street food is an integral part of taiwan’s identity. in any given conversation about this charming country, the topic of culinary culture will inevitably surface. there are many, many things to love about taiwan, but you can bet that its gustatory goodies rank in the top five.

one of my dream careers is to be one of those food show hosts who travel around consuming regional specialties. ever see those japanese programs, where the demure, cute gals go to the country side and soak in hot springs and treat themselves to resort cuisine? and they make those ridiculous faces of pleasure, giggling and covering their mouths when they take their first bites? damn them. well i want their jobs! i could easily be stationed in taiwan and never run out of content.

my first stall after i arrive in TW, this one specializes in a huge variety of mantou, chinese steamed buns. yummers. soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet.

mantou and milk tea

okay, so technically 7-11 doesn’t constitute street foot, but they’re everywhere in TW and infinitely better than our sad versions here in the states. when hungry and/or short on time and money, get thee to 7-11 because rest assured, you will find all sorts of vittles. for instance – tea eggs (one of my favorite snacks), meat and veggie buns, lu wei skewers, a million different beverages, etc

this is an infamous chain called yong he. they’re reputed to be the best purveyor of fresh shao bing (doughy small flat bread) you tiao (fried crueller sticks) and soy milk in TW. throughout the trip my mom kept on saying that the first thing she wanted to eat was specifically shao bing you tiao from this chain. they hand you the soy milk in plastic bags. it’s easy to become hypnotized while watching them make everything from scratch

soooooo GOOD

peg with her winnins

the crunchy soft combo is heaven in christina’s mouth

the portable street food carts come out at night in ximending, a popular happenin’ gathering area for people of all ages (especially youth). i suspect that you can’t find these food vendors during the day because they need licenses. but once it gets dark, they all come out of the woodwork, wheeling out their delectable handmade goodies for the masses! delicious, and CHEAP! i’m always amazed by how economical and efficient their set-ups are. enterprising and smart.

red bean pastries

this guy was super skilled at cranking out wonderful doughy, crunchy green onion pancakes

corn, a classic

duh

swift hands adept at creating perfect little mochi balls dusted in peanut flour. oh, and i gotta say it: taiwanese mochi is the best

beverage culture reigns in TW. srsly. people love to sip away at all hours of the day. it’s contagious! coffee/tea and juice stands can be found everywhere. there’s probably one on every block. here peg refills on refreshing watermelon juice, and i sweet salty plum juice

this barely even scratches the surface. i’ll be posting more later.

yesterday i was doing pretty well at the booth, engaging visitors and practicing my mandarin (when applicable). it didn’t last though, because later in the afternoon i crashed HARD. sounds improbable, but this is exhausting work. by no means am i complaining, but smiling and talking to strangers for eight hours straight can do a number on you. right now there’s a persistent — but enthusiastic — guy showing photos of his jade collection to us (he said, “they don’t have to respect me, but respect my culture”). we’ve been getting a stream of dealers and collectors who want to display their mediocre goods in the museum. sigh. this is when our diplomacy skills get put to the test.

we’ve also met passionate connoisseurs who truly know their stuff. it’s inspiring and sweet, reminiscent of experts at comic conventions who can recite, say, the entire history of green lantern. one couple at our booth pointed out that our jade catalogue, a scholarly contribution to the field, had caused quite a stir in the community (don’t you love that there’s a community?), and questioned how we had came to some of the conclusions outlined in the book. they discussed things like “tool marks” and the resilience and adaptability of fakers, etc. good natured and fun. this spirited, convivial atmosphere is so energizing!

ANYWAY…

breakfast at harbour kitchen, the cha can ting located inside the convention and expo centre. the menu is expansive. this is congee with minced pork and preserved egg, shanghai style green onion bun, and milk tea. the meal exceeded my expectations. the congee had a nice meaty stock essence, and the bun was AWESOME (slightly toasted on top, then soft, airy, warm inside)

our board member brought us pineapple buns, lao po bing, egg tarts, and confections (peanut brittle, sesame bites, etc) from supposedly the best bakery in HK, in lyndhurt terrace. what a special treat! this was exactly what i had woken up that morning craving

this was a great sight to behold: people really digging our library of museum catalogues and pulling up a chair to get into them. many folks have wanted to buy them, but unfortunately we aren’t set up to do business

both our director and senior curator of chinese art gave brief lectures yesterday. here’s the former holding court with his audience after the talk

one side of the fair has some contemporary art. nothing earth shattering, but some eyecatching pieces:

i really liked this korean painting – thick and luminous, you had to see it in person

stephen chow!

