At 6pm, the famous line of customers was not beginning to back up through the kitchen as it normally does. Due to SARS, the food and beverage business is slower all over town, even at Taipei's most famous restaurant, the dumpling shop Din Tai Fung.
But in many ways, the slowdown also has something to do with the fame. Din Tai Fung has in recent years generated much of its business from tourists, with Japanese tourists alone making up one-third of the clientele, according to employee of 13 years Wu Chia-feng (
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"There are fewer tourists," said Wu, adding, "Taiwanese customers don't like to line up. But more people are taking out."
The restaurant started out more than 40 years ago as a street stall selling steamed dumplings and 30 years ago it moved to its present location. The kitchen was put at the entrance, forcing customers to file past white aproned cooks on the way to upper floor dining rooms, a feature that has since become a hallmark.
In 1993 the New York Times named Din Tai Fung one of the world's ten best restaurants, and the decade since has seen expansion, with six franchises added in Japan and one each in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Arcadia, California. Ordering and seating systems are computerized and there is now a Web site.
For many locals, growth has changed the restaurant. "Ding Tai Fung isn't what it used to be," said a woman who works in the area identifying herself as Ms. Huang. "It's really expensive. The price is fine for Japanese, but I think the food is better and cheaper at Kao Chi or Chinchiyuan."
Kao Chi, or Kao's Snack Collection (高記), and Chinchiyuan (金雞園), which are both within two or three minutes walk of Din Tai Fung, have similar menus of very good food, and are definitely cheaper (hsiaolungbao start at NT$100 at Kao's and NT$70 at Chinchiuan, compared to NT$170 at Din Tai Fung).
If you don't want to eat out, like many people recently, the entire menu is also available for take away. There is no delivery, but you can call ahead and your order will be ready in about fifteen minutes.
Last week the story of the giant illegal crater dug in Kaohsiung’s Meinong District (美濃) emerged into the public consciousness. The site was used for sand and gravel extraction, and then filled with construction waste. Locals referred to it sardonically as the “Meinong Grand Canyon,” according to media reports, because it was 2 hectares in length and 10 meters deep. The land involved included both state-owned and local farm land. Local media said that the site had generated NT$300 million in profits, against fines of a few million and the loss of some excavators. OFFICIAL CORRUPTION? The site had been seized
Next week, candidates will officially register to run for chair of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). By the end of Friday, we will know who has registered for the Oct. 18 election. The number of declared candidates has been fluctuating daily. Some candidates registering may be disqualified, so the final list may be in flux for weeks. The list of likely candidates ranges from deep blue to deeper blue to deepest blue, bordering on red (pro-Chinese Communist Party, CCP). Unless current Chairman Eric Chu (朱立倫) can be convinced to run for re-election, the party looks likely to shift towards more hardline
Sept. 15 to Sept. 21 A Bhutanese princess caught at Taoyuan Airport with 22 rhino horns — worth about NT$31 million today — might have been just another curious front-page story. But the Sept. 17, 1993 incident came at a sensitive moment. Taiwan, dubbed “Die-wan” by the British conservationist group Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA), was under international fire for being a major hub for rhino horn. Just 10 days earlier, US secretary of the interior Bruce Babbitt had recommended sanctions against Taiwan for its “failure to end its participation in rhinoceros horn trade.” Even though Taiwan had restricted imports since 1985 and enacted
Enter the Dragon 13 will bring Taiwan’s first taste of Dirty Boxing Sunday at Taipei Gymnasium, one highlight of a mixed-rules card blending new formats with traditional MMA. The undercard starts at 10:30am, with the main card beginning at 4pm. Tickets are NT$1,200. Dirty Boxing is a US-born ruleset popularized by fighters Mike Perry and Jon Jones as an alternative to boxing. The format has gained traction overseas, with its inaugural championship streamed free to millions on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram. Taiwan’s version allows punches and elbows with clinch striking, but bans kicks, knees and takedowns. The rules are stricter than the
RSS