Hsieh Li-hsiang (
Almost two years in preparation, the restaurant opened for business three weeks ago.
The exterior, an abstract sculpture of two Tao aborigines performing a frenetic hair dance commands attention of all who pass it; this encloses a massive four-story space that can seat up to 850 diners in comfort, along with a huge collection of iron, driftwood and clay sculptures, and a host of rough stone antiques imported from China.
PHOTO: IAN BARTHOLOMEW, TAIPEI TIMES
Hsieh sees herself primarily as an artist, and insists that the chain of restaurants she now runs, extending across the island, is an excuse to showcase her buildings and art. Fortunately, she has been lucky with her chefs, for the food, which is billed as innovative Taiwanese, is of sufficient quality and generously portioned to keep the punters coming back for more.
The banquet menu at NT$800 for 10 courses is an absolute bargain for big eaters. It is the kind of food you might expect to get at a traditional Taiwanese-style street-side banquet, though as everything is served on rustic crockery that has been designed by Hsieh and is made specifically for her restaurants, the effect is rather more sophisticated.
Display and atmosphere are an important part of the dining experience here, and for those looking to get their first taste of Taiwanese cuisine and social mores, Wu Chiao Chuan Ban is an excellent choice. While the quality of the food is not uniform, and some of the innovations may grate on the sensibilities of purists, the restaurant has established a strong reputation with locals through its outlets in southern Taiwan. Some dishes, such as the rice paste served for desert -- a variation on traditional mochi -- are wildly popular.
The food is certainly prepared with an eye for color and design, and the flavors are definitely robust -- very much in keeping with the rough and restless interior design.
In addition to the regular banquet menu (which requires at least four people), there is also a six-course vegetarian banquet, numerous seasonal specialties and a range of individual dishes that are offered for between NT$300 to NT$500, including a drink and desert.
Whatever else it may be, Wu Chiao Chuan Ban is likely to establish itself in Taipei as firmly as it has elsewhere on the island, and add to the variety of the culinary experience of Taipei's diners.
A series of dramatic news items dropped last month that shed light on Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attitudes towards three candidates for last year’s presidential election: Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), Terry Gou (郭台銘), founder of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). It also revealed deep blue support for Ko and Gou from inside the KMT, how they interacted with the CCP and alleged election interference involving NT$100 million (US$3.05 million) or more raised by the
A white horse stark against a black beach. A family pushes a car through floodwaters in Chiayi County. People play on a beach in Pingtung County, as a nuclear power plant looms in the background. These are just some of the powerful images on display as part of Shen Chao-liang’s (沈昭良) Drifting (Overture) exhibition, currently on display at AKI Gallery in Taipei. For the first time in Shen’s decorated career, his photography seeks to speak to broader, multi-layered issues within the fabric of Taiwanese society. The photographs look towards history, national identity, ecological changes and more to create a collection of images
At a funeral in rural Changhua County, musicians wearing pleated mini-skirts and go-go boots march around a coffin to the beat of the 1980s hit I Hate Myself for Loving You. The performance in a rural farming community is a modern mash-up of ancient Chinese funeral rites and folk traditions, with saxophones, rock music and daring outfits. Da Zhong (大眾) women’s group is part of a long tradition of funeral marching bands performing in mostly rural areas of Taiwan for families wanting to give their loved ones an upbeat send-off. The band was composed mainly of men when it started 50
While riding a scooter along the northeast coast in Yilan County a few years ago, I was alarmed to see a building in the distance that appeared to have fallen over, as if toppled by an earthquake. As I got closer, I realized this was intentional. The architects had made this building appear to be jutting out of the Earth, much like a mountain that was forced upward by tectonic activity. This was the Lanyang Museum (蘭陽博物館), which tells the story of Yilan, both its natural environment and cultural heritage. The museum is worth a visit, if only just to get a