Pimpin shabu shabu

Lunch:



That was hours ago and I'm still ridiculously full. The restaurant was pumping Three 6 Mafia on the speakers. Completely weird to be dipping rare beef to a soundtrack of ganja, hoes and the po-po. Yet, strangely enough, the hardcore rap added some nice bump to the meal. Delicious!

Taipei dominates your face

I'm in Taipei for a week and a half to visit family. Yesterday morning, Mom and I went down a couple of blocks from our hotel in Taipei to treat ourselves to breakfast.

warm, sweet soy milk; savory soy milk; egg and scallion crepe; sticky rice roll; and fried dough in sesame bread:


Suddenly, it's lunch time... time for Din Tai Fung. Holy shit. I fall in love and sigh audibly through the entire meal. I enjoy the dumplings at the Arcadia location, but Taipei dominates Arcadia's ass.

rare beef in ginger soup with perfect noodles, and do miao (green sprouts) in garlic:


pork and veg wonton soup:


fresh julienned ginger soaked in soy sauce and rice vinegar; pickled burdock; and a delicious mountain of do-miao:


...and of course dumplings, which we ate so furiously that I forgot to take a picture. Clearly I've found my appetite again.

Sorry, skinny jeans, you'll be back in the closet in no time. More to come...