2021/1/4 1:23 AM Issue Sponsor 號 執 照 登 記 為 雜 誌 交 寄 THE AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE IN TAIPEI TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS January 2021 | Vol. 51 | Issue 1 中 華 郵 政 北 台 字 第 5000 1_2021_Cover.indd 1 MESSAGE FROM BAYER to begin diligently applying sustainable concepts to their everyday lives.

Promoting Gender Equality Another SDG that Bayer Taiwan has made a priority is gender equality, launching its women’s empowerment initiative HerHeroes in September in 2020. The program saw Bayer partner with local NGO The Garden of Hope Foundation, as well as local gynecologists, to hold workshops and roundtables focused on women’s reproductive health. The event coincided with the Bayer Promotes Sustainable 60th anniversary of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the Development to Achieve birth control pill, a significant milestone for women’s reproductive rights and a “Health for All, Hunger for None” fitting time for the company to promote the notion of “your body, your choice” hile the COVID-19 pandemic NGOs to push forward its commitment to among young women in Taiwan. has wreaked havoc on the sustainability and a better world for all. W lives and livelihoods of billions around the world, it has also presented Bayer Innovation Award: humankind with a unique opportunity Empowering Innovation on Campus to consider how the way we live impacts In 2018, Bayer Taiwan began offering the environment and the future of our its annual Innovation Award, an initiative planet. With humanity facing an aging that aims to spur innovation, especially and growing population, the fallout from among the island’s youth, in three major climate change, as well as water scarcity fields vital to both Taiwan and Bayer: and a loss of biodiversity, it is clear that Human Health, particularly as it relates to #TaiwanFoodHero : Sustainable Agriculture urgent and more rapid progress is needed. aging and Agriculture. Seeing Taiwan as an optimum As we make our way into the new year, At this year’s competition, which environment for promoting innovative it is important for societies, governments, took place in June, Bayer recognized sustainable agricultural practices, Bayer and businesses worldwide to reflect on four outstanding innovators whose ideas has also partnered with local farmers how to minimize the negative effects of targeted issues such as healthy aging and associations to introduce the “Prophet these circumstances more effectively. zero hunger. Recipients of the award will Rice (先知稻)” healthy seedling technology receive consultation from local biomedicine to the island’s rice growers. The system 2030 Sustainability Commitment in Health and accelerator/incubator H. Spectrum and works similar to a vaccine, boosting the Zero Hunger National Chung Hsing University’s “immunity” of rice crops to threats such Setting an example in this regard is Startup@NCHU Innovation Center on how as rice blast fungus, sheath blight, and multinational life science Bayer. Reflecting to turn their ideas into action. parasites like the leafroller and stem borer. its motto of “Health for all, hunger for Through use of Prophet Rice, farmers none,” the company has been actively 2020 Volunteer Day : Introduce UN Sustainable can reduce by half their pesticide use, working toward the United Nations’ Development Goals to Children saving them time, labor, and costs. This Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), a Taking advantage of Taiwan’s relatively technology also opens a new chapter in set of 17 objectives that seek to provide a safe and virus-free status, Bayer Taiwan environmentally friendly agricultural shared blueprint for peace and prosperity also held its Volunteer Day at the Yu Le production, cementing Bayer’s commitment for people and the planet by 2030. Elementary School in Nantou County to a sustainable future. In countries across the globe, this year. A team of around 20 volunteers Bayer’s portfolio of leading businesses from the company traveled to the school in health and nutrition have helped in December, hosting a soccer competition contribute to disease prevention and and other games to help students treatment, food security, and sustainable understand the importance of working agricultural practices, among many other together to achieve the 17 SDGs. Through efforts beneficial to humanity and the the use of fun, interesting, and inclusive environment. In Taiwan, the company educational activities, Bayer hoped this has partnered with local governments and event would propel students and volunteers

2 TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021

Bayer.indd 2 2021/1/4 1:24 AM ADVERTORIAL Authentic Italian Cuisine with a Taiwanese Touch at Marco Polo

Recommended in particular is the New Zealand Premium Lamb Rack, grilled in the Marco Polo’s Josper brand charcoal oven and served with Jerusalem artichoke and truffle sauce on the side. The mouth- watering tenderness and strong flavors of iners at the Marco Polo, located the lamb are enhanced by the artichoke’s on the 38th floor of Shangri- rich nuttiness and buttery texture. D La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel, will No true Italian meal is complete notice that there is something delectably without dessert, and when it comes unique about the dishes on offer from to sweets, Marco Polo never fails to specialties into his dishes. Influenced by the its current Black Truffle Set Menu. disappoint. Chocolate lovers will celebrate recent popularity of lavender flower tea at Concocted by head chef David Hsu, the the Tortino con Cuore Liquido di Taiwan’s tea stalls, for this season’s menu menu features a luxurious selection of Cioccolato, a classic lava cake made with he created the Ravioli alla Lavanda, which high-end traditional Italian fare with buckwheat and filled with viscous melted consists of lavender and parmesan ravioli modern flourishes and the incorporation chocolate that flows gently across the garnished with house-made semi-dried of local Taiwanese ingredients, allowing plate once the lucky diner cuts through its grapes and wild berries and topped with a customers to sample the full spectrum of solid outer shell. champagne foam. flavors in each successive dish. The quality of the Black Truffle Set As the meal begins, diners seeking to is already very high when the menu is get their palates up to speed may order launched each autumn, Hsu says, but the Culatello e Melone, Italian Culatello it reaches its peak in the cool winter ham served with lightly sweet Taiwan months as all the different components are cantaloupes and punctuated by the crisp tweaked to perfection over time. crunch of honeycombs and pungent kick Reserved and modest, Hsu attributes of Gorgonzola. Other appetizer options much of the creativity and success of his include the Carpaccio Di Salmone, which menus to his expertly trained, world- features vodka-cured salmon, cucumber, class kitchen staff. He also stresses his mini carrot, cream cheese mousse, roe, appreciation of Marco Polo’s customers, and mesclun field salad. Meanwhile, the whose support have helped carry the Capesante Scottate in Padella con Purea Chef Hsu is no newcomer to the restaurant through what has been a very di Cavolfiore e Tartufo boasts a powerful world of culinary arts. With well over a difficult year for the food and beverage blend of pan-seared scallops, sambuca decade of experience cooking in some of industry. cauliflower purée, sautéed baby spinach, Taipei’s finest restaurants alongside world- “Everywhere you go, you can find and Italian black truffles. It is sure to renowned Italian chefs, Hsu has worked Italian food,” says Hsu. “It’s a style that delight any connoisseur of fine Italian his way up from absolute novice to master everyone knows how to make. But Italian cuisine. chef. His tenure at the Marco Polo began food that is made well and with care – in 2014, and this year he was promoted to that is something that the customer can the position of chef de cuisine. definitely perceive, and it is the biggest Hsu says the key to crafting the Marco strength for me and my team at the Polo’s menu, which changes each season, Marco Polo.” is to adjust and improve upon time- honored Italian cuisine, modifying it to accommodate the local Taiwanese market while taking care to preserve its original flavor and style. He also enjoys using all of the different culinary elements from Entrées on the Black Truffle Set Menu Italy, from red and white meat to fresh span a wide range of high quality meats seafood and vegetables. and seafood, from U.S. and Japanese One of Hsu’s favorite practices is steak to Iberico pork and Boston lobster. thinking about how to integrate Taiwanese

TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021 3

Shangrila.indd 3 2021/1/4 1:25 AM CONTENTS 6 President’s View Despite COVID-19, Taiwan’s Food Scene Continues to JANUARY 2021 VOLUME 51, NUMBER 1 Flourish By Leo Seewald

Publisher 發行人 8 Taiwan Wakes Up to Leo Seewald 李豪 Cruelty-Free Eating

Senior Advisor 資深顧問 Cage-free eggs at supermarkets Don Shapiro 沙蕩 and vegan fare at restaurants Senior Editor 資深編輯 are just some of the changes Jeremy Olivier 歐嘉仁 taking place as part of a move- Art Director/ 美術主任/ ment spearheaded by local Production Coordinator 後製統籌 animal rights groups and con- Katia Chen 陳國梅 scientious businesses. Manager, Publications Sales & Marketing 廣告行銷經理 By Dinah Gardner Caroline Lee 李佳紋

American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan 129 MinSheng East Road, Section 3, 12 Experiencing Taipei’s 7F, Suite 706, Taipei 10596, Taiwan Authentic Japanese Cuisine P.O. Box 17-277, Taipei, 10419 Taiwan Tel: 2718-8226 Fax: 2718-8182 e-mail: [email protected] Taiwan’s capital offers some of website: http://www.amcham.com.tw the best, most affordably priced 名稱：台美商會工商雜誌 發行所：台灣美國商會 Japanese food outside of the 臺北市10596民生東路三段129號七樓706室 電話：2718-8226 傳真：2718-8182 Land of the Rising Sun.

Taiwan Business Topics is a publication of the American By Matthew Fulco Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan. Contents are independent of and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Officers, Board of Governors, Supervisors or 16 Cold Days, Hot Springs, members. © Copyright 2021 by the American Chamber of and Warming Foods Commerce in Taiwan. All rights reserved. Permission to reprint original material must be requested in writing from AmCham. Production done in-house, Printing by When winter weather arrives, a some of their focus to their food Farn Mei Printing Co., Ltd. soak at one of Taiwan’s many and beverage business, offer- 登記字號：台誌第一零九六九號 印刷所：帆美印刷股份有限公司 hot springs is an attractive ing attractive package deals and 經銷商：台灣英文雜誌社 台北市108台北市萬華區長沙街二段66號 發行日期：中華民國一一○年一月 way to ward off the chill. Cer- coming up with new, delicious 中華郵政北台字第5000號執照登記為雜誌交寄 ISSN 1818-1961 tain foods are also said to help ways to draw in the island’s achieve the same purpose. domestic travelers.

Chairperson: CW Chin By Mark Caltonhill By Jeremy Olivier Vice Chairpersons: Fupei Wang, Timothy Shields Secretary: Daniel Tseng 20 Feeding the Departed: 28 Night Markets Find Ways to Treasurer: Angela Yu Taiwan’s Food Offering Get with the Times 2020-2021 Governors: C.W. Chin, Brian Sung, Timothy Shields, Fupei Wang, Roger Yee, Angela Yu. Traditions Taiwan’s ubiquitous night markets 2021-2022 Governors: Families across Taiwan continue are cleaning up their act, becom- Justin Chin, Cynthia Chyn, Paulus Mok, Terry Tsao, Daniel Tseng. to engage in an ancient tradition ing more environmentally friendly,

2021 Supervisors: Max Chen, Shelley Chia, Seraphim of offering up ritual feasts to their providing better entertainment Ma ancestors. One clan has been options, and exploring new mar- COMMITTEES: Agro-Chemical/ Melody Wang; Asset Management/ performing these rites in the kets to accommodate the island’s Eric Lin, Angela Yang, Derek Yung; Banking/ Paulus changing demographics. Mok; Capital Markets/ Mandy Huang, Eric Jai, C.P. northern city of Taoyuan for over Liu; Chemical Manufacturers/ Charles Liang, Michael two centuries. By Jules Quartly Wong; Cosmetics/ Abigail Lin; Defense/ Manohar Thyagaraj, Roger Yee; Digital Economy/ Max Chen, By Steven Crook and Katy Hui- Renee Chou, Tai Chi Chuan; Energy/ Richard Freer, 32 In Tainan, the Focus is on Randy Tsai; Human Resources/ Christine Chen, Wen Hung Carmen Law, David Tsai; Infrastructure/ Wayne Sweetness and Tradition Chin, Paul Lee; Insurance/ KT Lim, Mandy Shih, 24 Taipei’s Hotels Linda Tsou; Intellectual Property & Licensing/ Jason When you go, eat like the locals. Chen, Peter Dernbach, Vincent Shih; Marketing & Find Pandemic-Era Distribution/ (tba); Medical Devices/ Louis Ko, Jeffrey Tuck into big portions, don’t Wang; Pharmaceutical/ Justin Chin, Rie Nakajima, Opportunities in F&B Shuhei Sekiguchi; Private Equity/ Echo Yeh; Public waste time standing in line, and Health/ Joyce Lee, Pongo Peng, Tim Shields; Retail/ In the nearly year-long absence Ceasar Chen, Mark Chen, Peggy Liao; Sustainable enjoy the freshest beef soup in Development Goals/ Kenny Jeng, Lume Liao, of international travelers, Tai- Cosmas Lu, Fupei Wang; Tax/ Heidi Liu, Cheli Liaw; Taiwan. Technology/ Cynthia Chyn, Stella Lai, Angela Yu; pei’s hotels have begun shifting By Louise Watt Telecommunications & Media/ Thomas Ee, David Shin, Joanne Tsai; Transportation & Logistics/ (tba); Travel & Tourism/ Gina Tsai, Jason Yeh, Fiona Yuan. COVER DESIGN: GRACE YANG

4 TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021

1_21 Contents.indd 4 2021/1/4 1:26 AM JANUARY 2021 • VOLUME 51 NUMBER 1 COVER SPONSOR 36 Michelin Guide Taiwan – Taipei vs. Taichung The Michelin Guide Taiwan ventured outside of Taipei for the first time in 2020 and explored Taichung. Four restaurants earned Michelin stars – JL Studio, Fleur de Sel, Forchetta, and Oretachi No Nikuya – and the choices revealed the stark differences between the Taipei and Taichung culinary scenes. By Sunny Wu, CommonWealth Magazine 40 Vertical Farming Takes Root in Taiwan Grand Hyatt Taipei Taiwan is uniquely placed to benefit from the application of information Where Unique Experiences Become technology to agriculture, enabling it Everlasting Memories to help provide food for an expanding global population. Grand Hyatt Taipei, located directly next to the world famous By Jules Quartly landmark Taipei 101 in Xinyi District, the most cosmopolitan and 44 Taiwan’s Sparkling Wine wealthiest district of Taipei, is the first and the largest international Evolution 5-star hotel in Taiwan. The mass market is growing fast, driven by Prosecco and Cava, while Since 1990, Grand Hyatt Taipei has been a trendsetter and Taiwan Champagne still dominates the high hospitality icon for fostering innovations, setting industry stan- end. dards and developing talents for nearly 3 decades. A team of over By Matthew Fulco 1,000 caring and devoting individuals, united by the same pur- pose of “caring so that you can be your best,” passionately deliv- AMCHAM EVENT ers personalized and meaningful experiences that go beyond the 47 International Patient Day: expected journey. Widening Access to Advanced Medical Technologies From a wide variety of internationally-certified dining options to resort level facilities, the impressive grand lobby to the finest EXECUTIVE SUITE details in our guestrooms, we offer a relaxing urban getaway 48 Meet Joseph Ho of Swire Coca- for guest from all around the world. Guests get to explore and Cola enjoy this diversified “city within a city” with its warm and friendly By Jeremy Olivier people, incredible food choices, and a conveniently modern life- style at the best value for money. COMPANY ADVOCACY 2 Bayer Promotes Sustainable Travel is a never ending quest for that special moment when Development experiences come to life. At Grand Hyatt Taipei, we exist to create unique experiences that matter to you the most and to convert SPONSORED CONTENT them to everlasting memories. It’s time to stop searching and 3 Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza really start indulging in life at Grand Hyatt Taipei. Hotel Authentic Italian Cuisine with a Taiwan- ese Touch at Marco Polo 50 The Sherwood Taipei Experience the Pinnacle of Comfort and Service

TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021 5

1_21 Contents.indd 5 2021/1/4 1:26 AM PRESIDENT'S VIEW

Despite COVID-19, Taiwan’s Food Scene Continues to Flourish

PHOTO: SHANGRI-LA’S FAR EASTERN PLAZA HOTEL, TAIPEI

t is hard to know what 2021 will bring us, but it appears that travel will not be a big part of the agenda, at least in the first half of the year! As per tradition (Don Shapiro informs me this goes back to 2003), the Wine & Dine edition of ITOPICS will help provide you with something delicious to do in Taiwan. Taiwan’s dining environment has continued to become more vibrant and inter- national over the last few years. It is by no means an easy market. Many restaurants only last a year or less, but those that survive often end up opening additional loca- tions and sometimes change their offerings from location to location. Like any business, restaurants rely on a formula for success. Good food is not enough! There are also a growing number of food suppliers for the do-it-yourself market. Large chains like Costco and Carrefour carry an abundance of specialty items, but increasingly there are smaller importers who bring in more niche prod- ucts, such as mussels from Chile, foie gras from Quebec, and flour from San Francisco. One of the pleasures of Taiwan is discovering that secret supplier who has just what you need to create your fantasy dish. Cooking the dish is only half the adventure; the other half is locating those hard-to-get ingredients. In any case, whether you are a foodie and love to try new dining experiences or a closet five-star chef, Taiwan’s food scene is certainly heading in the right direction. Bon appetite!

