A Gem of a Find (Pork Cheeks)

Who would have wondered, this tiny semi-lit stall along a lonely street, I would find the greatest-tasting PORK so far in Taiwan!!!

First, let's get to the storyline. It was a cold & lonely night and it was raining. I was walking along the dark streets with a heavy heart *and an empty gut*... "It was a moonlit night in Old Mexico, i mean Taiwan, I walked alone between some old adobe Haciendas, i mean broken down shophouses. When suddenly, I heard the plaintive cry of a young Mexican girl, i mean old Taiwanese auntie." Lalalaaaaa, "啊小弟,有是你啊,吃晚餐了沒?" (ok, for all those that didn't get the joke, it was using lyrics from the song Speedy Gonzales by Pat Boone) =) forgive this oldie for being brought up listening to these songs.

Right, the food. What can I say, when I first ate here, it was just plain noodles with pig's small intestine (NTD35). Not bad, crunchy intestine, well-cooked, QQ noodles.

And then, the PORK (NTD40) arrived. Don't look like much does it? But i tell u, the flavour, the texture, the taste... Out of this world. It's meat from the cheeks, must have been a really smiley pig to have exercised its cheeks that much. (Must have been Wilbur from Charlotte's web).

It's really really tender. The spring onions add a little zing to the taste. I'd avoid the salty chilli though the next time, weird. But the meat. Melts in your mouth, I'd take this to a mid-range steak anytime.
Healthnut Rating:
Comments: This ain't really an unhealthy meal, but I had if for dinner at 1030pm. So that makes in unhealthoholic. I'll up a couple of nuts on this the next time I'm back, which I will =) I'll order the cheeks from Porky next round. And there's still Puumba. Wonder just how many smiley pigs are there? Only two cheeks from each too.

Celebrating Singapore's National Day in my own little way

What do Singaporeans do best, both in extremely cold or hot weather? EAT ICE CREAM! Man, I realised I haven't ate ice cream since I stepped foot in Taiwan. This to me is a luxury item right not and what the heck, it's National Day! Happy Birthday Singapore!... *it's just an excuse to spend some money on ice-cream*.

Went into the convenience store like a kid in a candy shop. Took my time to choose. Spent about 10mins browsing. To be honest? Once I saw Meiji- BLACK Chocolate (NTD35), it was a done deal. But ah what the heck, understand the ice-cream market abit for the next National Day Treat =)

What can I say? Cold, Bitter Chocolate. Meiji somemore. 5 Stars!... I mean *ahem* 1 nut because it's so unhealthy... tsk tsk...

Ice Cream + A movie playing (I'm watching SPEED, one of my all-time favourite). Is it gay to say that Keanu Reeves is so hawt in this show? I apologise for that gay comment but he is in this show =)

Healthnut Rating:
Comments: Weeeelllll, ice cream once in a while is ok. especially when it's on a special occasion. Singapura!...

One Beachy Sunday

What a beach, B-E-E-C-H! It was a beautiful Sunday morning and we made a road trip to a place called 福隆 (Fu Long), about 45mins train ride from Keelung. Our Taipei distributor went back to visit his in-laws so I tagged along.

We took the 台鐵, the more historic of the trains (right: a classic must-take railroad photo).

Breakfast? Two 7-11 Wasabi-Tuna 飯團 (NTD25 each). Love em.



Healthnut Rating:

Comments: I'm paranoid on the carbs, so can't score higher.

After a good swim, a solid tan from the baking sun, it was some sandy-playtime with my distributor's cute kid. (Cute? Just one of the many things he said that I couldn't answer. He said this in all innocence: "Uncle, why do you need to wear sunglasses? All you have to do is close your eyes more and not look at the sun" He's gonna put Raybans out of business!)

Lunch: A 12-course seafood extravaganza! Yes, 12-COURSE. The more exciting dishes? A butt-ugly fish that must have weighed at least 3kg *steamed till it just comes apart in your mouth* (so good!), a mountain of steamed prawns *sweet,fresh, crunchy* (so good!), sweet & sour deep-fried eel (so good!), fish-roe with seaweed (totally foreign to me) sea-urchin omelette (what?!), tuna sashimi (So Good!) & two full grown lobsters (SO GOOD!). and then there was your fried rice, noodles, veges and what not.

We were 3/4 through the meal before I even remembered, oh yah, I have a blog to update. (hence the photos of everything half-eaten). Managed to get a closeup of the lobster.

Ten Green Bottles, hanging on the wall *sings* What's the beach and a seafood meal without BEER? *burp* Between three people, we had ten bottles of Taiwan's finest.

Good conversation continued into our "dessert". Mr Paulo the Octopus =) Oh yes, I had a gigantic Paulo tentacle for my palate cleanser. I've been eating as much octopus whenever I can. Damn you Paulo for being right on Spain Vs Holland!!!

Healthnut Rating:
Comments: The sheer amount I ate & the beer rates this meal half a nut, but, So Good! I must have drank a whole brewery and disposed of an entire aquarium! (Poseidon himself would have been after me)

I could barely move after lunch. The rest went for their afternoon nap which would have been the natural, unhealthoholic thing to do. My conscience wouldn't let me.

I hurried down to the beach to find ANY way to work off all those calories. The bikini babes did get my heart-rate going a little. I saw a kayak expedition about to push off, I tried my luck with the coach. Luckily he agreed to take me on his kayak but we only had one oar.