artist li huayi has a semi-retrospective at the fair put on by the ink society (in celebration of his 60th). it’s right across from our booth. he is a beautiful man with warm eyes and a real artist’s flair. i’ll post a better picture of him later. the museum presented an exhibition of his haunting paintings about five years ago

generous treat #2 from our board member: assortment of cakes from the mandarin oriental

right now the man behind this fair is giving a talk on chinese antique furniture. looks like all the seats are full.
we’re situated in prime real estate, across from the ink society’s li huayi show and in front of the lecture room. is this considered “live blogging”? jay, our director, asked me to think carefully about our presence at the fair and share with him my thoughts — since i’m the one who’s stationed here the most. hopefully i can call on these posts when i return to work to refresh my memory.

it’s preview night of the hong kong international arts & antiques fair, and there’s a lull in the foot traffic to our booth. my colleagues are at a special dinner down the aisle in a makeshift VIP space. the evening has provided an abundance of people watching; i’ve spied a handful of colorful characters and impeccably stylish folks.

thus far on this insane and surreal trip, i’ve been flustered with my impotent mandarin, bought birkenstocks, had dangerously addictive HK style milk tea, witnessed the awesomeness of which wealthy good-hearted people are capable, and already contemplated a fantasy of living in hong kong. yesterday i had a rare free moment to explore, so i abused my poor foot and did just that.

this mammoth construction project is right next to the swanky long pool. it’s quite a sight, seeing it jut out along the poolside and cabana chairs, appearing from the top of palm trees

the view from #2731

hong kong’s MTR (mass transit system) is clean, efficient, and thoughtful, with excellent signage to guide you along. here’s a fun, random ad, and then an example of MTR’s positive, simple reminders to keep you in check

the infamous central-mid-level escalator. i LOVE it. you ascend hk’s treacherous topography while practically brushing up next to residents’ suspended laundry, peering into store windows, and getting a bird’s eye view of the bustling below. this structure has appeared in chungking express. if it does’t fill you with childlike wonderment the first dozen times you ride it, then you must be dead inside

took the escalator from central station to hollywood street, turned onto a busy alley and found fresh produce, seafood, and gnarly butcher stalls. wet markets make my heart sing

it was serendipity, because tucked away was THIS, a popular place known for its perfect milk tea (made with silk stockings). just earlier that morning i had read about this cafe and really wanted to try it, but didn’t think i’d get the chance. it falls into the cha chan ting restaurant category — hong kong coffee houses. the window was plastered in press clippings to proclaim notoriety. it was cramped and hoppin’ inside, so a tiny table had to be shared with others

glass of iced milk tea and a trademark dish: fried instant noodles with spicy meat and chicken wings, topped off with fried egg. not purdy, but tasty

see how happy i was sipping my delicious milk tea? great great great

back to wonderful hollywood street. it’s mostly an antique row with its share of stalls, boutiques, galleries, a handful of bistros, and trendy wine bars. the beautiful thing is that it’s also residential, lined with schools, a temple, and parks. if there was a decisive moment that made HK a favorite city, it happened while gallivanting this delightful stretch

creepy, pretty growth

stairwells are everywhere (and that’s the temple on the left). see the cute school kids scampering down the steps? probably saw five different school uniforms out there. lots of moms were picking up their wee ones at this hour

eyecatching decorative building

lomo store (bright red store front) smack dab in the middle of this mellow neighborhood. crazy!

belonging to the plethora of galleries

kids being kids + resident curmudgeon in the mix doing his calisthenics

backtracked into soho (bars, galleries, eats galore) and then into lan kwai fong, an extremely “happening” concentration of bars, clubs, restaurants. it’s the epicenter of nightlife, but more like a raucous hotbed of grossness and skeezy expats. regardless, was glad to visit just to see what it was all about, but more importantly, to see this!

