Ouch, how dare you (fist shake)
theres a million Vietnamese restaurants here… run by vietnamese.
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Which ones are good? I’ve been to many, they still cater to Taiwanese taste and many skimp on ingredients…
This place is pretty far out, you’d need a scooter or car but its the most decent one I’ve found so far.
http://www.mingjih.com
District One is not bad also but pricey
https://www.facebook.com/DistrictOneTPE/
Good as in similar to what I find around Saigon or L.A.
most of them are pretty good (and pretty similar). what do you mean by good? they are run by Vietnamese so its not like they have changed it to some sort of Taiwanese interpretation like they have with the pasta restaurants.
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this one is pretty awesome, and probably too far for most people…
Seafood restaurants are usually a good bet. Value for money wise fried clams make a good choice.
Thanks, its too far… maybe if I ever visit Miaoli
Something need doing?
doing what?
Have you been to Vietnam?
I was in Hanoi a couple of months ago. OMFG! The food was just incredible.
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Thats what I mean!! Vietnamnese food is amazing when done with right ingredients not the stuff I find in Taiwan.
One example is…the pork chops might be fried with lemon grass…but in Taiwan they dont do it and then they’ll give you side Taiwanese veggies like bean curd and boiled broccoli or some squash
Or what about a really amazing Ban Mi…
Yep, I’ve not found a Vietnamese restaurant that comes close to Vietnamese food in Vietnam. However, this is true of all national cuisines. They are invariably adapted to local tastes. In Taiwan there is the additional problem of the race to the bottom price-wise which means the cheapest ingredients are used.
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I’m sure it’s Americanized, but I miss the big plate of weeds that I get in the US with Vietnamese pho. And the peanut sauce that also goes with the fresh spring rolls. I asked a lady at a Vietnamese shop why the big plate of weeds is missing and she said that Taiwanese don’t like salad or as they say “cold” vegetables. Too much waste.
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no. but i’ve been to vietnam restaurants in several countrys and the stuff i’ve had here has been just as good and theres a hell of a lot of them. most are small operations so they are not going to be fancy but they are still good. i don’t think you are going to find taiwanese food at the same level as in taiwan overseas either. its just how it is.
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The big plate of weeds and sprouts is very Vietnamnese… In fact its a cornerstone of the cuisine almost every meal has it. Lots of fresh veggies and herbs something they don’t give in Taiwan or theyll give a pitiful tiny plate with a few old leaves
2 out of 3 vietnamese places I have been to in hualien seemed to cater to taiwanese tastes. Sweet and bland. Never been to vietnam but have been eating vietnamese food in the san jose/sf bay area for 30 years.
It depends, the best Taiwanese foods I’ve had were in LA. Such as Pork Chop rice and Cold noodles etc.
I’ve often pondered about why since moving to Taiwan I always expected to find better TW food here in the homeland. Having been here 6 years I’m constantly disappointed.
I realize its because they have been cheap ingredients the past maybe 15-20 yrs and have moved away from the old recipes. For example…I remember eating this awesome cold noodles at an outdoor wet market in Taichung growing up. It was popular and run by an old KMT soldier with family recipe. That place is closed now, the only place I find with a Cold Noodle matching that amazing flavor and quality is by Taiwanese Immigrants who brought it to LA and stayed true to the ingredients without skimping to save money. Of course its more expensive but well worth the extra couple dollars.
They don’t want to take the time to cook it the right way with the sauces on the noodles cause some braising takes a couple days. Most noodles, sauces are all bought from distributors now. Many of the old Soy Sauce brands are gone which helped flavor the noodles, they cost more but the store owners not willing to pay for it.
Constantly on the hunt for good cold noodles