Cookbook: Hualien

Taiwan 2012 - bentos

In Taiwan, one often feels like in Japan.

The cheerful service, the bentos, the cross-country trains, the pitchy but soothing spoken Mandarin, and how the locals are decked out in woolly furry winter clothing even though the temperature is in the mid-20s.

Bento bought from the Taipei Main Station before our 3 hr journey to Hualien

What you get inside the bento from Taipei Main Station

Chicken drumstick bento from Hualien

Taiwan 2012 - lotus flower tea 莲花茶

Lotus flower tea at 莲花池

For the kids, you can purchase fishfeed and spend some time feeding the carps in the lotus ponds.

5 stalks for NT100. That works out to about SGD4.50

Enjoying tea in the serene environment

tomato plants in the middle, and maize plants in the background

Taiwan 2012 - Mr Goose 鹅肉先生

The Hualien locals will usually recommend this goosemeat restaurant.

It is usually crowded, and the owners and helpers are rather friendly despite the crowd and are ready to give you advice if you are lost on what to order.

You have a choice of goosemeat - lean and fatty, and you order by weight. The meat is served with shredded ginger and the sauce, with hints of basil, goes well with it. You can order noodles, rice and vegetables to complete your meal.

The goose liver is good - powdery as we would describe it. We didnt enjoy the goosemeat as much as we found it more tough than the duckmeat we are used to.

Hualien food map : http://cookzbookz.blogspot.sg/2012/12/taiwan-2012-hualien-food-map.html

Location : near Jung Shan Rd and Jung Jeng Rd intersection.

Taiwan 2012 - 曾记 Mochi

There are a number of mochi specialty shops in Hualien, and this was the one our minsu owner recommended. The outlet along Jung Hua Road (across 7-11), with long benches outside, also became the landmark where we would wait for the minsu owner to drive us back to the minsu after our nightly trips to the town centre for dinner.

This mochi shop sells the famous sweet potato (tu gua) confection.

As for mochi, you can either buy loose pieces which are freshly made for less than 50cents apiece, or in nice packages. The fresh ones were good and come in various flavour - yam, peanut, sesame, green tea.

Hualien food map : http://cookzbookz.blogspot.sg/2012/12/taiwan-2012-hualien-food-map.html

Location : many outlets in the town area of Hualien. The one we patronised was along Jung Hua Road (across 7-11). Labelled at Tzen Chi moa chi.

Taiwan 2012 - 炸弹葱油饼

The famous oft-touted 炸弹葱油饼 in Hualien.

We asked our minsu owner about it on the way from the train station when we first arrived, and he brought us here. He suggested that we get it from any of the stalls along this street, as they tasted almost the same. We took a picture of another stall next to the one we bought from. That one had a longer queue.

It's egg with condiments, and deep fried till it expands in a large wok of oil. and some savoury sauce is added to it.

Fragrant but oily so we weren't in a hurry to eat too much of it.

One is more than enough for a few persons to try.

Hualien food map : http://cookzbookz.blogspot.sg/2012/12/taiwan-2012-hualien-food-map.html

I am not too sure of the exact location though. So if anyone can point out where the street is located, please do.

Taiwan 2012 - duo Fu tou Fu

Deliciously smooth almond tofu milk ice.

And DH had the grassjelly with yam-balls (yu yuan).

多福豆腐

Hualien food map : http://cookzbookz.blogspot.sg/2012/12/taiwan-2012-hualien-food-map.html

Location : at the intersection of Jung Jeng Rd and Jung Hua Rd, near where there is a Jin Cheng ice shop labelled.

Taiwan 2012 - 陈记porridge

Porridge to warm us up this cold winter night in Hualien.

There’s a good variety here – porridge made with different ingredients, and appetisers and dim sum which we pick out from the front counter.

Hualien food map : http://cookzbookz.blogspot.sg/2012/12/taiwan-2012-hualien-food-map.html

Location : Shiuan Yuan Rd, labeled as Chen Chi Salty Porridge

Dim sum and appetisers at front counter

front entrace

in the hallway

Taiwan 2012 - 公正包

Yummy small pork buns 公正包

At NT5 piece. That's less than 25cents each.

Hualien food map : http://cookzbookz.blogspot.sg/2012/12/taiwan-2012-hualien-food-map.html

Location : Along Jung Shan Road. Near the 7-11. Labeled as "Gung Jeng chinese bun"

Taiwan 2012 - Taroko Gorge

The beauty of Taroko Gorge beckons us, and we made the 3-hr train trip from Taipei to Hualien with kids and their granny in tow. We worried as rain fell on the second day we were in Hualien, and changed plans and kept fingers crossed for a visit to the gorge on the third day instead. The rain lightened, alternating with clear skies. We were rewarded.

Beef noodles (niu rou mian) at a row of eateries in Taroko
Piping hot, for the tired
We also realised that in Taiwan, if you say 'niu rou tang mian', it refers to beef-based soup noodles without the meat.