yup, that’s my cuz simon. true to form, he’s staying indefinitely in HK to work on another cool project with two other likeminded bros. i’m prouda him. we met up in a subdued corner away from the madness

later in the evening, went across the water to tsim sha tsui in kowloon. the plan was to grab a bite, but hunger and exhaustion were deferred in the name of uniqlo and M U J I. my very first one, and it didn’t disappoint. fell head over heels with it, especially its black, buttery sheep leather wallet

keepin’ it real at a down n dirty food court. at this point we were almost flatlining

this morning, a fortuitous chance to get outside for breakfast. went to a festive, huge seafood banquet restaurant in an industrial, dated government building nearby. better-than-average dim sum (btw those are goose claws)

and i guess i shouldn’t sign off without showing why i’m so lucky to be in HK in the first place. getting the booth ready on our end was an intensely stressful experience. the wall graphic alone probably shaved a good two years off my life, but as you can see, our designer rocked it. despite the grinding tension leading up to this, it was worth it. i’ll be a permanent fixture at this spot for the next few days

someone snapped this pic of me frantically trying to reach a coworker on the phone – note my weird eyelids

this is commissioner sally. she RULES harder than 99% of humanity. a heart of gold who tirelessly champions for the things that matter

oh man, i’m wrapping this up in the hotel room and it is way too late for me to still be conscious. it’s been a VERY, VERY LONG DAY. maybe it’s jet lag?

ps – kelly chen’s wedding is all over the news right now. goodnight!

tan and steve sample a peculiar dish in seoul (tan was visiting, and steve moved there for school). looks like they’re at a street stand. pretty cray cray! i have so many questions for them…

the best in the west nugget rib cook-off in sparks (reno), nevada. we went, we devoured, we conquered.

it was A M A Z I N G.
i was so elated to cross “go to cook off” off my life’s to-do list. as insanely decadent as it was, i find myself craving ribs more than ever before. you’d think i’d never want to touch a half rack again, but since our return home i’ve had ribs twice from my neighborhood corner joint, roadside bbq.

before i launch into a recap of our pilgrimage of decadence, extra big ups to peg for driving and jeff’s family for hosting us in sacto at “chateau d’chew.”

we get in late friday night and settle into our jammies after a satisfying meal of homemade curry, frozen taquitos, mini corn dogs, and almond tofu. i pop my scrabble cherry (yes, it’s my first time) to the most intense battle of vocabulary mastery and wit. like trying to learn the art of war, board game style. here’s everyone when the game commences, eager and alive:

and here’s me like five hours into it. pretty much captures my exhausted, slaughtered spirit

the next morning we find this on the kitchen counter. AWWWWWWWWWWWW

being in the house in which jeff grew up is illuminating and touching. i get to see photos of baby jeff, little jeff, angsty jeff. we all fall in love with jeff’s parents too. they’re so charming!

after some diddle daddling, we board the silver bullet, reno-bound. jeff’s parents walk us out. as this happens, an epiphany strikes: every one should be seen off by warm parents with their arms around each other. it’s a poignant sight. they don’t stop smiling and waving until we drive off. is this on maslov’s hierarchy of needs pyramid? because i think it does cultivate healthy adults

i find the drive over donner summit a little daunting. i offer to give peg — the wknd road warrior — a massage but we nervously joke how it would cause her to swerve off the road and into our tragic deaths (bellies devoid of ribs).

after two and a half hours, we reach wooster high school — a free shuttle stop. here i force peg and hilary to pose next to the sign while starving in the hot sun. by this point, we’re all famished and lusting for ribs, not to mention trying to contain an urgent need to urinate

we get there and it is EXCITING. as luck would have it, brigid finds us as we we enter the fray. brigid, a san ho, is the person who told me about the cook-off in the first place. she went the year she got engaged, during a roadtrip with her husband.

she points us in the right direction, our first booth! arizona, huh? okay…

they hawk tank tops declaring: “grip it and lick it,” and “just bone me.” i like them already!

ahhhh! by the time we actually get our ribs we are DYING WITH ANTICIPATION. seriously. these turn out to be the best ones at the entire event. who knew? no other vendors’ ribs were so perfect. many layers of textures and density, with tender meat falling off the bone. mmmm

ohhhh yeah. fire roasted corn. buttery and sweet, with kernels that burst with every bite. topped off with seasonings and hot sauce. deeeeeeeelish

next up, memphis bbq. i promptly rush to this one because brigid tips me off to its deep fried dill pickles. she says the ribs aren’t all that, which is disappointing because i wanted to find revelation in tennessee Q.

blinded by excitement and a lapse in reasoning, i pay for two orders of fried pickles because i envision whole breaded pickles. i’m wrong. these are good! not great, but tasty enough to munch on. the creamy sauce definitely saves it, otherwise the sodium overload would murder you.

peg double fists guava margaritas. very refreshing

hilary gets a big ol’ lemonade. tastes mostly like mediocre sugar water, with no natural citrus tang.

