So much street food!

Happy Thanksgiving! (Writing this Thursday, Nov. 28 at noon, Taiwan time.)

So much street food!

My wife jokes she can smell cooking oil at all times.

Welcome to Taipei, Taiwan, China. Where it seems there is more street food than anywhere we’ve ever been.

Part of it is the fact that right outside our front door is the well-known Ningxia Night Market, where more than 100 food vendors set up every afternoon and sell until the wee hours. The street is often packed with customers; access to our building slowed by the throng. The hygiene??? I’ve only seen one rodent. (For the record, we’ve been diagnosed with parasites three different times in our years of travel).

Of course we’ve sampled quite a few of the street food offerings. Everything from sausages and chicken wings to more authentic Taiwanese items like sweet potato balls, pork belly, grilled squid, stinky tofu, intestines w/noodles, and mochi (a sweet glutanous rice desert). 

Thankfully, as shown in the photo up top, our Airbnb rental unit is on the 11th floor so the nightly street party is no real bother. Plus, the food fest extends throughout this whole neighborhood – and beyond. All over this city there are countless small cafes & diners, storefronts, stalls, stands, cafeteria/buffets, bakeries, pop-ups, food trucks, luncheonettes, ice cream counters; most of them spill out onto the sidewalk serving food just one step above the night market cart quality.

Obviously, we have no issues finding food this month. Even better, a meal at most of the options mentioned above usually costs only $3 to $5 per person. In addition, there are ‘real’ sit down restaurants – at every price point – throughout the Taipei metropolitan area of more than seven million people.

Here’s another food option/oddity we’ve noted here in Taipei: even the convenient stores are restaurants. 7-Eleven and Family Mart stores are on every big street corner. And inside many of them are dining areas for the packaged snacks sold or the quick fix noodles, hot dogs, coffees, etc.

We were amazed at the plethora of heat-n-eat offerings at 7-Elevens in Japan. But only in Taipei have we seen tables and chairs inside. Heck, the nearest 7-Eleven to us even has a small bar, a beer tap, and happy hour specials!

If you are wondering, the American fast food chains are here too. McDonald’s, Burger King, Pizza Hut, Subway, KFC — some of the logos I’ve seen. I had a 10-piece McNugget combo meal one day: $5.50 with medium fries and drink.

Of course, Starbucks is here in large numbers. Lots of local coffee chains and independents too (though not quite as many as Seoul, S. Korea). Large ‘Americano’ is around $3 — but a dash of milk is charged extra. Latté closer to $5. Amazingly, they all seem to do good business; many customers – even at night. 

Comparatively, there are very few bars/taverns around. But I have noticed groups of people drinking at some of the sidewalk cafés. Also different, food delivery services seem far less popular than in S. Korea or Japan.

Many Asian countries are known for night markets, food courts, hawker centers, etc. We understand why all these cheap, quick food options are popular. Wages are pressured. Budgets are tight. Grocery prices are up. Urban apartments are small. Kitchen facilities are limited. The weather can be hot. Grabbing a bite at a cheap nearby food fest makes sense.

Whatever the case, we intend to keep taking advantage of the food choices literally at our doorstep; alternating with some home-made meals and sit-down restaurants. And with plans to be in Asia throughout the coming winter (Malaysia & Indonesia), I’m sure we’ll be smelling a lot more cooking oils.

Finally, Happy Thanksgiving and holidays. It’s ironic I’m posting this food related story on the American ‘feast day’. I think I’ll have some Peking duck to celebrate. Fyi, it’s just another Thursday in Asia. But we have seen Christmas decorations and shopping promotions already here in Taiwan – a 93% Buddhist and Taoist nation.

As always, be thankful and generous, happy trails & more beer.

Life is NOW!

Thanks for reading, “So much street food!”

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