One of the fun parts of living in a foreign country and of moving to any new location is finding the local gems. There are two particular food favorites that we’ve come across within a block from our apartment, and I’d like to share them with you now.
Dan Bing Breakfast Shop
Dan bing (蛋餅) is a sort of egg pancake that is a favorite in Taiwan. Just down the street from our apartment, there is a hopping breakfast shop that specializes in making delicious dan bing. The pancake part is made of onion, tortilla, and egg, and the filling that Charles and I like most is bacon and cheese. We drizzle a bit of special sauce (a little sweet, a little soy, and a little spicy) on top, and we have a delicious breakfast delicacy. The eatery has tables outside, or we can take our food to go. Here’s a video of the talented chef making some dan bing.
We made a friend at the shop. In fact, that’s why we tried the dan bing there the first time. We were actually looking for lunch, and a young man about our age called in English to us from the shop. He said they make very good dan bing there and we should try it. Though the shop was about to close and though I knew dan bing is usually a breakfast food, I thought, “Why not?” It turns out that Peter, our new friend, is the son of the owner. He works there while on breaks from graduate school where he is studying to become a counselor. He speaks superb English, and he has been a good and helpful acquaintance in the area.
Beef Shaved Noodles
When it’s lunch or dinner time, we can visit the local noodle shop for some delicious beef noodles. Our friend and Morrison host, Karen, took us to this shop on our first evening in Taichung. Right around the corner from our apartment, it’s a perfect place to walk to for weekday dinner or a Saturday lunch. The noodles are handmade and shaved from a block of dough. Here’s a quick video of the chef shaving the noodles on a hot Saturday afternoon.
We really enjoy the beef noodles and the onion cake at this restaurant, and judging by the fact that multiple Morrison staff members have mentioned this place as their favorite noodle joint, I’d say we’re pretty blessed to live so close to it. The noodles are thick and doughy, the beef is full of flavor, and the broth is seasoned with scrumptious spices. The only problem is that we usually have to apply stain remover to our clothing once we return home from this messy food choice. =)
We’re definitely enjoying living so close to these places, and we’ve been told that there are lots of other great places to explore in our neighborhood. We’ll share any exciting discoveries that we make!
“Foreigner in Formosa” is a series of short posts about all the things I find winsome, intriguing, and delightful about Taiwan (formerly known as Formosa, meaning “beautiful island” in Portuguese). If you liked this post, take a look at some others in the series.
Peace Along the Journey 