Leo Seewald President, American Chamber of Commerce in Taiwan

6 TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021

1 presidents view.indd 6 2021/1/4 1:20 PM

ANIMAL WELFARE TAIWAN WAKES UP TO CRUELTY-FREE EATING

Cage-free eggs at supermarkets and vegan fare at restaurants are just some of the changes taking place as part of a movement spearheaded by local animal rights groups and conscientious businesses.

BY DINAH GARDNER

he sound of clucking chickens efforts to make conditions for livestock isn’t something usually associ- and poultry more humane, the French- ated with shopping in a super- owned supermarket chain upped the T market. But roll your shopping number of cage-free egg brands from just cart past the egg section in a Taiwan Car- three in 2018 to 24 currently, according refour these days and you’re likely to hear to Dream Lin, PR manager for the store’s the incongruous squawks of hens. A TV Taiwan operations. suspended from the ceiling plays a looped “Sales penetration has increased from video showing the differences between 4% to 22% in the past three years,” Lin free-range birds and battery chickens. says. “We have found that big egg sup- The free-range chickens, looking pliers are also starting to invest in cage- plump with fluffy plumage, bob around free egg farms.” a yard, perch on roosting structures, and The supermarket has pledged to stock wiggle into hollows for a dust bath. Their only cage-free eggs by 2025. In addi- caged counterparts are stuffed three or tion to the cage-free corners, it has its four to a cage, their bodies scraggly and own private label cage-free egg line and marked with raw bare patches, their cage uses cage-free eggs in prepared meals and mesh caked with dried feces and torn off bakery products. feathers. A caption asks the viewer: “Can Carrefour isn’t the only retailer to battery chickens living in such an envi- promote a humane approach to egg pro- ronment produce healthy eggs?” duction. Local health food chains such as Chickens stuffed into battery cages Carrefour launched their cage-free Cotton Field Organic and Green & Safe (above, left) versus their free range egg corners and began talking with egg say their egg range is 100% from cage- counterparts (right). Below, local Ani- farmers to promote cage-free prod- free birds. In October this year, IKEA mal Rights NGO EAST's Cage-Free Alliance label for free-range eggs. ucts back in early 2018. Working with said it would use only cage-free eggs PHOTOS: EAST the Environment and Animal Society of in its in-store restaurants by the end of Taiwan (EAST), a local NGO that leads 2021, and upscale specialty supermarket

8 TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021

Cruelty free.indd 8 2021/1/4 1:27 AM ANIMAL WELFARE

city’super has pledged to match Carre- four’s 2025 goal. The move towards cruelty-free eggs is just one sign that a growing awareness of animal welfare here is impacting what people are choosing to eat. The trend can also be seen in the growing number of vegan and vegetarian establishments in Taiwan’s big cities, the widening variety of non-meat meals on sale in convenience stores, and the increasing number of chain cafés, both local and international, that are offering plant-based milk options for their beverages. One of the most popular resources for finding vegan and vegetarian food world- wide is the HappyCow website and app (more than one million downloads in Google Play store as of December 2020). According to figures supplied by founder remote area where not much else exists.” Eric Brent, 232 new vegan and vegetarian While the rising interest in cruelty- restaurants had been added to its Taiwan free dining is also connected to envi- pages in 2020 as of the end of November, ronmental and health concerns – and compared with just 73 in the whole of is partly rooted in the country’s Bud- 2015, a more than threefold increase. dhist traditions – it does mirror similar Currently, there are 1,081 establish- trends overseas and is accompanied by an ments listed nationwide, of which 292 are uptick in the number of local NGOs like located in Taipei city. EAST that utilize street protests, Face- Even these numbers are an underes- book campaigns, and media coverage to timate, since listing requires someone bring animal rights issues to public atten- to register it on the site. Plus, as Brent tion. There are now dozens of non-profit explains: “HappyCow has never tried to groups that focus on promoting veg- add every vegan/vegetarian food stall in anism, banning animal testing, and advo- EAST provides consumer education Taiwan. Instead, we’re focused on places cating the proper care of stray pets. Tai- related to animal products at a variety of venues. The organization's founder, which are exceptional, offer a nicer dining wan’s first Animal Rights March was Wu Hung (below), has been involved in experience, or are located in a more staged in Taipei in 2017, albeit with just animal rights activism since the 1990s. PHOTOS: EAST

under 200 participants. A pivotal character in the animal rights movement in Taiwan is Wu Hung, the founder of EAST. A former Buddhist monk now in his 60s, Wu joined one of Taiwan’s first animal rights organizations, Life Conservationist Association (LCA), in the mid-1990s. LCA’s major achieve- ment was pushing the government in 1998 to pass the country’s first Animal Protection Act, which now covers items such as the proper care of pets and the humane slaughter of livestock, and bans animal abuse with fines and prison terms as penalties. It wasn’t until 2017 that Taiwan banned the slaughter of dogs and cats for meat. Wu, who left LCA to form EAST French supermarket chain Carrefour offers cage-free eggs from two dozen brands, in 1999, is practical in his approach to including its own, at all of its Taiwan locations. PHOTO: CARREFOUR animal advocacy. Taiwanese love meat,

TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021 9

Cruelty free.indd 9 2021/1/4 1:27 AM ANIMAL WELFARE

especially pork, so his focus is not on according to EAST. KiTA grew out of a movement to pro- turning people vegan, but in promoting Compared to eggs, cruelty-free mote plant-based eating called Vegan30 humane farming. The biggest hurdle, he meat and dairy is a tougher challenge. that challenged people to stop eating says, is changing the way people think Improving conditions for pigs and cows meat for 30 days. Chang is so dedicated about farm animals. is more complex simply because there to the cause that she helps run KiTA in “They are just considered things, are many issues to tackle, from the use her spare time while working a day job not living beings with feelings,” he says, of sow stalls (tiny crates in which female in international business development for which is in sharp contrast to people’s atti- pigs are confined for months, unable even a pharmaceutical company. She became tudes toward dogs and cats. to turn around) to what kind of bedding involved with animal rights advocacy as Promoting cage-free egg farming is to provide dairy cows held in concrete- a student in her 20s, at which point she one of the organization’s most successful floored sheds. EAST is working with the decided to quit meat permanently because campaigns to date, partly because farmers government and farmers, step by step, she couldn’t rationalize wanting to help can improve conditions for chickens to replicate its progress with eggs and animals while still eating them. simply by not confining them to cages. improve conditions for other animals, Overall, about 10% of eggs on sale in says Wu. These measures include creating Youth engagement Taiwan are now cage-free, Wu says, up humane standards for keeping livestock, from 1-2% when campaigning started drawing up guidelines, and lobbying for Young people have been a driving 13 years ago. The organization has pio- stronger legal protections. force in the trend for more humane food. neered a Cage Free Alliance (CFA) of Kindness to Animals (KiTA) is another Eric Wu, chef and co-owner of Bagan- farmers who, in return for allowing local organization that is seeking to move Hood, a popular upscale vegan bistro audits of their chicken barns or coops, on from simple street protests to strate- near Songyan Park in Taipei’s Xinyi dis- can display a logo on their product of a gically working with online influencers trict, says that in the past, most people chicken with a heart-shaped tail that con- and lobbying the government. “Our first who chose plant-based diets did so out firms the eggs are verified cage-free. intervention was to ask the Taiwan Food of religious observance, such as with EAST can also help farmers transition and Drug Administration to ditch animal members of Taiwan’s Buddhist commu- from battery to barn or free-range facili- testing for health food certificates,” says nity. “But now it’s young people who are ties. Consumers who want to ensure they Chang Chia-pei, KiTA’s 37-year-old co- going vegan because of animal welfare are buying humane eggs should look for founder, referring to such experiments as concerns,” he says as he cradles Bagan- the CFA logo on the box together with drowning rats to test claims that a food Hood’s brown poodle, Chocolate – who the characters for “free range” (fangmu, product prevents fatigue. Wu says is also vegan – on his lap. ), meaning the chickens have out- “And in October we staged a media Three years ago, Wu opened his first door access (the ideal situation), or “barn conference with some legislators to ask vegetarian/vegan restaurant, VegFarm, chickens” (pingsi, ), where the birds the Health Promotion Administration to serving Italian food in Taichung with two are kept uncaged but in indoor barns. revise its guidelines on diet to include the friends – sister and brother duo Carrie There are now 31 full CFA members; guidance that well-planned vegan food is Lee and Mike Chen – when they were all together they farm about 300,000 hens, suitable for any age group.” still in their twenties. They started Bagan- Hood in September 2019 and plan to launch their second Taipei kitchen next year. According to Wu it will be a vegan re chao restaurant (Taiwanese-style beer hall with stir-fried dishes) – perhaps the first of its kind in Taiwan. The idea behind BaganHood, Wu says, “is to welcome everyone, meat eaters and vegans alike.” He mentions that the restaurant serves alcohol, which is rare for vegan/vegetarian eateries, and features fake meat products from OmniPork and Beyond Meat. Indeed, at lunchtime on a recent weekday the res- taurant was packed, hosting groups of middle-aged women as well as tables of what looked like office workers in their 20s and 30s. BaganHood’s menu, dominated by burgers and Mediterranean cuisine, also Conditions for milk cows at dairy farms in Taiwan are particularly dismal, something has a creative selection of global fusion EAST and other animal rights groups hope to rectify. PHOTO: EAST dishes. The Indian-style curry bowl is

10 TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021

Cruelty free.indd 10 2021/1/4 1:27 AM ANIMAL WELFARE

Taipei eatery Baganhood offers a wide variety of dishes, from vegan versions of typical Western fare to more exotic options such as its curry bowl. PHOTO: BAGANHOOD

chicken eggs. “A plate of fried rice in Din Tai Fung costs around NT$280, but they are still using very low-end battery cage eggs,” says Wu. If you prefer your Zhejiang cuisine with bird-friendly eggs, EAST notes that Dian Shui Lou, a similar restaurant chain, has chosen to use only cage-free chicken and duck eggs. The Songshan branch, with its imperial Chinese feel, has a par- tially open kitchen where you can watch chefs beat, pinch, and pull dough into solid and hearty and carries a funky kick to persuade them to follow THEFREEN’s dumplings amid puffs of flour. The shao with its blocks of stinky tofu. Paired best example. Two of the more notable brands mai (pork and shrimp dumplings that with rice, the dish is a rich mix of vege- that have been in their sights are Burger look like tiny open sacks and are served tables, warm and soft, with everything King and Taiwan’s own Din Tai Fung. steaming in a bamboo basket) are the from pumpkin to okra and carrots to Last November, several animal rights stuff of dreams and the veggie dumplings snap peas. The Sicilian Stew appetizer is a groups led by EAST held a protest out- bulge with green leafy goodness, while the meal in itself. Made with creamy chunks side a Taipei branch of the famous xiao custard mini buns are unbelievably juicy of avocado that topple onto the plate, the longbao (soup dumplings) establish- and all the better for being made with the dish’s pine nuts elicit a buttery crunch- ment, demanding it stop using battery yolks of cage-free duck eggs. iness and there is a sweetness from the sundried tomatoes. Aside from vegan joints, there are still too few choices in Taiwan’s vibrant dining-out culture that offer cruelty- free food. One surprising option is THE- FREEN BURGER, a Chiayi-headquar- tered fast-food chain with 12 branches across the country (including three in Taipei). Started by a husband-wife team in 2007, the company in 2016 opted to use cage-free eggs in their burgers and buns for humane reasons. Co-founder TC Chen explains that as an entrepreneur, he feels a sense of social responsibility, adding that although cage-free eggs are pricier, “cost is never our main concern.” The vibe at THEFREEN is definitely young, with discounts offered if you turn up wearing shorts (the restaurant’s logo is a squat pair of short pants). And it’s perhaps the only burger joint where you can pair a beef patty with a chilled glass of Italian Chardonnay. There’s not much on the menu if you are a vegetarian – although Chen says he will roll out a veggie burger in early 2021. But their sweet potato chips are chunky beasts and their fresh fruit juices taste of real fruit. While the local fast food chain THEFREEN BURGER does not currently have any veg- etarian offerings, its burgers feature cage-free eggs. EAST also targets restaurants, hoping PHOTO: THEFREEN

TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021 11

Cruelty free.indd 11 2021/1/4 1:27 AM JAPANESE FOOD EXPERIENCING TAIPEI’S AUTHENTIC JAPANESE CUISINE

Taiwan’s capital offers some of the best, most affordably priced Japanese food outside of the Land of the Rising Sun.

STORY & PHOTOS BY MATTHEW FULCO

aipei may have the best Jap- demic grounding international travel, they anese food in the world out- are now enjoying a moment in the sun. side of Japan. The range and Yet there is much more to Japanese cui- T quality of the city’s authentic sine than chic sushi joints, ramen noodles, Japanese restaurants are exceptional. In and do-it-yourself barbeques (yakinuku), the days before 24/7 mobile internet con- which are also ubiquitous in Taiwan. nectivity, this was one of Taipei’s kept- Except for izakaya, Japan’s equivalent kept secrets. The iPhone and Instagram of a tapas bar, Japanese restaurants tend have changed that, raising the profile of to specialize in one type of food, which high-end sushi restaurants where lunch allows them to hone it to perfection. can easily run NT$3,000 per head, and The best Japanese chefs have a sin- where dinner is often double that figure. gular dedication to their craft devel- Kaiseki restaurant Toutouan’s The Michelin Guide prominently fea- oped over a lifetime. The Japanese some- monthly appetizers for November. tured such restaurants in its inaugural times call these master culinary artisans Taipei edition in 2018, and with the pan- “shokunin,” a concept widely associated

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with sushi chefs but also integral to kai- seki, Japanese traditional multi-course haute cuisine, and teppanyaki, a culinary style that involves meat, seafood, and vegetables cooked on an iron griddle in front of guests. Japanese restaurants have another quintessential quirk besides specializa- tion: They hide in plain sight. In Taipei that means being tucked away on a res- idential block in the heart of the city, in the side entrance of an unassuming office tower, or in the basement mall of a five- star hotel. To be sure, there are financial considerations; a discrete location can ease the rent burden. More importantly, however, keeping a low profile helps cultivate a loyal fol- lowing. You have to seek out these res- taurants to find them. They rely on word A sashimi course at the kaiseki restaurant Xinyue. of mouth more than on their social media accounts. Were it not for shadows, there would be the servers expertly explain each item on And then there are the aesthetic con- no beauty.” the plate, including how to eat them and siderations, which tend to differ from tra- in which order. ditional Chinese restaurants. “Instead Kaiseki If that sounds a bit ceremonial, there of being big, bright, and ornate, Japa- is a reason for it. “Kaiseki () began nese restaurants are more intimate, dimly The contrast between light and dark- as simple food served before the tea cere- lit, and sparse,” says Arthur Wang, man- ness described by Tanizaki shapes the sen- mony,” says Wang, referring to the ritual- aging director of the Taipei kaiseki res- sory experience at Toutouan. The restau- ized form of making tea practiced in East taurant Toutouan. rant lies in a quiet lane off Dunhua South Asia. In Japan, the tea ceremony is rooted The eminent 20th century nov- Road, unmarked save for a black stone in Zen Buddhism, and one of its purposes elist Junichiro Tanazaki touched on this slab by the entrance bearing the name in is to teach practitioners how to appre- design aesthetic in his essay “In Praise of Chinese characters. ciate the beauty of simplicity. That simple Shadows.” He wrote, “We find beauty Once guests are inside, kimono-clad incarnation of kaiseki is also called cha- not in the thing itself but in the patterns servers seat them at wooden tables spaced kaiseki (), “cha” meaning “tea” in of shadows, the light and the darkness, out generously for privacy. Track lighting Japanese as it does in Mandarin. that one thing against another creates… illuminates the courses as they arrive, and Toutouan serves the gourmet kaiseki- ryori () that evolved over centu- ries in Japan’s imperial capital of Kyoto. The culinary experience strives to pro- vide omotenashi, a Japanese concept that translates roughly as “wholehearted hos- pitality.” Each of the nine courses is meticu- lously crafted on different plating to set off the colors dramatically. The Tsukuri – or raw – course, for instance, features sea-kelp pickled trout as well as lean tuna and salmon sashimi. The colorful fish is placed on a green plastic sheet inside a semi-cylindrical wooden dish, then set on a white porcelain serving tray. Pine nee- dles and brown leaves surround the food, evoking the spirit of late autumn. Since Toutoutan opened in Taipei nearly a decade ago, Wang has sent the top-performing staff members in the res- Charcoal-grilled sea carp with walnut miso sauce, featured on Toutouan's November menu. taurant – usually three to four people – to

