The neighborhood around Tienchin Street between Changan Road and Nanking Road is chock full of Japanese restaurants that are visible reminders that this area was previously home to much of the Japanese colonial administration. Now the narrow alleys are a favorite haunt of Japanese businessmen and tourists, as well as hip young Taiwanese.
Fei Qian Wu is not the oldest restaurant in the neighborhood, but it is easily the busiest, due mainly to its low prices and delicious roasted eel. As soon as its doors open crowds begin to converge so that about 20 minutes into its business hours there is already a line out the door and down the alley. With this kind of meal-time crunch, space is at a premium and it's common to share a table with strangers.
The cafeteria feel of the restaurant's seating arrangement extends to its service as well. A small legion of servers scurries about filling orders while others clear tables using clackety pushcarts. Food arrives at the table in no longer than five minutes from the time of ordering.
PHOTO: MAX WOODWORTH, TAIPEI TIMES
Despite the clear emphasis on turning high numbers of tables, not many shortcuts appear to be taken in the kitchen.
Most diners will make a special trip to Fei Chien Wu to eat its roasted eel, which is several cuts above the usual fare at similarly priced Japanese restaurants. A single portion of eel on rice with miso soup costs NT$140, while a double portion comes in at NT$240.
The double portion of eel would be plenty for one person, but it is well worth it to flesh out a meal with some of the smaller dishes on offer. Try the grilled squid, which is sufficient for up to four people or the shrimp and vegetable tempura. The best value must be the chicken kebabs, which cost only NT$20 a piece. The grilled and marinated mushrooms and seaweed are also refreshing choices for summer that cost NT$40 each.
This restaurant does not score high marks in the atmosphere category, but then it's the food and not the ambiance that has kept the store running for over 20 years. First-time visitors to Fei Chien Wu need not be dismayed if there is a line outside the restaurant. The owners see to it that the line moves quickly and the food will make the wait worthwhile.
March 10 to March 16 Although it failed to become popular, March of the Black Cats (烏貓進行曲) was the first Taiwanese record to have “pop song” printed on the label. Released in March 1929 under Eagle Records, a subsidiary of the Japanese-owned Columbia Records, the Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese) lyrics followed the traditional seven characters per verse of Taiwanese opera, but the instrumentation was Western, performed by Eagle’s in-house orchestra. The singer was entertainer Chiu-chan (秋蟾). In fact, a cover of a Xiamen folk song by Chiu-chan released around the same time, Plum Widow Missing Her Husband (雪梅思君), enjoyed more
Last week Elbridge Colby, US President Donald Trump’s nominee for under secretary of defense for policy, a key advisory position, said in his Senate confirmation hearing that Taiwan defense spending should be 10 percent of GDP “at least something in that ballpark, really focused on their defense.” He added: “So we need to properly incentivize them.” Much commentary focused on the 10 percent figure, and rightly so. Colby is not wrong in one respect — Taiwan does need to spend more. But the steady escalation in the proportion of GDP from 3 percent to 5 percent to 10 percent that advocates
From insomniacs to party-goers, doting couples, tired paramedics and Johannesburg’s golden youth, The Pantry, a petrol station doubling as a gourmet deli, has become unmissable on the nightlife scene of South Africa’s biggest city. Open 24 hours a day, the establishment which opened three years ago is a haven for revelers looking for a midnight snack to sober up after the bars and nightclubs close at 2am or 5am. “Believe me, we see it all here,” sighs a cashier. Before the curtains open on Johannesburg’s infamous party scene, the evening gets off to a gentle start. On a Friday at around 6pm,
A series of dramatic news items dropped last month that shed light on Chinese Communist Party (CCP) attitudes towards three candidates for last year’s presidential election: Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) founder Ko Wen-je (柯文哲), Terry Gou (郭台銘), founder of Hon Hai Precision Industry Co (鴻海精密), also known as Foxconn Technology Group (富士康科技集團), and New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT). It also revealed deep blue support for Ko and Gou from inside the KMT, how they interacted with the CCP and alleged election interference involving NT$100 million (US$3.05 million) or more raised by the
RSS