Anyhow, a three-boat expedition into the Shuang Ling river in Fu Long sounds like a good way to spend the afternoon. Two pairs of Taiwanese couples, one coach and a fat Singaporean. At least I got to reinforce my tan.

We navigated about 1hr upriver, before U-turning. The scenary and wildlife was serene. I could feel the calories melting away *Ahhhh* Well, the coach threw a surprise at the U-turn. He told us that he'd get off there and a lorry would drive him back to the start. I get the kayak to myself! The three boats then drifted and slowly made our way back, stopping for a brief swim in the river, made new friends. Glad I didn't just sleep the afternoon away.

The day had to come to an end, but of course, not without dinner. The 福隆便當 (NTD50) is synonymous when talking about 福隆. And just like our Katong Laksa, the rows of 便當 stalls proclaim themselves as the real deal. Luckily I had a local born-bred in 福隆-er with me, so we headed straight to the 老字號 to buy our 福隆便當. Still stuffed from lunch, we ta-paoed and boarded the train home.

Three hours later... Dinner & the unveiling of the 福隆便當. Consisting of: One stewed egg, half a Taiwanese sausage, two slices of stewed pork, fried cabbage, preserved vegetables, Ngor Ngyong, bamboo shoots. For a Taiwan bento set, that's probably as good as it gets.
Healthnut Rating:
Comments: Bento sets are meant to fill and it did its job beautifully. Might have scored higher had I not had the seafood meal fit for kings. Just wasn't hungry enough.

What a way to spend a Sunday. Tanned and happy, I must run on solar energy! What a day...

My first encounter

First encounter with? Organic food to be exact. I've heard and read about it and all its health benefits. But I never really expected something to be generally good for you to taste good.

This does. And it's just across my Taipei distributor's foot clinic! It's expensive though but for food that is both healthy & yummy, bring it on! NTD130 for this set meal.

Just check out the COLOURS, looks like a Benneton ad. Purple whole grain rice, steamed pumpkin, carrot/radish, spinach, bittergourd... The Works! The ladyboss does understand the stomach too, she included an (inorganic) pork/preserved veg dish just for balance.

Healthnut Rating:
Comments: Near perfection.

Hospital Food - literally

Well not exactly literally, hospital doesn't mean those they serve to warded patients. I had this in 長庚醫院地下食街 on one of the days we held a sales booth there.

I've had pumpkin beehoon once at a seafood restaurant in Kaoshiung and i loved it.

This? Well, what do you expect from hospital food anyway? Bland and healthy, which well IS in line with this blog's theme anyway. The saving grace was probably the huge portion they served. Just one plate of plain beehon was enough.

Healthnut Rating:
Comments: My iron-clad healthnut principles are fast waning as you can see, I'm slowly shifting towards deliciousness than health-conciousness. Accursed Taiwan food for mutating this healthnut. I will prevail. For Zoe reading this, I will prevail.

鄧師父 - Food tastes better when eaten with friends

Jianzhang senpai & Hanqing visited me on their wedding shoot/honeymoon in Taiwan. Brought them to this soup-place called Master Deng 鄧師父, but they're famous for their world-renowned pig's trotters (award winning too!).

Good food must be shared with good friends. Despite his skinny frame, Jianzhang told me he loves pig's trotters. One 盅 of soup each (I had chicken mushroom), at NTD60 reasonable price and four side dishes (小菜). Pig's ears, Pig's Trotters, Drunken Chicken and Bittergourd. Total bill came up at NTD675 which is expensive by Kaoshiung standards but YOU singaporeans will find it cheap =)

Bittergourd: I hate bitter bittergourd but not this not-so-bitter bittergourd. Nuff said.

Pig's ears: There's something about cartilage, tendons and crunchy pork bits that I can't resist. This dish is all about that. Not too oily, with a slight tinge of chilli.

Drunken Chicken: Just a bird to balance out all that mammal. Not undercooked like I fear all chicken dishes, the meat's juicy and crunchy all at the same time. Like a well-made Hainanese chicken type.

And the star of the show: Pig Trotters! Master Deng's somehow made the pig skin chewy and the stewed totally infused into the skin. Sweet, chewy, tasty... the pork's tender and comes apart in strings of meat rather than chunks. Accompanied with the ginger slices, indescribable...

Healthnut Rating:
Comments: You know the answer to the rating. All the pork, all that lard. OH! So! Good! Totally worth every calorie. Hanqing even mentioned the pig's ears and pork trotters are better than China's, and there you have it =) Ladies and gentlemen, 鄧師父...

蒙古煎餅 - Mongolian Roti-Prata

Singaporeans sure are suckers for queues, just gotta check it out whenever we see one. In this case, we were brought to this stall selling 蒙古煎餅 or 蔥油餅 (NTD 45), otherwise termed as Mongolian Roti-Prata by me (see images).

Expecting to see an Indian man flipping the dough with gusto, instead I find a Chinese incek massaging the dough on the pan, wearing mask somemore. Man I miss a solid unhygienic murtabak!

Two layers of prata kiap one egg, accompanied by fistfuls of basil leaves makes one Mongolian Roti-Prata! There's plain, curried, or extra-curried.

The basil leave is overpowering, excellent for those who like it, I'm partial. Egg prata's always good even when it's bad, those who like egg pratas like me will know what I'm talking about.

Healthnut Rating:
Comments: I still miss our Singaporean murtabak, but this sure is something new. Basil leaves make for a nice vege-addition to an otherwise sinful food. Two nuts!