Hana in Taiwan
Top 5 Cuisines to Try in Taipei
Homesickness is a universal downside to moving abroad, but there are ways you can combat it. One solution used by people living in Taiwan is to cherish the cuisine of their homeland when feeling homesick
While traveling in Taipei, it is easy to find options for food outside of the island’s cuisine. Many friendly restaurants offer international delights like Mexican, Indian, Vietnamese, Japanese and Middle Eastern.
Here’s what I discovered:
5. Mexican
Mexican food shares bold, spicy flavors and lots of meat with Taiwanese cuisine, although it incorporates much more cheese and fresh produce (no dish is complete without cilantro, guacamole, lime, and pico de gallo).
The cozy and colorful décor at Teotihuacan Restaurant & Bar adds to the authentic fare, and I appreciated the “gringa” (foreigner) option of replacing corn tortillas with flour ones, as is common in Mexican-American fusion.
4. Indian
The abundance of vegetarian choices is a refreshing change, but the food is far from light, pairing eggplant, soft paneer cheese, and lentils with rich sauces and rice or naan.
Veer Jee’s Indian Restaurant happens to be right across the street from my apartment and will likely become a staple for me and my roommates. Don’t miss the mango lassi and garlic naan!
3. Vietnamese
You can find just about any Asian country’s food in Taipei, so when a rainy day had me craving pho, I stopped by THANH KY, a trendy spot on Yongkang Street.
It’s hard to go wrong with pho, but it was easy to go right with super-fresh shrimp and vegetable spring rolls, with a sauce just light enough not to be distracting.
2. Japanese
Another rainy day, another bowl of soup. Ramen is now familiar enough in Taiwan that I hesitate to call it a genuinely foreign dish, but “Manrai Onsen Ramen” (满来温泉拉麵) in Beitou felt like a scene from a Miyazaki film.
The neighborhood has a solid colonial flavor, and this flavorful broth with pork katsu, fresh greens, and silken tofu was perhaps the best thing they left behind.
1. Middle Eastern
Shawarma stands are everywhere in my native city of Austin, so the Egyptian Shawarma King was the perfect cure for homesickness. Surprisingly, the owner said he makes the food less spicy to suit Taiwanese tastes.
Nevertheless, onions added the perfect tang to the chicken Shawarma wrap, and I’ll be back to try a curry bowl soon.
Honorable mention: Korean grocery stores
Head to Wanhua District and stop by one of several shops in the blocks between Chengdu, Kunming, Xining, and Changsha Roads for an assortment of Korean snacks and drinks, from soju to all manner of instant noodle flavors.
