Finally, some shots from my trip to Taiwan. First, photos of my very first meal in Taiwan. I had flown into Taipei from Hong Kong; the flight was delayed, and by the time I got to Taipei, I was famished. My friend’s parents picked me up at the airport and we headed straight for dinner at Shinyeh 欣葉. They have several branches in Taipei, and the one we went to was in Zhongxiao 忠孝.


My very first 刈包 (pronounced ‘gua bao’)! 刈包 is a popular street food item in Taiwan made up of fatty stewed pork with bits of vegetables and meat floss inside a steamed bun. Of course there are slight variations from place to place, but the pork is a must. Shinyeh’s version happens to be really delicious with its tasty pork.


Their porridge was smooth with an almost creamy texture, and I loved the sweet potato bits that’s signature of Taiwanese porridge.


We also had steamed minced pork with salted egg – comfort food at its best when done well.


Now who could possibly resist this delicious Cai Po omelette that’s fried to golden brown perfection? This is a definite must-eat when having Taiwanese porridge!


These crunchy baby anchovies, fried with peanuts and chilli, were a delight to munch on especially when eaten with a spoonful of creamy smooth porridge. It was a perfect pairing of two opposites that complemented each other in texture and taste.


I loved this dish – Chinese chives (韭菜) with preserved egg. The taste of the dish was very flavourful yet light on the palate. The bits of preserved egg also gave a smooth, silk-like texture that slides easily down the throat.


The Taiwanese love eating cabbage which they call 高麗菜 (pronounced ‘gao li cai’). In other Chinese-speaking regions outside of Taiwan, the vegetable is also known as 包心菜 or 卷心菜 .
We had quite a lot to eat among the three of us. A complementary plate of mochi was also given to us as dessert, by which time we were stuffed. Shinyeh is well-patronised by locals and tourists alike, or maybe more specifically Hong Kong tourists (we heard people at a few tables speaking Cantonese). Service was prompt and the wait staff were very polite. Incidentally, Shinyeh has a branch in Singapore that’s located at Liang Court Shopping Centre. I’ve yet to check out the Singapore branch but I’ll do so soon!
Shinyeh Zhongxiao branch 欣葉 （忠孝店）
2nd Floor, 112 Zhongxiaodong Road 台北市忠孝東路四段112號2樓
Section 4, Hangong building 漢宮大廈
Taipei
Tel: +886 (0)2 2752 9299