Food Treats in Hsimenting ，Taibei
By admin on 2015-02-03

As the winner of a tourism promotional event organized by the travel section of sina.com.cn, a well-known blogger who goes by the online name "the_air" embarked on an eight-day trip around Taiwan. Let's follow him through his journal updates.

There are certain types of food you should not miss when visiting Hsimenting, the most prosperous business and entertainment district in Taipei.

First on the list is goose meat. Although it's only 4 p.m., this small restaurant is fully packed with diners, most of whom are locals. Chefs dressed in scarlet uniforms are busy preparing the meat.

Goose meat is soft and succulent. But what makes the taste so unique is the sauce made from a secret family recipe

Mian xian," a kind of thin noodle, is a popular staple food in southern Chinese cities. In Taipei, there is a chain mian xian restaurant with a well-acclaimed reputation among diners. The restaurant's branch in Hsimenting is no more than a takeout stall but has an open eating area always crowded with customers.

The noodles are very thin and soft, almost as if they are overcooked

On Chengdu Road in Hsimenting, there is a time-honored food shop selling soy sauce-flavored products. With a history of more than 50 years, the shop is said to be frequented by film and TV stars. Hong Kong singer and actor Jacky Cheung bought an impressive amount of products here when he was in Taipei for a concert.

Most of the soy sauce-flavored products here are animal meat such as chicken wings and duck tongue.

After consuming all this meat, you will probably need something refreshing. Iced fruit juice is the perfect choice.

There are two types of iced fruit juice sold at this drink stall close to a subway station -- iced star fruit juice and iced pineapple juice. The latter is sweeter, while the former is sweet and sour.

Satisfied with this savory tour around Hsimenting, if you want to share the good food with friends and family at home, this souvenir shop (where you can buy food products) is the place to be.

This shop specializes in cakes and bread. The most famous of all its cakes is the Taiwan pineapple cake. Although the cake is also available in many shops in mainland cities, authentic Taiwan pineapple cakes are superior not only in taste but also in freshness. Their shelf life doesn't last longer than a month, which guarantees the soft fruit filling remains fresh.