neva gives a cheer while jeff stares off into the horizon, plotting his next kill

well, well, well…what do we have here? up to that point, i’d been mentioning deep fried goodies every other second. the moment has come….

these are texas style taters, and as much as i covet them, i conclude that it’s best to stay away…

…and defer to these!

as well as these! neva holds the mythical zucchini spears. i have to request ranch sauce. are they crazy? they should know better than to leave the packets of creamy herb magic under the counter

we find respite in front of a caboose. we sit and prepare for consumption of the fried zucchini and onion rings

here, perhaps the most disgusting moment to befall the nugget cook-off. they are HUGE. and yes my arms are unimaginably greasy afterwards

jeff had the brilliant foresight to pack latex gloves. as creepy as it seems, it’s a smart idea. do you know how difficult it is to eat ribs in an outdoor setting as you’re trying to juggle a million other things? there’s only so much sauce and fat you can wipe on your legs.

after the grease feast, we head here

jeff eats sausage with a gloved hand. great! the skin crispily snaps in your mouth, yielding juicy soft bitefuls of flavorful meat.

i’m going to fast forward here and bypass photos of all the different booths. you can see them here if you want. the showmanship is impressive and boastful, but after awhile they all look the same.

smoked turkey legs! admittedly, i’m not really feeling it, but neva is

so she stands in line and procures one. we pick off little fleshy bits and damn, that is one fine turkey leg! i am pleasantly surprised

refusing to give in and call it a day, i randomly allocate one last booth to be an accomplice in my swan song. i settle on a company from florida

it ends up being too syrupy sweet. sigh…

damn straight!

NOT COOL, dudes. i believe they’re from arkansas or kentucky. too bad, cuz we were jonesin for Q from way south

mr. melted eyeball

a few of these throughout the fair. says it all…

brushing red, red sauce all over the succulent racks

“it’s a love thing. you can’t bottle passion, but you can taste it!!” amen to that

by the time we get to the car, we’re all squashed

you’d think we won’t want to eat for the rest of the day, but soon after we return to chateau d’chew, we tap into the reserves (that jeff stealthily stowed away in latex gloves and ziplock bags) and gnaw away some more. we anxiously urge jeff’s parents to try the ribs — the best ones, from the arizona booth — that we bought before we left the cook-off

welp, that’s about it. rest assured, that won’t be my last rib cook-off. next up, a chili cook-off?

ohhh chris cosentino, how you confuse my feelings. so passionate you are, yet armed with a cocky and somewhat surly demeanor. it’s respectable though, a common genotype amongst many talented chefs. here’s sf’s very own star celebrity and king of offal in a gourmet.com video. haven’t found a way to embed, so here’s the link.

(yes. he is shaving a pig’s snout)

DUDE. the reno nugget rib cook off. man. that’ll be an epic blog post. stay tuned. so much crazy fun. peg’s pix — replete with bon mot captions — can be seen here.

tea time at the asian art museum’s MATCHA is this thursday, so come one, come all. only $5 for tons of tea and filling people watching. paul weller’s playing at the fillmore the same night. tempted. what time do you think he’d take the stage?

for now, just some random eye candy (for me) in no particular order:

a desert island fruit. golden kiwi. sweeter and creamier than its fuzzy green testicular cousin. with a hint of pear. delish. kiwis are good for you. my friend’s elderly mom eats one every day, and she’s a plucky healthy lady. kiwis are also called “chinese gooseberries.” i had to throw that in there.

FINALLY tried universal cafe. crossed that one off my list. didn’t disappoint. braised beef brisket hash with poached egg, salsa verde, sour cream (or was it creme fraiche?), and perfectly roasted taters. the chunks of meat were juicy and flavorful. definitely will go back. quaint atmosphere. the clientele is very SF, but not in an obnoxious way.

another conquest i can jettison from the list: dynamo donut out in the mission. i think it’s a husband and wife operation, tiny and charming with soul. they peddle “gourmet donuts” and yes they’re quite delicious. $2.50 a pop may seem pricey for a donut, but consider these quality nuggets of sinful sweetness. i wanted to try their banana caramel (win-win combo), but alas, we got chocolate star anise (rich and dense), vanilla bean glaze (more airy), and orange ginger (they only had three flavors). it’s a cute walk up structure too. lots of caffeinated beverage options.

