Former N’Sync singer and Food Network host, Joey Fatone, is giving his view on the best and worst food Taiwan has to offer. As a man who loves his food, he knows which food deserves to be known and the ones he is saying bye, bye, bye to.
Turnip Cake
This popular breakfast dish is made by mixing shredded daikon with water and rice flour. Steamed until it becomes a solid, it can be sliced, grilled or chopped, and with some soy sauce, you are good to go. “We didn’t know what this actually was until the plane home. Everyone just called it breakfast cake. I call it heaven on a plate.”
Niu Rou Aian (Beef Noodle Soup)
“This is Taiwanese comfort food at its finest. You get incredible, big noodles and fork-tender, marbled beef that gives the broth this rich flavor. I could eat this for a month straight and never get bored. And those pickled greens on top (zha cai) give it a little zing. Be that guy who drinks the broth at the end — you won’t regret it.”
“Not Have Bone” Chicken Legs
“This is the best grammatically incorrect fried chicken. We asked the vendor what spices he uses in the breading, but he wouldn’t tell us.” This must mean it’s his secret ingredient, yet you can find these on any corner in Taiwan.
Pizza
When it comes to Joey’s recommendations, he proves he is a real American when he decides to opt for a pizza for his meal choice. “Before you’re all, ‘Uh, pizza is not Taiwanese,’ I know. But this was really good pizza,” so he claims. Joey discovered this “really good pizza” at Uncle Pete’s Pizza in Taitong where the owner is originally from Tennessee – there’s the real explanation – but moved to Taiwan and never left. “It’s no L&B Spumoni Gardens, but Pete makes a damn tasty pie.”