There's some good news for diners concerned about the lack of options in Taipei when it comes to spicy latin cuisine: Mexican food is in. Every Thursday, the Westin Taipei puts on its "Mexican Buffet Night," which started on Sept. 23 and will continue on indefinitely.
The Westin Taipei sees now as a good time to promote Mexican food in Taipei as diner's tastes have taken a turn for the exotic. The hotel has really gone all out in hopes that diners will get hooked on guacamole, fajitas and the like and keep coming back for more. The selection of cold and hot dishes, deserts and drinks is almost too much to take in.
PHOTO: CHRIS FUCHS, TAIPEI TIMES
The abundance of fresh avocado, imported from the US, was the highlight of the cold-dishes portion of the buffet. As for more mainstream Mexican fare, the buffet has it all: tostadas, tacos, quesadillas, fajitas and a make-your-own burrito bar. And of course there are the margaritas.
The chimichangas -- meat-stuffed burritos deep-fried to crispy perfection -- really hit the spot, though the filling was less spicy and a little sweeter than one might be used to. That is because the theme throughout the buffet is Mexican flavor tweaked to suit Taiwanese taste-buds.
Head chef Sean Halpin, who has spent time in Mexico perfecting recipes and techniques, trained the Westin's staff of 35 chefs to recreate authentic Mexican cuisine, but with a little less sour and spicy.
While Taiwanese diners prefer more toned-down flavor, there is definitely an area of common taste between Mexico and Taiwan. "Taiwanese like cilantro," said Halpin, who found he couldn't use the herb at all in when he did a similar promotion at the Westin Korea.
Diners who insist on abundance of spice and flavor need not worry, however, as the chefs stress their readiness to make dishes to order that fit customers' tastes. Also, there are bowls full of paprika, cilantro, cumin, sliced jalapeno as well as the usual guacamole sour cream and salsa, allowing you to mix and match to your taste.
It might be difficult, but diners should remember to save room for dessert. Aside from the classic churos, there were several interesting choices. The tequila mousse, with just a hint of alcohol, was neither to rich nor too fluffy and will go down smoothly even on a full stomach. The rice pudding was thick and chewy, with an invigorating mix of vanilla, cinnamon, mango and strawberry. For a gooey treat, try the grilled bananas with caramel sauce and ice cream.
So if you've gone too long without a satisfying Mexican meal, fast for a day or two and then call up the Westin for reservations.
Sept.16 to Sept. 22 The “anti-communist train” with then-president Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) face plastered on the engine puffed along the “sugar railway” (糖業鐵路) in May 1955, drawing enthusiastic crowds at 103 stops covering nearly 1,200km. An estimated 1.58 million spectators were treated to propaganda films, plays and received free sugar products. By this time, the state-run Taiwan Sugar Corporation (台糖, Taisugar) had managed to connect the previously separate east-west lines established by Japanese-era sugar factories, allowing the anti-communist train to travel easily from Taichung to Pingtung’s Donggang Township (東港). Last Sunday’s feature (Taiwan in Time: The sugar express) covered the inauguration of the
The corruption cases surrounding former Taipei Mayor and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) head Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) are just one item in the endless cycle of noise and fuss obscuring Taiwan’s deep and urgent structural and social problems. Even the case itself, as James Baron observed in an excellent piece at the Diplomat last week, is only one manifestation of the greater problem of deep-rooted corruption in land development. Last week the government announced a program to permit 25,000 foreign university students, primarily from the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia, to work in Taiwan after graduation for 2-4 years. That number is a
This year’s Michelin Gourmand Bib sported 16 new entries in the 126-strong Taiwan directory. The fight for the best braised pork rice and the crispiest scallion pancake painstakingly continued, but what stood out in the lineup this year? Pang Taqueria (胖塔可利亞); Taiwan’s first Michelin-recommended Mexican restaurant. Chef Charles Chen (陳治宇) is a self-confessed Americophile, earning his chef whites at a fine-dining Latin-American fusion restaurant. But what makes this Xinyi (信義) spot stand head and shoulders above Taipei’s existing Mexican offerings? The authenticity. The produce. The care. AUTHENTIC EATS In my time on the island, I have caved too many times to
In the aftermath of the 2020 general elections the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) was demoralized. The Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) had crushed them in a second landslide in a row, with their presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) winning more votes than any in Taiwan’s history. The KMT did pick up three legislative seats, but the DPP retained an outright majority. To take responsibility for that catastrophic loss, as is customary, party chairman Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) resigned. This would mark the end of an era of how the party operated and the beginning of a new effort at reform, first under