Allan ChowDec 19, 2022
When we got word that visa and COVID restrictions were going away at #Taiwan we jumped on the opportunity to spend 4 weeks #remoteworking (kind of a repost thread from Twitter but gonna be different)
Show threadAllan ChowDec 19, 2022
Trip was a bunch of parts but involved
- hanging at 板橋
- hanging at 陽明山
- hanging at 台中
- doing touristy stuff at 宜蘭 and 花蓮
Show threadAllan ChowDec 19, 2022
For the most part, #remoteworking in #taiwan for a US company mainly running Eastern time meant jumping on calls starting around 10pm and being slack available until 2am. My sleep schedule was generally from 3-4am to 9am and I napped my way to greatness. For the most part, there was always a cafe open nearly 24hrs with decent wifi to work at. I definitely wasnt the only person either.
Show threadAllan ChowDec 19, 2022
Banqiao #板橋 is seriously a place I could see myself living at. Just outside where we were staying there are two day markets (literally adjacent to each other) with just about any meat, produce, or seafood I could want. These are mostly food stand pics, but trust me.
Show threadAllan ChowDec 19, 2022
What's insane about this particular spot is that there are at least 20 stands and restaurants that the wife likes eating at. I will almost never be wanting of a solution to "what do you want for dinner"
Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022
Sometimes work did last into the morning. 5am was when spots started opening #Taiwan
Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022
At Yangming shan, a mountain overlooking #taipei #台北 there is a good number of quick afternoon-y hikes to be had and some solid spots for a nice meal. Fancy night-clubby spots have really fancy views of the city too
Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022
Also had one of the best cups of coffee I've ever had. Coffee culture here is no joke.
吉佳咖啡 - 山上店
+886 2 2861 8050
https://maps.app.goo.gl/h9JR7mHWrr6CHvrF7
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Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022
Pretty much any neighborhood has a dish that you'll see elsewhere but just sliiiiightly different. It really makes any neighborhood in any city in #taiwan worth visiting. (This is still just Yangming Shan).
Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022
To get to Taichung #台中 it's super easy. Barely an inconvenience. Just over 20 bucks with a train leaving every 15 minutes with your choice of express or not.
Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022
Yakiniku is crazy popular here. #台中
Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022
While I think Taiwan's #COVID policies really minimized deaths, businesses didn't get out unscathed. A lot of places that I planned to check out were either closed due to lack of staffing or transitioned to only offering heat-at-home options.
Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022
So yeah what were the things I always seek out: when without the wife, it's all about the breakfast and the bing 餅 #taiwanfood
Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022
Onigiri isn't something that's impossible to find in #chicago. Actually, it's got a good variety of onigiri/kimbap/fantuan options. It's just that at #taiwan they're EVERYWHERE and it's even an informal unit of nourishment!
Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022
Youtiao and even rarer, shaobing are super hard to find in the states. They're not even often in Chinese city centers either it's like Westmont IL or Irvine CA. I don't even think Manhattan has it you have to go to Flushing for it. 燒餅油條加蛋 was probably the one thing I had every other day. Also? Beaten eggs are fried with scallions by default. As the Lord intended.
Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022
酥餅 is EVEN HARDER TO FIND in the states and the wife doesn't appreciate them at all, it makes me so sad. I've made my fair share of them at home filled with pancetta and leaks but man my kungfu isn't righteous enough to compare to any run of the mill spot anywhere. My favorite filling is just green onion or 小酥饼 #taiwanfood
Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022
WITH the wife it's two things, mainly because there isn't a clear favorite in her old neighborhood: beef noodle soup and pork intestine misua.
Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022
Quite honestly I don't even know why we were having so much beef noodle soup. I think it's for the wife to test if there's anything she likes more than her mom's. Either way this place was her favorite on this trip. #TaiwaneseFood
Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022

Her undisputed favorite dish, though, is misua. Essentially a super starch thickened broth with thin noodles with your choice of stuff, traditionally with pork intestine and oysters.

Nowadays, the cool kids are getting all sorts of stuff in it.

Every shop makes it just a bit different. Maybe it's the broth. Maybe they just blanche the intestine, maybe they braise it. Maybe their oysters are super fresh. Maybe it's all about the sauce you add to it yourself. You have to try allllllll of them.

Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022
But yeah for the touristy things there are plenty. Taiwan is literally smaller than Illinois and taking the train or renting the car to blitz through is a pretty normal thing (town blitzing one night after another isn't really my thing) but here are some addresses that we checked out that are worth the while
Show threadAllan ChowDec 20, 2022

If you're a vegetarian and feel like splurging on a multi course meal, this is a must-stop near #taipei in Yangming shan. My uncle was like "I'm going to take you to a vegetarian restaurant" and suddenly we were faced with 9 courses. #TaiwanTourism

Yangming Spring heart five Arts Creative Park
+886 2 2862 0178
https://maps.app.goo.gl/XTShB3tt7XLfSALK8

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Show threadAllan ChowDec 21, 2022
#yilan #宜蘭 has some great views and corporate retreat-y stuff to do but this spot's meal really takes the cake. A lot of times a prefix in the US is a BATTLE where towards the end you can barely finish each course. This one is a contentedly filling ride the entire way.
掌上明珠會館
+886 3 930 8988
https://g.co/kgs/qNfZ9r
Before you continue to Google Search

