Most people concur that the Hualien-Taitung Highway is the most breathtaking stretch of road in Taiwan. On one side are the crystal clear waters of the Pacific and on the other is a dramatic range of steep, lush mountains that burst almost vertically out of the sea. Why this area has not yet been developed into the Riviera of Asia is a complete mystery.
There is one spot along the highway, however, that will remind visitors of the ritzy Mediterranean coast and that is Zorba Garden located about 10km north of Taitung City. Most restaurants along the coastal highway are of the fish-tanks-out-front, plastic-stools-inside variety, but Zorba is something entirely different. It is classy, romantic, serves excellent Italian food and is the most delightful respite from high-decibel, fried-food eating halls.
The restaurant is the brainchild of Tuscan-native Andrea Tognocchi and his wife Jenny Hu (
PHOTO: MAX WOODWORTH
And then there's the food, which will transport the mind to the Tuscan coast even quicker than will the sea breeze or the tasteful architecture. Start a meal with a refreshing Caprese salad, a green salad or a selection of gnocchi. For a main dish, the choice widens to include pasta favorites, like spaghetti with a range of sauces, ravioli and generous portions of oven-baked meat and vegetarian lasagna. There are three different cuts of steak and a delicious baked chicken, or for diners with smaller appetites there are several panini.
"I learned these recipes from my grandmother growing up in Italy. Every family has their own recipes, so these are our family's recipes. I've made a few changes here and there too," Tognocchi said, adding that the team of three cooks to whom he's passed down his culinary knowledge can now prepare the dishes even better than he can.
It would be a crime to have a meal at Zorba without trying the tiramisu, or without washing it all down with a nice glass (or bottle) of wine. Choose from Spanish, French or South African varieties.
Travelers with a taste for Italian food must add Zorba to the list of places not to miss because spots as nice and relaxing as this are few and far between, even in picturesque Taitung.
A vaccine to fight dementia? It turns out there may already be one — shots that prevent painful shingles also appear to protect aging brains. A new study found shingles vaccination cut older adults’ risk of developing dementia over the next seven years by 20 percent. The research, published Wednesday in the journal Nature, is part of growing understanding about how many factors influence brain health as we age — and what we can do about it. “It’s a very robust finding,” said lead researcher Pascal Geldsetzer of Stanford University. And “women seem to benefit more,” important as they’re at higher risk of
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
Last week the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) said that the budget cuts voted for by the China-aligned parties in the legislature, are intended to force the DPP to hike electricity rates. The public would then blame it for the rate hike. It’s fairly clear that the first part of that is correct. Slashing the budget of state-run Taiwan Power Co (Taipower, 台電) is a move intended to cause discontent with the DPP when electricity rates go up. Taipower’s debt, NT$422.9 billion (US$12.78 billion), is one of the numerous permanent crises created by the nation’s construction-industrial state and the developmentalist mentality it
Experts say that the devastating earthquake in Myanmar on Friday was likely the strongest to hit the country in decades, with disaster modeling suggesting thousands could be dead. Automatic assessments from the US Geological Survey (USGS) said the shallow 7.7-magnitude quake northwest of the central Myanmar city of Sagaing triggered a red alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. “High casualties and extensive damage are probable and the disaster is likely widespread,” it said, locating the epicentre near the central Myanmar city of Mandalay, home to more than a million people. Myanmar’s ruling junta said on Saturday morning that the number killed had