I went to see a movie at the governor cinema lately and surprisingly I got a popcorn and soda included in my ticket price!
What a nice surprise!
Does anyone know of any other cinemas that do the same thing?
Most do with your credit card -show a receipt and that’s it.
They also have special offers for like 20nts you get “chicken” nuggets or fries.
But it’s all really awful. I strongly recommend buying something and bringing it in with you. The only things worth eating are popcorn (if you’re into that) and soda. Don’t even touch their hamburgers.
Churros are occasionally munch worthy.
Oh, sorry but I have to say that churros here are overpriced crap. Churros are something much better than that dried off, chewy weird thing they sell at theaters.
I have to agree. Nothing like Madrid’s churros (and porras). Everytime I went there, got some. 
I have to agree. Nothing like Madrid’s churros (and porras). Everytime I went there, got some. [/quote]
Oh man, churros… I couldn’t believe that they were charging here one or two euros per piece… and that they were so bad. However, I find it interesting that some Taiwanese breakfast shops have PORRAS, that they eat with some porridge. Who brought that thing here? the Spanish? the Japanese because Spanish people brought it to Japan?
Churros:
Porras:
Chunks of Taiwanese porra (popular traditional(?) breakfast here, including fried eggs, soy milk, porridge):
A guy handling a Taiwanese porra:
so flavours
much delicious
wow
The Spanish did leave their mark in food stuff, language, etc. Interesting that porras stuff, will ask some experts academics what’s the link - probably came along with the bread Spaniards brought.
If you have any friends that speak Taiwanese, try to pick the words of Spanish origin.
And if you think churros here suck, you haven’t tried paella yet…
Nobody seems to know for sure, but according to some folks it’s the other way around, at least as to churros:
[quote]The Portuguese returning from Ming Dynasty China brought new culinary techniques, including their version of a rough bread stick, called You tiao, which evolved into the Spanish churro, a long prism-shaped fried snack that may be straight, curled, or spirally twisted.[/quote]–Santa Fe: 400 Years, 400 Questions, Elizabeth West, ed. http://books.google.com/books?id=73aLzuJPmn4C&lpg=PA192&dq=%22The+Portuguese+returning+from+Ming+Dynasty+China+brought+new+culinary+techniques%22&pg=PA192#v=onepage&q=%22The%20Portuguese%20returning%20from%20Ming%20Dynasty%20China%20brought%20new%20culinary%20techniques%22&f=false
Other people say that Spanish shepherds invented churros. And I think there are other theories.
[quote=“Icon”]The Spanish did leave their mark in food stuff, language, etc. Interesting that porras stuff, will ask some experts academics what’s the link - probably came along with the bread Spaniards brought.
If you have any friends that speak Taiwanese, try to pick the words of Spanish origin.
And if you think churros here suck, you haven’t tried paella yet…[/quote]
Well, there are at least two places where the paella is good in Taipei: “La Mesa” and “La caja de música” (this last place only by other people’s reference, I haven’t tasted theirs yet).
I also cook a good paella, but not very often, because my in-laws say spanish food takes too long to cook, like last Christmas, when I prepared the traditional catalan Christmas soup. Just the broth had to boil for 5 hours…
Uhm!
so Portuguese claim to have invented churros? No way! 
Now that you mention… I think I have never run into a Portuguese person here…
Blaquesmith… I have tried paella here. In restaurant(s?) and also some folk’s paella. The latter was pretty decent. The other one is… well, rice with stuff.
You should try the one in La Mesa (which is, incidentally, two doors down on my street).
I’m telling you it’s pretty decent, even for spanish standards (of course, in Spain, you can only eat good paella on the mediterranean coastline).
[quote=“climbinghobo”]I went to see a movie at the governor cinema lately and surprisingly I got a popcorn and soda included in my ticket price!
What a nice surprise!
Does anyone know of any other cinemas that do the same thing?[/quote]
Not quite free but 欣欣(Showtime) gives you a popcorn and drink for only 10nt more. A general admission ticket costs 250nt, you add 10nt more and you get the combo. Pretty good deal, much cheaper than all the other places. Additionally if you use a specific credit card(Citibank iirc) it’s even cheaper, like 20 or 30nt less.
[quote=“Tony the Tiger”][quote=“climbinghobo”]I went to see a movie at the governor cinema lately and surprisingly I got a popcorn and soda included in my ticket price!
What a nice surprise!
Does anyone know of any other cinemas that do the same thing?[/quote]
Not quite free but 欣欣(Showtime) gives you a popcorn and drink for only 10nt more. A general admission ticket costs 250nt, you add 10nt more and you get the combo. Pretty good deal, much cheaper than all the other places. Additionally if you use a specific credit card(Citibank iirc) it’s even cheaper, like 20 or 30nt less.[/quote]
American Express (with free popcorn chicken) and Chinatrust too, but lately they have the policy you must show a receipt showing you have used the card recently -not the fabiao but the white thing they give you after signing.