Welcome to Indiana - Purdue Farmer's Market in West Lafayette, IN

Some scones from the market

My experience with food thus far in West Lafayette has been pretty interesting. Most of my meals are spent in the various dining halls around Purdue, but when the farmer’s market rolled around on Thursday, I knew I had to check it out. As a first year freshman, I find myself running around campus or desperately trying to navigate the swarms of people on my knock off penny board during my cross campus trips to various classes or to study at a library with friends. So in all the hubbub and frenzy of syllabus week, I decided to seek the comfort of the more familiar notion of the Purdue Farmer’s Market.

The Tastiest Road - Raohe Night Market in Taipei Taiwan

Bring comfortable walking shoes!

Some nice takoyaki we found

Night markets are often what people think of when they think of Taiwan - long narrow streets filled with people bustling around trying to get their hands on whatever grub the stands are peddling. But what no one tells you is how much you walk because yes, it might seem obvious because it’s a night market on a street but the feeling of being stuck in foot traffic and your ankles begging and whining for mercy really put things into perspective. Luckily I wasn’t alone and brought my friend Nathan, who was in the neighboring city of Taoyuan for a mission trip (he went back to the US early after fracturing his arm in some serious street ball).

The Origin? - Chun Shui Tang in Taichung, Taiwan

Allegedly. But most likely!

Enjoying a cold one!

Boba really is the craze these days, isn’t it? Trust me, I know – I did my prom ask with five cups (it went great). Boba, the great drink that goes by so many names and refers to one thing: a drink with tea, condensed milk, sugar and those sweet little pearls made out of God knows what (PCB actually). Pearl milk tea is another name for it, a direct translation from its original Chinese name 珍珠奶茶(zhen zhu nai cha). Its origins are in Taiwan – there’s no doubting that. But there is a controversy about the exact store that started boba. The one I went to claims to be the first – it opened in 1983 after being converted from another tea shop. And according to Chun Shui Tang in 1987, pearl milk tea was brought into the world. The other shop in this race for the first is Hanlin Teahouse in Tainan, Taiwan – I’ll tell you about it if I ever head down there. Chun Shui Tang came into existence when my dad just entered into high school at the number one ranked boys high school in the city of Taichung. It’s located behind the old city hall, where my grandmother used to work at a market that took place there. Surrounding the city hall is a bunch of historical food spots – including their famous sun cakes and meatballs. The meatball stand is one I remember from my childhood in Taichung – their service while not exactly friendly s quick and smooth, allowing a plethora of customers from the busy street rush in and out getting their meal in. And to contrast this all, Chun Shui Tang.

R-Eel-ly Good - Fei Qian Wu in Taipei, Taiwan

So good it might be eel-egal but it’s not. Illegal, that is.

Rain drops are dropping faster than mixtapes in the summer. There’s even a little thunder and lightning going on. So why am I braving the elements with my family and a few umbrellas on this dark night through a supposedly haunted park? Well, I’m trying to get to some delicious Japanese food! Wait - Japanese food in Taiwan? Yeah! Taiwan, over the recent years, has become more and more like something resembling America—a mixing pot of people from around the world doing business. And as the international influence and populace grow, international cuisine naturally starts to take prominence in the region (see: San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles). The same has happened here in Taipei, where there is one whole road dedicated to Japanese cuisine. Nearby is a whole set of stores that cater more to the Japanese tourist populace.

Not Your Grandma's Cooking – Shanghai Grandma in Shanghai, China

Just kidding, probably close to it

Their 

So if you've been following this blog, you know that I was trying to find a certain restaurant, walked in and was met with a barrage of bugs. Well, the restaurant I was trying to find was Shanghai Grandma, and it turns out it was right next to the one I went into. Winnie and I were out walking after eating at Da Hu Chun that day when we spotted the real Shanghai Grandma, on the way to the Bund. So the next day, right after getting out of the Oriental Pearl Tower, we ran straight for Shanghai Grandma on the opposite side of the Yellow River.Shanghai Grandma, at first glance, is a classic nice restaurant with velvet chairs and glass topped tables. When we went at about 2pm, it was understandably pretty empty, as it was after the lunch rush. We were quickly seated at a corner table and presented with a menu filled to the top with some Shanghai classics. The first thing I saw on the menu was the chaoniangao (炒年糕), which is essentially sticky rice cakes mixed with veggies and meat, then stir-fried. The flavors were delightfully balanced, as the salty flavor complemented the sticky texture of the rice cakes. That was probably the best dish there, as everything else was very…salty.

Three Times Will Do It – Da Hu Chun in Shanghai, China

Worth the three attempts!

Shengjianbao

As the rain came down, Winnie and I quickly rushed through with our umbrellas, trying to find the restaurant marked on our map. As we hurriedly splashed through the puddles, we passed a familiar wooden sign. Not today, we thought, we're going to try something new. But as soon as we opened the door of the new place, a fly flew out. Then another. There was a swarm of bugs in the restaurant, crawling on the floor, the ceiling, everywhere. And that's when I turned to Winnie and said," hey, maybe we should go to Da Hu Chun."

A+, what about Tofu+??? - Tofu Plus in Cupertino, CA

Hey, June!

Side dishes!!!

With the final grade in the books, in comes dead week: the week for Saint Francis seniors who don't have any finals to relax until they have to report for graduation practice on Friday. And being the foodie I am, I decided to go find places to eat with friends! June is a good friend of mine from  a few classes at school, and (I'm writing this after graduation so I know now) was the salutatorian for our Class of 2017! Needless to say, she's a pretty smart cookie who also happens to know a lot about the best Korean food in the area. Needless to say, I found a time that worked for both of us in order to get a sample of the best Korean spots that I've never been to or heard of.