At 6pm, the famous line of customers was not beginning to back up through the kitchen as it normally does. Due to SARS, the food and beverage business is slower all over town, even at Taipei's most famous restaurant, the dumpling shop Din Tai Fung.
But in many ways, the slowdown also has something to do with the fame. Din Tai Fung has in recent years generated much of its business from tourists, with Japanese tourists alone making up one-third of the clientele, according to employee of 13 years Wu Chia-feng (
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
"There are fewer tourists," said Wu, adding, "Taiwanese customers don't like to line up. But more people are taking out."
The restaurant started out more than 40 years ago as a street stall selling steamed dumplings and 30 years ago it moved to its present location. The kitchen was put at the entrance, forcing customers to file past white aproned cooks on the way to upper floor dining rooms, a feature that has since become a hallmark.
In 1993 the New York Times named Din Tai Fung one of the world's ten best restaurants, and the decade since has seen expansion, with six franchises added in Japan and one each in Shanghai, Hong Kong and Arcadia, California. Ordering and seating systems are computerized and there is now a Web site.
For many locals, growth has changed the restaurant. "Ding Tai Fung isn't what it used to be," said a woman who works in the area identifying herself as Ms. Huang. "It's really expensive. The price is fine for Japanese, but I think the food is better and cheaper at Kao Chi or Chinchiyuan."
Kao Chi, or Kao's Snack Collection (高記), and Chinchiyuan (金雞園), which are both within two or three minutes walk of Din Tai Fung, have similar menus of very good food, and are definitely cheaper (hsiaolungbao start at NT$100 at Kao's and NT$70 at Chinchiuan, compared to NT$170 at Din Tai Fung).
If you don't want to eat out, like many people recently, the entire menu is also available for take away. There is no delivery, but you can call ahead and your order will be ready in about fifteen minutes.
That US assistance was a model for Taiwan’s spectacular development success was early recognized by policymakers and analysts. In a report to the US Congress for the fiscal year 1962, former President John F. Kennedy noted Taiwan’s “rapid economic growth,” was “producing a substantial net gain in living.” Kennedy had a stake in Taiwan’s achievements and the US’ official development assistance (ODA) in general: In September 1961, his entreaty to make the 1960s a “decade of development,” and an accompanying proposal for dedicated legislation to this end, had been formalized by congressional passage of the Foreign Assistance Act. Two
Despite the intense sunshine, we were hardly breaking a sweat as we cruised along the flat, dedicated bike lane, well protected from the heat by a canopy of trees. The electric assist on the bikes likely made a difference, too. Far removed from the bustle and noise of the Taichung traffic, we admired the serene rural scenery, making our way over rivers, alongside rice paddies and through pear orchards. Our route for the day covered two bike paths that connect in Fengyuan District (豐原) and are best done together. The Hou-Feng Bike Path (后豐鐵馬道) runs southward from Houli District (后里) while the
March 31 to April 6 On May 13, 1950, National Taiwan University Hospital otolaryngologist Su You-peng (蘇友鵬) was summoned to the director’s office. He thought someone had complained about him practicing the violin at night, but when he entered the room, he knew something was terribly wrong. He saw several burly men who appeared to be government secret agents, and three other resident doctors: internist Hsu Chiang (許強), dermatologist Hu Pao-chen (胡寶珍) and ophthalmologist Hu Hsin-lin (胡鑫麟). They were handcuffed, herded onto two jeeps and taken to the Secrecy Bureau (保密局) for questioning. Su was still in his doctor’s robes at
President William Lai’s (賴清德) March 13 national security speech marked a turning point. He signaled that the government was finally getting serious about a whole-of-society approach to defending the nation. The presidential office summarized his speech succinctly: “President Lai introduced 17 major strategies to respond to five major national security and united front threats Taiwan now faces: China’s threat to national sovereignty, its threats from infiltration and espionage activities targeting Taiwan’s military, its threats aimed at obscuring the national identity of the people of Taiwan, its threats from united front infiltration into Taiwanese society through cross-strait exchanges, and its threats from
RSS