Where Taipei, Taiwan
Why go The Portuguese called Taiwan Formosa, meaning beautiful. In addition to its wealth of natural beauty, the island boasts a capital city that's easily one of the best food destinations in the world. The national pastime of snacking becomes an obsession in Taipei, full of street stalls, casual eateries and bustling night markets. The food is good, plentiful and reasonably priced. It will have you darting about like an excited golden retriever, unsure where to look next, and happily demolishing everything in sight.
Must eats A comprehensive list is just not possible, but follow your nose and you can't go wrong. Get your mouth around gua bao, fluffy steamed buns stuffed with pork belly, topped with crushed peanuts and coriander leaves. Discover comfort in a bowl in the form of , chopped pork braised with soy sauce and five-spice and spooned over hot rice.
Pull apart some flaky spring onion pancakes hot off the griddle, or bite into a large shui jian bao, pan-fried buns that are golden and crisp on the bottom, soft on top, and filled with chives or pork. Follow the pungent smell of stinky tofu to its source and give it a go – it tastes so much better than it smells, helped along by a topping of pickled salad and a sweet chilli sauce. Make frequent pit-stops for bubble tea and eat all the dumplings you come across: fried pork pot-stickers served with lashings of chilli oil, delicate xiao long bao dipped in black vinegar and ginger, or the super-sized ba wan, pork and vegetable-filled discs made from rice flour that are steamed until translucent, then fried until the skin begins to blister, and served in a moreish sweet sauce. Join the crowd standing outside noodle joint Ah Cheng's in Ximending slurping spicy cups of vermicelli, and leave room to conquer a 'shaved ice mountain' for dessert.
A bowl of lu rou fan, braised pork on rice Source: Mandy Lee
If you only eat one dish Taiwan's national dish, beef noodle soup, won't let you down. Taipei hosts an annual festival for the soup, and in addition to tastings, cooking classes, and history exhibits, the best beef noodle soups in the city are judged to declare a winner. With a Sichuan ancestry, the beef broth is deep and savoury, thanks to the addition of tomato, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise and several hours of simmering. The succulent, red-braised beef falls apart at the touch of a chopstick, and the thick wheat noodles are springy and firm. To this you can add a spoonful of chopped pickled cabbage, which cuts through the richness, and some chilli oil. I was a willing repeat customer at the unmarked and unassuming Lao Wang Ji restaurant on Taoyuan Street, the only indicators being the open-air kitchen out the front and a large 'no photos' sign. Follow the queue around the back into the small dining room, pull up the next available chair, choose between clear and spicy broth, and wait for your bowl. The decor is stark, but the noodles provide all the warmth needed in this room, which is quiet but for the chorus of slurping. You won't need a picture to remember this meal.
Must visits Keep your evenings free to visit the city's many night markets, all with a carnival atmosphere and their own food offerings. Some of the highlights include chicken drumsticks stuffed with fried rice, small sausage stuffed into bigger sausages, piping-hot pepper beef pies and the famous Hot-Star Large Fried Chicken Schnitzels. If you find time between snacks, pay your respects at the original Din Tai Fung on Xinyi Road, explore the vibrant Ximending area, which is packed with buskers and street stalls or, for a taste of history, visit the monumental Chiang Kai-shek memorial and the National Palace Museum.
A gua bao (pork belly bun) shop Source: Rachel Bartholomeusz
Best food souvenirs Scope out Taipei Main Station to find stores filled with food gifts - cakes containing candied pineapple are Taipei's classic souvenir. If you're chasing something a little less conventional, the city is firmly in the grip of a penis-shaped cake craze. The cheeky sweet can be found at most night markets.
Photography by Rachel Bartholomeusz excluding from by Mandy Lee, with photography by Mandy Lee.
Raohe Street night market is one of many in Taipei Source: Rachel Bartholomeusz
