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.

The Breakfast Club - Lai Lai Yong He Soy Milk in Shanghai, China

Winnie and some youtiao!

Today, I’d like to take you back to Shanghai (the land of Cha’s and Da Hu Chun) to talk about a different spot and an interesting difference between Taiwanese and Shanghainese breakfast styles. A popular chain across China and Taiwan for breakfast is Yong He Soy Milk (永和豆漿), which serves traditional breakfast at a very reasonable price. I actually learned about this chain on my trip to Shanghai, but as soon as I got back to Taiwan, I started to see it around more.

The Breakfast Club Part 1 – Fu Hang Soy Milk in Taipei, Taiwan

Line up!

OUT THE DOOR

So Taiwanese people really love their lines – you line up to get into the subway, line up at the beginning of school, and pretty much line up to go anywhere. But one thing Taiwanese especially love to line up for is trendy and hyped-up restaurants. This past year, I think there’s been a Krispy Kreme, In-N-Out, and even Alexander’s Steakhouse pop-up in Taipei and that really gets the Taiwanese populace going. The lines were out the door, but it doesn’t take a new restaurant to get the blood flowing around here. In fact, one of the most consistently long queues day by day is for the best Chinese breakfast in Taipei – Fu Hang Dou Jiang. So what is a Chinese breakfast? Well, allow me to explain.

The Los Altos Food Adventure - Part 2

Dish or Dash?

Sk8tr Gurl

So after we got out of our comfy leather chairs in the bookstore, we decided to head out and grab some dinner – but it was only like 3pm. So like any responsible person, I decided to teach Athena how to ride a skateboard. We headed over to a local elementary school and I steadily guided Athena through a few easy steps on how to skateboard, as I know it. I'm a left foot forward guy, and I like to put my non-pumping foot at the front of the board. For me, the key to skateboarding is to always lean forward, something I learned from wrestling (where Coach would slap my face in different directions, telling me "your body goes where your head goes!"). So to start off our afternoon I watched as Athena clumsily skated laps around the blacktop of my local elementary school.