Eater's Digest: Taipei

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anzu / le bouquet / juanita burritos and tacos / woolloomooloo / ningxia night market / vigor kobo / florida bakery / texas rangers fried chicken / shilin night market / hot star large fried chicken / ji pin / bac chocolate world / kyoto teppenyaki / aunt stella's / asto gelato italiano / wendel's german bakery / pregame / flavors / tonghua night market / ireland's potato / macho tacos / whalen's / mister donut / snow king / yi yuan peking cuisine / ed's diner / 89 seafood / lian xiang zhai / raohe night market / zhua bing stand (yongkang st) / ben teppan grill / din tai fung


Juanita Burritos and Tacos is a Chipotle rip-off decorated with Star Wars pop art.

"Original Mexican sauce"?

"We pride ourselves on our lettuce."

Unlike other night markets in Taipei, the Ningxia Night Market is all food – eel noodles, rice with pig's feet, small intestine in large intestine, pork rib stewed in Chinese medicine…


Salad Boat
A deep-fried doughnut-like roll, sliced open, slathered with mayonnaise, and stuffed with some ham, some hard-boiled egg, some tomato, and some cucumber.

They are repulsively delicious.


Ji Pin

BAC (Black As Chocolate) Chocolate World is a café where every dish contains some form of chocolate.

For example:

• Pan fried salmon marinated in cocoa salt and cocoa gin

• A pastrami sandwich with dark chocolate bread

• A fried seafood platter served with white chocolate yuzu dip and cocoa pineapple salsa

As I departed, my waitress ran out to return the tip I had left and would not let me go until I accepted my tip back.

Lian Xiang Zhai is a swanky vegetarian buffet known for its Buddhist monk clientele, chocolate fountain, and all-you-can-eat Häagen-Dazs ice cream.

Vegetarian fish remains dire. This buffet's vegetarian sashimi looks like sashimi, but eats like gelatinous nothing, and its cooked vegetarian fish is awfully rubbery.

Tonghua Night Market


"Boss level of delicious."

Ed's Diner
"American BBQ." Good pulled pork sandwich, satisfactory beef brisket.

Whalen's
A Canadian diner. Good Montreal smoked meat sandwich, weak classic poutine.

Macho Tacos
"Authentic Mexican food," including fish tacos.


Aunt Stella's
Also on the menu: Spicy Jambalaya Creole.

Flavors
Swedish chef marries Taiwanese woman, opens Swedish restaurant in Taipei.

Woolloomooloo
Taiwanese-Australian architect opens combination restaurant/market/event space in Taipei. Not surprisingly, the design of his complex is very cool.


7-Eleven

The climate in Taiwan is tropical/sub-tropical; cold and/or fruity drinks are popular in Taiwan; and 7-Elevens are ubiquitous in Taiwan, yet 7-Elevens in Taiwan don't sell Slurpees. Seems like a missed opportunity.

Taiwanese people will add milk to anything.

Snow King is an ice creamery that offers salty flavours for diabetics.

I tried its pork knuckle (ham hock) flavour with bits of pig skin mixed in, and its pork floss flavour. Both tasted like salty peanut soup.


According to Google Translate, Asto gelateria's flavour offerings include: Latina Passion, Black Beauty, and Pikachu.

I tried its wax apple flavour.

Shilin Night Market

Taipei's most famous night market is a fuckin' labyrinth.


I couldn't find this place selling "intestinal wang duck blood tofu" and "cod chin."


However, I did find A Piece of Gayke and its infamous "todger waffles."


Home edition.


Wiener inception.


Coffin Bread
A deep-fried slice of Texas toast, carved open on one side, filled with various stuff, and lidded shut. The one I tried at the Shilin Night Market contained shrimp and pineapple on a bed of shredded cabbage smothered in a mysterious chowder.

Raohe Night Market

At the Raohe Night Market, I happened upon a stand selling half-size coffin bread. Among its filling options: chocolate custard, and…


Lobster salad with Doritos. Pictured: An open casket, heh.


"Lil' America."


Corn dogs coiled in cheese and fries.


Ireland's Potato is a fast food chain in Asia. Its main selling point is that Irish people are quite literally crazy about potatoes, and so the rest of the world should be too.

89 Seafood is known for its massive Hokkaido king crabs.

I watched one poor crab keep getting pulled out of its tank for photographs.

Ben Teppan Grill
Longest teppenyaki meal ever – after which you are escorted to a lounge for dessert.


In the waiting area: An encased basketball autographed by Jeremy Lin.

Did they know that Jeremy Lin was coming and buy a basketball in advance for him to autograph, or did they run out and buy a basketball while he was eating?


Pregame imports red Solo cups for authenticity.

