Trollin’ Taipei–

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The Yuletide view of Taipei from the Tai Pan Lounge of the Regent Hotel soothes us after the little flight over the top of the Earth to get here…mmm, aaaahh!  The attentive staff bring us whatever we need to settle in and enjoy: endless pots of tea, bubbly glasses of champagne, steaming mugs of coffee, cakes, cookies, ham chunks, veggies, etc. and so on. . .thank you Tai Pan staff, we appreciate your help and service.

Next we gotta head on over to Minsheng Street and gobble some extremely tasty beef noodle soup and soup dumplings at a joint called Little Shanghai.  This is a basic lunch-only place that serves up steaming cups of tea, soups, and dumplings for lunching Taipei folks in a hurry…simple, sweet, and absolutely delicious.  Please eat here some time…YOU. . .WILL. . .LOVE!

Finally we pop into Longshan Temple, the oldest temple in Taipei.  There is always lots of activity inside and outside of this revered structure…people making donations, praying, wishing, peddling wares, and generally soaking up the good vibes here.  During the hot days of spring, summer, and fall this place is especially soothing because of the waterfall in the outer courtyard…a mist from the waterfall cools the pilgrims as they make their way in and out of the main temple area. . .so soothing–hao-hao!

That’s enough for this jaunt around town. . .we gotta pace ourselves. . .there is really no hurry at all when one is enjoying the passage of time in this happenin’ town.  We are honored to be here. . .please consider a visit to the capital of one of the “Four Asian Tigers”…this high-tech town will leave the lights on for you, most definitely.

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It’s lovely out there.

#1 ‘fuh’ in America–

BAM!  Here we are gobbling a bowl of pho bo (pronounced “fuh baw”)–Vietnamese beef noodle soup–on “Eat Street” in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and it is absolutely delicious–jaaaa!!  This bowl of goodness is the most authentically Vietnamese version of this dish that I have ever had in America, period.

The place to find this great bowl of pho bo is called Quang on Nicollet Avenue, aka, ‘Eat Street.’  Eat Street is a wonderful area in Minneapolis that is lined with all kinds of “ethnic” food shops and markets. . .Vietnamese, Korean, Chinese, north African, Mexican, South American, etc. and so on.  You gotta come over here and do some gobblin’ whenever you visit this fun town. . .and as good as Quang is we are told by a local person that the Vietnamese food at a place called ‘Saigon’ in St. Paul is even tastier–we will have to check it out over there the next time we visit…but for now Quang will do just fine–mmmhhmmm!!

A couple of months ago we had the pho at a Vietnamese place down in East New Orleans, and it was wonderful–I thought this was the best in America–but now Quang on Eat Street in Minneapolis gets our vote as the most authentic bowl of pho bo in America.  Please pop on down here and check it out for yourself. . .we would love to hear what you think.

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It’s lovely out there.

Day 56…pho tron–GOBBLE!

  YES!  Nomadic wandering requires lots of fuel to keep us moving, and pho tron (“fuh trawn”) meets all of our needs: it’s tasty, fresh, made with love, and full of protein and carbs–just what we need after a long day of popping here-n-there and seeing this-n-that.  Pho tron is simply a slightly deconstructed pho bo–the broth is served separately from the beef, noodles, and greens–and the noodles are covered in a curry sauce making them even more tasty than in straight pho bo.  Vietnamese beef noodle soup with curry added?. . .YES!, we can do this. . .and we simply add the broth at our own pace so as not to dilute the curry flavor on the noodles.  Got it?  Good.  This stuff is totally delicious but only a few stands serve it in Ha Noi. . .not so popular for some reason.  My recommendation is to find a pho tron stand somewhere in town–the one above is on a street not far from the Hotel Metropole–sit down, order, and gobble. . .I am willing to bet a large sploge of wonga that you will love it.  If you don’t, then you can always hit me up for a refund of the two bucks U.S. that this will set you back. . .no worries, I gotcha covered either way.  Enjoy!

I send you interesting variation vibes galore from the streets of Ha Noi. . .feel them. . .they will make your taste buds dance and sing.

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It’s lovely out there.

Triple yum!

MMMM!  Pho bo, Vietnamese beef noodle soup, is oh-so satisfying.  A light rain is falling, the streets are foggy, the air is still, and we have a moment of zen sipping and slurping away. . .makes me misty with atmospheric euphoria. . .mmmm, aaaahh!  I love eating pho bo on deserted Hanoi street corners in the middle of the night, and you will too if you ever find yourself wandering around in the capital of Vietnam with a 2:00 a.m. hunger.

I send you in-the-moment vibes from Hanoi. . .feel them. . .they are free and easy and alive.

