Asian Banquet Marvelous Food, Museums and Shopping Distinguish Taipei
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MILEAGE PLAN ADVENTURES Taipei OCK.COM ST ER TT IAO / SHU / IAO L REY REY FF JE The tallest building in the world from 2004 to 2009, Taipei 101 reigns supreme over the city, and reflects the strong economy. Asian Banquet Marvelous food, museums and shopping distinguish Taipei By Ilima Loomis It’s a crowded Friday night at Pin Xian, and for our first night in Taipei, we’ve satisfying release of hot oil and juices, I decided to try this casual “quick fry” restaurant, one of the most popular in the know we’ve come to the right place. A parade of plates later, the bill arrives. We city, just a few blocks from our hotel in the upscale Da’An district. Filling our combine our Taiwanese dollars on the table bowls from a rice cooker the size of a small bathtub, we point out our order on and push back our stools with a nod of the restaurant’s picture menu. Within minutes, the first dish comes out, still thanks. As we step out into the warm Sep- tember night, my friend does the math: sizzling: deep-fried oysters with black pepper, heaped atop fried bunches of Our entire meal—including the oysters; Thai basil. As I pop a barely cooled oyster into my mouth and bite down with a deep-fried softshell crab; chilled, gingery 176 ALASKA BEYOND MAGAZINE APRIL 2016 duck breast; savory roasted pork; noodles; garlicky stir-fried greens; and a whole OCK.COM steamed fish; plus the four one-liter bottles ST ER of cold Taiwan Beer we had—came to less TT HU S than $50 USD, for the four of us. YNN / / YNN With roots in Chinese culture, language W and cuisine, Taipei has the economical EL prices and easygoing, tropical vibe of Southeast Asia, while its efficient transpor- tation system and overall orderliness reflect the 50 years it spent under Japanese rule. It’s Shanghai without the chaos. It’s a more relaxed Tokyo. Put together everything you love about Asia’s greatest cities, take away what you don’t, and that’s Taipei. But Taipei—and Taiwan in general— is still largely undiscovered by travelers. Set on a hillside “It’s far less visited than other Asian cities,” overlooking the city, says David Borer, an American expat who the National Palace spent more than a year traveling across Museum holds a Asia before deciding to settle in Taipei, vast collection of Chinese art and where he now teaches business English to antiquities. residents of the city. “You don’t see many Western foreigners.” Not many Western leisure travelers, that Earth, and provides 360-degree views of Located at the northern tip of the island is; the island’s $523 billion economy is the metro area and the green hills and of Taiwan, Taipei is nestled in a low-lying strong and, led by semiconductor more distant mountains sur- basin, surrounded by the foothills of a volca- manufacturing, is the rounding it. nic mountain range, and bordered by the fifth-largest in Asia. Its distinctive shape Xindian and Tamsui rivers to the south and That makes Taipei a melds modern styl- CHINA business travel ing with that of Taipei destination. ★ another iconic Taiwan is also aspect of Taipei, noted for entre- the city’s myriad preneurship, temples. Taiwan TAIwaN represented by holds more than S the infinity of food o 5,000 such over u th stalls and small C all, Buddhist, Taoist h in a What’s to Eat shops that we see Sea and Confucian. They everywhere. include gaily decorated Hot, soft and savory, the oyster omelet The city’s business prow- altars, screens, statuary and is a Taipei street food staple that was once voted Taiwan’s favorite snack. ess reached a pinnacle, literally, in 2004 other artifacts; visitors can simply Tapioca or potato starch is added to the when the 101-story Taipei 101 became the admire the splendor, or acquire some egg pancake, giving it a slightly chewier, world’s tallest building at 1,671 feet. It’s paper “spirit money” (joss paper) to burn glutinous texture. Add a generous since been supplanted by Dubai’s Burj in special furnaces just outside the tem- helping of tender oysters and top with Khalifa, but Taipei 101 remains a stalwart ples. Joss paper may even include gold spring onions and a spicy ketchup- expression of the island’s thriving economy. foil, or in more modern versions, repre- based sauce, and you have the makings of a satisfying late-night bite. Its outdoor observation deck, at the 91st sentations of credit cards—perfectly level (1,285 feet), is second highest on reflecting the Taiwanese business bustle. APRIL 2016 ALASKA BEYOND MAGAZINE 177 MILEAGE PLAN ADVENTURES Taipei WHEN yoU GO