Back in 2006, the local media was awash with news of the sensational split between the young owners of I Pin Huatiao Chicken (一品花雕雞), a hot pot restaurant that routinely required patrons to wait well over an hour for a table. The convoluted legal case led to the creation of the "Original" Huatiao Chicken restaurant by Wang Chun-hwa (王春華), which continues to draw big crowds at its three locations. I Pin Huatiao Chicken can still be found at 207, Civil Blvd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市市民大道四段207號) and the foodie blogosphere is replete with comparisons between the two.
The Original Huatiao at 10, Civil Blvd Sec 4, Taipei City (台北市市民大道四段10號) occupies a prime spot, and its enthusiastic staff continues to promote the "hot pot with a difference" passionately. Eight years since the launch of the service-intensive pot, which starts off dry and is made soupy over the course of a meal, some of the gimmickry has worn off, but the food still commands interest.
The signature dish is, of course, huatiao chicken (花雕雞鍋), which is available in a small pot for two to three people (NT$399). This is none the worse for the regular battery chicken in it, but for the fastidious patron, a similar pot with the more flavorful Taiwan native chicken is available for NT$698. The rich sauce, generously flavored with Huatiao rice wine, is served with chicken, capsicum and shallots in a cast iron pot. The staff adds mushrooms, different types of tofu and handmade flat noodles throughout the course of the meal, gradually thinning out the sauce. To finish, water is added to create a soup from what remains. Side dishes cost between NT$80 to NT$120. Five kinds of mushrooms are offered, and a mixture of these added midway through the meal gives the sauce a new dimension, making its flavor more complex.
PHOTO: IAN BARTHOLOMEW, TAIPEI TIMES
A lighter option is the Macau spare rib pot (澳門肋骨煲, NT$499). Lighter still is the appetizer clam hot pot (沙蜆鍋, NT$299). The establishment also offers a flavorful and fiery chili sauce that is an excellent accompaniment to all of the dishes.
Unlike some other some hot pot meals, during which you have to keep half a mind on the cooking to make sure the pot's contents don't boil over, the wait staff is vigilant and ensures that ingredients are added at the correct time, leaving you free to enjoy the food and service.
Sept.16 to Sept. 22 The “anti-communist train” with then-president Chiang Kai-shek’s (蔣介石) face plastered on the engine puffed along the “sugar railway” (糖業鐵路) in May 1955, drawing enthusiastic crowds at 103 stops covering nearly 1,200km. An estimated 1.58 million spectators were treated to propaganda films, plays and received free sugar products. By this time, the state-run Taiwan Sugar Corporation (台糖, Taisugar) had managed to connect the previously separate east-west lines established by Japanese-era sugar factories, allowing the anti-communist train to travel easily from Taichung to Pingtung’s Donggang Township (東港). Last Sunday’s feature (Taiwan in Time: The sugar express) covered the inauguration of the
This Qing Dynasty trail takes hikers from renowned hot springs in the East Rift Valley, up to the top of the Coastal Mountain Range, and down to the Pacific Short vacations to eastern Taiwan often require choosing between the Rift Valley with its pineapple fields, rice paddies and broader range of amenities, or the less populated coastal route for its ocean scenery. For those who can’t decide, why not try both? The Antong Traversing Trail (安通越嶺道) provides just such an opportunity. Built 149 years ago, the trail linked up these two formerly isolated parts of the island by crossing over the Coastal Mountain Range. After decades of serving as a convenient path for local Amis, Han settlers, missionaries and smugglers, the trail fell into disuse once modern roadways were built
“Once you get there, you think, that’s a little embarrassing or revealing or scary... but ultimately, I learned that is where the good stuff is,” says Taiwanese-American director Sean Wang about writing indie breakout Didi (弟弟), which debuted at Sundance Film Festival Asia 2024 in Taipei last month. Didi is a heartwarming coming-of-age story centered on the Asian American experience. Not just a 2000s teenage nostalgia piece, but a raw, unflinching look at immigrant families and adolescent identity struggles. It quickly became the centerpiece of the event, striking a chord with not only those sharing similar backgrounds but anyone who’s ever
In a stark demonstration of how award-winning breakthroughs can come from the most unlikely directions, researchers have won an Ig Nobel prize for discovering that mammals can breathe through their anuses. After a series of tests on mice, rats and pigs, Japanese scientists found the animals absorb oxygen delivered through the rectum, work that underpins a clinical trial to see whether the procedure can treat respiratory failure. The team is among 10 recognized in this year’s Ig Nobel awards (see below for more), the irreverent accolades given for achievements that “first make people laugh, and then make them think.” They are not
RSS