To see more delectable images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it. . .you deserve a virtual trip right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

Happy Pi Day…3-14–

HOLY MATHEMATICS!  It’s Pi Day, people. . .so eat somethin’ good!  For example, you might pop on over to Hanoi, Vietnam and sample the world champion of noodle soups: Pho Bo.  Eternal beef and vegetable broth, succulent pho noodles, fresh slices of beef, herbs, spices, etc.. . .all served up good and steaming hot. . .mmmm, aaaaaahh!  I love eating Pho Bo in Hanoi to celebrate Pi Day, and you will too if you ever find yourself wandering around in the capital of Vietnam lookin’ for a luscious snack.

I send you mouth-watering vibes from Hanoi. . .feel them. . .they will get you through the day no matter what is happening around you.

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It’s lovely out there.

Pho Boooooo…Hanoi–

BOOM!  Here is the world champion of noodle soups–Pho Bo, aka beef noodle soup–served up with casual ease and no fanfare in Hanoi, Vietnam.  This stuff is tasty and satisfying to the two-thousandth power.  My Vietnamese friends often say to me, “we use only simple ingredients in our food, nothing really special, but the secret to the greatness is that we use these simple ingredients in the right combination to create maximum flavor.”  Yes. . .they. . .do. . .oh-so well!  I love Vietnamese food–especially Pho Bo–and you will too if you ever find yourself wandering around over here lookin’ to fill your pie hole with something good.

I send you delicious vibes from Hanoi. . .feel them. . .they are simple and good for you.

To see more amazing images from around our tiny planet simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .dive on in. . .you can go just about anywhere that you like right here, right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

Niu rou mian–

MMM!  It’s the national dish of Taiwan, and it is called Niu Rou Mian, i.e., beef noodle soup.  Delicious and satisfying. . .wonderful fuel to keep you going. . .wish I had a bowl of this stuff right NOW as another winter storm approaches New York City.  Ah well, I will just have to revisit this dish in my mind cuz there ain’t a version of this anywhere in the U.S. that could match the version I had in Taipei. . .mmmm, aaaaahh!  I love Niu Rou Mian, and you will too if you ever find yourself wandering around in Taipei or anywhere in Taiwan with a rumbly belly.

I send you delicious vibes from Taipei. . .feel them. . .they are more powerful than a polar vortex.

To see more fun images from around planet Earth simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .do it, do it, do it. . .you deserve a virtual trip right NOW.

It’s lovely out there.

The real champion.

WHOA!  Hold on.  We just ate what we think are the champion tastiest number 1-rated soup dumplings in all of Taipei at a place called Little Shanghai on Minsheng Road, Section 4, number 62–not 68 as incorrectly written in some food blogs.  These soup dumplings are delicious in every way–super tasty broth, delicate skins, and full of pork that is chunky and substantial. . .really really good.  Word on the street is that you visit Din Tai Fung to impress out-of-towners, but you visit Little Shanghai to impress local Taiwanese friends.

So, this is my new favorite restaurant in all of Taipei. . .in fact, we already did a return visit to eat more soup dumplings AND the beef noodle soup–absolutely delicous and sooooo satisfying.  I love Little Shanghai. . .you will too if you ever make it over here.

I send you number 1-rated vibes from Little Shanghai here in Taipei. . .feel them. . .they are the best.

To see more fun images from Taipei and beyond simply click on a location of your choice in the category menu on the ‘About’ page of this blog. . .there is so much to explore and so little time. . .dive in.

It’s lovely out there.

Niu Rou Mien–

Here it is. . .one of the national dishes of Taiwan–Niu Rou Mien–also known as Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. . .tasty, tasty, tasty.  Chucks of tender delectable beef chunks with chewy slurpy handmade noodles and a broth that is rich and absolutely comforting.  The people of Taipei appear to eat this dish at all hours of the day. . .morning, noon and night as far as I can tell. . .and I can see why because it is soooo satisfying.  I love the  Niu Rou Mien here in Taipei.

I send you super-comforting vibes from Taipei. . .feel them. . .they are nutritious and satisfying.

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It’s lovely and tasty out there.

Pho bo–Hanoi–

This is the iconic dish of Vietnam.  Pho ba–noodle soup with beef.  Pho is the noodle, ba is the beef.  This particular version that you see above may be the best one that I have had in Hanoi.  The broth is succulent and super hot, the Pho noodles are slightly wider than Bun noodles and slurpy, the garnishes include hot chilis, cilantro, basil leaves, garlic vinegar sauce, hot chili sauce if you want, and the key, I believe, is that the beef is thinly sliced and raw–it is dropped in just before the bowl is delivered to you, and you can see the meat cooking in the super hot broth right before your very eyes.  After a minute of mixing and stirring in your garnishes the whole thing is ready to be eaten. Absolutely delicious.

This is the fuel of the Vietnamese people, and I love it.  Eat up wherever you are.

It’s lovely out there.