The chirping of birds amid trees and ponds may not be what first comes to mind when one thinks of Taipei, but thanks to extensive private and public efforts city residents can enjoy a number of oases of nature and serenity. A good way to discover some of the best parks in Taipei is to…
Pick a day with nice weather and treat yourself to a walking tour of one of the city’s most diverse and appealing neighborhoods. Offering a diverse mix of sights, sounds, and flavors, the area near the Yuanshan (圓山) MRT Station, which is sometimes referred to as the “Confucius Temple Historic District,” has become one of…
More and more restaurants have been opening as increasing numbers of Taiwanese diners have come to appreciate Indian cooking. When Daniel Hsiung first arrived in Taiwan over 22 years ago, only a few Indian restaurants, including the venerable Tandoor Indian Restaurant, founded in 1989, could be found on the island. The overseas Chinese from Kolkata…
Publication is expected to help Taiwan’s outstanding restaurants achieve a higher profile internationally and boost tourism. Epicureans with an affinity for Chinese food have long appreciated Taipei’s culinary offerings. The Taiwanese capital has a rich variety of Chinese eateries, from no-frills street stalls specializing in scallion pancake to elegant Cantonese hotel restaurants. Compared to neighboring…
[ When You Drink, Don’t Drive. ] Alcohol is a valued lubricant when it comes to commerce, and these establishments represent some of the best the city has to offer in the drinks department. It’s time to impress a client, establish a relationship, or seal the deal. Dinner is of course an option, but so…
Back in the days before China was open to Americans for language study – and before so many U.S. high schools and colleges began offering Mandarin as a foreign-language option – Taiwan was the default destination for budding Sinologists. The most prestigious institution for pursuing Chinese language studies in that era was the Inter-University Program…
Given the downtown airport’s ownership structure and importance in serving Taiwan’s outlying islands, closing it would be problematic. Originally from Xindian, Alex Tsai is the manager of a bed and breakfast in the offshore island-county of Penghu and travels to Taipei up to five times a year to visit family and friends, shop, and take…
The 12-day competition in August will be largest sporting event ever hosted in Taiwan. Rarely does Taiwan have a moment to bask in the international spotlight, but a major such opportunity is coming this summer. From August 19 to 30, Taipei and neighboring cities will host the 29th Summer Universiade. Given that Taiwan inhabits a…
Taiwan’s steakhouse market has moved upmarket with the arrival of some new restaurants. High-end Western food has long struggled to gain a footing in Taipei. Celebrity chefs known for fusion cuisine, like Singapore’s Justin Quek, have come and gone. Yet one type of pricey Western restaurant has been successful here: the American steakhouse and other…
The drink of choice is usually Japanese whiskey, sometimes in innovative cocktails. Nestled deep in the labyrinthine lanes east of AnHe Road, a luminescent sign in the shape of a target glows red, white, and blue. Look closer and you’ll see that the sign indicates the entrance to a partially hidden bar. Push open the…
