Restaurant: Chen Wei-hsiang Taiwan Food 陳維祥台灣美食

If you're looking for a late-night snack in Taipei's eastern district, Chen Wei-hsiang has the market cornered, literally. His two shops are located on either side of the intersection of lanes 107 and 160 on Da'an Road. Bigger-than-life yellow signboards of a grinning Chen giving a thumbs-up look down on passersby. Blown-up newspaper and magazine cuttings of him adorn the walls of his restaurants. And in evenings at one of these places -- the 24-hour eatery -- Chen himself can be seen standing outside watching the line grow longer. As it stretches around the corner, his grin curls into a smile.

Between the posters and the shameless self-promotion, Chen comes across as more snake-oil salesman than restauranteur. His is the kind of personality you might see selling carpet in 3am television ads in the States. Lucky for us, Chen has a higher calling.

"I want to make everyone in Taiwan healthy," he said. "Taiwanese food is not only delicious, but good for your health. If everyone in Taiwan tries my food just one time, they'll agree it's the most delicious, healthiest food."

If he sounds like a preacher, know that he already has more than a few converts. Most line up with their stomachs growling in supplication for a bowl of his famous sesame noodles (NT$30/NT$45). Only the hungriest souls order the large size, a deceptively deep bowl filled with an overly charitable portion. They're listed in the top-most section of the menu, under the heading zhaopai kouwei (招牌口味). Two items that are justly famed are Chen's five-vegetable soup, with or without pork cutlets (NT$40/NT$60) and his tomato beef noodle soup made with tomato juice (NT$100/NT$120). But the other items on which Chen's reputation has been built are the several juices he has on offer. In fact, the store across the street was established more as a fruit juice stand than a restaurant, but when the line at the original location threatened to interrupt traffic, Chen began offering much of his menu there, too.

The juices are a fruit-blend, a fruit and vegetable juice combination and a fresh-squeezed orange juice.

Rounding out Chen's menu are the small dishes you've often seen at Taiwanese restaurants but might not have been interested in trying: tofu, rolled seaweed, pig's head skin, and 1,000-year eggs.