In Taiwan, there are beef noodle stores everywhere you look, some serving unremarkable concoctions of tough beef and limp noodles, others offering dishes tender and flavored to perfection. Finding the perfect bowl is what the 2007 Taipei International Newrow Mian Festival (2007臺北國際牛肉麵節) is all about.
Last Sunday, the qualifying round pronounced five finalists in each of the three categories: traditional dark broth, light broth and creative noodles. This Sunday, the best of the best beef noodles will be announced. Victory is likely to lead to packed tables for at least a year.
On Saturday, the uniquely named International Teamwork Intercourse Competition brings in six teams of international chefs to put their own spin on Taiwan's beef noodles Saturday. This event and the local competition finals on Sunday will be held at the Xinyi International Club (信義公民會館). Over the weekend, there will be a variety of performances and about 20 beef noodle stalls, so the public can appreciate all styles and flavors of the dish.
In announcing the finalists last Sunday, Cheng Yan-chi (鄭衍基), the chief judge who presided over the 45 bowls of beef noodles under consideration, pointed out that a primary consideration in assessing a bowl of beef noodles was the balance between broth, noodles and meat. Cheng, once chef to former presidents Chiang Ching-kuo (蔣經國) and Lee Teng-hui (李登輝), praised competitors' efforts, and underlined the complexity of achieving that elusive balance. "A bowl of noodles that costs NT$800 to make will obviously taste different from one that sells for NT$80 in the shop," he said.
An event like this can do no more that point customers in the right direction, and for this coming weekend, it will provide a convenient opportunity for the noodle lovers in Taiwan to indulge.
Event notes
What: Taipei International Newrow Mian Festival
(2007臺北國際牛肉麵節)
When: Saturday from 3pm to 6pm; Sunday from 9am to 2pm
Where: Xinyi International Club (信義公民會館),
50 Songqin Rd, Taipei (台北市松勤街50號)
On the Net: www.new-rowmian.com.tw/en/index.html
March 10 to March 16 Although it failed to become popular, March of the Black Cats (烏貓進行曲) was the first Taiwanese record to have “pop song” printed on the label. Released in March 1929 under Eagle Records, a subsidiary of the Japanese-owned Columbia Records, the Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) lyrics followed the traditional seven characters per verse of Taiwanese opera, but the instrumentation was Western, performed by Eagle’s in-house orchestra. The singer was entertainer Chiu-chan (秋蟾). In fact, a cover of a Xiamen folk song by Chiu-chan released around the same time, Plum Widow Missing Her Husband (雪梅思君), enjoyed more
Last week Elbridge Colby, US President Donald Trump’s nominee for under secretary of defense for policy, a key advisory position, said in his Senate confirmation hearing that Taiwan defense spending should be 10 percent of GDP “at least something in that ballpark, really focused on their defense.” He added: “So we need to properly incentivize them.” Much commentary focused on the 10 percent figure, and rightly so. Colby is not wrong in one respect — Taiwan does need to spend more. But the steady escalation in the proportion of GDP from 3 percent to 5 percent to 10 percent that advocates
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
More than 100,000 people were killed in a single night 80 years ago yesterday in the US firebombing of Tokyo, the Japanese capital. The attack, made with conventional bombs, destroyed downtown Tokyo and filled the streets with heaps of charred bodies. The damage was comparable to the atomic bombings a few months later in August 1945, but unlike those attacks, the Japanese government has not provided aid to victims and the events of that day have largely been ignored or forgotten. Elderly survivors are making a last-ditch effort to tell their stories and push for financial assistance and recognition. Some are speaking
RSS