Page 56 iGap Travel Guide 2022
P. 56
iGap Travel Guide | Asia
56
Alternatively, hiking enthusiasts may wish to arrive
for sunrise and make Elephant Mountain the starting
point of a longer hike. This hotspot is connected to a
wider network of mountains and trails known as the
Grand Hike. Spanning 92 kilometres, the Grand Hike
is divided into seven sections, with each segment
having its own distinctive attractions. Participants
who can provide proof of completion by taking
photos with all 12 activities posts strategically
located along the trail will be rewarded with various
certificates and prizes issued by the Taipei City
Government’s Geotechnical Engineering Office.
All this talk of exercise is hungry work, so you’ll be
pleased to know that Taipei offers an exceptional
range and variety of food options. When Taiwan’s
triumphant athletes returned home from the
Olympic Games in Tokyo with a record haul of
medals, President Tsai Ing-wen rewarded them
with a breakfast takeaway from Fu Hang Soy Milk
to be delivered to their quarantine hotel. As the
name suggests, it is famous for its savoury soy
milk which is served in a bowl with spring onions,
pickles, and dried shrimp. Make sure you also try the
doughnut stick served in thick, signature, freshly
baked bread – the perfect accompaniment to the
soy milk. Situated on the second floor of the Hushan
Market (108 Zhongxiao E. Road), this breakfast shop
is popular with both tourists and locals. Expect to
find long queues, but don’t let that put you off as
the line moves quickly, besides, it is definitely worth
the wait.
Taipei is also home to the original Din Tai Fung
restaurant, which has since spawned into an
internationally renowned brand with chain stores
as far-flung as Covent Garden in London, as well
as in various states across the USA. The popular
restaurant specialises in
xiaolongbao
(a type of
steamed pork dumpling), and while this continues
to be its must-try dish, the whole menu is filled with
other delicately flavoured specialities. For those
looking to sample a range of dishes, the hot and
sour soup is a particular standout. The restaurant
also provides the perfect opportunity to try beef
noodle soup (a Taiwanese staple), while the very
brave amongst you could opt for century egg – a
curiously looking preserved black egg that has a
jelly-like texture along with a creamy yolk. Opened
in 1958, the original restaurant still attracts droves of
visitors on Xinyi Road in Da’an District.
The real highlight of Taiwan’s culinary scene,
however, is the street food on offer at the night
markets. Found in every major city, the night market
offers visitors the chance to go stall-hopping with
rows of vendors hawking an assortment of delicious
snacks. Each night market in Taipei offers a distinct
experience as they are renowned for their different
speciality dishes. Shilin is the biggest night market
in the capital with its most popular dishes including
xiaolongbao - Image by: @ukdintaifung
Image by: Sanga Park / Shutterstock.com
Image by: LMspencer / Shutterstock.com
56
Alternatively, hiking enthusiasts may wish to arrive
for sunrise and make Elephant Mountain the starting
point of a longer hike. This hotspot is connected to a
wider network of mountains and trails known as the
Grand Hike. Spanning 92 kilometres, the Grand Hike
is divided into seven sections, with each segment
having its own distinctive attractions. Participants
who can provide proof of completion by taking
photos with all 12 activities posts strategically
located along the trail will be rewarded with various
certificates and prizes issued by the Taipei City
Government’s Geotechnical Engineering Office.
All this talk of exercise is hungry work, so you’ll be
pleased to know that Taipei offers an exceptional
range and variety of food options. When Taiwan’s
triumphant athletes returned home from the
Olympic Games in Tokyo with a record haul of
medals, President Tsai Ing-wen rewarded them
with a breakfast takeaway from Fu Hang Soy Milk
to be delivered to their quarantine hotel. As the
name suggests, it is famous for its savoury soy
milk which is served in a bowl with spring onions,
pickles, and dried shrimp. Make sure you also try the
doughnut stick served in thick, signature, freshly
baked bread – the perfect accompaniment to the
soy milk. Situated on the second floor of the Hushan
Market (108 Zhongxiao E. Road), this breakfast shop
is popular with both tourists and locals. Expect to
find long queues, but don’t let that put you off as
the line moves quickly, besides, it is definitely worth
the wait.
Taipei is also home to the original Din Tai Fung
restaurant, which has since spawned into an
internationally renowned brand with chain stores
as far-flung as Covent Garden in London, as well
as in various states across the USA. The popular
restaurant specialises in
xiaolongbao
(a type of
steamed pork dumpling), and while this continues
to be its must-try dish, the whole menu is filled with
other delicately flavoured specialities. For those
looking to sample a range of dishes, the hot and
sour soup is a particular standout. The restaurant
also provides the perfect opportunity to try beef
noodle soup (a Taiwanese staple), while the very
brave amongst you could opt for century egg – a
curiously looking preserved black egg that has a
jelly-like texture along with a creamy yolk. Opened
in 1958, the original restaurant still attracts droves of
visitors on Xinyi Road in Da’an District.
The real highlight of Taiwan’s culinary scene,
however, is the street food on offer at the night
markets. Found in every major city, the night market
offers visitors the chance to go stall-hopping with
rows of vendors hawking an assortment of delicious
snacks. Each night market in Taipei offers a distinct
experience as they are renowned for their different
speciality dishes. Shilin is the biggest night market
in the capital with its most popular dishes including
xiaolongbao - Image by: @ukdintaifung
Image by: Sanga Park / Shutterstock.com
Image by: LMspencer / Shutterstock.com
