A distinctive feature of Taiwan’s culinary landscape, the rechao (熱炒, literally “hot-fry”) joint is a perennial favorite with its fresh seafood, bargain prices and unpretentious atmosphere. I usually avoid such places, however, for several reasons, not least of which are the sometimes dirty surroundings, questionable hygiene standards, and inebriated men playing drinking games at a deafening volume while smoking like chimneys.
Located in the heart of Taipei’s East District (東區), Xanadu (鮮納肚) has restored my faith in rechao restaurants. Though boasting the typical trappings, including beer girls, it is an updated and much tidier version.
The interior is orderly and brightly lit; the utensils look clean. There is no fishy smell and smoking is not allowed until 9pm at the earliest, according to the restaurant’s very sociable proprietor.
Photo: Ho Yi, Taipei Times
Many of Xanadu’s dishes are made from offal. Popular dishes include sauteed pork liver (香煎豬肝, NT$100), which is delectably tender and doesn’t leave a metallic taste in the mouth like other restaurants’ versions do.
The extensive seafood menu includes sashimi platters of salmon, tuna, swordfish and squid that cost between NT$100 and NT$190 per dish.
The dragon balls (鹹酥龍珠, NT$150), or octopus mouths fried with scallion, chili and peanuts, come recommended, though they could be habit-forming.
Photo: Ho Yi, Taipei Times
Xanadu’s shuizhu pork slices (水煮肉片), boiled strips of pork and vegetables served with oil and spices, is a localized version of a Sichuan specialty. By localized, I mean the dish lacks the numbing quality of the Sichuan peppercorn. The dish comes in three sizes, with the smallest (NT$300) enough for a group of three.
The open seafood display offers options that are often not on the menu. Ask the waitstaff for recommendations, but treat the response with a healthy dose of skepticism. On a recent visit, my dining partners and I ordered a crab that cost NT$1,000 on the recommendation of our server. It turned out to be very disappointing.
May 26 to June 1 When the Qing Dynasty first took control over many parts of Taiwan in 1684, it roughly continued the Kingdom of Tungning’s administrative borders (see below), setting up one prefecture and three counties. The actual area of control covered today’s Chiayi, Tainan and Kaohsiung. The administrative center was in Taiwan Prefecture, in today’s Tainan. But as Han settlement expanded and due to rebellions and other international incidents, the administrative units became more complex. By the time Taiwan became a province of the Qing in 1887, there were three prefectures, eleven counties, three subprefectures and one directly-administered prefecture, with
It’s an enormous dome of colorful glass, something between the Sistine Chapel and a Marc Chagall fresco. And yet, it’s just a subway station. Formosa Boulevard is the heart of Kaohsiung’s mass transit system. In metro terms, it’s modest: the only transfer station in a network with just two lines. But it’s a landmark nonetheless: a civic space that serves as much more than a point of transit. On a hot Sunday, the corridors and vast halls are filled with a market selling everything from second-hand clothes to toys and house decorations. It’s just one of the many events the station hosts,
Two moves show Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) is gunning for Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) party chair and the 2028 presidential election. Technically, these are not yet “officially” official, but by the rules of Taiwan politics, she is now on the dance floor. Earlier this month Lu confirmed in an interview in Japan’s Nikkei that she was considering running for KMT chair. This is not new news, but according to reports from her camp she previously was still considering the case for and against running. By choosing a respected, international news outlet, she declared it to the world. While the outside world
Through art and storytelling, La Benida Hui empowers children to become environmental heroes, using everything from SpongeBob to microorganisms to reimagine their relationship with nature. “I tell the students that they have superpowers. It needs to be emphasized that their choices can make a difference,” says Hui, an environmental artist and education specialist. For her second year as Badou Elementary’s artist in residence, Hui leads creative lessons on environmental protection, where students reflect on their relationship with nature and transform beach waste into artworks. Standing in lush green hills overlooking the ocean with land extending into the intertidal zone, the school in Keelung
RSS