#eatersdigest

When the gas runs out, just wreck it

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Jon: You replaced your front lawn with fake grass?
B: And back lawn. I'm tired of paying to maintain them. I mean, when was the last time you used your front lawn?
Jon: Just earlier today. I, uhh, cut across it to reach my front door quicker.
B: [pause]
Jon: Do fake lawns affect property value?
B: Not when you live near the Googleplex.

The In Sound From Way Out!

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Rory: What would you say was Grand Royal's biggest non-Beastie Boys LP release: Fever In Fever Out by Luscious Jackson or Relationship of Command by At the Drive-In?
Jon: Pfff! Relationship of Command. No contest.
Dan: You're overlooking Atari Teenage Riot.
Rory: Said no one ever.

Rory: Okay, Nothing Records' biggest non-Nine Inch Nails LP release.
Jon: Biggest: Antichrist Superstar by Marilyn Manson. Best: Mechanical Animals.

Jon: Maverick Records' greatest hits album:
1. Paul Oakenfold – "Ready Steady Go"
2. Michelle Branch – "All You Wanted"
3. The Rentals – "Friends of P."
4. Deftones – "Change (in the House of Flies)"
5. Jack's Mannequin – "Dark Blue"
6. Madonna – "Music"
7. Candlebox – "Far Behind"
8. Meshell Ndegeocello – "If That's Your Boyfriend (He Wasn't Last Night)"
9. The Prodigy – "Breathe"
10. Greyson Chance – "Waiting Outside the Lines"
11. Alanis Morissette – "Ironic"
12. Story of the Year – "Until the Day I Die"

Rory: Aftermath's greatest hits album: Curtain Call: The Hits by Eminem.

Adam Riff™ Clip of the Week

on


27. Exorcisms (Nathan For You, S02E01)

Honourable Mention

  • Cold open (The Honourable Woman, S01E01)
  • "Werner Herzog" describes Good Will Hunting: Port of Call – Los Angeles (Comedy Bang! Bang!, S03E09)

Stray Observations

  • Music: Max Richter – "The Twins (Prague)" (The Leftovers, S01E01)
  • Buddy Garrity! (The Leftovers, S01E01)
  • Justin Theroux: NOT Ron Livingston (The Leftovers, S01E01)
  • The "spin the bottle" wheel: Screw, Hug, Burn, Hickey, Suck, [indecipherable three-letter word], Choke, Bite, The Tip, Titty, Fuck, Kiss, Slap (The Leftovers, S01E01)
  • Why is he undressing to be choked? […] Oh. Heh (The Leftovers, S01E01)
  • Music: James Blake – "Retrograde" (The Leftovers, S01E01)
  • Free association: Guilty Remnant = Danielson Famile (The Leftovers, S01E01)


(The Leftovers, S01E01)

  • Music: Max Richter – "Vladimir's Blues" (The Leftovers, S01E01)
  • The Leftovers' director of photography was Breaking Bad's DP (The Leftovers, S01E01)
  • [Anachronistic] Music: Big Black Delta – "Capsize" (Halt and Catch Fire, S01E05)
  • "Will you read my future?"
    "I don't know that you have one."
    "Everyone has a future."
    "Not everyone. Some people only have a past."
    "Then read my past."
    "Then you would have no more mystery." (Penny Dreadful, S01E08)
  • "Show business – all bitches." (Penny Dreadful, S01E08)
  • Rory Kinnear for "best supporting actor" (Penny Dreadful, S01E08)
  • Penny Dreadful Season Grade: C+
  • Baby octopus Jell-O shots (Frankenfood, S01E04)
  • "I really want bone marrow under that box. I could really get down and dirty with some bone marrow." (MasterChef, S05E06)


"Mark, pleeease!" (24, S09E10)

  • "Okay, you can talk to him, but if you cross the line, I'm pulling you."
    "Just so we're clear, I wasn't asking. That was me being courteous." (24, S09E10)
  • "Full immunity is not on the table – but your hand is." (24, S09E10)
  • Return of the one villain that got away (24, S09E10)
  • Pivoting to a world war with two episodes left? (24, S09E10)
  • RT: "'Pasadena: Where the pain of your family doesn't follow you.' They should really use that as a tourist slogan" (Tyrant, S01E02)


(Nathan For You, S02E01)

