Wednesday, February 21, 2007

juxtaposing food

I would never claim to be a foodie, and taking pictures of food is usually the farthest thing from my mind when food is around. Furthermore, covering food in Taipei would be such a huge undertaking that I wouldn't want to go there. Other people have whole blogs devoted to their food experience in Taiwan, and . . . nothing could bore me more than posting about food than reading about food.

Food may be the one aspect in life for me that is viceral and immediate, and has no value to me in terms of knowledge or pontification. If it's in front of me, I'll eat it, often be grateful for it, and if it's meat I'll often be mindful that a life was taken away for it, but that's a whole nother story, never mind. Besides, if you asked me to shoot food, this is what you'd get:


December 23, 2006 - Not positive where this is, but I think it's in an alleyway market (how appealing does that sound?) off Shida Road. We call it pork. Pigs call it a massacre.


December 30, 2006 - I celebrate any finding that resembles an attempt at Mexican food in Taipei. This is off Ren Ai Road, around the corner from some crappy looking bike shop, but which actually carries some pretty high-end bikes. Not far from the Chiang Kai-Shek Memorial. To be honest, it sucks, but I stop there every time I pass by to support it. I give an E for effort, NT for nice try. And my saying it sucks doesn't mean it sucks. That's just because of my San Francisco standards. By those standards, Mexican food in New York . . . sucked.

Why there are no Taco Bells in Taipei is a huge curiosity (not to suggest Taco Bell is Mexican food), since KFC has a huge presence here and they are affiliated with each other, in the U.S. at least. My uncle and aunt, upon trying Taco Bell during their last U.S. visit, opined that Taiwanese people would really like it. If only I had that entrepreneurial spirit. But I don't.

iTunes soundtrack:
1. Natural Mystic (Bob Marley & the Wailers)
2. If You Blue (Tara Jane O'Neil)
3. Piggies (The Beatles - Anthology)
4. Kayleigh (Marillion)
5. Sunday Girl (Blondie)
6. Yebo! (Mahlathini & the Mahotella Queens)
7. Prelude & Quadruple Fugue (Hovhaness)
8. Far From Now (Engine Down)
9. Alcohol (The Kinks)
10. What Becomes of the Broken-Hearted? (The Funk Brothers w/Joan Osborne)

4 comments:

joyce said...

i had a hard time with the mexican food in colorado. it's just not the same. it's good, but different... but now i love it, and we've found several really good places. and the mexican in NYC...yeah, i'll pass. blech. :P i can't imagine what mexican food is like in any part of asia!!

keauxgeigh said...

have I mentioned the time I got a burrito in New York from a Chinese guy who didn't even know how to wrap the thing?! Yup, that's a pass! XD

And here, there's only so much you can do when you don't have guac or sour cream. But you live with what you can get.

ocgal22 said...

We're lucky here in Singapore (somewhat) that we at least have "ok" alternatives. My favorite place to go to is owned by this guy who goes to Mexico for at least two months out of the year to brush up on the latest trends and techniques. All Mexican dignitaries visiting Singapore eat at his restaurant. His avocados are flown in from California and his tortilla chips are homemade. But we're at an impasse every time we go -- he gets excited when Californians visit and wants to dazzle us - but sometimes all I want are fajitas or burritos(a total insult to his Yucatan based cuisine) instead of baked fish (which is really good). But sometimes all you want is American-Mex we've come to know and love . . . :)

keauxgeigh said...

That does it! After I get my Alien Residence Card, I'm visiting you! I'll see if my friend Pasha is still there.