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urchin sauce topped with caviar. If your taste buds are at all languid, this dish will make them stand at attention. “Ibuki is unique among teppanyaki restaurants in Taiwan for its combina- tion of top-quality ingredients, highly skilled chefs, and special sauce recipes,” says Executive Chef Thitisorn, a native of Thailand who has been working with Shangri-La since 1999. In addition to the scallops, other signature dishes at ibuki are Taiwanese red grouper with black truffle radish sauce, steamed egg cus- tard shrimp, halibut with Taiwanese basil miso sauce, and Iberico black pork. While teppanyaki trends come and go, ibuki stays focused on perfecting its craft. “We believe in our ways and our rec- ipes,” Thitisorn says. Lika Chang, the Regent Taipei's senior director of Japanese cuisine, prepares suki- Grilled meat aficionados will also yaki at the hotel's Japanese restaurant Mihan Honke. want to visit Kokomi, an izakaya located in a historic building on a quiet block of train in Japan every year except for pan- The style of kaiseki at Xinyue feels Zhongshan North Road near the inter- demic-hit 2020. The training experience somewhere in between the humble tea section with Civic Boulevard. During the shows. The waitstaff are gracious, dex- ceremony variant and the elaborate sen- Japanese colonial era (1895-1945), the terous, and knowledgeable. The quality sory experience at Toutouan. On a recent building housed a traditional Japanese of the service sets this restaurant apart. visit, the grilled medallions of Pacific confectionery. While all of that comes at a price – saury garnished with lime juice were a dinner with drinks averages NT$3,500 standout. The cooking style captured – it is fair given the quality of the expe- the dense, full flavor of the saury, while rience, and far less expensive than some toning the “fishiness” down a notch. It inferior sushi restaurants. Yet kaiseki res- was also deboned, making it easier to taurants are uncommon in Taiwan. enjoy without the ever-present threat of Chang Chi-ming, a veteran kaiseki small bones sticking in the throat. chef, explains its relative absence here. “A kaiseki restaurant is challenging to Griddle, grill, and iron pot operate, probably more so than any other type of Japanese restaurant,” says Chang, In contrast to kaiseki, teppanyaki res- who previously worked at Nadori, the taurants are prevalent in Taipei. Many first kaiseki eatery in Taiwan, and then channel the ethos of the local re chao ( served as head chef at its successor Shin- ) – informal eateries where diners enjoy tori. In 2003, Chang opened Xinyue ( stir-fried Chinese dishes with copious ), his own kaiseki restaurant, on the amounts of beer – except that the chefs ground floor of an office tower across the cook with a griddle instead of a wok. Like street from the Taipei World Trade Center. re chao, these localized teppanyaki estab- Three to five years of study are lishments focus on quantity more than required to become a kaiseki chef. It quality, with many seeming to cook every- takes time to learn the many cooking thing in the same black pepper sauce. styles featured in the different courses as The Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza well as kaiseki’s complex plating system. Hotel’s Japanese restaurant ibuki offers Not everyone has the patience for it, a more refined teppanyaki experience, Chang says. without superfluous showmanship. In Taiwan, Chang has adapted kai- Diners here should not expect to see chefs seki for local conditions. The seasons are building a flaming onion volcano or split- less clear-cut here than in Japan, so he ting an airborne egg with a spatula. Putting the finishing touches on the tep- changes the menu monthly rather than Ibuki’s chef does use a blowtorch to panyaki dish Hokkaido scallops with sea urchin sauce at ibuki, the Shangri-La Far seasonally. “Otherwise, we would have a put the finishing touches on a duo of suc- Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei's Japanese summer menu for half the year,” he notes. culent Hokkaido scallops bathed in sea restaurant.

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Toutouan (燈燈庵) No. 20, Lane 81, Section 2, Dunhua South Road, Da’an District, Taipei City, 106 Tel: 02-2705-0101 Xinyue (心月) No. 466, Section 4, Xinyi Road, Xinyi District, Taipei City, 110 Tel: 02 8780 7756 A sushi course at ibuki. ibuki Shangri-La Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei No. 201, Section 2, Dunhua South Road, Da'an District, Taipei City, 106 Head chef and co-owner Eden Chao to September that it compensated for the Tel: 02 7711 2080 majored in Japanese studies in college steep drop between February and April. and later trained to be a kaiseki chef. He Business was slow this spring for the Kokomi (心味酒肴) No. 37, Section 1, Zhongshan N Rd, ultimately scrapped that idea, though. Regent Hotel’s Mihan Honke as well. The Zhongshan District, Taipei City, 104 “Kaiseki is too perfectionist for me,” restaurant is known for its premium suki- Tel: 02 2563 7892 he says. “I want my restaurant to have yaki – beef and vegetables slowly sim- Mihan Honke (三燔本家) a more relaxed atmosphere and I don’t mered in a shallow iron pot at the table. Regent Taipei want to be so constrained by strict rules Responding to the drop in customers, B3, No. 3, Lane 39, Section 2, for how the food should look and taste.” Mihan Honke decided to innovate. From Zhongshan North Road, Taipei City, 104 Like the best izakaya in Japan, the March to May, it offered take-out suki- Tel: 02-2523-1305 Kokomi menu features a wide variety yaki over rice at lunch time in an attrac- 02-2521-5000 ext. 3750 of small dishes that pair well with beer, tive clay bowl instead of a disposable con- sake, and shochu. Unusually for Taipei, tainer. Priced at just NT$250, the lunch lowers the temperature of the meat and it has both excellent duck yakitori (char- bowls were only available one hour per brings out its flavor,” says Chang. coal-grilled skewers) and grilled cow day in a flash sale. They ended up being a What distinguishes sukiyaki from the tongue, as well as more typical chicken huge hit and helped boost sales at a chal- other types of Japanese cuisine covered in skewers. The salty, savory meat is the lenging time for business, which has since this report is that it can be made at home perfect foil for the earthy flavor of returned to pre-pandemic levels. with relative ease. You just need the shochu, especially shochu distilled from It is a delight to dine at Mihan proper ingredients and type of iron pot. sweet potatoes or taro. Honke. While located in a hotel, it feels “In Japan, sukiyaki is usually eaten While the taste of shochu is too pun- more like a private dining space. The res- at celebrations like birthdays and New gent for some drinkers, for others it is taurant is nestled in the B3 level of the Year’s,” says Tsutomu Saito, Regent Tai- the drink of choice at an izakaya. Unlike Regent’s shopping mall, softly lit and dec- pei’s senior executive director of food and sake (served neat), it is usually served orated with warm-toned wood. beverage development. “It is the most on the rocks. The melting ice dilutes Lika Chang, the Regent’s senior gourmet dish that can be made at home.” the 50-proof alcohol, reducing its dehy- director of Japanese cuisine, cooks the For those keen to prepare sukiyaki drating effect. Shochu is also a light thin strips of wagyu beef and accompa- at home, Mihan Honte offers a take-out drink. It contains no sugar or carbohy- nying vegetables perfectly. The meat is set for four people priced at NT$3,000. drates and has just 35 calories in a two- delectable. Her sauce, with a lower sugar They have proven especially popular ounce serving. Sake has about 80. Finally, content than is typical in Japan, is geared with the sizeable Japanese expatriate like most spirits, shochu has an extended toward local palates, but anyone who community in the neighborhood. shelf life. If you do not drain your bottle, prefers savory to sweet will love it. “Many of them have been unable to Kokomi will store it for you in the Japa- Just like in Japan, a raw egg is pro- return to Japan for a long time because nese tradition. Finish it on the next visit. vided for dipping. Some Westerners may of the pandemic,” says Chang. “This is Remarkably, 2020 has been Kokomi’s see that and tremble, but the Japanese are something they can enjoy here in Taiwan best year. Business was so good from June used to eating raw foods. “The raw egg that will remind them of home.”

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Japanese.indd 15 2021/1/4 1:28 AM WINTER FOODS COLD DAYS, HOT SPRINGS, AND WARMING FOODS

When winter weather arrives, a soak at one of Taiwan’s many hot springs is an attractive way to ward off the chill. Certain foods are also said to help achieve the same purpose.

STORY & PHOTOS BY MARK CALTONHILL

Cold” is, of course, a rela- Furthermore, Taiwan’s location where tive term. For those coming the Philippine Sea plate slides beneath the from overseas locations with continental Eurasian plate not only gen- “ harsh winter climates, Taiwan’s erates self-shaking cocktails on a regular cold season might seem barely worthy basis, but also makes it possible to indulge of the name. But in contrast to the long in the double pleasure of immersing in one hot summer and balmy autumn, the of the more than 100 hot springs on the arrival of winter can still come as some- island, followed by dining on an appropri- thing of a shock, especially in the north, ately matching repast. where 2020 ended with weeks of almost The Tourism Bureau launched a cam- unending rain. paign a couple of years ago, with the help Fortunately, there are plenty of food of experts from the Chinese Gourmet options tailored to help keep the body Association and voting by the general warm during this season, as well as mil- public, to choose recipients for Taiwan’s lennia-long traditions of medicine- top ten Hot Spring Cuisine Awards. Impromptu goat meat hot pot restaurants pop up during winter enhanced dishes designed to treat the These are all at high-end establish- months. (This one in Shilin.) coughs and sniffles of seasonal illnesses ments (unlike the Michelin awards, which (though sadly not that illness). now include numerous night market

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stalls), and so are far beyond the means and gouqi (; Chinese wolfberry), fish of this writer. Luckily, however, I was with mango sauce, and prawns steamed invited to review a number of these res- with rice wine and herbs. taurants and their award-winning ban- Lastly, at Baolai () on the quets for another magazine, and so was Southern Cross-Island Highway, which able to form an opinion about them. was just starting to rebuild its hot-spring Since that other magazine is funded by industry after rediscovering the hot spring the self-same Tourism Bureau, readers source lost during Typhoon Morakot may have wondered whether the unani- in 2009, I got to try organic, handmade mously glowing comments in that report tofu; locally reared pork in shacha (; could be believed. garlic, chili and shrimp paste) sauce; and In case there was any doubt, let me bird’s nest fern () cooked with plums now confirm that the foods were, without and sesame seeds. exception, amazing. All sensational gastronomic experi- At Guguan, 800 meters above sea ences. Nowhere, however, were these level in Taichung, we were served a stur- dishes particularly linked to the activity geon with Kyoto-style white miso paste; of hot spring bathing. The venues were chicken soup with shitake, burdock, and hot spring resorts with great food, but maqaw (; the Atayal word for the the dining experience was in no way con- pepper-like fruit of the Litsea cubeba nected to having soaked one’s body in tree); “chestnut sweet potatoes” (they steaming water for several hours. The really do look and taste like sweet chest- sole exception was when I asked for a Local people build make-shift hot spring pools beside the Wulai River. nuts and make all subsequent sweet pota- beer, only to be told that alcohol and hot toes somewhat underwhelming); and springs do not go together. bamboo shoots stuffed with mushrooms Even when I pressed the head chefs, and gingko and topped with mentaiko who had been dragged out of their mud is joint improving.” (; pink-dyed pollock roe). kitchens to answer my questions, they Rather, the chefs were keener to At Guanziling in Tainan’s hills, which were reluctant to stress the benefits emphasize such things as freshness, sea- is famous not only for its water-and- of their dishes beyond a bland “Well, sonality, local sourcing, and organic- fire spring where methane from a geo- pumpkin is good for the kidneys” or where-possible. Thus, the plums and thermal vent is said to have caught fire “gingko is said to help improve your cir- other fruit served in Baolai were all and burned continuously for around 300 culation.” Which was in stark contrast grown within 20 kilometers of the restau- years, but also for being one of only three to the health claims made by their hotel rant, while the pork used at the Guguan mud hot springs in the world, I dined on managers that “carbonate waters of pH7 restaurant all came from no further than chicken soup with fermented lotus root are skin rejuvenating” or “hot spring one county away and the sturgeon from Songhe Village less than five kilometers downstream.

The Taipei environs

This approach to the cuisine is even more pronounced at the two hot spring resorts closest to Taipei: Beitou to the north of the city and Wulai to the south. It is cultural and historical considerations that seem to determine which dishes find their way onto those menus, rather than any more direct relationship to the hot springs that draw most visitors in the first place. Beitou, just a dozen kilometers north of downtown Taipei, is the closest access point to the sulfur-producing volcanic pits on the southern slopes of Yangming- shan, formerly known as Grass Mountain. Indeed, even that name may derive from the sulfur industry, since Qing-dynasty Selection of locally grown vegetables, Wulai officials are said to have regularly set fire

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to the mountain’s ground cover to deprive a kimono and other Japanese accesso- Flavoring with maqaw is widespread. would-be sulfur thieves of trees to hide ries, as well a photographer to snap you You can even buy jars of the small dried among, leaving only grass. posing in front of the Beitou Hot Spring fruit to take home to Atayalize your With the arrival of the hot spring- Museum, itself housed in a public bath- home-cooked meals. loving Japanese colonial rulers in 1895, house dating from 1913. “Flavored with” is pretty much the another use was found for Beitou’s sulfur The Japanese-themed food options go-to phrase for a host of winter dishes resources in addition to providing the range from fast-food rice burgers, through in Taiwan, whether or not in a hot-spring raw material for gunpowder, one of Chi- tea houses and Teishoku (;“set resort. Walk down pretty much any res- na’s “four great inventions” (along with meal”) joints, to high-end, named-chef taurant-neighborhood street at this time paper, printing, and the compass). Actu- restaurants in several of the larger hotels. of year and you will smell foods before ally, it may have been more of a discovery About 30 kilometers to the south you can see them. The reason is the strong than an invention, as 9th-century Daoist is Wulai, which was settled by Atayal connection between food and medicine in alchemists were really looking for the Aborigines – pressured out of western Chinese culture. Since winter’s cold and elixir of life. Taiwan by immigrating Han Chinese wet weather brings a lot more potential Indeed, local legend dates the first hot- – not long before Hirata and his coun- for disease, stronger-tasting and stronger- spring hotel in Beitou to the first year trymen discovered Beitou. Legend has smelling tonic dishes are relied on for the of Japanese rule, after a certain Hirata it that a hunter saw fumes rising from maintenance of good health. Gengo found that the waters possessed the river here and uttered “kilux ulay,” In your face and up your nose are highly therapeutic effects (a kind of elixir meaning “hot and poisonous” (pre- dishes like yang-rou lu (), usually of life), while bathing his wounded knee. sumably they didn’t think too highly of translated as “mutton hot pot.” Perhaps Whether due to Hirata or not, the thermal waters back then), from which in China it is actually made with mutton, area certainly became the hot-spring the placename Wulai is derived. but in Taiwan, which has goats but pre- Mecca of northern Taiwan for the next Nowadays hot spring hotels, an cious few sheep, it is almost certainly 50 years and even into the postwar years, 80-meter waterfall, and a short length “chevon hot pot.” The Chinese for both though by the end of the century its repu- of logging railway converted for passen- animals is yang (), which is pretty rea- tation was a great deal seedier. Introduc- gers sustain the local economy, helped in sonable since there is little genetic differ- tion of the two-day weekend and reduced no small measure by Aboriginal-themed ence between them. Mutton and chevon working hours in the 1990s, and the con- restaurants and stalls. Popular food and are both “warm foods” in traditional comitant boom in domestic tourism, led drink items include “wild boar” served Chinese medicine, making them ideal for to the area being revitalized, with a heavy on slate (please excuse the cynical quota- winter dishes. They are also said to boost rebranding based on its Japanese past. tion marks), venison, rice cooked in tubes the immune system, improve circula- The area includes more than a dozen of bamboo (), and a wide assort- tion, and increase milk production in new Japanese-style eateries in just the 500 ment of “mountain vegetables” (less cyn- mothers. When rice wine is used as a base meters between the Xinbeitou MRT Sta- ical this time), all washed down with for the broth, the aroma is so strong that tion and the public outdoor hot springs. millet wine (), which is actually a a shop sign is almost unnecessary. There is also a store that will rent you brewed-grain beverage. The same is true for jiang mu-ya (

Rice cooked in bamboo tubes, Wulai

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; “ginger mother duck”), which in () and “prosperity has come” (). addition to the ginger and duck meat is Other New Year food offerings include made with sesame oil and rice wine. This tangerines (; ju) since the word in Man- is the go-to style of restaurant for Tai- darin sounds like “express good wishes” wan’s six weeks or so of winter. Every (; zhu), and an edible seaweed facai ( year I intend to look at what is being sold ; literally “hairy vegetable”), which on the same sites during warmer months, sounds like “prosperity” (; fa cai). but I always forget. Sesame oil is said to There are also New Year pastries called be rich in antioxidants, which help the nian-gao (), which bring to mind the body regulate blood sugar and fat. expression “year after year promotion” There is also the less in-your-face and (; nian-nian sheng gao), an idea more innocuous sounding “four deities also suggested by bamboo shoots because soup” (; also sometimes translated they grow tall and fast. as “four tonics soup” or “four herbs Other foodstuffs change their names soup”), for which the medical claims just for the New Year period. Dumplings are far greater. The four herbs are Chi- Dumplings are renamed “ingots” over () become “money ingots” (), nese yam (), gorgon (), lotus Lunar New Year. which they resemble in shape; chicken seed (), and poria fungus (), all wings are called “fly a thousand miles” of which in traditional medicine are nei- related traditions. Eating fish at some (); and pig trotters become ther warming nor cooling, yet are said to point is probably the best-known tradi- “peacefully walk the azure clouds” ( nourish the heart and lungs, regulate the tion, since “fish” () is pronounced yu ). liver, and strengthen the kidneys. Prob- in Mandarin, the same as “surplus” (), Finally, at Lantern Festival (; ably the most common tonic soup found implying a bumper harvest. For the same yuanxiao) on the first full moon of the in just about every night market, it is also reason, a fish design is commonly found new year, the Taiwanese enjoy special rice said to improve the immune system and at the bottom of a bowl or on a plate. flour dumplings with sweet fillings. These beautify the skin. The above-mentioned wordplay does dumplings, also nicknamed yuanxiao, Finally, the winter season also includes not work in Hoklo, but one that does is herald the beginning of spring and, hope- the various Lunar New Year food- onglai, which can mean both pineapple fully, warmer weather.

