It's most commonly known as steamed buns, pork belly buns, or ambiguously, bao, in North America. Gua bao consists of a thick slice of braised meat that's wrapped between a folded flat steamed bread. People often refer and describe it as the Chinese hamburger, but to me, it's more like taco!

[TW] New Aboriginal Cuisine – AKAME

AKAME, means "grill" in Rukai tribe language, was definitely one of the most talked restaurants in Taiwan last year. Operating by two brothers, chef Alex and Sky, in the village "Kucapu ngane", the oldest village of Rukai tribe. As one of the global food trends is to eat local and seasonal, AKAME has adapted it well by using seasonal food and characteristic spices and wild herbs of Taiwan aborigines.

[TPE] Private Kitchen of Xuzhou Cuisine – Xu Huai Ren Jia (徐淮人家)

I finally had chance to visit Taipei after quite a few years. Xu Huai Ren Jia (徐淮人家)  has been on my list for a long time since I first heard of it from the show Kang Xi Lai Le (康熙來了) in 2013. There are a lot of old and famous Chinese restaurants in Taipei, from the Southern to Northern provinces of China, you'll definitely be able to find something. However, Xuzhou cuisine is actually quite rate. At least I've actually never heard of this city until I found this restaurant. It was definitely a very unique experience, especially when there's no menu (very rare for Chinese food)!