Tasty Taipei

This cheers is dedicated to the guys at Shoeless.

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Hello All,

While Jenn was in Hong Kong visiting family, I took a side trip to Taiwan to visit my good buddy Tony. 

For those that know him, Tony hasn't changed very much.  We spent the days eating too much food, drinking too much beer and ranting over too many stupid things. 

The only thing that was a shocker was his hair.  To keep up with the trendy Taiwan style, he's sadly grown a Chullet (the Chinese mullet).  I agree with his girlfriend, Cathy - it has to be amputated, like a gangrenous limb, and burned. 

Poor hairstyle choices aside, Tony has settled in quite nicely in Taipei.  He's got a kicking bachelor pad, a very, very cool girlfriend, a job, and 24 hour access some of the best food I've had tasted while travelling.

Picking out food at Snake Alley.

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Sometimes prone to exaggerate, Tony said that all there is to do in Taipei is eat.  This time he wasn't joking.  It's actually all we really did.  On the tourist map, Tony's apartment is located in an area called "Porridge and Snack Street".  The strip is about two city blocks long and it numerous restaurants serve food of all types 24 hours a day. 

Bubble tea, fried buns, steamed dumplings, cold noodles... everything that you could want after three months of Nepalese dal bhat.  I never did get used to the braised stinky tofu though.  It's fermented tofu, much like blue cheese, that well... STINKS. 

One night Tony took me to a night market aptly named "Snake Alley".  And we weren't going there to eat burgers.  Vendors and restaurants sell every type of snake meal imaginable - snake stew, snake broth and snake blood.  Yes.  Snake blood.  And all suitable for human consumption.

There's a snake in my soup.

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Just because it's so exotic and strange, it didn't take any convincing to get me into the restaurant.  The snake blood is mixed with alcohol and then taken like a shot.  It actually tasted sweet.  And what does snake meat taste like?  Chicken, of course.

Thanks for a great time, Tony.  And sorry for drinking all your Taiwan Beer.  I'll get you back when we see you in Toronto.

Cheers,

Lenny