EAT, DRINK, EXPLORE: TAIPEI

EAT

Beef noodles (niúròu miàn) are so popular in Taipei that the city holds an annual Beef Noodle Festival where chefs compete to earn the title of “the best beef noodles in Taiwan.” The country’s national dish features hefty chunks of braised beef that simmer in beef broth for hours. Hand-pulled noodles and local vegetables including ginger, tomatoes, bok choy, onion, and garlic are added into the broth, along with a hodgepodge of seasonings like soy sauce, bay leaf, rice wine, salt, and rock sugar. Taste your way through Taipei on the hunt for the best beef noodles the city has to offer!

DRINK

If you’re looking for a beverage in Taipei that is as visually appealing as it is delicious, discover bubble tea! Bubble tea comes in your choice of black, green, white, or oolong tea that can be ordered with or without milk. Add fruit syrups to give it extra flavor or keep it natural with some sugar. What makes bubble tea unique are the dark, chewy “pearls” or “boba” you’ll find at the bottom of your glass. These pearls are usually tapioca balls or some form of jelly, such as fruit jelly, grass jelly, or agar jelly. If you want the most traditional bubble tea in Taiwan, order yours cold with black tea, tapioca pearls, condensed milk, and honey.

EXPLORE

Take a stroll through Taipei’s most historic neighborhood, Wanhua District, and you’ll find Longshan Temple, a 300-year-old temple rich with beauty and culture. Unlike most temples in the world, Longshan Temple is a place of worship for multiple religions, including Taoism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Notice Longshan Temple’s impressive stonework and carvings – every detail was funded by donations from the community in reverence for the temple’s importance. Feel free to take pictures – the Taiwanese permit photography inside the temple!

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