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winter foods.indd 19 2021/1/4 1:28 AM ANCESTOR OFFERINGS FEEDING THE DEPARTED: TAIWAN’S FOOD OFFERING TRADITIONS

Families across Taiwan continue to engage in an ancient tradition of offering up ritual feasts to their ancestors. One clan has been performing these rites in the northern city of Taoyuan for over two centuries.

BY STEVEN CROOK AND KATY HUI-WEN HUNG

ncestor worship is an ancient world. Yet ancestor rites in homes and and persistent custom among clan halls, sometimes featuring an elabo- Han Chinese. Traditionally, rate array of cooked delicacies, remain an A deceased forebears are con- important part of the island’s spiritual life. sidered to still be part of the family and Attendance at such ceremonies is nor- capable of intervening in the affairs of mally limited to male descendants and the living, giving rise to an unbreakable their spouses, but we were fortunate obligation for male descendants to offer to receive an invitation to witness an Watched by members of the Li prayers, incense, and food. ancestor-worship service at the Li Teng- clan, the head officiants kneel These days, few Taiwanese under the fang Historic Residence () in before a table on which there age of 50 truly believe that if they fail to Taoyuan City’s Daxi District last Sep- are two pitchers of wine. make such offerings, the departed will tember.

PHOTO: LI LIN-JIN-WANG lack necessities and comforts in the after- Descendants of Li Teng-fang were

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living in this thoroughly traditional and visually stunning single-story compound as recently as the late 1990s. They moved out to enable the buildings, some of which date from the 1860s, to be prop- erly restored. The site is classified as a national-level relic and is open to the public from Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free. Because it coincides with the harvest season, the autumn equinox service is the most elaborate and best attended of the three major ancestor-worshipping obser- vances the clan holds each year; the others are on the afternoon of the first day of the lunar year and on the spring equinox. Little has changed over the years in terms of the nature of the ceremony and the kind of attire worn by the participants, but there have been some surprising inno- vations in terms of what foods are offered and how they are handled. This Li family has a Hakka back- ground, yet because of constant interac- tion with Hokkien speakers and occa- During Li family rites in Daxi, food offerings are crammed onto all but the high- sional intermarriage since the second est tier of the shrine’s three-tier table. half of the 19th century, they have long PHOTO: LI LIN-JIN-WANG referred to themselves as originating from Zhangzhou in China’s Fujian Province. procession last autumn, is a member passed on to the next generation. Instead, Now, few members of the clan’s younger of the 20th generation. His sub-branch it was set aside to establish what Tai- generation speak Hakka. of the clan relocated to Yilan and then wanese law recognizes as an “ancestor The clan’s founding ancestor, Li Shan- Hualien during the 1895-1945 period of worship guild” – a kind of trust fund that ming (1722-1789) brought his family, Japanese rule. would pay for sacrifices to ancestors. To including an uncle, over from Zhaoan, One of Li Shan-ming’s grandsons, Li this day, it is the guild that supports the now part of Zhangzhou, either as early Bing-sheng (1793-1862), founded a busi- triannual rites. as 1755 or as late as 1774, depending on ness enterprise that prospered by con- who is telling the story. He regarded him- verting wilderness into paddy fields that Components of the feast self as an 11th-generation descendant of were rented out to tenant farmers, and by the first Li to settle in the Hakka town- dealing in camphor and tea. The Cult of the Dead in a Chinese Vil- ship of Zhaoan. A portion of the land belonging to lage, written by New York University Li Lin-jin-wang, who led the opening Bing-sheng and his brothers was not anthropologist Emily Martin in the early 1970s, is likely the most widely read Eng- lish-language description of ancestor-wor- ship practices in Taiwan. Martin did her fieldwork near Sanxia, barely a dozen kilometers from Daxi. Taiwanese society has changed hugely in the half century since Martin completed her research, yet some of her findings remain valid. A key observation is that the foods provided to ancestors are ready to eat, and usually consumed soon after the ceremony by those who offered them.

Entrance to the Li Teng-fang Historic Residence in Taoyuan City’s Daxi Dis- trict. PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA

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Martin wrote that, circa 1970, the In our 2018 book, A Culinary His- food offered to ancestors was “essentially tory of Taipei: Beyond Pork and Ponlai, the same as the common fare of the vil- we wrote: “Neither tomatoes nor guavas lagers, though it may be richer in meat should ever be offered [to gods or ances- and other delicacies.” A typical ceremony tors]. Because humans cannot digest the featured chicken (“cleaned, cooked, sea- seeds, and they come out in excrement, soned, and sliced into bite-sized pieces”), they are regarded as growing in filth; it a pork liver (an expensive delicacy in the would be disrespectful to present them.” past, “boiled, seasoned, and sliced”), stir- We have since come across an alterna- fried eggs, soups, and cooked rice. Chop- tive explanation for this taboo. Some Tai- sticks and bowls were always placed wanese who know or suspect they have alongside the dishes. lowland indigenous (Pingpu or Pênn-poo- By contrast, minor deities, like the huan) ancestry feel that indigenous fore- Earth God, are served cooked but unsea- fathers might be offended if offered what soned food without utensils. The most Mandarin-speakers call “savage’s egg- senior members of the pantheon receive Fagao, along with shoutao, bottom plant” (, tomato) or “savage’s pome- what Martin calls “the most untrans- left, and jijuan, bottom right, are three granate” (, guava). formed food,” for example raw fowl, a of the four snack dishes included in a A few families in Lukang are said whole raw pig, and a live fish. food offering. to obey a different yet equally distinct PHOTOS: WIKIPEDIA If they can, traditionally minded Tai- taboo by refraining from including pork wanese carry out the “three consecra- in offerings to forebears they know were tions” () and sacrifice a prescribed sized bowls. Muslim. number of food dishes and cups of wine. There is some leeway as to what the Four and eight are not the only Since the late Qing period, the ideal has bowls should contain. At the Li Teng- numerical conventions that apply when been to imitate a banquet, but with dishes fang Residence, larger bowls usually con- the Li clan gathers to honor the deceased. served simultaneously, not consecutively. tain a whole chicken with its head and The “five sacrificed animals” () In terms of incense offerings, pre- viscera, braised pig’s leg, sea cucumber, are placed on a single rectangular tray. scribed gestures and utterances, and tra- and pig tendon. Typical foods in the At the Li Teng-fang Residence, these usu- ditional Beiguan music performed by medium-sized and small bowls are ally comprise one chicken and one duck clan members, ancestor rites at the Li braised pig’s heart, a Japanese one-pot (both with heads pointing toward the Teng-fang Residence follow appropriate dish called oden, Chinese sausage, fried altar), pork belly that’s been steamed or non-food customs as well as the culinary tofu cubes, Taiwanese-style meatballs ( boiled, a fish (usually deep fried so it will template. , gongwan), and braised eggs. stay fresh longer), and either pork liver Four large bowls () are placed The four snacks are usually steamed- or a serving of jijuan (). Despite the in the center of the offering table to form dough treats chosen for their auspicious name including the Chinese character for a diamond; each is accompanied by a names, such as pink shoutao (, “lon- “chicken,” jijuan are in fact cylinders of snack dish (). Four medium-sized gevity peaches” filled with lotus-seed pork mixed with other ingredients, then bowls () are positioned at each of paste), fagao (, “prosperity cake”) deep-fried in a tofu-skin wrapping. Tra- the table’s corners. Eight small bowls ( cupcakes, “bunny buns” ( ditionally, they were made to use up left- ) are placed between the medium- ), and turtle-shaped buns that Hokkien overs from temple offerings. speakers call miku (). The character for rabbit () appears in slogans that wish for a bright and prosperous future, while that for turtle () features in phrases that mean “good luck comes” and “good fortune returns.” For purely secular reasons, the var- ious dishes are decorated with edible “flowers” (carved from daikons and dyed bright pink) and fresh Murraya panicu- lata leaves. The latter, which often appear on Taiwanese banquet tables, get their Chinese name (, literally “seven- mile fragrance”) from their aroma, which can be smelled some way off. Additional offerings of meats, cooked items, and seasonal fruits supplement the four-four-eight-four arrangement.

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Grabbing fistfuls of uncooked noodles from the mock sheep at the end of the ceremony. PHOTO: KATY HUI-WEN HUNG

mark a particularly special occasion is not ruled out. At the end of the ceremony, those in attendance are issued plastic bags and invited to grab handfuls of noodles. Last September, both the sheep and the pig were obliterated within 10 minutes. Some people got more than others, and some nothing. Similar good-natured yet com- petitive snatching happens in some of In the popular religion of China and inside the chamber devoted year-round Taiwan’s best-known temple events. Taiwan, the “five sacrificed animals” to ancestral worship, on the day of the Li clan members note proudly that have long been a component of rites autumn equinox service, a mock sheep none of the solid food goes to waste, and devoted to deities. Depending on their (on the left) and a mock pig (on the right) this is one reason why, in recent years, resources and their personal eating pref- are positioned in the courtyard, facing the the size and content of ritual offerings has erences, many worshippers nowadays ancestor shrine. The flesh of both consists been adjusted. replace some or all of the meat offerings of uncooked thin rice noodles (). Once the ceremony is finished, rather with replica animals made of cake, or This new, vegetarian-friendly practice than take the offerings home, most of with items such as cookies, instant noo- seems to be unique to the Lis of Daxi. the food is handed over to a bando chef dles, and canned foods. The switch from real animals to noo- who conjures up a meal for the trustees Also crammed onto the lower two dles was made over a decade ago, we of the Li ancestor-worship guild and the tiers of the three-tier offertory table are were told, to cut costs and reduce waste. clansmen who officiated at the ritual. The six oval plates filled with different pro- However, sacrificing a real pig and a real gathering may begin as a sober remem- teins, such as Chinese sausages, fried sheep – most recently done in 2014 – to brance, but it ends as a jolly repast. chicken wings, slices of squid, and yet more meatballs. Recently, deep-fried veg- etarian rolls wrapped in tofu sheets have appeared in this section of the offering. In the past, trays rather than plates were often used. Like the living, the departed enjoy beverages. According to Li Lin-jin-wang, clan custom is to offer “three cups of tea, five cups of wine” (). The cere- mony includes the ritual pouring of TTL’s 19.5%-ABV Red Label Rice Wine into five small red cups, then combining those into two larger cups so they can be raised and offered by the two head officiants at the top-tier table. No tea or wine is consumed during the rite, and the choice of Red Label Rice Wine is intriguing. Living people use it to cook, not imbibe. Yet it remains a common component of offerings to gods or ancestors. Modern-day Taiwanese do not seem to share with their ancestors the beers and whiskies they themselves prefer to drink. The mock sheep’s green mane signifies “pointing to heaven.” In addition to the offerings placed PHOTO: KATY HUI-WEN HUNG

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food offering.indd 23 2021/1/4 1:29 AM HOTELS TAIPEI’S HOTELS FIND PANDEMIC-ERA OPPORTUNITIES IN F&B

In the nearly year-long absence of international travelers, Taipei’s hotels have begun shifting some of their focus to their food and beverage business, offering attractive package deals and coming up with new, delicious ways to draw in the island’s domestic travelers.

BY JEREMY OLIVIER

PHOTO: SHANGRI-LA'S FAR EASTERN PLAZA HOTEL, TAIPEI PHOTO: MANDARIN ORIENTAL TAIPEI

s international travel to Nearby, the Mandarin Oriental Taipei Taiwan ground to a com- was forced last June to lay off over 200 plete halt last spring fol- employees and cease offering its rooms A lowing the global outbreak business for several months due to the of COVID-19, hotel operators in Taipei drop in demand, though it began taking grew increasingly nervous. Of the more room reservations again in December. than 11 million international tourists The slump in rooms business forced to visit Taiwan in 2019, most spent the many of the city’s hotels to get cre- majority of their stay in the island’s cap- ative, and they usually did so with their ital city. The government’s decision to other main source of revenue: food and close the borders to all overseas visitors beverage. At the beginning of the pan- in March meant that occupancy rates at demic period, when many people were Shangri-La's newly renovated Café Taipei hotels would likely plummet. still reluctant to eat in restaurants, hotels at Far Eastern includes a fresh And plummet they did. By May, room like the Regent Taipei and the Shangri- seafood station featuring whole occupancy at the Sherwood, one of the La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel Taipei began lobster, left. The honey barbecued longer established luxury hotels in the offering delivery services for their dining pork dish at Mandarin Oriental's Ya Ge has been a popular takeout city, had fallen to around 5% during the outlets. While Shangri-La has part- item during the pandemic, right. week, rising only slightly on weekends nered with online delivery platform Uber thanks to domestic business travelers. Eats, the Regent reassigned their own

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employees to deliver meal orders. hotels have been dropping their once- which opened last January in the city’s Many luxury hotels also began doing premium rates and bundling rooms and Zhongshan district, held an online travel something that had previously been dining into attractive staycation pack- fair in May, offering up to 74% off their unheard of: offering high-end bento ages. The Sherwood, after undergoing room-and-meals packages, as well as dis- boxes for around NT$200-300 a pop. a complete renovation of its facilities, count coupons for the hotel’s sole F&B Randy Zupanski, area manager of began offering a deal in which travelers outlet, the T.R. Kitchen and Bar. They Shangri-La Taipei and Tainan, says that who spend NT$6,000 on their stay can also came up with a unique “room try- for a short period, the hotel put on flash receive NT$6,000 worth of vouchers for out” coupon, whereby guests could stay sales of their bento boxes at lunchtime, the hotel’s restaurants and bar. for up to four hours during the daytime targeting workers from the office build- Cittadini of Mandarin Oriental says for NT$1,500. ings nearby. He says that demand has that after reopening its rooms service in Indigo North’s General Manager May gradually drawn down since the peak December, the hotel’s limited-time offer Hu says that while her new and relatively months of the pandemic in Taiwan. of NT$8,888 for a room and two meals small team experienced a bit of shock Mario Cittadini, newly instated at its Michelin-starred Cantonese restau- at the beginning of the pandemic, they director of food and beverage at the rant Ya Ge and Michelin Plate-awarded bounced right back to reality when they Mandarin Oriental Taipei, makes a sim- Italian outlet Bencotto proved incredibly realized that the situation would likely ilar observation. He says that in Singa- popular, selling out in just two days. Fur- last much longer than originally expected. pore, where he was posted until being thermore, its Fantastic Getaway package, “We had only one mission at that reassigned to Taipei last month and which starts at NT$9,800 and includes time – to survive,” says Hu, who relied which was under a kind of semi-lock- a one-night stay with breakfast and on the agility and leanness of her staff to down at that time, the bento boxes made NT$3,000 worth of dining credit, among roll out several events and promotions more sense because many of the city’s res- other perks, has boosted the occupancy in a short amount of time. Given Indi- taurants were shut down. of the rooms currently available, Citta- go’s chic design and boutique qualities, it Meanwhile, Simon Wu, managing dini says. has appealed to a younger subset of trav- director of the Regent Taipei & Restau- elers, and one of Hu’s strategies has been rant Group, says that his hotel recently Branching out to work with local food and design blog- fulfilled an order of 2,500 bento boxes gers to spread the word about the hotel for a company function. He notes that Other hotels are trying more varied and its functions this year. many companies are choosing not to hold methods to start boosting their occu- One of these special occasions was their wei ya (end-of-the-year party) at pancy rates. Hotel Indigo Taipei North, OFF MENU, a pop-up event featuring an outside venue this year, and that the lunchboxes can provide a safe, socially distanced alternative. Despite the uncertainty that many businesses in the service industry expe- rienced during the first half of 2020, life began to normalize as the weather warmed, thanks in large part to the Taiwan government’s effective handling of the coronavirus. Tourism rose again as Taiwanese who had been cooped up for a few months began looking for domestic tourist spots to stay during the long weekends and holidays. Importantly, by May many people in Taiwan felt comfortable dining out again. Several hotel operators interviewed for this report observed that the turning point for business at their restaurants was Mother’s Day weekend in mid-May. The desire of people to go out and enjoy their newfound freedom from the virus resulted in a surge in reservations at hotel restau- rants. In some cases, F&B business is even better than before, though demand for rooms continues to be quite low. To gather momentum and attract The Regent Taipei has begun offering staycation deals such as its Vacation Cruise more domestic travelers, Taipei’s luxury package, which provides guests with experiences in addition to rooms and dining. PHOTO: THE REGENT TAIPEI

