Tourists rave about Shilin Night Market, but my most productive night was spent at Gongguan Night Market. Though the night was mared by the rainy weather, we managed to make the most of it by sticking to a strict routine of hunting Taipei's much-raved about food hideouts.
The wheel cakes served at this shop on Dingzhou Road are a legendary snack in Gongguan. There is always a long line of customers waiting impatiently for them with looks of intense expectation on their faces. The shop has always been known for the generosity of its servings and the cheapness of its price. The wheel cakes are shaped like flying saucers and are so thick and hefty that you feel as if the red bean and cream filling is about to explode. For the fillings, small red beans are boiled into a pasty consistency to form the delicious rich cream that keeps us warm on a cold night.
Food-for-thought: What was weird about this shop is that their shop owners shun publicity at all costs. In a publicity-hungry world where the media does the talking, this is one shop that does the complete opposite. The shop's facade is old; there is no shop name (and we can only call it the Wheel Cakes); the owner prohibits photography; Sy was scolded from afar when she tried a random shot. Yet this shop not only survives, but instead thrives. Maybe it focuses on what it does well - which is its food, and its food will do the talking. But in this paparazzi-filled world, how many eateries boast of cheap-and-good food?
Proprietor Chang constantly stirs his pot of noodles while announcing a warm welcome to his customers. As they are stirred, the noodles emit wave after wave of aromas that stop passers-by in their tracks. Chang goes to the wholesale market every morning at 3:30 to buy the freshest Lugang oysters, which he cleans, shells, and covers with a thin layer of starch. He makes his noodles by hand too, so that they have an al dente consistency and won't stick together even after long boiling. The proprietor has an open mode of operation by selling his noodles at the front of the shop.
Food-for-thought: When oyster noodles are sold in Singapore, they were proclaimed to have originated from Taiwan. We came to Taiwan with this craving to be fulfilled. We searched high and low at every corner of Taiwan, only to finally find it on our last night. Did publicity distort the truth? Whilst this is a famous store, we did not manage to find other stores selling oyster noodles. Taiwanese people aren't really eating this dish. Can publicity make you famous overseas whilst you remain in the doldrums locally?
Wheel Cakes
The wheel cakes served at this shop on Dingzhou Road are a legendary snack in Gongguan. There is always a long line of customers waiting impatiently for them with looks of intense expectation on their faces. The shop has always been known for the generosity of its servings and the cheapness of its price. The wheel cakes are shaped like flying saucers and are so thick and hefty that you feel as if the red bean and cream filling is about to explode. For the fillings, small red beans are boiled into a pasty consistency to form the delicious rich cream that keeps us warm on a cold night.
Food-for-thought: What was weird about this shop is that their shop owners shun publicity at all costs. In a publicity-hungry world where the media does the talking, this is one shop that does the complete opposite. The shop's facade is old; there is no shop name (and we can only call it the Wheel Cakes); the owner prohibits photography; Sy was scolded from afar when she tried a random shot. Yet this shop not only survives, but instead thrives. Maybe it focuses on what it does well - which is its food, and its food will do the talking. But in this paparazzi-filled world, how many eateries boast of cheap-and-good food?Brother Noodles
Proprietor Chang constantly stirs his pot of noodles while announcing a warm welcome to his customers. As they are stirred, the noodles emit wave after wave of aromas that stop passers-by in their tracks. Chang goes to the wholesale market every morning at 3:30 to buy the freshest Lugang oysters, which he cleans, shells, and covers with a thin layer of starch. He makes his noodles by hand too, so that they have an al dente consistency and won't stick together even after long boiling. The proprietor has an open mode of operation by selling his noodles at the front of the shop.
No comments:
Post a Comment