  • "A ghost choked you in Switzerland?" (Nathan For You, S02E01)
  • Music: Radiohead – "How to Disappear Completely" (The Honourable Woman, S01E01)
  • Music: The Low Anthem – "Charlie Darwin" (Rectify, S02E03)
  • James Adomian's Gordon Ramsay impersonation (Comedy Bang! Bang!, S03E09)
  • "So Alison, you were in the movie Scream 4…"
    "It's actually pronounced 'AHHHH!!! 4.'" (Comedy Bang! Bang!, S03E09)
  • "You want to be Montell Jordans or a loser?" (Loiter Squad, S03E08)
  • PSA tag (Loiter Squad, S03E08)
  • "Little Caesars: It's the only thing better than getting what you want." (Orange Is the New Black, S02E11)
  • Lulz at Fig neutralizing the accountant with the promise of meeting Tiki Barber (Orange Is the New Black, S02E12)
  • Tiki discussing Foucault (Orange Is the New Black, S02E12)
  • How do they all know how to sing "Stay" by Lisa Loeb? (Orange Is the New Black, S02E12)
  • Sideshow Vee (Orange Is the New Black, S02E12)
  • Six months after Randy described Toy Story 3 on Enlisted, Morello describes Toy Story (Orange Is the New Black, S02E13)
  • RT: "a black guy knowing the words to Deep Blue Something's 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' is complete and utter bullshit" (Orange Is the New Black, S02E13)
  • Orange Is the New Black Season Grade: B-

#clipoftheweek

That wizard came from the moon

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Yahoo!, of all places, closed a deal for a 13-episode sixth season of the cult NBC comedy Community. [source]

S06E01
Due to a reduced budget, Britta, Annie, Shirley, and Star-Burns are all played by Tatiana Maslany.

S06E02
Troy returns to Greendale, but is actually a cyborg assassin sent back in time to kill Abed and prevent him from becoming Evil Abed and darkening the prime timeline. Aaron Paul guest stars as a soldier sent back in time to protect Abed.

S06E03
An episode of the original British Community.

S06E04
Being Dan Harmon – The group finds a portal into Dan Harmon's mind (where they discover that their lives are scripted?).


S06E05
The group plays The Big Bang Theory CLUE.

S06E06
This episode (606) is a palindrome.

S06E07
Lego Community.

S06E08
Bottle episode.

S06E09
More paintball.

S06E10
The previous five seasons from the perspective of two background Greendale students, à la Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.

S06E11
An interactive "choose your own adventure" episode.

S06E12
What if Greendale was a massive luxury liner called "Titanic"?

S06E13
The group helps Abed make his senior project: a Deadwood movie (series finale).

Seal Meat Buffets

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In the mid-20th century, the Chinese government simplified Chinese characters to increase literacy.

Problem is, Hong Kong and Taiwan continue to teach traditional Chinese characters exclusively.

In Chinese classes in college, I could choose which version of Chinese characters I wanted to use, but I was expected to be able to read both versions.

I have come to accept misspellings of "you're" and contractions without apostrophes as simplified English.

It's not surprising that you're gay.
(Traditional English)

Its not surprising that your gay.
(Simplified English)

I'm through being dismayed. At least they're writing, right?

Adam Riff™ Clip of the Week

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Midway point!

26. Red Wedding 2 (24, S09E09)

Honourable Mention

Stray Observations

  • "It's not weird, it's brothers." (Enlisted, S01E13)
  • "Who's your Lori Loughlin?" (Enlisted, S01E13)
  • "Why is this punch brown?"
    "It's gin and chocolate milk, dawgs." (Enlisted, S01E13)
  • "I'm the Beyoncé of this platoon, man."
    "I'm the Anne Heche." (Enlisted, S01E13)
  • Enlisted Season Grade: C+
  • The best part of this show is the opening credits (Halt and Catch Fire, S01E04)
  • Shame that Eva Green isn't eligible for an Emmy this year (Penny Dreadful, S01E07)


(Frankenfood, S01E01)


(Frankenfood, S01E01)


(Frankenfood, S01E02)


(Frankenfood, S01E02)

  • "I am the President of the United States of America and I just gave you an order."
    "I am not American citizen. This is not America." (24, S09E09)
  • "Get ready. Margot may have set up a perimeter." (24, S09E09)
  • Barry's father couldn't buy out a better aircraft? Where are the showers and lie-flat seats? (Tyrant, S01E01)
  • Tyrants love Aerosmith! (Tyrant, S01E01)
  • "Look, Em, there's a Subway" – not sure if product placement… (Tyrant, S01E01)


(Loiter Squad, S03E07)

  • Who is that Asian dude on the show this season? (Loiter Squad, S03E07)
  • "I'm not a slave, I'm me!" (Loiter Squad, S03E07)
  • "You must not know who I am. I'm all that!" (Loiter Squad, S03E07)
  • Why doesn't Red just escape through the grate in the greenhouse? She knows a human can fit inside… (Orange Is the New Black, S02E07)
  • "Ugh. It's full of Fleet Foxes and shit!" (Orange Is the New Black, S02E07)
  • "If you're not building a future, that's because you don't believe there is a future. You've given up on yourself. You're a loser." (Orange Is the New Black, S02E07)
  • "No one gives a shit about old ladies. We remind everyone that they're gonna die." (Orange Is the New Black, S02E08)
  • Mule Variations! (Orange Is the New Black, S02E09)

#clipoftheweek

Looking forward:

We declined our second-year option on Ray Donovan.