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13 world-renowned chefs from Taiwan In addition, its “master on board” and Japan and held on Indigo’s fourth- series invites professionals such as floor outdoor patio. Organized by the singers, chefs, world champion bar- Taiwan edition of British fashion and life- tenders, and others to conduct short resi- style magazine Tatler, OFF MENU was dences at the hotel. Wu says that the kind the only such event to be held in Asia this of experience offered by the Cruise Vaca- year, a testament to Taiwan’s status as tion, normally not seen in city hotels, one of the world’s singular coronavirus solidifies the Regent’s transition to an safe spaces. Taking place over three eve- “urban resort.” nings in early December, OFF MENU Shangri-La is also adding more expe- proved to be a huge hit, hosting around riences into its usual rooms and dining 280 attendees per night. deals. Area Manager Zupanski says that More established luxury hotels have his hotel’s Eat, Play, Fun Getaway pro- explored different channels to promote motion incorporates both lifestyle expe- their packages and events. Wu of the rience classes and food and beverage Hotel MVSA has enjoyed consistent Regent Taipei says that his hotel has been guest and reservation numbers since adventures. The deal, which starts at grateful for the exposure its promotions opening last year, thanks to its Michelin- NT$4,888 per night, has been popular have received through organizations like starred restaurant, Molino de Urdániz. enough that Zupanski and his team plan AmCham Taiwan, the British Chamber PHOTO: INNO HOSPITALITY HONG KONG to continue offering it in the future. of Commerce in Taipei, and the American “What we’ve tried to do is get away Club Taipei. tique hotel near Songjiang Nanjing MRT from the short-term packages, and think Wu notes that sales of the Regent’s station in central Taipei. While smaller about things we can implement that can Thanksgiving offerings this year grew and less well-known than the rest of the be valuable on a long-term basis,” says around 20% from 2019, thanks to the hotels covered in this report, MVSA has Zupanski, who also points to the hotel’s marketing help they received from these done brisk business since its soft opening recent NT$80 million renovation of its organizations, as well as the return of last January, thanks in part to its base- buffet restaurant, the Café at Far Eastern. many foreign residents from abroad ment restaurant, Molino de Urdániz. Reopening its doors last December, who were looking for refuge from the The restaurant’s original location – the refurbished venue features a smor- coronavirus. which has received between one and two gasbord of freshly prepared dishes, pre- For the Regent, where F&B contrib- Michelin stars for the past 13 years – sits pared with new kitchen equipment utes about 60-70% of total revenue, in a village in the Pyrenees, near Spain’s including a Brazilian-made Josper char- maintaining these and other marketing border with France. Over a period of coal grill and a smoker for barbecued channels will continue to be an impor- about two years, Wang visited the owners meats. Partnering with Taiwanese chain tant strategy for the duration of the pan- more than 30 times, forming a relation- Din Tai Fung, the Café also offers guests demic. Although it’s hard to predict when ship and eventually persuading them to a steamed dumpling basket with each international travel will begin returning let him open a branch in Taiwan with meal, and the seafood station sells fresh to normal, Wu says the conversations he’s two of their chefs. Wang proudly notes whole lobster at cost. had with travel agencies and others in the that his branch was awarded a Michelin Though Café at Far Eastern had to industry indicate Taipei will likely not star soon after opening last year. raise its meal prices slightly to account for begin to see overseas tourism rise again the cost of the new equipment and high- until sometime in 2022. It’s all about the experience quality ingredients, extensive media cov- Others offer even more conserva- erage of the grand reopening event helped tive estimates. Arthur Wang, managing In order to market themselves to a drive business. The restaurant has been director and chief learning officer of broader demographic, hotels are also fully booked at every meal since then. Inno Hospitality Hong Kong, says that exploring the “experience economy,” Whether it’s through package deals, based on what he’s read from major con- offering packages that include food, special food-related events, meal delivery, sulting firms, business for the hospi- entertainment, educational courses, and guest experiences, or renovations, Tai- tality industry could reach its nadir in the other activities. pei’s hotels are exploring many different second quarter of 2022. It would only The Regent Taipei’s Cruise Vacation avenues to restore some of the revenue make its way back to pre-pandemic levels package is just such an offering, pro- lost from the temporary halt on interna- by 2024 or 2025. Hotels thus need “to viding guests with the opportunity to tional travel. Most hoteliers agree that face the facts and ensure that they have eat, stay, and shop at the hotel, while while COVID-19 has had a severe impact enough cash on hand to make it until also enjoying some knowledge- and skill- on business since the initial outbreak last then,” he says. sharing classes. Simon Wu says that Japa- year, it has also forced them to be more While Inno is itself a hospitality con- nese staff at the hotel helped put together agile and creative, characteristics that will sultancy, with teams in Taiwan, Hong some additional services to enable Tai- serve them well when international tour- Kong, and Shanghai, Wang last year also wanese domestic travelers to simulate the ists begin arriving back in Taiwan once opened Hotel MVSA, a 38-room bou- experience of going to Tokyo. the pandemic abates.

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hotels.indd 26 2021/1/4 1:30 AM

NIGHT MARKETS NIGHT MARKETS FIND WAYS TO GET WITH THE TIMES

Taiwan’s ubiquitous night markets are cleaning up their act, becoming more environmentally friendly, providing better entertainment options, and exploring new markets to accommodate the island’s changing demographics.

STORY & PHOTOS BY JULES QUARTLY

t’s twilight and drizzling, and the all over the place, jerry-built ducts, and backlit signs in the Tonghua Night ad hoc fans venting smoke. Market flicker as they come to The area is always buzzing with I life. Vendors set up their stalls as a energy, but right now change is in the motorbike with a pink foodpanda pan- air. Plans are afoot to upgrade the night nier weaves its way unsteadily through market experience for a new genera- throngs of people on their way home tion, with the Environmental Protection from work or looking for something to Administration (EPA) setting aside NT$69 munch on. million (US$2.44 million) to make them Seven nights a week, 365 days a year, cleaner and more ecologically sound. the market starts up around 5 p.m. and For some critics, it’s high time. They officially closes at midnight – though complain that most night markets are A vendor in Tonghua Night Market is happy to promote many vendors stay open much longer. stuck in the past. Others argue that those Uber Eats takeaways. It’s a funky, traditional atmosphere, with that have recently received upgrades, like soot-streaked walls, electric wires snaking Shilin, have been stripped of their char-

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acter and turned into mall-like food courts that house vendors in air-condi- tioned underground bunkers. These detractors say that the huge number of tourists and heaving crowds make visiting night markets a fraught and exhausting experience, a little like being an unwilling participant in a mosh pit at a rock concert. Stories of vendors gouging unwitting tourists by jacking up the price of fruit or beef cubes haven’t improved the reputation of these markets, either. One prominent voice in this conver- sation is the head of the Chinese Brand Rebuilding Association, Wang Fu-kai, who has written extensively about what he calls the decline of night markets. In an article published in the September edi- tion of Foodnext magazine, he argues that night markets no longer support local tourism. Above, Tonghua Night Market at twi- Many night market vendors have lost light, opening for a night of business. the motivation to innovate over the years, Below, lamb and glass noodle soup at Wang says, because international tourism Ningxia Night Market. has brought in the crowds and no one is prepared to change a winning formula. Successful stores and food items are rep- Guide’s Bib Gourmand list, which recog- licated in other locations across Taiwan, nizes eateries that provide high-quality, meaning that if you’ve seen one night three-course meals and cost less than market, you’ve basically seen them all. NT$1,000 (US$34). The 2020 edition of Wang notes that restaurants in the guide lists 75 Bib Gourmand restau- uation, the EPA will match their efforts, Taiwan have lately begun upping rants in Taipei and Taichung. he says. their game. He mentions the Michelin While standards at restaurants have Working with local vendors and night improved, night markets have not kept market associations, the EPA plans to pro- up with the times. Wang argues that mote the use of reusable tableware and venues offering cheaper food and late- provide discounts to customers who bring night entertainment must be upgraded, their own. Meanwhile, trash will be cate- and that the government should develop gorized into reusable resources, leftovers, new tourist policies to help effect this and general waste. To reduce carbon emis- change. Furthermore, vendors need to sions, night markets that receive funding understand the benefits of market dif- will provide public shuttle services and ferentiation, so that night markets can switch to energy-saving LED lights. regain their attractiveness, he says. And to make night markets cleaner As if to heed Wang’s call, the EPA and fresher, soot and smoke prevention has set about making night markets once devices and oil-water separators will be again the focus of Taiwan’s night life, in installed. There will also be improve- addition to being cleaner and more envi- ments to the disposal of food sewage and ronmentally friendly. EPA Technical Spe- to the cleanliness of public toilets. Ven- cialist Lin Shu-yung says that the agen- dors will be incentivized to cooperate by cy’s NT$69 million package focuses on being awarded an “eco-friendly stall” reducing plastic use, lowering carbon label to display publicly. emissions, and making night markets To lead the way on rolling out green, “clean and refreshing.” hygienic gastronomy, the EPA has chosen According to Lin, “night markets 22 night markets across Taiwan as pilot used to cause concern among the general sites for its “green remodeling” project. It’s late afternoon and vendors ready public” due to the trash, pollution, and Gradually, the rest of Taiwan’s approx- their equipment for another night of general lack of hygiene. If night market imately 400 night markets will also be business at Ningxia Night Market. operators do their bit to improve the sit- converted.

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Tanghulu, or sugar coated tomatoes, at Tonghua Night Market.

market itself has wide lanes, a well-estab- lished system for trash disposal, and a greater variety of foods than most night markets. It’s also foreigner friendly, with bilingual menus and signage, and pro- vides more seating areas for people to savor their food, rather than resorting to eating as they walk. In another attempt to stay relevant and appeal to Taiwan’s growing number of Muslim residents and visitors in recent years, Kaohsiung’s Liuhe Night Market has begun promoting halal food at its stalls. As part of the New Southbound Policy, the government has encour- aged tourism from Southeast Asia and in 2019, an estimated two million vis- itors from this region visited Taiwan. Of these, approximately 15% are Mus- lims, who represent a potential collective Lin says that rather than simply reg- games like crossbow shooting. There’s spending power of NT$2 billion during ulating night market operators, the EPA also a carousel for the kids and a half- their stay. has instead chosen to promote the idea of decent light show. Here the idea is to The Kaohsiung Mosque, one of the green living for all through the revamping make the night market a center of the oldest and biggest in the country, serves of both night markets and commercial city’s night life and appeal to tourists at as a center for the Muslim commu- districts, which he notes are “focal points nearby Taroko Gorge. nity in southern Taiwan. There are also in the daily lives of the general public.” Dongdamen has assimilated a number many Muslims, mainly from Indonesia, In August, the EPA and Keelung City of smaller markets in the vicinity and working in refineries and factories and as Government held an “Eco-chic Party” provides decent parking nearby. The domestic helpers. at Keelung’s famous Miaokou Night Market. Attendees were encouraged to bring their own tableware and bags to the event, which also showcased the entertainment aspects of night markets through some lively lion dances, as well as singing and dancing performances.

Food not the only draw

Usually, night markets offer limited entertainment options. Most feature low- rent games aimed mainly at kids, such as mini-pinball contraptions from the 1960s, air rifles visitors can use to shoot at balloon targets, and makeshift pools filled with goldfish and shrimp they can try to fish out with small plastic poles. It’s nothing to write home about. Dongdamen Night Market in Hualien represents a change in this regard. It hosts nightly shows, with pop stars doing pro- motional appearances, as well as buskers and dance performances. One section of There are now plenty of ways to pay without using cash at Ningxia Night Market. the market is dedicated to carnival-style

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In 2019, the government provided subsidies to a number of Liuhe Night Market stall holders to encourage them to apply for halal certification from the International Muslim Tourism Industry Development Association, guaranteeing that their food meets the requirements of Islamic law. The COVID-19 era has prompted some new initiatives to maintain and even boost business at night markets and other commercial areas. The EPA’s Lin notes that the improvements to the consumer environment that his agency is helping to carry out are likely to reduce peo- ple’s reluctance to visit these public places during the pandemic. Ningxia Night Market in Taipei’s Datong district provides a good example of such improvements. It was nimble enough to cash in on the central govern- ment’s Triple Stimulus Vouchers, which came out in July. This program allowed both locals and many foreigners to pay Foodpanda and Uber Eats delivery drivers have a big presence in many of NT$1,000 and receive NT$3,000 worth Taipei’s night markets these days. of vouchers, which were intended to spur consumption and stimulate an economy hit hard by COVID-19. improve our offerings.” Realizing in May that tourist numbers The only catch was that not all stores Advertising was also part of the food weren’t going to revive any time soon, could accept the vouchers. This did not delivery strategy, with stars like singer they decided to start their own delivery deter Ningxia, which introduced its Jolin Tsai plugging the market and the service, which also works through the own scheme, whereby Triple Stimulus service. After Ningxia, Uber Eats has Monga People Facebook group. Vouchers could be exchanged for con- expanded to work with many of the indi- While the service does not include venient NT$50 night market coupons, vidual stalls in Taipei’s night markets. bright panniers, uniforms, or data-driven with the added draw of discounts and The other big player in the food delivery metrics, it does deliver meals – even to lottery prizes. market, foodpanda, has done the same. quarantine hotels. A smart and responsive Ningxia Night However, it hasn’t all been smooth Whether it’s providing food delivery, Market Tourism Association (NNMTA) sailing. Many vendors rebelled after the creating upgraded and eco-friendly has made sure the market has been ahead costs of delivery rose. A stall owner in surroundings, exploring new market of the curve. About half of the stalls at Ningxia who asked not to be named opportunities such as Muslim tourists, Ningxia accept an array of electronic says they did initially go with Uber Eats tweaking the food offerings, or supplying payments such as Easy Wallet, JKOPAY, but it wasn’t worth it in the end because live entertainment, night markets are Alipay, and others. the delivery service price cut too far into finding ways to become more appealing profits. Other vendors say it has been across the board. Delivering results hard to turn away any business during That is an important development the pandemic. because night markets are central to Tai- Food delivery is another area where Monga Night Market in Taipei’s wanese life, a place for food and late- Ningxia caught on quickly. Just one oldest district of Wanhua doesn’t have night fun for everyone, north or south, month before the first reports of COVID- the range of eats that Ningxia has. It’s rich or poor, single or married with a 19, Uber Eats set up its first night market not as smartly laid out as Dongdamen, family. They have become a symbol of delivery service in Taiwan at Ningxia. or as large as Tonghua and other night Taiwan, even as they have been disap- “Thinking internationally while markets, but it does have an active night pearing in other culturally Chinese coun- operating locally has been our central market association, which has come up tries and territories, such as Singapore, strategy,” says Lin Ding-kuo, president with a solution of its own. Hong Kong, and even China. of the NNMTA. “We hope to attract Many of the vendors at Monga And much like Taiwan’s ability to more international tourists and believe felt the online delivery platforms were reinvent itself, night markets are evolving the ability to review customer feedback taking too large a cut, so they decided and will continue to do so for the foresee- and data-driven insights will also help us to take matters into their own hands. able future.

