Kunming Street in Ximending is, in parts, lit by those rotating blue, red and white barbershop signs that are not advertising haircuts. I was on my way to a restaurant that had won a national beef noodle prize and was reluctant to stop when a man started talking to me, thinking it was a tout offering a "massage" from one of these establishments.
"Don't eat there he said," pointing to the prize-winning noodle restaurant that had been in business for 50 years, "the best place in town is here."
While Niu Dian (Beef Shop) wasn't shabby on first glance, it wasn't imposing either. Even so, a quick look on either side of the street suggested Niu Dian was the busier of the two restaurants. To cut a long story short, eventually the man said if I did not think his friend's beef noodles were the best in town he would pay for the meal. It was such an unusual offer that I agreed ... and ended up paying.
PHOTO: JULES QUARTLY, TAIPEI TIMES
The Han-style beef noodles was as good a bowl of the national dish as you will find. Connoisseurs will tell you that, like Japanese ramen, the broth should be sampled first. Made from beef bones and simmered over a gentle flame for 16 hours it looked like a consomme it was so clear and golden. It had a subtle rather than strong flavor. The Australian beef was sliced and slightly marbled. The small lumps of tendon were so tender they almost dissolved in the mouth, leaving a pleasant briny back taste. I am not a fan of stomach, but this was most palatable and easily chewed.
Most beef noodle fans keep it simple but owner Lin Kai (林凱) is a bit of a perfectionist. He offers three jars of homemade chili sauce, which vary in strength from mild to piping hot. The spicy oil is a specialty of the house, as it is made from marrow. Cold side dishes include soft peanuts, seaweed, marinated cucumber and sliced bamboo. For the adventurous there is tofu with thousand-year-old eggs.
Lin has been a chef since he was 14 and worked at the Westin, Shangri-La and Regent hotels. He has brought Western expertise to the art of beef noodle making. This is his first restaurant and is charmingly fitted in a simple manner, with solid, wooden tables and chairs and exposed brickwork. Though Lin has a good friend who loudly sings his praises, his beef noodle dish speaks for itself.
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