Taipei food courts!!

The food courts found inside Taipei's many glorious shopping malls are truly amazing!

It may seem strange to cover food courts in a street food blog. After all, I usually pick independent vendors who are authentic, cheap, and often hard to find. But food courts in Asia - and especially in Taipei - dish out fantastic pan-asian cuisine. While food courts in the U.S. conjure images of ubiquitous fast-food chains, there's nothing schlocky at all about food courts in Asia. They are oftentimes beautifully designed, with comfortable seating and artistic decor, and the food they serve is usually first rate!

One of my favorite food courts in Taipei is the one that sits below Q Square department store near Taipei Main Station. Typically for Taipei, Q Square is connected to a series of other shopping malls by a labyrinth of corridors and escalators. I didn't find it until having visited several of the connected malls. Taipei's underground built environment is a real maze - but entirely logical for a city that's subject to frequent typhoons during the summer.

There is usually no English menu, but most of the vendors have picture menus so you can just point to the picture of the dish you want.

Since it is a food court, there are no servers, but there is an army of attentive, tuxedo-clad bussers who clear your plates for you as soon as you're done.

Another of my favorite food courts lies beneath the Eslite Shopping Mall near Taipei City Hall. That's where I chose to have dinner tonight.

You can find almost any type of Asian cuisine in these food courts: Malaysian, Szechuan, Sushi, Vietnamese. But one of my favorite stalls serves finely prepared vegetarian food. It's a healthy option here in a land where greasy (though delicious) food is often the norm. 

And it's also particularly cheap. This whole plate cost about $4.00 USD.

Tonight, after enjoying my vegetarian dinner, I decided to indulge in one of my favorite Taiwanese deserts: shaved ice with fruit! This mango shaved ice, with mango sauce drizzled over top, is probably meant for two. But since it only consists of fruit and shaved ice, it's really pretty healthy - even if you eat a giant bowl.

If you're ever in Taipei, and once you've done a few of the night markets, I suggest you go check out the fabulous food courts. They're one of Taipei's culinary wonders that is truly not to be missed!

Shilin and Raohe night markets

Taipei is a city of markets. Night markets, morning markets, clothes markets, dry goods markets; it seems like there's an open air market down every alley and around every corner. Typically the markets in Taipei exist on the sidelines. There are many broad avenues in Taipei with large, corporate stores selling international brands. But inevitably, the little lane that runs behind the big avenue will contain a street market, with mom and pop stalls selling all kinds of traditional products, each one a little bit different from the next.

Two of the most famous night markets in Taipei are Shilin and Raohe night markets. First opened in 1899, Shilin is by far the largest and most popular night market in Taipei. The market opens around sundown, but the action doesn't really get going until late in the evening. Shilin is comprised of two distinct sections, one housed underground which is exclusively dedicated to food vendors, and another section above ground, surrounding the market building, which has food vendors, clothing vendors, massage parlors and convenience stores. In addition to the market proper, the streets and side alleys surrounding the market are also full of small stalls selling all kinds of goods, so the line where the market stops and the neighborhood begins is difficult to determine.

On my first visit, I only explored the outer market. Most of the food stalls here sell rather simple dishes, and offer no seating.

On my second visit, I found my way to the inner, indoor market, where there are more sophisticated food vendors with seating and more elaborate menus. It was here that I discovered Taiwanese teppanyaki. Teppanyaki is a style of Japanese cooking that uses an iron griddle to grill the food, with diners sitting around the grill while the chef cooks, a la Benihana. But unlike the famous North American chain, the teppanyaki joints in Shilin night market are mom and pop affairs, grilling up delicious Japanese/Taiwanese fusion cuisine at rock bottom prices. 

The first time I visited the teppankai in Shilin I ordered grilled chicken paired with lemon salmon, which also came with bean sprouts, green vegatables, miso soup and rice. With a can of Taiwan beer, my total came to about 250 TWD, or about $8 US. The chef took incredible care cooking the chicken and salmon, and placed the food on strips of tin foil which stay on the grill, keeping the food hot while I ate. I've been back twice since then, and each time is more delicious than the last!

Raohe Street night market is considerably smaller than Shilin, despite the rather austentatious decorated archway at the front entrence. 

Raohe is distinctly less tourity than Shilin (although nothing is very touristy in Taiwan). The stalls are smaller but most have seating. 

I tried a variety of foods at Rahoe, but my biggest discovery was baobing: a Taiwanese shaved ice dessert that is particularly delicious on a steamy Taiwanese summer night. 

First a large block of ice is inserted into a machine, often hand cranked, which turns the block into a pile of delicate shavings. 

Then the ice shavings are arranged in a mound on your plate, and used as a base for a variety of toppings: red bean, peanuts, taro, mango, and grass jelly are all popular. 

Sweetended, condensed milk and sugar cane syrup are often poured over the top to give the desert it's final touch.

Since that night in Rahoe, I've enjoyed baobing on many occasions and in many forms: a small indulgence, actually quite healthy, and a little slice of Taiwanese culinary culture.