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night market.indd 31 2021/1/4 1:30 AM TAINAN CUISINE IN TAINAN, THE FOCUS IS ON SWEETNESS AND TRADITION

When you go, eat like the locals. Tuck into big portions, don’t waste time standing in line, and enjoy the freshest beef soup in Taiwan.

BY LOUISE WATT

oft-shell turtle, freshly slaugh- center and main gateway to trade with tered beef scalded in broth, the outside world, it was exposed to a hearty portions, and sugar, variety of relatively sophisticated cuisines. S sugar, sugar. That’s some of The prosperous merchants and their fami- what you’ll encounter when dining in lies could afford to eat well, not skimping the southern city of Tainan, a prime con- on beef and sugared delicacies, foods of tender for the title of Taiwan’s food cap- the wealthy. ital. Though mainly famed for its street That love of sweetness persists today, food, Tainan is also home to certain tra- to an extent not seen elsewhere on the ditional dishes that take hours to prepare island. When a dish is made without and have all but disappeared from the sugar, a Tainanese friend told me, it feels Above, pig’s feet and other meats on rest of the island. like something is missing. sale at a local market in Tainan. Below, Today’s dishes are intimately linked to At home, some Tainanese are known just-flamed “flaming eel” being served the city’s glorious past. Starting in 1684, to use an unexpected secret ingredient at Zhiwei restaurant. PHOTOS: LOUISE WATT Tainan was Taiwan’s capital for more when stewing meat: Coca-Cola. Adding than 200 years. As the island’s political the soda to the simmering water along

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with rock sugar and soy sauce helps make the meat tender and tasty, say local aficionados. Ignore well-meaning warnings from Taipei friends that the food in Tainan is too sweet, and head down south to give it a try. While there, shun miserly portions, avoid queues in front of eating establish- ments, and prepare to eat the freshest beef soup on the island. Here is your guide to eating the Tainan way. First, remember that while Tainan has its own dishes not generally seen else- where on the island, local residents insist that the city also does most other food better than elsewhere. One case in point is wanguo ( ), which most Taiwanese pronounce waguei. My introduction to this liq- uidized rice dish was in the Longshan Danzai noodles, one of Tainan's most famous snacks, were once sold by fishermen- vendors who carried the ingredients and bowls on bamboo poles. Temple area of Taipei, and it tasted about PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA as good as you would expect liquidized rice to taste. Sellers pre-blend corn starch and topped with soy sauce and sugar – snacks as the reason to make a bee- and other ingredients, then steam it until quite tasty, a testament to Tainan’s repu- line for the city. (They are only part of it thickens into a savory “pudding,” with tation for good eating. the story, though, as we will see later.) bits of meat thrown in, topped by a thick After that positive start, I was eager to Guohua Street is a superb place to try gravy-like sauce. I would describe it as try some of the city’s own food. many of them. yellowish “stodge” (British for a heavy, Danzai noodles () are one of overly filling food) served in a bowl. Heart of the city the city’s most famous snacks. The simple Imagine my dismay when, on my very dish of wheat noodles, bean sprouts, first visit to Tainan, a friend picked me Fusheng Hao Rice Cake shop is shredded pork, and one shrimp is said to up at the station, and happily told me our around the corner from Guohua Street, a have been created by fishermen as a way first stop would be a waguei shop. daytime snack paradise lined with food of making money outside of the fishing With a feeling of resignation, I picked stands, restaurants, and drink shops season. In the olden days, it was sold by up a spoon and dug into the waguei at patronized by both locals and tourists. mobile noodle shops. Vendors would the Fusheng Hao Rice Cake (11 Minzu Within this bustling area on the edge of walk with a bamboo pole across their Road, Section 3, West Central District), the old city, you can find pig’s heart soup, shoulders, carrying the ingredients on one a small and popular eatery that has spe- squid with rice noodles, and fried sugar- side and bowls on the other. The fish- cialized in the dish since its establishment coated dough made from glutinous rice erman-vendor would then place a table in in 1947. I was astonished to find their flour or sweet potato flour. front of him and set a cooking pot going. waguei – made with pork and shrimp, Many guidebooks extol Tainan’s Danzai noodles translates as “shoulder pole noodles,” and today you can still see some vendors with the bamboo poles to reel in the tourists. Another unique snack is called coffin bread (guancaiban, ). The rather off-putting name refers to a dish of thickly sliced toasted bread with a lid on top and a filling inside. Traditionally the filling consisted of chicken hearts and liver, but more commonly today it is chunks of chicken or pork, or condensed soup.

Coffin bread and waguei are two quint- essential Tainanese snacks that show- case the city's knack for mixing savory and sweet flavors. PHOTOS: WIKIPEDIA

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Cai zong is Tainan's vegetarian, peanut- filled version of zongzi. PHOTO: LOUISE WATT

at work. Zhiwei is notoriously difficult to book – there is currently a six-month wait – as there are only three tables. Wu says he fears expansion would risk a drop in quality. The menu is subject to change, but Wu usually confers with the customer three days beforehand on the dishes to be served. On an evening in November, he prepared a nine-course meal, which included , a rich soup with chicken, pig’s stomach, and soft-shell turtle. Restaurants that still make this dish today tend to the wrap the shell in the chicken, then stuff that into the pig’s stomach and cook it. But that’s not how Wu does it. “The traditional way is to take the Cai zong (), or vegetarian cate and time-consuming to prepare. three ingredients and then stew them (peanut) zongzi, are a Tainan version One well-known Tainan establish- together – the chicken, pig’s stomach, and of rou zong, pyramids of glutinous rice ment that provides a taste of food the tra- shell – and use the unique flavor of the wrapped in bamboo leaves together with ditional way is Zhiwei (知, 28 three ingredients to create the soup,” he pork and sometimes mushrooms and pea- Zhongcheng Road, West Central District). explained. nuts. Cai zong is a vegetarian version; Zhiwei opens only for dinner because Another dish was flaming eel ( unwrap it to find sticky rice and whole its proprietor and sole chef, Wu Ming-jie, ). There is a knack to cooking this peanuts, flavored with crushed peanuts is busy preparing the dishes during the dish. The meat of the eel is delicate and and shredded cilantro. It’s a filling snack. mornings and afternoons. On the restau- will fall apart if overcooked. The key is A popular place for it is Liu Chia Zongzi rant’s one day off (Tuesdays), Wu is still to cook it quickly – but not so quickly , which has multiple locations across Tainan, including 439 Ximen Road, Section 2. Another quirk of the Tainan food scene is that each night market is open only on designated days of the week. The main three markets are Dadong in the East District, Wusheng in West Central District, and Huayuan, or Garden Night Market, in the North District. “Da, Da, Wu, Hua, Da, Wu, Hua” ( ) is a key mantra to know, referring to which night markets are operating each evening from Monday to Sunday. Many of the same vendors can be found at each site. The Huayuan Night Market is to Tainan what Raohe is to Taipei: a tourist mecca where hungry visitors can do no more than inch forward within the crowds. Besides snacks, Tainan has much more to offer in the way of cuisine. Some res- taurants, in fact, serve dishes that are rarely found in the rest of Taiwan out- side of wedding banquets and other spe- Soft-shell turtle, one ingredient in a rich soup that also contains chicken and pig stomach. cial occasions because they are too intri- PHOTO: LOUISE WATT

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that it is still partly raw. Chef Wu fries it for at least 35 seconds using a big iron wok. The process starts by heating the wok until it turns red, then pouring in oil to get a one-foot-high flame going, after which Wu slides in the chopped eel, onion, garlic, and red pepper. He turns down the heat and stirs it, then adds more oil so bigger flames shoot up. The flaming eel dish is not unique to Tainan, but locals say it’s cooked better here. There is, of course, more sugar mixed in with the salt and the soy sauce. Tainanese believe that sugar and salt can bring out more of the flavors of a food, but that there is a limit; if too sweet, it covers up the original taste.

Hearty portions Wu Ming-jie, who runs Zhiwei restaurant, spends hours each day preparing tra- If you serve small portions in Tainan, ditional dishes. PHOTO: LOUISE WATT the locals will look down on you. This unforgiving attitude may have its roots in The rest of its meat is tender and salty. with a pinkish tinge. It doesn’t get much a time when rich people would show tre- This substantial portion of fish is not fresher than that. mendous hospitality toward guests. If a eaten alone, though. It is only one part of At the Hong Pin Beef Soup restaurant serves dishes on the “delicate” breakfast. It is usually served with milk- restaurant(), locals say the side, diners may criticize the owner as fish congee (), and maybe a fried beef is a little thicker and crispier than being cheap. dough stick (). elsewhere. Its reddish broth gets its These hearty portions are seen from strong flavors from simmering the cow’s breakfast onwards. One not to miss is Beef soup large thigh bones, as well the addition milkfish belly (). Milkfish used of onions and other vegetables. For an to be an expensive delicacy until modern Fresh beef soup is a Tainan spe- accompaniment, order the lu rou fan ( farming techniques came along and made cialty. Restaurants serve beef from cows ), or rice topped with braised meat, it affordable. Before cooking, the many slaughtered that morning. Fresh slices which here is sweet and soft. tiny bones of the milkfish will be picked are dropped into a hot broth, where they The original branch is at 288 Da’an out. The fish has a lot of black underbelly, are scalded but not boiled. The beef soup Street, Yongkang District. A newer one and this is fried until it is a little crunchy. is then served immediately – the meat () at 50 Zhonghua West Road, Section 2, West Central Dis- trict, also sells beef hotpot. The hotpot broth is the same as the soup. A recommended beef soup restaurant in Anping district is A Cai () at 5 Gubao Street. It also does deliveries. One thing to remember in Tainan is that you don’t have to concentrate on eat- eries that have a semi-cult following. Sto- ries abound of visitors staying in a hotel next to a “must-go to” beef soup shop, so they can get up at 3 a.m. to start queuing. Locals reliably inform me that Taina- nese never line up for food. If one stall or eatery is busy, they will just go to the next one. Given the hearty competition, it’s never a problem to find good food.

Milkfish congee with a fried dough stick (left) is one part of a hearty Tainan

breakfast. PHOTO: LOUISE WATT

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Tainan.indd 35 2021/1/4 1:13 PM REGIONAL DIFFERENCES MICHELIN GUIDE TAIWAN – TAIPEI VS. TAICHUNG

The Michelin Guide Taiwan ventured outside of Taipei for the first time in 2020 and explored Taichung. Four restaurants earned Michelin stars – JL Studio, Fleur de Sel, Forchetta, and Oretachi No Nikuya – and the choices revealed the stark differences between the Taipei and Taichung culinary scenes.

BY SUNNY WU, COMMONWEALTH MAGAZINE

ounded in 2004 and now one says. To make sure she would learn the of Taiwan’s best established essence of European cuisines, she spent Western restaurants, French res- more than 20 years in England, northern F taurant Fleur de Sel was one of Italy, Spain, and France honing her craft the first restaurants in Taichung to earn a before starting her business in Taiwan. coveted Michelin star. “I would study language and Its owner and head chef Justine Li, cooking during the day, and then go to a known as “Central Taiwan’s godmother Michelin-starred restaurant after class for of Western food,” pioneered the use of dinner,” she recalls. seasonal local ingredients in her French “A lot of people say my style is very Japanese restaurant Oretachi cuisine long before it was fashionable Taiwanese,” Li says with a laugh. But she No Nikoya was one of the four to inject Taiwanese ingredients into fine has insisted during her entire career that Taichung establishments to be dining. the essence of French cuisine is to respect awarded a Michelin star this year. “Western food at the time was not ingredients and put a priority on sauces.

PHOTO: KUO-TAI LIU as clearly defined as it is today when we Li has stressed French cooking tech- talk about French or Italian food,” Li niques to showcase the freshness of the

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local soil and the seasonal ingredients it produces, rather than conjure up expen- sive extravagance. She has reduced the traditional use of butter while ramping up the use of vegetables with Asian fla- vors, converting the rich sauces of French cuisine into a much more refreshing flavor profile. Yet despite the food’s departure from French tradition, Li’s restaurant remains highly popular in part because it main- tains the formal trappings of a high-end establishment. “People in Taichung need a sense of ceremony,” says iFuntuan Dining Club () founder Cindy Hsu, citing a restaurant there that displeased its cus- tomers when it eliminated tablecloths and Justine Li, Fleur de Sel’s owner and head chef, is known as “Central Taiwan’s did not set the cutlery on its tables in the godmother of Western food.” proper order. PHOTO: FLEUR DE SEL RESTAURANT That differs dramatically from the trend toward more casual service manufacturers that form the city’s eco- two cities. in Taipei, where tablecloths are less nomic backbone often look for banquet- Taipei is an international city gen- common and waiters wear sneakers. type settings for big gatherings. erally in tune with the latest interna- “Fleur de Sel’s business has always “People in central Taiwan are more tional trends, while Taichung’s tight been good, and it has maintained the traditional. They are willing to try new social networks have helped its restaurant sense of ceremony found in high-end res- experiences, but when it comes to ban- scene remain relatively unchanged. The taurants. Yet technically speaking, Fleur quets or gatherings, they are still practical Michelin star lists revealed Taipei to be de Sel’s food is not really traditional and want dishes with hardy ingredients,” a place where new food styles are highly French cuisine. It has added many new Wang says in describing the differences in appreciated and in demand, with more elements to its dishes,” Hsu says. dining habits between people in Taichung than half of its top restaurants that made Eslite Hotel General Manager Tony and Taipei. the Michelin cut featuring new-genera- Wang, who worked in Taichung for more That contrast was evident in the tion fusion cuisine. than a decade, says the old-economy Michelin lists of top restaurants in the Topping the Taichung list as the city’s only two-star standout was JL Studio, a unique, avant-garde restaurant that is re- defining Singaporean cuisine. Though its menu showcases several new-age culi- nary techniques, it retains the professional service etiquette so coveted in Taichung, including explaining dishes as they are served and offering wine pairing options. Described by head chef Jimmy Lim as the first Singaporean cuisine restaurant in Taiwan – and anywhere outside the city- state – to earn Michelin stars, JL Studio adeptly combines Taiwanese ingredients, French cooking techniques, and Southeast Asia’s food culture to creatively reimagine Singaporean street food classics. Among the challenges Lim has had to overcome is substituting the use of imported ingredients, as is the way in Singapore, with local ingredients from Taiwan that change with the seasons. His success earned him the Miele One to Fleur de Sel’s offerings are known for combining French cooking techniques with Watch Award in Asia’s 50 Best Restau- local seasonal ingredients. PHOTO: FLEUR DE SEL RESTAURANT rants 2019.

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At Forchetta, which left Taipei to chung’s economy depended largely on take on the Taichung market, owner light industry. It spawned the develop- and head chef Max Tseng also blends ment of large numbers of small businesses French cooking techniques and local ele- that evolved into today’s economically ments to conjure up East-meets-West cre- powerful SMEs and sizable class of busi- ations. The generous use of high-quality ness owners. The city’s climate – cooler Taiwanese ingredients prepared with than Kaohsiung but warmer than Taipei great skill in a variety of ways yield eye- – has also helped give Taichung the rep- catching dishes marked by a very per- utation of a more “livable” city where sonal point of view. people can enjoy life. The city has the highest concentration Banquets, private rooms of Rotary Clubs anywhere in Taiwan, which according to Kao symbolizes how The Taichung restaurants highlighted tightly knit the region’s social networks by the Michelin Guide reflect a style are. Many alumni, industry, hometown almost diametrically opposed to that of or company successor groups also exist, Taipei. and Fengchia itself has an alumni associa- “Taichung is a hub of small and tion and branches. medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). It “When golf associations get together, has traditional social networks but the every time they gather for a meal after economic might of a modern society,” playing a round of golf, they need more and the needs of its old economy busi- than 20 tables,” Kao says. nesses have fostered a restaurant culture The social composition of Taichung’s that contrasts with that found in Taipei, population would suggest the number of observes Kao Cheng-shu, chairman of people needing banquet services would Fengchia University’s board of trustees. be limited, but market demand is actually Before industrial parks and science quite strong because of these many inter- Similar to Fleur de Sel, JL Studio parks found their way into the area, Tai- personal networks. takes French cooking techniques and Consequently, Taichung has several applies them to traditional Singapor- high-end restaurants suitable for ban- ean street food. PHOTO: JL STUDIO quets and large gatherings that put a pre- mium on elegant décor and lavish dishes. To cater to their many business or group wan’s top culinary experiences and illus- clients that often meet to talk business, trated that not all of Taiwan’s best eats these restaurants also offer a relatively are in Taipei. high number of private rooms, in stark contrast to Taipei where space is pri- 2020 Michelin Guide Taiwan marily devoted to tables for small parties. Summary: Taiwan’s “godfather of steaks” Danny The 2020 Michelin Guide Taiwan Deng, who has Danny’s Steakhouses in rated restaurants in Taipei for a third both Taipei and Taichung, says his cus- time and in Taichung for the first tomers at the Michelin-starred restau- time. Thirty restaurants got stars (26 rant in Taipei generally dine there for in Taipei and four in Taichung), with small get-togethers or dates or to enter- one getting three stars, seven get- tain international customers, while in Tai- ting two stars, and 22 getting one chung it’s usually a factory owner inviting star. Another 75 earned mentions in people out. the Bib Gourmand category for res- He discovered that in Taichung, res- taurants that offer good value for taurants not only have plenty of space money, with 31 restaurants and 23 and are well-decorated, they also have food stalls in Taipei and 21 venues in parking lots with over 100 spaces. In Taichung. addition, though spending per customer is lower than in Taipei, total revenues are JL Studio head chef Jimmy Lim says relatively the same, indicating Taichung’s — This article is reprinted with per- that his eatery is the first Singapor- strong spending power. mission from the publisher, Common- ean cuisine restaurant outside of the Whatever one’s preference, the expan- Wealth Magazine. Translation from the city-state territory to be awarded a sion of the Michelin Guide’s coverage original Chinese was done for Common- Michelin star. PHOTO: JL STUDIO has cast new light on some of central Tai- Wealth by Luke Sabatier.