the corner of 18th and guerrero was a madhouse on labor day afternoon. it was kind of gross, but what kind of person would i be (i know i’m misanthropic) to shudder at happy shiny people (including dirty hipsters) enjoying good food and the nourishing sunshine? crestfallen that they were out of the banana cream pie (an all time jyin favorite), i got the bread pudding, topped off with caramel-y bananas. perfect custardy fuel for the bike ride home.

oh yes. the last thing the internets needs is another banal rant about slow food nation. i went to the marketplace on friday. ambivalence. however, i did pay an outrageous $6 for these little pups. thank god they were delicious though, and supposedly regional to the south. perfect buttery biscuits sandwiching velveting shavings of succulent ham. with a side of fresh preserves. expensive, but worth it. never heard of or tried ham biscuits, so a first for me. disappointing? the let’s be frank $7 hot dog. nuh uh.

ain’t no party like a ham hock party.

over the wknd, i also managed to knock off two photo assignments for eater. bar jules and range. it felt productive. ps – i think i’m going blind in my right eye.

i have reservations about the slow food “movement,” some ignorant and unfounded and some because i’m usually not down with trendy “movements,” especially when they are founded on concepts that should be intrinsic to our lifestyles anyway. i’m a nasty naysayer.

regardless, i am a food fanatic (note that i refuse to use the tired term, “foodie”). my obsession with making every meal as pleasurable as possible is borderline unhealthy and problematic to my body image. so, despite my “hmm, i’m not sure about this slow food nation business” mentality, i can honestly say that i’m about to pee my pants with excitement about the slow food nation “market place” across the way from work.

they’ve done a nice job on the garden, but i stupidly didn’t know they were going to have vendors there as part of the food bazaar starting today. excellent. the vendor line up is thrilling: TWO ice cream purveyors (bi-rite and ici), fatted calf (fell in love with them during the cal farmers market days), VIK’s (yes, VIK’S), and a bunch of other heavy hitters. it’s not that big of a deal, but knowing it’s happening right outside our doors makes the convenience very nice.

is it lunch time yet?

also, the taste pavilions for the entire wknd are sold out. don’t matter, cuz tonight we embark on our own gastric adventure: the nugget rib-off in sparks, nevada. it is going to be a rib orgy of unimaginable, sick awesomeness. will report on that for sure, if we make it out alive and don’t succumb to heatstroke and/or heart failure.
fried zucchini, here i come!

oh god my mouth is actually watering.

courtesy of peggy

**addendum**: over the weekend my mom probably asked me five times with genuine care and concern, “are you eating organic food?!” to which i’d reply only half-facetiously something like, “pfft, of course. i live in san francisco, that’s all we do.”

celebrated lady liberty with a super-spontaneous but fruitful gathering. to sum up the evening with a few words: tater tots, lucky charms, taboo, and fireworks called “the rebel.” laying low with good folks and lethal food? that’s the way to do it. SF’s too foggy for firework surveying anyway.

pictobrowser is good in theory but in practice a bit stilted. so here’s the slideshow if you’re so inclined.

i’ve made a nasty habit of injecting sporadic shots of me stuffing my big fat face, so might as well keep the tradition alive. call me chubby cheekers

does anyone know what song i’m referencing? now it’s stuck in my noggin.

few things rival an irrepressible longing for a cheese steak sammie, specifically one from the cheese steak shop on divisadero (not the $hitty one in NoPA, but the one closer to pac heights). like the words proclaim on its bright yellow awning, it is indeed habit forming. so tasty, and you’re missing out if you don’t get the hot peps to adorn your cheese steak (as for the sweet peps, i could care less for them). peg and i had worked up a hunger in union square and knew we wanted something decadent and hearty…and this definitely hit the spot.

actually, earlier in the day, we brunched together as well (an act derek claims that only girls go ga-ga over) at la boulange in cole valley. it may not be the most perfect but it always suits us just fine.

and, last night, we made the trek to red lobster all the way in san bruno. it’s certainly not a terrific restaurant (afterall, it’s a chain, and not a redemptive one like claim jumper), but when you’re hard up for greasy goods like fried clams, those addictive warm biscuits that pair wonderfully with caesar salad, and FRIED SHRIMP, there’s not much you can do. peg was very kind and patient to indulge our (eric’s and mine) strange nostalgia for red lobster. if there was an AA group for the helpless souls addicted to fried shrimp, i’d probably be its founder.

(imagine the sloppy sounds of cookie monster)