Taipei has a subtropical climate, so summers tend to be hot and uncomfortably humid, while winters can get chilly. For a comfortable time exploring this very walkable city, spring or fall are best. For visitor information go to travel.taipei/en. Stay OCK.COM We loved our time at the five-star ST Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza ER TT Hotel, which has luxurious accommodations and breathtak- ing views of the city and Taipei 101 skyscraper at fairly reason- able prices for such a deluxe EVGEN BELICH / SHU / BELICH EVGEN Y , , T property; shangri-la.com/taipei. ER RIGH ER For a midrange option, the W west. The official capital of Taiwan province The Taiwanese tea ceremony is a multifac- Landis Taipei Hotel offers ele- O; LO O; T under Chinese rule, Taipei was taken over eted appreciation of the island’s fine teas. gant rooms in a classic Art Deco HO P by Japan when the island became a Japa- The appeal of colorful stalls and a wide building just a 5-minute walk OCK OCK T variety of culinary treats draws throngs each from the local transit station; nese colony at the end of the Sino-Japanese evening to the city’s many night markets. taipei.landishotelsresorts.com. LAMY S LAMY War in 1895. The island was regained by A China at the end of World War II, then in Eat ARI / / ARI D O turn taken over by the Nationalist Chinese To sample Taipei’s famous street N IO IO food without making the trek to B forces of Chiang Kai-shek in 1949, with , FA , Keelung, check out Shilin Night FT Taipei remaining the capital of the newly markets, can be found enjoying upscale Market, the largest ER LE ER independent island. Today the city proper malls in search of designer clothing at a W in Taipei, for fried is home to around 2.6 million people, the fraction of Tokyo prices. chicken skewers, O; LO O; T metro area almost 7 million. Drawn by the idea of such internation- grilled sausages, and HO P “It’s relatively clean, pretty quiet, very ally popular shopping, we venture out of the famous oyster OCK OCK T safe—and it’s affordable,” Borer says. Tai- our hotel on Saturday and head next door omelet. Bring plenty of local currency. LAMY S LAMY pei’s low cost makes it a popular destina- to the Taipei Metro mall. We browse A / / S tion for Japanese tourists, who, in addition through several outlets for name-brand For authentic dim EMI H to picking up knickknacks and tchotchkes designer clothes (mostly too small for our sum cuisine (above OP, OP, T for relative pennies in the city’s many street tall Western bodies) before finding our- right) in a more relaxed setting than a traditional dim sum restaurant, try Shi Li An for steamed buns, savory meat dumplings and spicy sour soup. For a fancy night out with a spectacular view, Yen Chinese Restaurant offers sublime Can- tonese “new Chinese cuisine” on the 31st floor of the chic W Hotel; wtaipei.com/yen. APRIL 2016 ALASKA BEYOND MAGAZINE 179 Working Together To Achieve Excellent Health Taipei selves in a traditional tea shop. Taiwan’s mild climate and cool moun- tain hillsides make it ideal for growing A place to learn. tea, and connoisseurs consider Taiwan- ese teas among the finest in the world; almost 20 percent of world production of A place to be. Oolong is here. As we sit down at the low counter for a tasting, the shopkeeper smiles and begins warming the pot, decanter and cups, filling them with hot water as she measures the tea and holds it out for us to smell. After adding the leaves to the pot and giving them a quick rinse with hot water, she fills the pot again and covers it, pouring more hot water over the top to keep it warm. A subtle, earthy perfume fills the air. Less formal and solemn than the ritualized tea service of Japan, Taiwan’s tea ceremony is nevertheless a precise Through native self-determination and culturally-relevant health systems, we strive affair. After a minute of brewing, our to be the healthiest people. Serving 28,000 patients over a vast 75,000 square hostess carefully empties the teapot into miles, help us continue this legacy while preserving tradition with sensitivity a small decanter, which she uses to fill to our heritage. Join us and enrich your own career and life experiences. our dainty cups. Like a multicourse meal that progresses from light salads to heavy Current openings include: Nursing, Physicians, Mid-Level Providers (NP/PA), roasts, we begin with a delicate green tea. Physical Therapists and many more. For additional opportunities or more I admire the color and fragrance, then information, please contact us or visit our websites today! take a few sips, savoring its comforting, grassy notes.