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Shilin night market still sizzles

By Catherine Shu
STAFF REPORTER
Saturday, Aug 23, 2008, Page 14

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idely considered the largest and most popular of Taipei’s night markets, Shilin night market (士林夜市) hardly needs an introduction. Spreading over Jihe (基河), Wenlin (文林), Dadong (大東) and Danan (大南) roads, the market comprises hundreds of stalls selling inexpensive clothing, accessories, doodads and, of course, an all-encompassing survey of fried snack foods.

Shilin has its own indoor food court, a massive, boxlike concrete structure south of the main night market and directly across from the sweeping arch of Jiantan (劍潭) MRT Station that was opened by the city government in 2004 to improve sanitation. With the inside as raucous and crowded as any night market, it is hard to tell if hygiene standards are indeed higher, though having most munchies collected under one roof is certainly convenient for gluttons. Opening hours of the food stalls vary, but most stay open until 12:30am to 1am.

Hot Star Large Fried Chicken (豪大大雞排, stall No. 535) is the centerpiece of the food court and is usually marked by the long line of people waiting patiently in front of it. Swap your NT$50 for a sizzling slab of marinated, breaded, deep-fried chicken. The meat is tender and the crispy coating just right. Your taste buds will thank you, even as your arteries weep in terror.

The food terminal boasts several teppanyaki counters. Ri Shang (日上鐵板燒, No. 252) seemed the most crowded, so we sat down and split their seafood set (NT$350). The portions of cod, prawns and calamari were fresh and hearty, but the cooks were a bit heavy-handed with the salt. We balanced the yan (鹽) with a slightly pricey can of Taiwan Beer (NT$40).

Stewed calamari (生炒花枝) is a Shilin specialty sold at many stalls. We randomly picked No. 368 and ordered a bowl for NT$60. The generous slices of calamari in a thick, briney sauce were pleasantly chewy.

Foodies looking for something more unusual should try a bowl of pig’s blood soup. The serving at Wang Ji (王記, No. 381) has large cubes of gelatinized pig’s blood, which were reminiscent of tofu: firm and with little flavor aside from what the clear, savory broth with bits of green onion comported to it.

One of the most gratuitous examples of empty calories at Shilin is a fried confection called big bread wrapping little bread (大餅包小餅). We headed over to Lao Shi Lin (老士林, No. 501), where the pastries are available in a variety of sweet and savory flavors (one for NT$35 or three for NT$100). We ordered the curry wrap, but wished we had gone for the more popular red bean or sesame flavors as soon as we took a bite. The inner bun is deep-fried and resembles a samosa without the filling; the outer wrapping is like a tortilla. The flavoring in ours came from a liberal dusting of curry powder, which did a better job of drying out our throats than adding any spice.

Stuffed to the gills, we waddled toward the night market and made our way down Jihe Road, which is lined with carnival games. Slightly dazed after overeating, my companion and I squandered a few hundred NT dollars on one that looked easy enough: attempting to toss a dozen softballs into a cunningly designed milk jar. After three rounds and only a few successful shots, the woman running the booth cleverly extracted an additional NT$200 from us by promising us a stuffed Doraemon toy — win or lose — if we paid for two more rounds.

Dadong Road, the main pedestrian thoroughfare of Shilin night market, is filled with shops and stalls selling the usual cheap high heels, one-size-fits-all dresses and flashy jewelry. But the street also reveals its share of treasures, if you keep your eyes wide open.

Your eyes will be wide open, indeed, if you stop at Chong Ai Women (寵愛女人, 13-5 Dadong Rd), a lingerie shop that, in addition to NT$150 underwire bras, carries a decent variety of dress-up outfits. Be a sexy schoolgirl, French maid or nurse for NT$780 to NT$1,090. Sizes tend to run small, but good tailoring is probably beside the point here. For something a little different, head to Chao Qun (超群, 22 Dadong Rd), which sells Middle Eastern-inspired clothing and accessories. Coin scarves in bright colors are as cheap as NT$190, while sterling silver pendants start at NT$390. Flowing skirts in tie-dyed and floral patterns are NT$590 and up.

After our stomachs had deflated a bit, we wandered over to Xing Fa Ting (幸發亭) at 1 Anping St (1, 安平街), which has been open in Shilin for 40 years and is a de rigueur pit stop for summertime visitors. The store’s specialty, snow ice, is a delicious cross between shaved ice and ice cream and comes in a wide range of intriguing flavors, including aloe-honey (蘆薈蜂密雪片) and corn (玉米雪片), both NT$60.

Later, we unwound with an upper-body massage (NT$400 for 30 minutes) at the emporium-like Fei Lai Fa (飛來發, 16-1 Dadong Rd), which is open 24 hours. When we emerged half an hour later, we realized that we had spent more than three hours at the night market and, at 1:30am, had definitely missed the last train from Jiantan MRT Station.

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