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SMART AGRICULTURE VERTICAL FARMING TAKES ROOT IN TAIWAN

Taiwan is uniquely placed to benefit from the application of information technology to agriculture, enabling it to help provide food for an expanding global population.

STORY & PHOTOS BY JULES QUARTLY

fter becoming a world leader mining, and big data. in semiconductors and other Many of these technologies are being electronic products, Taiwan is put to use in a glittering new 14-story A now looking to smart agricul- vertical farm at Copenhagen Markets ture as its next vine to climb. The island in Denmark’s capital. The first phase of aims to supply much of the world’s fruit construction of the 7,000-square-meter and vegetables within the next 30 years. facility finished in early December. It is This might seem rather unlikely one of Europe’s biggest and most efficient until you consider that the future of vertical farms and was built using a blue- farming is not land and labor but fac- print of patented technologies from Tai- tories and robots. Furthermore, Taiwan wan’s YesHealth Group. already possesses in abundance the tools The result of a partnership between that tomorrow’s smart farmers will use, YesHealth and Danish agritech startup Exposed root system for hydro- ponically grown plants at including solar and advanced light tech- Nordic Harvest, the farm looks like a YesHealth's iFarm in Taoyuan. nology, chemicals, gene editing, drones, fancy warehouse from the outside. The smart sensors, software, algorithms, data interior is fitted with rows upon rows

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and columns upon columns of trays con- YesHealth Group’s Chief Communica- He founded YesHealth Agri-Biotech- taining leafy greens, growing under an tions Officer, the partnership with Nordic nology Co. Ltd. in 2011 and six years intense battery of more than 20,000 smart Harvest has been a productive one so far. later established YesHealth iFarm in LED lights. The plants are tended by engi- It took just five months to install the farm Taoyuan’s Luzhu District. The iFarm cul- neers in lab coats and guided by software and all the produce is pre-sold to ensure tivates an ever-expanding range of leafy that processes over 5,000 individual data the operation is profitable by Q3 of 2021. vegetables and herbs in a 2,500-square- points to optimize plant health. “This collaboration is just the start of meter warehouse factory. It produces The LEDs provide variable spectrum a long-term journey together,” Hansen 1,500 kilograms of leafy greens per day, light for 100 different kinds of plants, said in an email from Denmark. He notes a yield which the company says is 100 nanobubble hydroponics oxygenate the that the two partners plan to expand to times more efficient than a traditional roots and inhibit bacterial growth, and other Scandinavian countries over the farm using the same space and requires liquid microbial fertilizers derived from next several years. only 10% as much water. In addition, oyster shells, brown sugar, and soy milk Hansen credits Taiwan for its effi- YesHealth has a farm in China’s Shen- provide essential nutrients for plants and cient development of the technology and zhen, which harvests up to 2,500 kilo- soil. Even the music played to the plants know-how to reproduce vertical farms grams per day. is science-infused, with classical or light all over the world and calls the Danish YesHealth’s products are sold to major jazz music ranging between 115 and 250 development “a crucial milestone in our retailers both in Taiwan and abroad, Hertz seeming to work best. international expansion.” He adds that including restaurants, hotels, and air- Production at the new vertical farm is the company is eyeing new partners in ports. Its stated aim is to supply a total of set to begin in the new year and will scale Europe, Asia, and the MENA (Middle 7,000 kilograms of leafy greens per day up to around 3,000 kilograms of leafy East and North Africa) region. worldwide in 2021. vegetables per day by the end of 2021, YesHealth is the brainchild of serial Having sampled the produce at the equating to approximately 1,000 tons of tech entrepreneur Winston Tsai, who iFarm, I can confirm the arugula grown greens annually. Crucially, unlike most started an LCD screen company at age there is as tasty as any I have tried, while farms, these figures are close to guaran- 21. His “eureka moment” came after the lettuce and leguminous alfalfa is a teed since production is not at the mercy being diagnosed with liver cancer and perfectly clean, green, and crunchy eating of climate, the weather, pests and disease, partly linking his illness to pollution in experience – the result, I was informed, pesticide residue, nitrate levels, or hun- foods. After recovering, he made it his of an optimal growing environment and dreds of other variables that affect tradi- mission to produce affordable, pesticide- harvesting at exactly the right time. tional farming. free produce by harnessing the power of In a sense, it’s back to the future for According to Jesper Hansen, technology. Taiwan, which had a largely agricul-

Rows of fresh produce grow under batteries of LED lights at iFarm.

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tural economy up until the 1950s. Agri- of the land is suitable for farming. Mean- area of the U.S. culture was one of the pillars supporting while, climate change is affecting agricul- According to a National Geographic the nation’s economic miracle after World tural production by increasing summer report in September 2017, the Nether- War II. With the help of mechanization temperatures and making rainfall more lands’ achievement can be attributed to and productivity gains, agricultural pro- unpredictable. At the same time, consid- the work coming out of Wageningen Uni- duction at that time contributed around a erable soil erosion, acidification, contam- versity & Research, 80 kilometers from third of Taiwan’s GDP. ination by chemicals and heavy metals, Amsterdam in the heart of Food Valley – In more recent times it has accounted and strong pesticide use have diminished the world’s agricultural equivalent of Sil- for just 1.8-1.9% of GDP. That greatly soil quality over the last 50 years. icon Valley in California. The university reduced figure, which includes animal Furthermore, the proportion of Tai- strives to come up with ways to increase husbandry, fishing, and forestry, is not wanese involved in farming has rap- yields and sustainability, and then to dis- due to a decline in agricultural output per idly declined, from 37% of the popu- seminate that knowledge. se, so much as the growth in manufac- lation in the early 1970s to the current turing and the emergence of a pervasive 15% or less, according to the Yearbook New generation service sector. of the Republic of China. Not only is the Taiwan has a wide range of rich, often farming population declining, it’s aging With its strong background in infor- volcanic soils that are exceptionally fer- as well. mation technology, Taiwan is in a good tile, along with a subtropical climate Those factors may not pose as much position to follow that example. The that provides plentiful sun and rain. It is of an issue, however, since the old model island manufactures everything required known as the “Fruit Kingdom” because of agriculture is being disrupted so dra- for what is known as precision agricul- of the quality of its fruit, with dozens matically that even economies of scale are ture, a farming management concept of varieties ranging from bananas and being upended. Given the large size and that uses IT to collect data from multiple papayas to wax apples and guavas. More advanced technology of the U.S., it may sources as a means of increasing crop than 100 kinds of vegetables grow all come as no surprise that it is the world’s yields and boosting profitability. Taiwan year round. biggest exporter of food as measured by is thus the ideal place for putting together On the other hand, Taiwan’s mainly value. Second on the list, however, is the prototypes relatively quickly and cheaply. mountainous geography means just 25% Netherlands, which has just 0.045% the YesHealth, for example, makes its own LED lights through a local con- tractor rather than relying on a major manufacturer like Philips, which means it’s nimbler in terms of bringing focused, new tech to the market – and reaping the dividends. According to the company’s Program Manager, Dennis Jan, Taoyuan’s iFarm has sixth generation LED lighting, while new iterations that are increasingly productive and energy efficient are being rolled out on an almost annual basis. The Council of Agriculture (COA) recognized some time ago the need for a precision approach to farming. In 2016, it developed the “Smart Agriculture 4.0 Program,” which was passed by the legis- lature a year later. COA realized that the nation’s “cal- orie-based food self-sufficiency rate is rel- atively low” and that “shortages in food supplies and escalations in food prices” will inevitably occur as the world’s pop- ulation expands from 7.5 billion to an expected 10.5 billion by 2050. The Food and Agriculture Organiza- tion of the United Nations says that in order to meet the needs of all these addi- tional people, about 70% more food needs to be produced. Gains achieved A tour of iFarm is well worth a visit and introduces the wide variety of plants in improving crop yields have plateaued grown there. and are unlikely to rise again without a

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complete transformation of the agricul- tural landscape through the introduction of city farms, vertical farming, and the application of information technology. In a written response to Taiwan Busi- ness TOPICS, COA commented: “With the rapid development of sensing tech- nology, smart machinery devices, IoT, and big data analysis, smart agriculture has been growing in various fields. “For example, it can monitor and con- trol the production environment auto- matically to keep animals and crops in the best condition,” COA said. “It can predict harvesting dates and yields through data analysis and make adjust- ments to maintain a balance of produc- tion and marketing; and it can use smart automated machinery in agricultural Above, a plate of salad featuring leafy greens grown at the iFarm site. Below, diners enjoy a meal at iFarm's restaurant, which overlooks the vertical farm. operation to significantly reduce the labor burden.” Such uses, says the Council, “make agriculture more competitive.” “The results were very fruitful,” COA quality.” concluded. The technique involves a quick freeze Fruitful results Agriculture 4.0 doesn’t just apply to to -40° Celsius, which inhibits bacteria, the growing of produce; it also looks allowing the whole fruit to be transported Besides fruit orchards, other sectors at the storage, transport, and export of at a fairly standard -18°C. After thawing, that COA has included within Agricul- goods. As an example, COA points to it can meet the rigorous food safety stan- ture 4.0 include seedlings, mushrooms, a relatively new fruit hybrid that was dards of Japan and South Korea. rice, aquaculture, poultry, livestock, and originally developed in Israel in the late Traditional farmers may harbor con- offshore fisheries. 1960s. The atemoya – or pineapple cerns about agriculture becoming a pri- COA cites Taiwan Lettuce Village as sugar apple (), as it is known marily manufacturing process, taking an enterprise that has benefited from pre- in Taiwan – is a heart-shaped fruit with place under artificial light. However, cision farming. The company halved fer- green, scaly skin. A cross between wax Kevin Lin, Head of Business Develop- tilizer use but improved harvest effi- apples and the cherimoya (often referred ment at YesHealth, insists that what the ciency 1.5 times by introducing a fertil- to as Buddha’s head fruit locally), it has company is doing is still agriculture. ization recommendation system, a har- become synonymous with Taiwan and “This is nature; we are just optimizing vesting date and yield prediction system, export success, much like the kiwi fruit it,” he says. “Sustainability is at the fore- synchronous fertilizing technology, and and New Zealand. front of what we do, and our focus now transplanter and harvester technology. Previously, 90% of the country’s ate- is on ensuring the energy costs of vertical According to COA the application moya exports went to China because it is farming – such as heating and lights – are of precision farming increased yield pre- so close. Later, the Taitung District Agri- lowered and the source is sustainable.” diction accuracy by 5% and prevented cultural Research and Extension Sta- In this way, Lin says, Taiwan can pro- 350 metric tons of overstocking. In addi- tion introduced a frozen whole-fruit tech- duce cheap, healthy, and environmentally tion, plant disease and pest control were nique that enables 95% of thawed fruit friendly food that can help feed the world, improved through use of a cloud-based to have a “consistent ripening texture and even as the global population approaches system and machine learning algorithm. dramatically improved the raw material the staggering 10.5 billion mark.

TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021 43

vertical farming.indd 43 2021/1/4 1:32 AM SPARKLING WINE TAIWAN’S SPARKLING WINE EVOLUTION

The mass market is growing fast, driven by Prosecco and Cava, while Champagne still dominates the high end.

BY MATTHEW FULCO

PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA PHOTO: MATTHEW FULCO

ed wine has long domi- Entry-level Champagne is even sold now nated Taiwan’s wine market, in some convenience stores. buoyed by the brand power Since 2014, Taiwan’s overall sparkling R of Bordeaux and Burgundy. wine imports have grown about 15% Most white and rosé wines have struggled from 962,365 liters a year to 1.07 mil- by comparison. lion, according to data compiled by the Sparkling wine is an exception. Cham- Chinese-language Wine & Spirits Digest. pagne has a strong brand here, though Imports from France, which are almost it is more of a niche market than Bor- entirely of Champagne, have risen 26%. Sparkling wines have really deaux or Burgundy. In recent years, less- Italian imports – mostly Prosecco – have caught on in Taiwan over the premium sparkling wines, such as Italy’s grown 47%. Cava from Spain has grown past several years, and a wide Prosecco and Spain’s Cava, have made the most at 79%, but also started at the range of styles and qualities are now available at the island's inroads on the back of aggressive mar- lowest baseline. liquor and wine shops. keting in hypermarkets and supermarkets. “People are realizing that that there

44 TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021

Drink Responsibly

sparkling wine.indd 44 2021/1/4 1:33 AM SPARKLING WINE

are other sparkling wines besides Cham- pagne but produced in Alsace, Loire, pagne,” says Wine & Spirits Digest editor Burgundy, and several other regions of Steven Liu. “Carrefour and RT Mart France is called Crémant. import a lot of Prosecco and sell it for While Champagne is a luxury NT$300 to NT$500 a bottle. The price is product, it can be enjoyed with ordinary reasonable.” food. As with any wine pairing, the key The bubbles in sparkling wine temper is finding food that highlights the wine’s its acidity, so Taiwanese find it more character. In Champagne’s case, there are quaffable than still white or rosé wine some surprising results. (often written off as “sour”), Liu says. David Pan, president of Domaine At the same time, for Taiwan’s beer Wine Cellars, a Taipei-based retailer spe- drinkers, the carbonation and relative cializing in Champagne, likes to drink it dryness of many sparkling wines strike with fried foods such as French fries or a familiar chord. The jump from beer to fried chicken. “The acidity cuts through sparkling wine is not a big one, certainly the oil and complements the saltiness of less than from beer to still white or rosé the fried foods, while the bubbles help wine. refresh your palate,” he says. Just skip the condiments: no honey Champagne 101 mustard on the chicken fingers or ketchup on the fries. You don’t want to drown out Compared to a humble Prosecco or the Champagne’s flavors, Pan advises. Cava, Champagne can be intimidating. Domaine Wine Cellars is Taiwan’s It is the most elegant, refined, and com- largest importer and retailer of Grower plex of effervescent wines. It has the rep- Champagnes, which are made exclusively utation of being the wine of royalty, best from an estate’s own grapes to reflect the enjoyed with caviar or oysters in regal local terroir. In contrast, big Champagne A Christmas tree-shaped tower of surroundings. houses like Moët & Chandon source their Moët-Chandon Champagne bottles Unlike other sparkling wines, Cham- grapes from hundreds or even thousands stands in an elevator bank at Shangri- pagne is the product of only a single of small farmers, blending the grapes to La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel. locality – its namesake region of France. develop a consistent house style. PHOTO: MATTHEW FULCO Sparkling wine made elsewhere cannot be Domaine began as Burgundy special- called “Champagne,” even within France. ists, later branching out into Grower selling Champagne in 2013, offering For instance, sparkling wine made with Champagnes as demand in Taiwan rose three different producers. It now rep- the same fermentation method as Cham- for sparkling wine. Domaine first started resents 30 producers from across the Champagne region. “Taiwanese have discovered that Champagne is very versatile and can be made in a wide range of styles,” Pan says. “Rosé Champagnes can even be paired with pizza and Cantonese roast duck or pork and is often better for some occa- sions than red wine, usually the default choice in Taiwan.” Champagne also goes down more easily because it is refreshing and has a lower degree of alcohol than red wine. A bottle can be comfortably finished by two people in one sitting. Grower Champagne began gaining market share in Taiwan five to six years ago, says Tom Curry, director of interna- tional wine programs at the Taiwan Wine Academy, which offers a course that pre- PHOTO: WIKIPEDIA pares students for the WSG Champagne

TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021 45

Do Not Serve Alcohol to Minors

sparkling wine.indd 45 2021/1/4 1:33 AM SPARKLING WINE

Master program. “Young Taiwanese are more discerning,” he says. “They care more about what the wine tastes like than does the older generation.” However, “most people drinking Champagne in Taiwan are still drinking labels,” Curry adds. A visit to the Taipei City Hall branch of My9, a large wine and spirits retail chain, affirms his insight. Store manager Max Wang told me that Moët-Chandon is their best-selling Champagne. “Con- noisseurs wouldn’t bother with Moët. It’s more of an entry-level Champagne,” he says. “But they do a huge amount of mar- keting,” he adds, pointing to the Moët gift display in the store. I had Wang’s words in mind when I observed an enormous Christmas tree made of empty Moët-Chandon bot- tles near the entrance of the Marco Polo Lounge at Shangri-La’s Far Eastern Plaza Hotel: Champagne installation art. Another Champagne that sells well at My9’s Taipei City Hall branch is Armand de Brignac, nicknamed “Ace of Spades” by rapper Jay-Z after he bought Lower-end sparkling wines, like Petaloso from Italy, should be consumed in the Champagne house in 2014. The moderation to avoid next-day hangovers. PHOTO: MATTHEW FULCO “ace” comes from the logo on the bottle. Armand de Brignac is on the pricey side, beginning at about NT$13,000 and going amount. “One of the reasons we always France, which consumes half the world’s up to NT$30,000. hear about Champagne hangovers being Champagne and produces all of it, there In that price range, “there are cer- the worst is that people have that experi- is a specific term used to describe the tainly better Champagnes, but Ace has a ence after drinking bad sparkling wine,” effects of the beverage, says Dominique certain following, especially people who says Domaine Wine Cellars’ Pan. “If you Levy, a partner at importer Formosawine drink it in night clubs,” Wang says. spend an evening drinking Cook’s or and holder of an officer rank in Ordre des Andre [low-grade sparkling wines from Coteaux de Champagne, the official fra- The good, the bad, and the ugly California], you’re not going to feel good ternity of the major Champagne brands. the next day.” “In France, we say Champagne makes There is an urban legend about spar- I know exactly what Pan is talking one grisé, a more pleasant feeling than kling wine – that it causes the worst about. Years ago, at a dinner held by a drunkenness, which we call noir (literally hangovers. One reason given for this hard-drinking British wine importer in “black” or “dark”). Grisé means you notion is that carbonation causes alcohol Taipei, I made the mistake of downing feel happy and relaxed, but in control of to be absorbed faster into the blood- too many glasses of a cheap Lambrusco, your faculties.” stream. In fact, the speed of absorption is a sparkling Italian red wine. A friend of Levy sees potential for the spar- just one factor determining how one feels mine at the table politely tried to warn me kling wine market to further develop in the day after. Quantity matters. So does with subtle body language, but I missed Taiwan, but says Taiwanese first need alcohol content. Still red wine like Shiraz, his cues. I figured it was harmless enough, time to learn how to better distinguish for instance, is usually 14-15% alcohol, as it was mild tasting and not high in among the many types of sparkling wine while Champagne is rarely more than alcohol. I was wrong. The next day I felt now available on the market. “It’s similar 12%. Whether or not someone drinks on like someone had given me a beating. to Chinese tea,” he says. “You can enjoy a full stomach also makes a difference. Good Champagne should not have it casually, but it takes time to really learn Finally, the quality of the wine is par- that effect, oenophiles say. In fact, in how to appreciate it.”

46 TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021

When You Drink, Don’t Drive

sparkling wine.indd 46 2021/1/4 1:33 AM AMCHAM EVENT

Widening Access to Advanced Medical Technologies

therapy, innovations for structural heart disease, and advanced medical imaging. The medical experts shared personal stories of how innovative tech- nology have helped to improve the quality of their patients’ lives. They par- ticularly emphasized the importance of expanding access to the latest treat- ontinuing the dialogue sur- Vascular, Edwards Lifesciences ments. Although advanced medical rounding precision medicines (Taiwan), Intuitive Surgical Sarl Taiwan technology requires higher healthcare C and patient-centered care from Branch, and Novartis. expenditures, it enables healthcare pro- a similar event three years earlier, the Opening remarks were delivered viders to increase productivity, enhance U.S.-Taiwan Innovative Patient-Cen- by AIT Director W. Brent Christensen treatment procedures, and improve clin- tered Care Symposium, co-hosted by and AmCham President Leo See- ical outcomes, thereby delivering life- AmCham Taipei and the American wald. The event featured presentations enhancing care for patients. Institute in Taiwan (AIT), took place on the latest US medical technologies In concluding remarks, former Vice at the AIT compound in Neihu on and success stories shared by sev- President Chen expressed optimism December 18. The aim of the event was eral local doctors and medical experts. that the signing of a bilateral coopera- to demonstrate the value of innovation The speakers were former Vice Presi- tion agreement during U.S. Secretary of and explore the impact that advanced dent Chen Chien-jen; Deputy Minister Health and Human Services Alex Azar’s U.S. medical technology could have in of Health and Welfare Hsueh Jui-yuan; recent visit would enhance government Taiwan. Wang Jaw-yuan, attending physician and business collaboration between The event sponsors were Abbott in the Division of Colorectal Sur- Taiwan and the U.S., as well as the gery at Kaohsiung Medical University sharing of information. Chung-Ho Memorial Hospital and a While many innovative U.S. medical professor at Kaohsiung Medical Uni- technologies are available in Taiwan, versity; Jong Yuh-jyh, President of the cost considerations often pose an Kaohsiung Medical University; Shih obstacle to their widespread adoption. Chun-che, Vice Superintendent of the A key theme of the forum was the need Taipei Municipal Wanfang Hospital; for Taiwan’s National Health Insurance and Lu Tse-min, Chief in the Division program and the private U.S. health- of Cardiology, Taipei Veterans General care sector to work together to identify Hospital. priorities and implement policies to Among the medical technologies promote broader access in Taiwan to introduced were surgical robotics, gene advanced healthcare treatments.

SPONSORED BY

TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021 47 EXECUTIVE SUITE

Meet Joseph Ho of Swire Coca-Cola

Joseph Ho, a native of Hong Kong and recent Taiwan transplant, brings a wealth of sales, marketing, and brand experience to his current role as Director and General Manager of Swire Coca- Cola Taiwan. This experience has led him to prioritize relationships throughout his career, and he emphasizes that trust and communi- cation are central to maintaining strong bonds with both customers and colleagues.

Joseph recently met with TOPICS Senior Editor Jeremy Olivier to chat about his thoughts on management, Taiwan’s unique F&B market, and what makes Swire Coca-Cola Taiwan one of the best places on the island to work.

You hold a bachelor’s degree in largest globally. It’s now been almost 20 working in F&B is you get to try a lot chemistry from the Chinese Univer- years, and I’ve learned a lot about the of samples of new products! Just kid- sity of Hong Kong. How did you decide company and this sector. ding (though it is a great perk). to make the jump to business? Were you able to apply any of the skills you What made you decide to go into As a former brand manager, can you learned in university to your eventual consumer goods? What have been the discuss some of the considerations large career? most rewarding aspects of working in brands must make when competing in In college, I chose a subject that this area? Taiwan’s food and beverage market? interested me personally. I’m a very When I began working at Nestlé, the What are some of the more notable facts-focused person – scientific, analyt- thing that appealed to me about FMCG aspects of this market? ical – so a subject like chemistry seemed was the fast pace, which was very As a large, well-known brand, it is like a natural choice. However, my exciting. I also liked working in con- essential that we do not take a market interest in academia didn’t necessarily sumer goods because there’s no rocket like Taiwan for granted. I think the carry over to my career. Some of my science involved. You don’t need to get most important thing in this regard is classmates went on to be teachers, but too deep into theory – it’s really about that we have effective channels to mea- I felt that teaching didn’t really fit my human behavior. Sometimes you just sure our brand love among Taiwanese personality, so I chose business instead. need to think like a consumer. consumers and understand that what My first jobs after university were For me, it is interesting to be able works in Hong Kong or China may not sales positions for laboratory equip- to interact with different kinds of cus- necessarily work in Taiwan. ment and semiconductor companies. tomers. Some people feel like sales My brand manager experience at After that, I moved on to fast-moving is this big battlefield – always tough, Nestlé forced me to really spend time consumer goods (FMCG), working at always bloody – but I am not like that. getting to know consumers. Even when I Nestlé for seven years before moving I like making friends with the customers moved on to other, higher-level positions on to Swire Coca-Cola in 2001. At that and believe that the hallmark of a good later in my career, I would continue to time, I was not aware that Coca-Cola’s salesperson is their ability to listen and personally observe focus groups. In this operations are split between the com- work with the customer, to let them way, I was able to gain some valuable pany’s headquarters and its bottling know that their voices have been heard. consumer insights, which helped the partners, of which Swire is one of the Of course, I think the best part of company refine its local strategies.

48 TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021

J Ho.indd 48 2021/1/4 1:34 AM EXECUTIVE SUITE

Taiwan’s F&B sector is unique. I think this builds goodwill among Take for example my company’s prod- colleagues and if they pass this on to ucts, sparkling beverages, which I was others, it creates more opportunities told upon arriving are not as popular in for me to reach out and have a deeper, Taiwan because Taiwanese are health closer dialogue with them. conscious. That is why a lot of Swire’s business here is actually the production What do find is the best way to of unsweetened Asian-style teas, such as motivate your team? How do you culti- our brand Real Leaf (), the largest vate talent and leadership potential? bottled tea brand in the Taiwan market. I think real-time feedback and recog- However, rather than take that state- nition are key. We need to find ways to ment as a given, I wanted to explore show recognition of a job well done as how we could make sparkling drinks soon as possible. I’ve started doing this more attractive to Taiwanese consumers. using our company’s internal chat mes- We have since launched two products ideas into the void and nothing ever senger software, sending out positive that have been very well-received in happens. feedback and providing constructive Taiwan – Coke Fiber+ and Sprite Fiber+ Through the suggestions we receive, criticism on a regular basis. – and have increased our revenue from we are encouraged to do more. They I’ve heard from colleagues that they sales of Coke Zero, our diet option. force us to continually improve our really appreciate this approach. This management quality. is their everyday work, but we might Swire Coca-Cola Taiwan has not always be aware of it. So, to show received HR Asia’s “Best Companies to What do you regard as your main that recognition in real time is very Work For” award for two years run- strengths as a manager? Do you have a important for motivating people and ning. What makes the company an certain philosophy of management that generating more good ideas and results. attractive workplace for prospective you follow? At Swire we have very good talent employees? I have a ratio that I try to abide by, development programs. Through We were very honored to receive this wherein 70% of my time as manager is these programs, we can identify weak- distinction. For us, it is like a health spent on people and the other 30% is nesses and execute an action plan. For check. In order to be nominated and spent on things. For the people portion example, we realized a few years ago awarded, companies must provide of my work, I am constantly arranging when I started in Taiwan that we were information regarding their employee one-on-one and group meetings with lacking an immediate successor plan. best practices, and through this we have colleagues at Swire Coca-Cola Taiwan’s And so, the company has been working learned a lot of good information from locations all over the island. I’m visiting hard to resolve this issue. We have a other participants. the frontlines – the sales centers – on a program called WINGS (We Invest in Something we’ve done to foster a regular basis, meeting the teams, joining the Next Great Success), which helps us better working environment is conduct the morning briefings, going with cer- identify and train future leaders. a staff engagement survey every two tain sales reps to visit buyers, and We also have a committee for diver- years. Through this initiative, we’ve giving some feedback. sity and inclusion. One area this come to understand the importance of I’m also asking the questions that committee is targeting recently is how trust and communication in an organi- need to be asked, such as do our people to improve the gender balance in our zation. It sounds logical, but sometimes have the right resources, the right skills operations here, finding capable female we just need a reminder. to take on certain projects? What’s employees for positions in which men We’ve also launched a program Coca-Cola’s market share here in are traditionally favored. called “Voice,” which is a new, more Taiwan, and do we have enough market effective take on the employee sugges- penetration? And of course, I need to What is your favorite way to unwind tion box. It is quite simple; we post the be involved in things like investment after a long week at work? QR code in pretty much every area of proposals. In the end, though, I would I love to play tennis. And this is a the company and encourage our staff to rather spend most of my time on people. great moment for cycling, especially give us suggestions. If they provide their One of the more notable aspects along the riverfront trails in Taipei. name, there is a guaranteed time frame of my management style is my desire My wife and I like to travel. As for their receiving a reply from HR, to operate and be seen as just another COVID-19 has limited us to traveling which is checked by me personally. colleague. Compared with their coun- domestically, we have had many more After we started this program, we terparts in Hong Kong and China, chances to explore and experience the got a lot of ideas and suggestions, a Taiwanese colleagues can be very indi- beauty of Taiwan. My favorite getaway high percentage of which have been rect about their ideas and opinions, so far was riding my bike from Tai- accepted by management. This way, especially with management. So, I really tung to Hualien over a period of three colleagues understand that it is not just have to demonstrate that they can talk days, cruising along the coast and up in some black hole where you throw your to me about anything. between rice fields.

TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021 49

J Ho.indd 49 2021/1/4 1:34 AM ADVERTORIAL Experience the Pinnacle of Comfort and Service at The Sherwood Taipei

seminars, and strategic planning sessions of up to 100 guests. Lunchtime breakout sessions can be held in The Sherwood’s fine dining options TOSCANA, and Yi Yuan. he Sherwood Taipei, one of the was the updating of nearly one-third of Understanding the recent changes to city’s longest running luxury the hotel’s 343 guest rooms to premium the nature of work, both in Taiwan and T hotels, is not only renowned for rooms, which feature new, bright green globally, and seeing the trend toward its refined elegance and classic style, but is or peacock blue flannel fabric on the digital transformation, The Sherwood’s also a place where the word “hospitality” upholstered headboards, as well as updated facilities are well-equipped for is taken very seriously. General Manager new sheer Roman shades and blackout virtual meetings or teleconferencing. The Achim von Hake and his expertly trained curtains. In addition, the rooms’ hotel also partners with trusted third- staff have worked hard over the decades televisions have been upgraded from party vendors to accommodate guests who to ensure that both longstanding and first- 42-inch to 50-inch Panasonic LCD TVs. require different types of equipment for time guests come to regard the hotel as a According to Von Hake, the feeling their events or meetings. “home away from home.” and appearance of The Sherwood’s new While business travelers have much With this philosophy of providing premium rooms is young and refreshed, to gain from The Sherwood’s premium guests with a comfortable, welcoming while still maintaining the hotel’s timeless, facilities, the hotel’s excellent family environment and top-tier level of service, classic charm. He emphasizes that now packages and staycation deals this year The Sherwood celebrates its 30th is the time to take advantage of The have done much to attract a different anniversary. Although faced with some Sherwood’s special deals on room and subset of domestic travelers. Von Hake incredible challenges during this period meal rates as they are at least 30% lower was surprised to learn that until just of pandemic, the hotel has persevered, than those of luxury hotels and resorts in recently many Taiwanese guests at The coming up with various ways to Taiwan’s other tourist hotspots. Sherwood did not realize that the hotel accommodate and entertain customers Von Hake also points to The boasts a large indoor pool in an atrium beyond the typical room and meal options. Sherwood’s substantial involvement in the on its 20th floor. The pool facility is Importantly, the hotel underwent a small and medium-sized domestic meeting, complemented by separate men’s and renovation its guest rooms during the incentives, conferences, and exhibitions women’s saunas, a full-service spa, and a summer and fall months of 2020, coming (MICE) market. The hotel’s spectacularly complete fitness center. out reinvigorated, revitalized, and more renovated ballroom and meeting rooms Looking ahead to 2021 and beyond, luxurious than ever. provide the perfect venue for events such Von Hake and his team will continue to One of the notable transformations as team-building workshops, training explore new and exciting avenues for sustainable growth. He says, however, that the hotel’s overall strategy of providing the very best product and highest possible standard of service with a focus on personalization remains unchanged. As domestic travel in Taiwan continues to surge, and as the world begins to The Sherwood Taipei normalize in the coming months and years, No. 111, Section 3, Minsheng East Road those seeking quality, tranquility, and Songshan District, 105 Taipei, Taiwan comfort at a reasonable price should keep [email protected] The Sherwood Taipei in mind as indeed +886-2-2718-1188 their own home away from home.

50 TAIWAN BUSINESS TOPICS • JANUARY 2021

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