Show threadAllan Chow
A lot of times restaurants have a deal with tourist buses to shuffle unwitting people through like cattle. While the operation was definitely quick like clockwork, the food here was GOOD and it was reasonably priced AND THE BEER IS INCLUDED. Also that fish was utterly fantastic.
馫宴創意料理 #宜蘭
+886 3 938 9969
https://maps.app.goo.gl/rYDZ4z1PkM3TJgjY9
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Dec 21, 2022 at 3:02amWeb
Show threadAllan ChowDec 21, 2022
Do not be drawn in by the capybara this place is not worth going to. NO. do not search for capybara in #Yilan #capybara
Show threadAllan ChowDec 21, 2022
Taroko National Park is just. I mean. Look at it.
#Taiwan #台灣
+886 3 862 1100
https://maps.app.goo.gl/vt4byiFtozPL5r6P6
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Show threadAllan ChowDec 21, 2022
If the weather is nice there's a really really windy road that can take you from #Hualien to #Taichung and man if you can rent a stick focus/mini that would be so fun.
Show threadAllan ChowDec 21, 2022
Apparently my dad made the trek from Hualien to Taichung on foot WITH ONLY THE RICE ON HIS BACK and scoffed at how I just drove up this summit and still had a cell signal to send him this pitcure
Show threadAllan ChowDec 21, 2022
See this chicken? The drippings from this chicken is tossed with these rice noodles that are entirely unassuming. It's to the point I'm literally bringing it up to every Mexican rotisserie spot that'll listen. #TaiwaneseFood #Taiwan
東山棧
+886 4 2239 9009
https://maps.app.goo.gl/VjPwfYDDJXgYurck8
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Show threadAllan ChowDec 22, 2022
If you're in Taipei looking for souvenir type things may I recommend Taiwan grown coffee beans. Can you taste the subtle difference? No? BUT IT'S GROWN IN TAIWAN.
San Coffee
+886 2 2555 8680
https://maps.app.goo.gl/S3zYMDuxs1oX8Dwc7
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Show threadAllan ChowDec 23, 2022
I'm really missing the drinks in #taiwan. Especially the tea. Tea at 7-eleven is arguably higher quality tea than anything you can get at a regular grocery store in the states. Most loose leaf tea sold here suck. Quite honestly if someone asked me where to get the best tea to drink I would honestly call out a couple bubble tea shops.
Show threadAllan ChowDec 23, 2022

To explain this picture, from top to bottom, you have
- cups to steep the tea
- cup to serve the tea
- two serving - the skinny cups for going for the aroma, the shot cup for drinking
- you do a first steep and a 2nd steep to get different tastes. Same leaves and different year matter too!

This was just in a tea shop where you can sample them. The tourist spots suck.
尚好韻茶 ＠尚鼎之茶 #板橋 #台灣 #taiwan #tea
+886 2 8951 9758
https://maps.app.goo.gl/ppJeAA3mVUveFL8P6

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Show threadAllan ChowJan 22, 2023

Man someone was talking about lagers and you know what after a long day at work I could really go for some fried crap or glazed meats and wash it down with a freaking bud light. This place in Banqiao #Taiwan totally fits that bill.

水上鮮美食樓（板橋店）
https://maps.app.goo.gl/5VyjxR4iY9QSyC6C9

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Show threadAllan ChowJan 22, 2023
As I'm looking at this it slowly dawned on me that the wife always wants "flats" when ordering wings like in Taiwan "wings" just means the flats and tips.
Show threadGinaJan 6, 2024
@grumpasaurus man this whole thread is amazing!! I'm going to Taiwan in 12 days and so excited to try some of the spots you showed in your pics. Thanks for posting! 😊
Show threadAllan ChowJan 7, 2024
@Gina like even if you just decide to visit a couple different neighborhoods in taipei you'll be super busy!
Show threadApizo HafeezDec 23, 2022
@grumpasaurus since you already putting this much effort for soothing, healthy and delicious drink, why not homebrewing soymilk for a change. That creamy flavor coupled with the sweetnes from brown muscovado sugar is to die for!
Show threadAllan ChowDec 23, 2022

@ahafeezs healthy has nothing to do with it but yeah soy milk is super easy and I have the cheese cloths! Soy in the US is just ok though. I feel I need to use more soy bean than usual to get the flavor I want. I also simmer the pulp to get more flavor where other people tend to filter before simmering.

Chicago actually has some spots that make good soy milk too!

Show threadAllan ChowDec 23, 2022
@ahafeezs quite honestly I think the real good soy milk spots kind of have some char from just using the same pot over and over again :p
Show threadApizo HafeezDec 23, 2022
@grumpasaurus I second that, it's the same as fresh turkish ayran drink in Germany and Turkey where they have ayran fountain that runs freely and being scoop into cup before served.
Show threadApizo HafeezDec 23, 2022
@grumpasaurus nice one, but the million dollar question is, do they have Tau Foo Fah aka Douhua as well?
Show threadAllan ChowDec 23, 2022
@ahafeezs we used to have a meet fresh and it was ok there. Chinatown has a couple douhua spots but they're just ok.
Show threadcDec 23, 2022
@grumpasaurus Nice! What did you sample. Looks like sheng or oolong
Show threadbikejournoDec 23, 2022
@grumpasaurus
I particularly like the iced and (lime-)flavoured, refreshing green teas to survive the hot weather in #Taiwan. First got a taste for it back in March 2019 in #Taitung at Mr.Rich. The variety with passion fruit at #Taipei's Sip la Mode was particularly delicious.
My go-to drink after the morning's coffee and before the beers in the evenings, really.
Show threadAllan ChowDec 23, 2022
@bikejourno gotta do what you can to stay cool!
Show threadbikejournoDec 23, 2022
@grumpasaurus And keep the sugar level up, not to forget.
Show threadJakeDec 22, 2022
@grumpasaurus someone got me a Kona blend as a gift once. It just tasted like coffee... Still a good gift though! ☕