Meal delivery is changing rapidly and growing exponentially due to the online-to-offline revolution, which offers easy online ordering, customized offerings and speed. Thinking Curry (微想咖喱) operates out of a back alley on Wuxing Road, not far from Taipei 101. Providing the option of three curry flavors – Indian, European, or Japanese – it was so…
By Steven Crook and Katy Hui-Wen Hung “My father was born in 1926 in Tamsui. My mother was born in 1930 in Tokyo, where my grandfather (who was from Banqiao; my maternal grandmother was from Tainan) worked as a financial advisor until 1946. During the war, both of my parents ate hiromaru lunchboxes, with the…
Once in a while, try something out of the ordinary, or even downright bizarre. Taiwan has so many excellent restaurants – at all levels of the price scale – that it’s really hard for a diner to go wrong. But where to go when you tire of the conventional choices and you’re in the mood…
By Steven Crook and Katy Hui-Wen Hung “My grandmother cringed at the very mention of sweet potatoes. She was born and raised in Tainan, and when she was growing up, sweet potatoes were all her family could afford to eat. In later life, the thought of eating sweet potato in any form repulsed her. Even…
Authentic Thai cuisine is no longer hard to find in Taipei thanks to changing tastes and more outbound tourism. The Taiwanese have always been ambivalent about spicy food. Some Taiwanese revel in the explosive effects of chili peppers on the palate (consider the popularity of spicy hot pot here), but just as many balk at…
Katy Hui-wen Hung and Steven Crook discuss their newly published book. Katy Hui-wen Hung: I grew up in Taipei, studied in the U.S. from 1984 to 1986, and have lived in the UK since the late 1980s. Some years ago in the UK, I got to know Marlena Spieler, the acclaimed cookbook writer. Marlena, an…
What it’s like to dine out with celebrities on delectable, rich Michelin-starred food – gout be damned. Publication last year of the first Taipei Michelin Guide launched Taipei into the rarefied ranks of cities like San Francisco, New York, and Shanghai that can boast their own Michelin guides. Of the total of 20 restaurants in…
Warning: Do not serve alcohol to minors. When you drink, don’t drive. A food conglomerate that makes acclaimed whisky has introduced a Taiwan-flavored craft gin that is set to make a splash on the rocks or in cocktails. Pure spring water flows from Snow Mountain (Hsuehshan) and seeps into the sedimentary rock aquifer at the…
As more people embrace new flavors and healthy living, vegetarian cuisine is no longer confined to traditional Buddhist dishes. Fifteen years ago, Taipei-based restaurateur Marco Lapka and his wife Queenie Wu added a twist to their vacations. When on holiday, they would eat only vegetarian meals. “It’s easy to find good meals with meat almost…
I spent nearly 20 years of my career in the news business. Sometimes people ask me: What was your most popular story? Which one attracted the most attention? My answer is a bit embarrassing, though it probably shouldn’t be. As a foreign correspondent, I got to cover a lot of big breaking news — presidential…
