Taiwanese-style Clams (台式炒蛤蜊)

Taiwanese-style Clams
Taiwanese-style Clams pictures (1 of 3)

I haven’t been traveling for a while, well, not since my trips to China and Malaysia last June and Hawaii in last August. I miss traveling a lot, mostly, I miss eating local foods and exploring local cooking styles. It’s amazing to me that even with the same ingredients, different places have their own signature ways of preparing the ingredients.

Even though Taiwan is not a huge tourist destination to most people, I love the place. I had been to Taipei a few times, and one of the things that I love most about the city is the many “百元小炒” Chinese food establishments. 百元小炒 means NT$100 (about US$3.20) stir-fries, which basically are popular and very affordable dishes served at Chinese restaurants. The restaurants that offer such specials are usually very humble in the appearance and set up—a shop house with a cashier counter, round tables and chairs, and a hot stir-fry kitchen (some visible and some don’t). 百元小炒 is a popular food culture in Taipei and the dishes are great for sharing with friends, late-night supper, and especially great with cold beer…(get Taiwanese-style clams recipe after the jump)

read more

Salt and Pepper Chicken (盐酥鸡)

Salt and Pepper Chicken (盐酥鸡)

One of my favorite places to eat is Taipei. Taipei reminds me of my hometown Penang, mostly because of a similar spoken dialect and the fiercely celebrated street food culture. Walk down the many small alleys and bustling night markets in Taipei, you are sure to find many great eats in a city that is obsessed with food.
Salt and pepper chicken…

Three Cup Chicken (三杯鸡)

Three Cup Chicken (三杯鸡)

Three cup chicken (三杯鸡) is a classic Taiwanese dish, one that I never miss out whenever I eat out at Taiwanese restaurants. I love Taiwanese food–unpretentious, humble, and homey dishes that score high on yum-o-meter.
Taiwanese food is basically Chinese food with local influences, slightly different cooking methods, local adaptations and variations. Many Taiwanese dishes remind me of Chinese-Malaysian food, not…